It's Official: My Favorites of 2010

Well, this has been a work in progress, but I am ready to make it official: here are my 10 favorite albums of 2010.

1. The National - High Violet

I am an admitted late-comer to The National. I know they have a few albums under their belt (which I have subsequently gone back to and now love), but for some reason I was unable to grasp their music until High Violet. And actually, I wasn't crazy about the first single ("Bloodbuzz, Ohio"). It wasn't until I heard the track "England" that I was hooked. The way the piano builds along with the drums is mesmerizing, and when the drums fully kick in they provide a simple backbeat that is juuuust enough to take the music to the next level until the end of the song. The simplicity of interweaving parts throughout the album and the discipline of the drummer barely using cymbals makes everything sound tight. High Violet is a damn near perfectly crafted album, and I will be listening to it for years to come.

2. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

One day last summer I was out for a run, and "Burden of Tomorrow" came on my iPod. While some tracks by The Tallest Man On Earth might not be the best workout/running music, that song hit it right on the head. From there I explored the rest of the album and could not stop listening. Kristian Matsson's melodies are infectious and, despite it being your classic dude-with-a-guitar set-up, the entire album is compelling and will leave you digging deeper into his catalog. The Wild Hunt (along with another EP, Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird, released later in 2010) is an album that fits a variety of situations and moods, and am looking forward to more music down the road from The Tallest Man On Earth.

3. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Ever since their residency at LA's Spaceland in August of 2009 I have been excited to a) see this band live and b) get my hands on their debut album. I accomplished the former goal a few times (Holocene & Doug Fir with Edward Sharpe in 2009 and then a heading gig at Mississippi Studios in 2010), and their live show is stellar. Multiple harmonies, syncopated rhythms, lush guitars and accented keyboards are all blended perfectly on stage, and all five members are clearly having a GREAT time playing the songs. Fortunately, all of that translates into a great debut album - still full of the energy from their live show with a few added studio nuances to make it all the more enjoyable. These guys have been on the road since about September 2009, and I hope it continues to pay off. Check out their blog for road stories and pictures, and go listen to Gorilla Manor: it's terrific.

4. Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker

Thanks to Rachel Reynolds and KCRW for turning me on to this band in their Artist You Should Know series. These Aussies came through Portland recently and rocked Doug Fir - you can read my blog post below this one - but before that, InnerSpeaker immediately got my attention with the reverbed guitars, lazy vocal delivery and scratchy lead lines. Take "Lucidity" as an example. Vocals start in at the beginning, and they are layered over the top of a strong beat, washed out guitars and looooong drum fills. As soon as I heard this track I knew I was in for a treat, and I also force fed it to any of my friends who would listen. Fortunately, they all agreed: this band rules. Tame Impala manage to make music that sounds like it is from the 70's, but they update it with current effects and a laid back attitude of awesomeness. I'm hooked.

5. Delta Spirit - History From Below

Well, Ode To Sunshine was fantastic, and History From Below is the natural follow-up. The songs are crafted in much the same way, but Delta Spirit are heavier on the rocknroll this time around. A friend made the comment that it sounds like Delta Spirit made this album thinking about how the songs would be played live, meaning everything is unnecessarily just a liiiiittle bit louder, but I think it sounds great. There are tasty licks all over this album, and particularly on "Golden State," my favorite track. Delta Spirit played Doug Fir a few days after the release of this album, and not only did the show sound incredible, but the energy was just up up up up the whole time - a perfect compliment to a great album.

6. Gospel Claws - C.L.A.W.S.

This one caught me by surprise...in October. Thanks to my hosting a music block for opbmusic, I have access to a nice, concise list of new releases each week. Well, on October 26, 2010, Gospel Claws released C.L.A.W.S. and I thought it proper to play a track during my set. I want you to experience it the way I did, so do me a favor: go here and listen to "Walk Me Down." Then come back. ... I'll wait, go ahead. ... Okay. Is that not one of the more killer songs you've heard all year? I mean seriously. "Walk me down / doo doo doo doo doo doo walk me down / ooh ooh ooh." AWESOME. And the album maintains that strength through the remaining 10 songs. The vocals remind me of early Bono mixed with Band of Horses (in a good way), but the music has more balls. If you're in the mood for some solid, catchy rock, go for Gospel Claws.

7. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

This is another one that snuck up on me. A friend mentioned seeing them during the summer and said they were great, so I bought the album on that recommendation. Turns out it was a good move. Mumford & Sons sound as though they could be an American bluegrass band who secretly listened to rock and roll while totally digging on Irish jigs. The best tracks build to an epic chorus/ending full of four-on-the-floor bass drum, jangly banjo and soaring vocal lines, but all of the songs are good. "Little Lion Man" or "The Cave" are good places to start, and, as long as you're into that, you'll enjoy the rest of the album.

8. Boy Eats Drum Machine - 20 Beats

Jon Ragel IS Boy Eats Drum Machine, and I think he is one of the most creative solo artists I have ever seen. Not only does he play nearly everything you hear, but he also has a sweet live set-up: twin screens at the back of the stage onto which all of his hand movements are projected from the turntable & Kaoss pad he plays through. Oh, and there's a drum and a saxophone he plays live as well. And singing too. All of those musical elements - minus the singing - are presented on 20 Beats, and they showcase BEDM at his best. As you might have guessed, there are 20 tracks on the LP, and it's a great mix of the beat-based, synth-lead hip-hop Jon Ragel does best.

9. Garotas Suecas - Escaldante Banda

"Swedish Girls" is the exact translation of Garotas Suecas. And that has nothing to do with the band, really. Garotas Suecas were first put on my radar by Ms. Carrie Brownstein, and I have been dying to see them live and/or get some of their music ever since. 2010 was the year for both. Garotas Suecas played MusicFestNW this year, and I, along with about 40 other lucky people, watched this band turn Ash St. Saloon from a room full of I'm-going-to-stand-here-and-analyze-this-show into a room full of everyone-needs-to-be-shaking-their-ass-NOW! Their music is tough to categorize, but I would call it their own Brazilian style of funk/rock/pop you can't help but groove to. The band is relaxed on stage, but the output is...well...FUN. Like Carrie says in her blog post: "Garotas Suecas shouldn't merely be listened to or witnessed; they should be absorbed."

10. Sun Airway - Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier

Sun Airway is another group I discovered late in the year, and they arrived almost simultaneously via opbmusic and KEXP. "Shimmering electronica" is the way I would describe this album; there are certain effects that makes the songs shimmer, and the duo only uses electronic instruments. Almost every review or mention of this album makes an apt comparison to Animal Collective, but where Animal Collective tends to get too strange for me, Sun Airway keeps the song structures simple, the melodies basic and the music easy to listen to. There were a few other contenders for this #10 spot, but I picked Nocturne because it, moreso than others, has stayed with me ever since its release. Bottom line: if you liked Merriwether Post Pavilion, you'll love Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier.

What were your favorite albums of 2010?

Also, go submit your favorites for opbmusic's Listener Poll!

Tame Impala: Doug Fir Lounge, 12/11/10

For those who haven't heard Tame Impala, they are a fuzzed out, psychedelic rock band from Australia with atmospheric effects and dream-like vocal melodies. Their debut album, InnerSpeaker, was released earlier this year and it immediately drew me in. Seeing them live became the next test, and, after a bit of a slow start, they passed it successfully on Saturday night at Doug Fir. Some of the best shows I've seen this year - Delta Spirit, Jamie Lidell - have been at Doug Fir, and Tame Impala is now among them. Playing a majority of InnerSpeaker plus a totally rad cover of Massive Attack's "Angel" (see a decent YouTube clip here), the band sounded terrific and were musically completely satisfying.

I say "after a bit of a slow start" because the Aussie four-piece literally started the set a little slow. The first track from the album was the first song they played, but the tempo was about 2 clicks too slow; however, my worry that they would maintain the weed/beer-induced pace was quickly erased when they launched into Solitude Is Bliss. Immediately, the band was right in the pocket and kept the energy up through the rest of the hour and twenty minute set. Clearly impressed by the massive turnout - it was nearly sold out - the group constantly thanked the crowd and, once they were comfortable, looked like they were having a great time.

Lead singer Kevin Parker was even-keeled throughout the show except for a few drops to his knees to fiddle with pedals and a couple of guitar chops to accent some drum hits during Lucidity. Lead guitarist Dominic Simper had the mop-headed look of Jonny Greenwood and added lovely bits of flavor with his lead lines and effects. The drummer is aptly nicknamed "Gumby" due to the ease with which he finds his way around the drum kit. And the bass player looked a bit like Michael Cera, who just happened to be at the show.

