I cannot necessarily vouch for the excellence of this list. I really loved the top three. The fact is that there is so much music available now that finding a meaningful filter to pick the good stuff is hard. But, here it is and to the extent meaningful, my favorite CD is a local band it rocks rather than twangs. Enjoy or don't. Peace.
1. Sleepy Kitty: Infinity City. new, bold, outstanding, St. Louis. Great vocals, crunchy guitars, Lou Fest, Cherokee Street, graphic art and prints, clever lyrics, break up songs, life lessons, cover of “She Was Just 17”, St. Louis references, smart, pretty, funky, I like it, looping and tricks, but solid tricks, I listened at least 50 times to every song, Dykula, buy it, NOW! What is next?
2. Mountain Goats: Transcendental Youth. Cry for Judas, deep introspective, three minute songs, John Darnielle, Smart, sad, dark, joyous, raucous, Harlem Shuffle, some guys are just too talented and tortured, an album like a live Twitter feed... that doesn’t make it right. “Do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive.”, I love this music, will buy everything he makes. Tortured, brilliant, sad, tortured, brilliant.
3. Elizabth Cook: Gospel Plow. EP, just as advertised, some Gospel Music, for Christians. or not, listen, cry, br grateful, but don’t mock it, beautiful voice, her husband Tim Carrolls sweet alt guitar, picking her spots and he references and her Gospel, but smile, daughter of lounge singers, she might have a place for Jesus, or not, but you must listen. This is shit that will just make you smile and if your lucky...think and maybe think about God.
4. Counting Crows: Underwater Sunshine. Adam Durvitz, August and nothing too much thereafter, epic voice, our generations Sinatra, inturpreting other peoples work, brilliant selections, Madonna, Gram Parsons, The Faces, Bob Dylan. Brilliant and charming and touching and... to quote “Ooh Lah Lah”, “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.” Buy this just to smile, feel a little much needed joy. He can sing and they play so tight.
5. Joe Pug: The Great Despiser. Religious, but not, seems like he keeps making the same album, but a great album each time, writes like Dylan, mewls like Dylan, does not need my approvel, searching and making me search, asking questions observations with hooks, interested to see if he breaks out of this mold but this might be enough. Become a fan.
6. Steve Earle: I’ll Never Get Out Of Here Alive. Buy him, just out of respect, heroin addict, recovered, brilliant, political, SIRIUS DJ, New York, Nashville, there and back again, over and over again, plays with the best sideman or at least the coolest, thinks about every word and so should you.
7. Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Psychodelic Pill. The man, the myth, the legend, with the Horse, raucous again, best since “Ragged Glory”, tapping on 70’s door and can still kick that door down, seems unafraid, familiar territory that rocks, 7 minute songs that do not seem 7 minutes, don’t sppok the horse and you don’t need to be high to rock... but it might help.
8. James Iha: Look To The Sky. Smart Pop, unexpected, Smashing Pumpkins Guitarist, disappeared, etheral, Fountains of Wayne like, the good stuff though, lacking crunchy guitars, painfully tuneful
9. Tame Impala: Lonerism. Beatleseque, Australian, compter effects noodler, Radiohead, pretty, sometimes raucous, often pleasant, (hate that), sometimes relentlessly pleasant, (intriguing), ultimately I don’t know but...
10. Rhett Miller: The Dreamer. Old 97s, pretty boy, whips is hair, covered great american songs last year, solo stuff all tend to sound the same, this good, slightly over produced, but he can write, worth it for the line “You were not like the rest, till you left.” from the song “Lost Without You”. That kind of brilliance deserves to be bought and treasured. I’m just saying ya’ll.
Everyone Loved Them:
Japandroids
Shins
Fiona Apple
Dirty Projectors
Mumford... again
Lumineers
Beach House
Alabama Shakes
1. Sleepy Kitty: Infinity City. new, bold, outstanding, St. Louis. Great vocals, crunchy guitars, Lou Fest, Cherokee Street, graphic art and prints, clever lyrics, break up songs, life lessons, cover of “She Was Just 17”, St. Louis references, smart, pretty, funky, I like it, looping and tricks, but solid tricks, I listened at least 50 times to every song, Dykula, buy it, NOW! What is next?
2. Mountain Goats: Transcendental Youth. Cry for Judas, deep introspective, three minute songs, John Darnielle, Smart, sad, dark, joyous, raucous, Harlem Shuffle, some guys are just too talented and tortured, an album like a live Twitter feed... that doesn’t make it right. “Do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive.”, I love this music, will buy everything he makes. Tortured, brilliant, sad, tortured, brilliant.
3. Elizabth Cook: Gospel Plow. EP, just as advertised, some Gospel Music, for Christians. or not, listen, cry, br grateful, but don’t mock it, beautiful voice, her husband Tim Carrolls sweet alt guitar, picking her spots and he references and her Gospel, but smile, daughter of lounge singers, she might have a place for Jesus, or not, but you must listen. This is shit that will just make you smile and if your lucky...think and maybe think about God.
4. Counting Crows: Underwater Sunshine. Adam Durvitz, August and nothing too much thereafter, epic voice, our generations Sinatra, inturpreting other peoples work, brilliant selections, Madonna, Gram Parsons, The Faces, Bob Dylan. Brilliant and charming and touching and... to quote “Ooh Lah Lah”, “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.” Buy this just to smile, feel a little much needed joy. He can sing and they play so tight.
5. Joe Pug: The Great Despiser. Religious, but not, seems like he keeps making the same album, but a great album each time, writes like Dylan, mewls like Dylan, does not need my approvel, searching and making me search, asking questions observations with hooks, interested to see if he breaks out of this mold but this might be enough. Become a fan.
6. Steve Earle: I’ll Never Get Out Of Here Alive. Buy him, just out of respect, heroin addict, recovered, brilliant, political, SIRIUS DJ, New York, Nashville, there and back again, over and over again, plays with the best sideman or at least the coolest, thinks about every word and so should you.
7. Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Psychodelic Pill. The man, the myth, the legend, with the Horse, raucous again, best since “Ragged Glory”, tapping on 70’s door and can still kick that door down, seems unafraid, familiar territory that rocks, 7 minute songs that do not seem 7 minutes, don’t sppok the horse and you don’t need to be high to rock... but it might help.
8. James Iha: Look To The Sky. Smart Pop, unexpected, Smashing Pumpkins Guitarist, disappeared, etheral, Fountains of Wayne like, the good stuff though, lacking crunchy guitars, painfully tuneful
9. Tame Impala: Lonerism. Beatleseque, Australian, compter effects noodler, Radiohead, pretty, sometimes raucous, often pleasant, (hate that), sometimes relentlessly pleasant, (intriguing), ultimately I don’t know but...10. Rhett Miller: The Dreamer. Old 97s, pretty boy, whips is hair, covered great american songs last year, solo stuff all tend to sound the same, this good, slightly over produced, but he can write, worth it for the line “You were not like the rest, till you left.” from the song “Lost Without You”. That kind of brilliance deserves to be bought and treasured. I’m just saying ya’ll.
Everyone Loved Them:
Japandroids
Shins
Fiona Apple
Dirty Projectors
Mumford... again
Lumineers
Beach House
Alabama Shakes
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