Saturday, January 15, 2005
What's Tops To Me '04 Rewind
Stuff I liked best this past year. Presented in no order.
V/A -- Nice Up The Dance
Soul Jazz went and dug up some more mind blowing tunes. This comp focuses on Dancehall/Hip Hop fusion type stuff, and man does it wail. My fav track is "synthesizer voice" featuring Pompidu and his so gruff voice. It makes Prince Far I sound smooth as Sade. This one should be required listening for the members of Still Flyin'. It'll totally help out that dude who wrote Jah Va.
Bugs Eat Books -- Ghosts of Leaves
I can't get enough of this record. Thanks for tossing a copy my way last summer, Rob. It's been in ultra heavy rotation ever since. I agree with what SA wrote about this one.
Drive By Truckers -- The Dirty South
Not sure if this one is for everyone who reads this weblog, but I think it's great. Southern Rock, and man, can they tell some tales. Songs of moonshine, gambling, drug running and Buford Pusser.
Crime Mob -- Crime Mob
Crime Mob does not beat around the bush. These kids from Ellenwood Area are just too crunk for metaphor or clever wordplay. They lay it out plain and simple with songs like "I'll Beat Your Azz," "Knuck if U Buck," and "Stillettos (Pumps)."
v/a -- The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop 1979-1983
Old Connecticut rap compilation put together by Peanut Butter Wolf. Ultimate party jams from Mr. Magic and the 11 year old Pookie Blow.
Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf -- Big Shots
Another killer reish from P.B Wolf's stone's throw label. These dudes were signed to a major in the early 90's and just as this record was set to drop and blow the lid off the world, Charizma died and the record was shelved. Some great stuff on here. Recurring subjects include apple juice and hitting skins.
Animal Collective -- Sung Tongs / Panda Bear -- Young Prayer
As good as everyone says. If the song "Our Prayer" on Smile lasted 40 minutes, you'd have P. Bear's "Young Prayer." And Sean, what the fuck kind of classical music are you listening to? this shit ain't no Mozart! maybe xenakis or stockhaussen's orchestral stuff?
Aerial Pink -- Haunted graffiti
This is the first record I've heard in a long time that initially struck me as "weird." I don't think I can even accurately describe this one. Sounds kinda like ELO recorded on an answering machine, with beatboxed drum sounds. A Fave of the Animal Collective.
--- side story connecting 2 entries on my list ---
so I'm browsing the jan '05 ish of "fader" mag looking for the cover article on Dungen, but berore I get the scoop on the sweed, I find an up and coming artist profile on Aerial Pink. It's one of those bands on the rise things. Ol' Pink seems much more coherent that I expected. Oh well. so I turn the page to find a similar article on that Athens' band the Whigs, and they're just chillin at Calente cab. Unexpected. but when I actually read the thing I realize that half the article is them talking about their friend Billy Bennett and how they played on the Jomo Jam cruise this past year. While I can't say I'm a huge fan of their music, I do admire their choice of friends, residence and lifestyle.
Dungen -- Ta Det Lungt
Turned on to this one by SA days before the year ended. Found a copy in Wuxtry. Rulz.
Brian Wilson -- Smile
Like everyone else, I was totally amazed that the awful idea of completing Smile 30 years later actually worked. And worked so well it did.
Joanna Newsome -- The Milk-Eyed Mender
What's not to like about a lil' harp playing elf singing about blowjobs given in roadside ditches?
Devendra Banhart - all that '04 stuff Pete Seeger for the LSD crowd.
Songs I just couldn't get enough of:
Huffman Prairie Flying Field -- Guided By Voices
The last song on GBV's final record. A fitting end to the band's discograpy. While the 4 or 5 preceding songs kinda suck, this one blazes righteously into forever. A near perfect anthem. Bob Pollard sounds so tired as he sings the final refrain of "for far too long" which goes on for about a minute and a half before fading out. But honestly this hook wouldn't get old even if it went on for an hour.
Little Rage -- The Mice
Another great band from Ohio. They put out 2 records in the 80's which were just recently reissued. Anyway, this is just a great pop song worth checking out.
Snoop Dogg -- Drop it like it's hot
I really like this one for its pro-gang message.
Alozade and Hollow Point -- Under Mi Sensi
This song is featured on the comp 600% Dynamite, and I'm not sure if it even came out in 2004, but I was introduced to its might in MB's Mazda Tribute early last January on the way to Jay and Amy's post new year's fondu/karaoke-a-thon. The song, which is some sort of odd electro-funk-reggae thing with a speak and spell into about cocaine and marijuana, set the tone for the night, except the cocaine and marijuana were replaced by gin and those giant steely japanese beers and falling down on the MJQ dancefloor. The night was a real barn burner (Alozade and Hollow Point deserve some of the credit) that could only rightly be followed up with a rejuvenating trip to endless shrimp at Red Lobster the next afternoon.
Jay Z -- 99 Problems (Dangermouse version)
The Rick Reuben version is pretty good, but this one jsut blows it out of the water and gets me really riled up.