The band didn't do much on stage, which would normally be frustrating for me, but the energy they put out fit perfectly with the attitude of the album. And sometimes it's just nice to hear the songs played perfectly, only with more energy and extending some bridges. All of the carefully crafted nuances from InnerSpeaker came through at Doug Fir, and, despite this being a relatively new band, these guys played like pros.

InnerSpeaker came in at #4 on my Favorites of 2010 list this year, and their show at Doug Fir only solidified that choice. Do yourself a favor and give Tame Impala a listen.

It should also be noted that Portland's Brainstorm opened the night, and easily won over the audience with their eclectic mix of raw indie rock and tuba. Yes, tuba. Brainstorm consists of two multi-instrumentalists: the drummer sings with a headset and plays synth on some tunes while the guitar player handles bass with the help of effects pedals, sings and also plays a tuba on a few tunes. They have a few shows coming up, and they are definitely worth checking out.

The Dears' New Album

For those who aren't familiar, The Dears are a rock band out of Montreal. Back in 2003 I was not familiar until my friend Gabi told me: "You will like this band. Go buy No Cities Left." I trust her taste, so I obeyed and, lo and behold, I LOVED No Cities Left. I was hooked.

The music is soaring, rocking, cinematic and atmospheric. The melodies are easily singable without being overly familiar. And the songs all combine to create incredible albums.

Well, The Dears have a new album coming in February 2011: Degeneration Street. To promote the album, they are doing a few things you should check out:

1) Free download of the song Blood. Click here, sign up and grab it.

2) The Dears are hosting weekly webcasts called Radio Degeneration. They are happening every Monday at 4pm PST on this website, and it is basically an hour or so of complete chaos with the band...in a good way. They play their favorite Dears tunes and preview new Dears tunes. Pretty cool.

Oh, and here's that single, Blood, performed live. NOW are you convinced?

www.thedears.org

Best Of 2010 (A Work In Progress)

Well, it's that time of year: Best Of time. 2010 has been a pretty incredible musical year for me, and choosing a top 10 is going to be tough. This post will be a work in progress, so I will update it with changes over the next month or two.

For now, as of November 18, 2010, from all the albums I purchase and/or listened to, these are the ones in the running for the Top 10:

[UPDATE 12/02/10: Started adding numbers for potential Top 10. Added Mumford & Suns per Robin and Ra Ra Riot, Menomena & New Pornographers per Dave. Started Live Show list.]

[UPDATE 12/03/10: Added some Best Singles.]

Top 10 Albums
1. The National - High Violet
2. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt
3. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

4. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

5. Delta Spirit - History From Below
6. Gospel Claws - C.L.A.W.S
7. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
8. Boy Eats Drum Machine - 20 Beats
9. Garotas Suecas - Escaldante Banda

10. Sun Airway - Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier

Junip - Fields
Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Guster - Easy Wonderful

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of ADZ
Spoon - Transference
Orgone - Cali Fever
Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame
The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Jonsi - Go
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
Laura Veirs - July Flame
She & Him - Volume 2
Javelin - No Mas
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Phantogram - Eyelid Movies
Caribou - Swim
The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Climber - The Mystic
Broken Bells - s/t
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise
Portugal, The Man - American Ghetto
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
RJD2 - The Colossus
Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
Menomena - Mines
The New Pornographers - Together
Four Tet - There Is Love In You
Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
Beach House - Teen Dream
Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Efterklang - Magic Chairs
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Interpol - s/t

The Black Keys - Brothers

Best Live Shows
Delta Spirit - Doug Fir Lounge (June 10)
Garotas Suecas - Ash St Saloon (September 9)
Local Natives - Mississippi Studios (May 27)
Orgone - Someday Lounge (Jan 2)

Jamie Lidell - Doug Fir Lounge (June 16)

Best Singles

The Radio Dept. - The New Improved Hypocrisy

Best Coast - Boyfriend

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Say No To Love
Broken Bells - The High Road

Arcade Fire - City With No Children

Post your comments and help me remember what I'm missing.

