Saturday, September 6, 2008

News and Notes

*While we're making grand, definitive statements, as we tend to do, I will say that the best single out right now is "Lost Coastlines," by Okkervil River. Give it a listen at their myspace.

*I don't know how into Ratatat everyone is, but I just got into them, and this song is one of the top 7 things that happened to me this summer. Turn up the volume.

*Last Christmas I got a record player for my parents and one for Maggie. I got one for my parents due to their ridiculous record collection that has gone unused since their old one broke some time in the 80s; it was pretty fantastic pulling out albums like "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs," and "Exile on Main St." on vinyl. I got the one for Maggie so that we could build up our record collection from scratch (pun intended); it's really fun for a few reasons. First, records sound amazing. Second, the process of actually putting a record on is a joy. And third, building a record collection allows you to weed out all the tunes you don't really want in your library. With records, you can't exactly skip tracks, so the albums you buy have to stellar throughout. Therefore, your record collection becomes only your favorite albums...a true reflection of who you are, musically speaking. We currently own five albums, with plans to expand. Those five are:

1) Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cold Roses
2) Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
3) The National - Boxer
4) Feist - The Reminder
5) The Arcade Fire - Funeral

I plan on buying some more vinyl tomorrow...I'll keep you posted.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Greatest Album of 2008


Yes, it's only September (and barely so). Yes, Ray LaMontagne still has yet to release his new album of songs about getting his feelings hurt. No matter; the greatest album of 2008 has already been released.

On March 17, 2008 Van the Man released his THIRTY THIRD studio album. And it is a masterpiece. It's a carefully crafted set of new originals that are both catchy and thoughtful. It's clear that Van was inspired to write, and the material is flawlessly executed. It's almost frightening when a guy who has:
1) the greatest voice of all time (distant second: Stevie Nix)
2) 40+ years of recording experience (1968's Astral Weeks is 40 this year)
decides that he has something fresh to say.

Stand out tracks are:
  1. How Can A Poor Boy
  2. School of Hard Knocks
  3. That's Entrainment
  4. Don't Go to Nightclubs Anymore
  5. Lover Come Back
  6. Keep It Simple
  7. End of the Land
  8. Song of Home
  9. No Thing
  10. Soul
  11. Behind the Ritual

It's too bad for Jackie Greene (see: Giving Up The Ghost) that this album was released in 2008, because otherwise Mr. Greene might have had a good shot at greatest album, but it's really just not a fair fight when a juggernaut like Van puts his mind to it.

That's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment....

Noun: entrainment (plural entrainments):

1. Any of several processes in which a solid or liquid is put into motion by a fluid.
2. The carrying away of droplets of liquid during violent boiling
3. The movement of sediment in a stream of water or in a glacier
4. The mixing of air currents
5. (biology) The alignment of an organism's circadian rhythm to that of an external rhythm in its environment

If you don't own this album you don't care about music or science.

- JtR