Stuff I liked best this past year. Presented in no order.
V/A -- Nice Up The Dance
Soul Jazz went and dug up some more mind blowing tunes. This comp focuses on Dancehall/Hip Hop fusion type stuff, and man does it wail. My fav track is "synthesizer voice" featuring Pompidu and his so gruff voice. It makes Prince Far I sound smooth as Sade. This one should be required listening for the members of Still Flyin'. It'll totally help out that dude who wrote Jah Va.
Bugs Eat Books -- Ghosts of Leaves
I can't get enough of this record. Thanks for tossing a copy my way last summer, Rob. It's been in ultra heavy rotation ever since. I agree with what SA wrote about this one.
Drive By Truckers -- The Dirty South
Not sure if this one is for everyone who reads this weblog, but I think it's great. Southern Rock, and man, can they tell some tales. Songs of moonshine, gambling, drug running and Buford Pusser.
Crime Mob -- Crime Mob
Crime Mob does not beat around the bush. These kids from Ellenwood Area are just too crunk for metaphor or clever wordplay. They lay it out plain and simple with songs like "I'll Beat Your Azz," "Knuck if U Buck," and "Stillettos (Pumps)."
v/a -- The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop 1979-1983
Old Connecticut rap compilation put together by Peanut Butter Wolf. Ultimate party jams from Mr. Magic and the 11 year old Pookie Blow.
Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf -- Big Shots
Another killer reish from P.B Wolf's stone's throw label. These dudes were signed to a major in the early 90's and just as this record was set to drop and blow the lid off the world, Charizma died and the record was shelved. Some great stuff on here. Recurring subjects include apple juice and hitting skins.
Animal Collective -- Sung Tongs / Panda Bear -- Young Prayer
As good as everyone says. If the song "Our Prayer" on Smile lasted 40 minutes, you'd have P. Bear's "Young Prayer." And Sean, what the fuck kind of classical music are you listening to? this shit ain't no Mozart! maybe xenakis or stockhaussen's orchestral stuff?
Aerial Pink -- Haunted graffiti
This is the first record I've heard in a long time that initially struck me as "weird." I don't think I can even accurately describe this one. Sounds kinda like ELO recorded on an answering machine, with beatboxed drum sounds. A Fave of the Animal Collective.
--- side story connecting 2 entries on my list ---
so I'm browsing the jan '05 ish of "fader" mag looking for the cover article on Dungen, but berore I get the scoop on the sweed, I find an up and coming artist profile on Aerial Pink. It's one of those bands on the rise things. Ol' Pink seems much more coherent that I expected. Oh well. so I turn the page to find a similar article on that Athens' band the Whigs, and they're just chillin at Calente cab. Unexpected. but when I actually read the thing I realize that half the article is them talking about their friend Billy Bennett and how they played on the Jomo Jam cruise this past year. While I can't say I'm a huge fan of their music, I do admire their choice of friends, residence and lifestyle.
Dungen -- Ta Det Lungt
Turned on to this one by SA days before the year ended. Found a copy in Wuxtry. Rulz.
Brian Wilson -- Smile
Like everyone else, I was totally amazed that the awful idea of completing Smile 30 years later actually worked. And worked so well it did.
Joanna Newsome -- The Milk-Eyed Mender
What's not to like about a lil' harp playing elf singing about blowjobs given in roadside ditches?
Devendra Banhart - all that '04 stuff Pete Seeger for the LSD crowd.
Songs I just couldn't get enough of:
Huffman Prairie Flying Field -- Guided By Voices
The last song on GBV's final record. A fitting end to the band's discograpy. While the 4 or 5 preceding songs kinda suck, this one blazes righteously into forever. A near perfect anthem. Bob Pollard sounds so tired as he sings the final refrain of "for far too long" which goes on for about a minute and a half before fading out. But honestly this hook wouldn't get old even if it went on for an hour.
Little Rage -- The Mice
Another great band from Ohio. They put out 2 records in the 80's which were just recently reissued. Anyway, this is just a great pop song worth checking out.
Snoop Dogg -- Drop it like it's hot
I really like this one for its pro-gang message.
Alozade and Hollow Point -- Under Mi Sensi
This song is featured on the comp 600% Dynamite, and I'm not sure if it even came out in 2004, but I was introduced to its might in MB's Mazda Tribute early last January on the way to Jay and Amy's post new year's fondu/karaoke-a-thon. The song, which is some sort of odd electro-funk-reggae thing with a speak and spell into about cocaine and marijuana, set the tone for the night, except the cocaine and marijuana were replaced by gin and those giant steely japanese beers and falling down on the MJQ dancefloor. The night was a real barn burner (Alozade and Hollow Point deserve some of the credit) that could only rightly be followed up with a rejuvenating trip to endless shrimp at Red Lobster the next afternoon.
Jay Z -- 99 Problems (Dangermouse version)
The Rick Reuben version is pretty good, but this one jsut blows it out of the water and gets me really riled up.