Sticking Up For The Sophomores

The release of the latest Arcade Fire album (The Suburbs) got me thinking about the maturing of bands juxtaposed with the sometimes unwillingness of fans to approve of the band diverting their path from that of their first album. Case in point: Arcade Fire. Personally, I think The Suburbs is superb, and I like it more than Funeral or Neon Bible. I am probably not alone in thinking this, but I would be willing to bet a majority of Arcade Fire fans disagree. Funeral will, in some fans' eyes, always be the best album no matter what.

Arcade Fire even poked fun at this sentiment in an interview with Bob Boilen on NPR's All Songs Considered. To me, Will & Win's reaction was perfect. They definitely realize the importance and significance of their first album but also want to move on and continue to create new material. Go figure.

Of course there will always be debut albums that are considered classic - I think we can all agree that Parachutes is an amazing album - but I need to make a case for the great sophomore albums that have been made. In looking through my collection, I can find quite a few groups where I enjoy their second album more than the debut:

Radiohead: The Bends
Nirvana: Nevermind

Weezer: Pinkerton

Counting Crows: Recovering The Satellites
Muse: Origin of Symmetry
Ben Folds Five: Whatever And Ever Amen
eels: Electro-Shock Blues
Better Than Ezra: Friction, Baby

Guster: Lost and Gone Forever

Beck: Odelay

The Streets: A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique

There are a few keys to the superior sophomore album:

1) Maturity. Most groups have nearly 20 years (or more) to write their first album, and then they are expected to churn out a second, better, hit-filled album in the next 1-3 years. That's a tall order. I don't know what the formula is, but some bands just seem to have a knack for pulling it together quicker. And actually, some of the albums I listed aren't necessarily more hit-filled, but they resonated with critics and fans. Paul's Boutique is a good example of a superior second album with far less hits than the first.

2) Exploration on a Natural Path. The natural inclination of any group is to expand their sound after the first album. After playing those same songs for years on end, any group would want to change it up a little. While this feeling is normal, some fans may feel like a group has taken too much of a turn on their second release. Again, I don't know what the formula is, but an album like Origin of Symmetry is sonically more mature that Showbiz, and that is definitely a good thing.

3) Varied Production. Most of the albums I listed are sonically varied from the debut. Take Pinkerton as an example. The Blue Album has a nice polished garage fuzz to it, but Pinkerton felt more loose and jangly which, to me, feels more intimate and genuine. If a group can maintain their identity while expanding it through enhanced (or minimized) production, I say go for it.

4) Change. Don't attempt to re-create your debut.

With all of that said, there will undoubtedly still be bands whose debut is fantastic and never surpassed by subsequent albums. All I'm saying is give the sophomores a chance! They're not all bad.

Are there any sophomore albums you like better than the debut?

[Note: I realize The Suburbs is not Arcade Fire's sophomore album, but it was the crys of "Funeral is the best album ever!" that got me thinking.]

Portland Radio: opbmusic

I love radio. But I think most of all I love the idea of radio. Most of my listening these days is in the form of online streams or podcasts; however, none of this would be possible without the basic radio stations to program and broadcast the content.

Ever since high school I wanted to work at a radio station, and 94.7 NRK was the Portland station that sucked me in and made radio exciting. The music on the radio at that time (the late nineties) seemed fresh, and I was actually discovering new bands via the airwaves. I thought I would never find anything better.

Since that time my musical palette has expanded along with my radio taste and knowledge, and I realized my initial love for 94.7 was premature. There are much better radio stations out there, specifically two: KCRW in Los Angeles & opbmusic in Portland.

KCRW

I lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and worked for college, corporate and non-profit radio stations. I played in bands and discovered a lot of great music beyond the scope of what would normally be played on traditional terrestrial radio. And then I found KCRW. KCRW is easily the most innovative, cutting-edge, forward-thinking radio station in the country. They have found a way to balance eclectic music, NPR and original talk programming in a way that is interesting and constantly entertaining. (There is also a 24-hour music stream: Eclectic24.) No city will ever have what KCRW is to Los Angeles or the music industry in general, but Portland is getting close with opbmusic.

opbmusic

When it comes to local Portland radio, opbmusic is setting the standard. Started by David Christensen and Jeremy Petersen a little more than three years ago, opbmusic does a terrific job of balancing local music with national acts on the weekly In House radio program (Saturday & Sunday nights from 8-11pm on 91.5FM). The only disadvantage is that they are on terrestrial radio for those 6 measly hours a week; everything else is broadcast online at opbmusic.org or via HD radio at 91.5-2. Portland needs opbmusic to be more of a presence in the local music scene. Everyone in or around music in Portland knows how amazing the scene is, but the way to promote it is lost.

