Listening to the Higsons, that's a Robyn Hitchcock song, a reference to radio listening. Which for some reason is permanently stuck in the midground of my thoughts. His album from 2004, Spooked, which featured Gillian Welch is one of the things I listened to this year. Reading over the end-of-year music lists I've seen, I figured I could make such a list. I listen to radio at work taking advantage of being at a university and hardwired into the net. I listen to radio stations I've sought out, rather than just the ones around. I listen intently. My job is copy cataloging books; Ultra low level clerical work. I have to keep my mind occupied somehow. And on my pay I'm not tempted to buy many records or try to download all of iTunes. When I hear something I like but don't know, I write it down. I've been doing this my whole life, never bothered to save any of it before.
Here in no remaining order is an extract from my set of notes from this year.
Red Krayola: "Transparent Radiation." One problem with my list, that actually came out in 1967, but let this represent the principle of back catalog discovery.
Four Tet. I'm not sure what in particular I like by them I just find I keep writing their name down.
Pink Reason ibid. They have a disc Cleaning the Mirror out this year. Pink Reason is apparently just one Kevin Debroux from Wisconsin. A similar band in some respects is
His Name Is Alive from Livonia Michigan. HNIA is Warren Defever and usually a few others currently Andy fm (Andrea Francesca Morici). I have previously written in Atomized I really like the song "Come to Me " off the 2007 release Xmmer.
Of Montrealhad a record out this year, Hissing Fauna are you the Destroyer, I wasn't as taken by it as others of theirs, but I did like "the past is a grotesque animal" I felt similarly about San Francisco's Deerhoof lp Friend Opportunity. "the perfect me" was a fine song, though.
Something I admit I enjoyed thorougly was the Sea-horse song from
Devendra Banhart (2007's Smokey rolls down Thunder Canyon). People like to downgrade Banhart for being too affected, self-aware or whatever it might be. This song a stylized retro-extravaganza-channeling won't change. that. It's a very good song though, something hard to achieve through such deliberateness.
Band of Horse is another band I've come to like. "Is there a Ghost" is the new song getting played, "Funeral' a lovely song from the previous record I've heard in a car commercial recently [Ford Edge?].
Glenn Mercer formerly of the Feelies had a strong solo effort out this year, Another band in any list I make now is the Pernice Brothers . I like the sparer arrangements better. B S Johnson, a song about the british novelist is a favorite off this (or last years) Live a Little. I also like "7:30 off "The World Won't End". One of the two brothers involved used to head up a band called the Scud Mountain Boys. I want to mention
Myracle Brah too. This one of the bands that reminds me of the sort of stuff Boston's Real Kids used to do. Also in the simple pleasures category
Art Brut and their song "Direct hit" (I wonder what Billy Childish is up to). With the band Grinderman. Nick Cave records an album without feeling the need to summon the world's dwindling supply of seriousness to the project.
There is a circuit of noisy folkie bands out there I don't have much of a handle on.
Six Organs of Admittance may be one. I recommend the song "Coming to get you." This is one of a handful of projects out on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label. It shares this and a guest guitarist with the
Magik Markers. I have a couple of songs written down for them Empty bottle, Ballad of Harry Angstrom. This is a very noise band in current incarnation, no mistaking that
Magik Markers Punkcast. Noise had a good year though. The band
Psychedelic Horseshit, got some attention with their discordant jangle "New Wave Hippies." All the same it was San Francisco's
Sic Alps which continued to catch my attention. They did a live set on Jersey Cities WFMU back in the fall. I truly enjoyed that. They paired down from a three piece to a two piece at some point. Songs like "Message from the Can" are more or less indicative of the current sound. Strawberry Guillotine is the most recent release
SIC ALPS - Forced Exposure.
I've been listening to rock and pop music for a great many years now. For a considerable stretch of that time it was all industry approved corporate product, no regrets there, you like from what you know. None of the stuff above is from artists working for a big labels; however. The more I know the less I am tempted to care about the definitions those people pedal. All the same the White Stripes are on a major and I like them. For some reason this song of theirs remind me of the old Status Quo song "Pictures of Matchstick Men."
Candy cane girl, don't you know your
name, girl? Yeah, 12 people are gonna ask you just the same,
girl. What a world, Christmas once a year, girl.That's 364
tears, girl. So when Christmas finally comes, and nobody's got
a gun,And you think it might be fun to hang around, think
again, girl.
Why don't you open me up,
huh?
Candy cane boy, don't you know your name,
boy? Nine people gonna tell you just the same,
boy. You're alone son in the middle of a million, And
nobody knows how to talk to children.
Oh, when
Christmas finally comes, and nobody's got a gun, And you think
it might be fun to get a new toy, think again, boy. Oh, when
Christmas finally comes, and no one's got a gun, And you think
it might be fun to make a stand, think again, man. the white
stripes