There are many other local stations playing local music (see Local Cut’s extensive look at Portland radio), but opbmusic has the potential to become more. The balance of playing new, recent and upcoming releases among national and local artists alongside music relating to the thousands of shows that are coming to town is tough, but opbmusic is doing it. Their music library includes an amazing variety of music with a strong focus on local talent, and they have recently been expanding their online broadcast to include new volunteer hosts. These new hosts will bring their own distinct voice to opbmusic, which will keep the content unique. On top of that, opbmusic.org includes over 100 in-studio performances ranging from internationally known artists like Sloan to local up-and-comers such as Mimicking Birds. The foundation is solid; opbmusic just needs a bigger and more exposed platform.

I don’t believe a station has to be exclusively local to be a great local radio station. I am a fan of (and play keyboards in) a lot of local bands, but there are other bands I want to hear on the radio. This format – if you want to call it that – is exactly what opbmusic is all about: they support all things local while remaining relevant on a national level. This is the progressive, all-encompassing frame of mind that sets them apart from every other station in town.

Listen to In House and the online stream and see for yourself.

In House airs on OPB (91.5 FM) from 8-11pm on Saturday and Sundays nights. The online stream can be found anytime at www.opbmusic.org.

(Full disclosure: I was recently hired as a volunteer host for opbmusic. My show airs on Tuesdays online. Also, I worked as a volunteer at KCRW for a few years, but I can guarantee my opinion will be echoed if you give them a listen.)

Jamie Lidell

Jamie Lidell is a pre-tty pre-tty pre-tty awesome guy. I have been hooked ever since my friend Rebecca sent me A Little Bit More a bunch of years ago (long before the Target commercial).

Mr. Lidell has a new album, Compass, coming out May 18 with guest appearances from Beck, Feist & Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor (among others). Check out this video insight into the making of the album...can't wait!

iTunes OCD

When I am home, I always have music playing - via iTunes - through our home stereo. I utilize iTunes DJ to get a decent mix, but I am a little crazy and particular about the order in which songs are played.

I decided a few years ago I wanted to make sure I listen to every song in my Music Library, so I took steps to make that happen. This is how I organized the listening experience:

Goal 1: Listen to every song (11,000+) in iTunes Music Library.
-Step 1: Make sure the Play Count column is showing in the iTunes DJ window.
-Step 2: Using iTunes DJ, pull songs from the general Music Library and allow for 50 upcoming songs.
-Step 3: When a new song loads into the bottom of iTunes DJ, make sure it is a song that has never been played. If the song has been played previously, delete it from the playlist and see what comes up next.
-Step 4: If a song plays that you do not like and will probably never listen to again, delete it from your Music Library entirely. (That's right, the concept of an album just went out the window.*)
-Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until the Play Count on all songs in Music Library is 1 or greater.

After I completed Goal 1, I needed a new project. Because Goal 1 spanned a year or so and some songs were listened to as far back as 2005, I decided to tackle the songs by year. Hence, Goal 2.

Goal 2: Listen to every song in 200_, starting with the oldest year.
-Step 1: See Step 1 from Goal 1
-Step 2: Make sure the Last Played column is showing in the iTunes DJ window.
-Step 3: Go into Music Library window and arrange all songs by Last Played. Highlight all songs from whatever year you are working on and make that into a playlist, naming it the year in question.
-Step 4: In iTunes DJ, change your Source to songs from the just-made playlist.
-Step 5: As songs are played in iTunes DJ, delete them from the playlist so you can keep track of what has been listened to.
-Step 6: Repeat Steps 1-5 for subsequent years.

I currently have 3,803 songs left to listen to from 2008. That's 10 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes and 9 seconds, but we'll see how long it actually takes. After that, who knows...

What about you? Any unique music arranging habits?

*I do honor some entire albums even if I don't like a song, but I'm sorry - I don't like every song on Bleach, nor do I feel the need to keep every one of those songs in my Library if I'm never going to listen to them. But that's me. You might be different.