Posted by Leilani Polk on Jul. 20, 2009, at 1:20 pm
Last Thursday, on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to land on the Moon, NASA came out with the embarrassing news that it had somehow, over the years, managed to record over America’s most important historical footage of said trip to the Moon’s surface. You know, the famous footage of Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” the one that all those conspiracy theorists say is faked Wag the Dog style? Yeah, that footage.
(Apparently, in the 1970s and ’80s, NASA had a shortage of tapes, so it erased about 200,000 of them and reused them, including ones documenting the historical event.)
Luckily, NASA’s news came with a Hollywood saves-the-day solution: those crafty preservationists who restored Casablanca are digitally sharpening and cleaning up grainy footage of the moon landing taken from four sources NASA scrounged from around the world. The results are said to be better than what TV viewers witnessed on July 20, 1969, and according to senior NASA engineer Dick Nafzger, “There’s nothing being created; there’s nothing being manufactured.”
In honor of NASA’s royal fuck-up, I’ve made up a playlist of songs dedicated to the moon. There are a great deal more than 10, and some are rather obvious, but headlines are better with nice round numbers … interesting how many of these songs were produced in the ’70s. I guess a mission to the moon will inspire some songs, huh? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jun. 5, 2009, at 2:14 pm
Several days ago, while watching Marco Benevento fire up his piano on a YouTube video, I got to thinking — who are some of the best keyboardists around right now, the ones who truly bring chops to the table, either via instrumental compositions, or songwriting, or both? I’ve tried to go less obvious — no one’s questioning the skills of Gregg Allman, or Keith Emerson, or Count Basie, or Richard Wright, or George Duke, or Dr. John, or interchangeable piano men Billy Joel and Elton John, or even the wondrous Stevie Wonder. We all already know those dudes are at the top. But what about some of the less obvious, but no less great? In the vein of Ivan’s Top 5 Bass Players Ever — except that, despite the title of my post, I’m not really claiming these are the best key players ever, just my favorites — I’ve put together the following list, in no particular order, and with video.
Marco Benevento
He’s among the most talented keyboardists around right now, in my humble opinion. He’s pretty hip to current technology and usually incorporates it into his compositions. I’ve seen him play in his main band with drummer Joe Russo, the Benevento/Russo Duo, I’ve seen him perform as part of a Led Zeppelin tribute, Bustle in Your Hedgerow, I’ve seen him tear it up with Russo, Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio during the GRAB tour, and I’ve seen him in his solo project, a trio with badass bassist Reed Mathis and drummer Matt Chamberlain. The following video Marco with his trio playing “Twin Killers” from a May 13 show in Philly.
Those are this year’s list of hurricane names. There are six lists that rotate and they do not change unless there is a hurricane that is so devastating that the name is retired, then another name replaces it. Today is the official beginning of the 2009 Hurricane Season. Unless you live on the East or Gulf Coast, Hurricane Season probably doesn’t mean shit to you until we’re knee deep in shit and CNN is into full sprint with their 24 hour coverage. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 20, 2009, at 4:14 pm
It’s 420. Another chance for a songlist. This one I think should be kinda special, since there’s been 420 songlists since the dawn of mankind. Or since people started making lists and smoking pot and using “420″ as code for pot-smoking. Ironic that by the time I get this thing up, it will actually be right around 4:20 p.m.
For those who are curious, the origins of the number 420 are smoke-shrouded in urban legend. I found a few things today in honor of the unofficial holiday, but my fave is the thoughtful piece by the Huffington Poston the meaning of 420. Not so surprising that the Grateful Dead were at least partially responsible for 420’s propagation into pot culture. Here’s an excerpt:
It was Christmas week in Oakland, 1990. Steven Bloom was wandering through The Lot – that timeless gathering of hippies that springs up in the parking lot before every Grateful Dead concert – when a Deadhead handed him a yellow flyer.
“We are going to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais,” reads the message, which Bloom dug up and forwarded to the Huffington Post. Bloom, then a reporter for High Times magazine and now the publisher of CelebStoner.com and co-author of Pot Culture, had never heard of “420-ing” before.
The flyer came complete with a 420 back story: “420 started somewhere in San Rafael, California in the late ’70s. It started as the police code for Marijuana Smoking in Progress. After local heads heard of the police call, they started using the expression 420 when referring to herb – Let’s Go 420, dude!”
Bloom reported his find in the May 1991 issue of High Times, which the magazine found in its archives and provided to the Huffington Post. The story, though, was only partially right.
It had nothing to do with a police code — though the San Rafael part was dead on. Indeed, a group of five San Rafael High School friends known as the Waldos – by virtue of their chosen hang-out spot, a wall outside the school – coined the term in 1971. The Huffington Post spoke with Waldo Steve, Waldo Dave and Dave’s older brother, Patrick, and confirmed their full names and identities, which they asked to keep secret for professional reasons. (Pot is still, after all, illegal.)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 14, 2009, at 3:22 pm
It’s been raining all day, even before I woke up, making the already problematic feat of getting out of bed doubly difficult. The gray weather is making my brain cloudy and I’m having a hard time focusing on anything other than the soothing pitter-patter of drops on the Creative Loafing office’s metal roof. (If it was raining harder, it’d be near impossible for me to even think.)
Anyway, here’s a list of my top 10 personal favorite songs about rain. I know there are plenty I left out, but there are so many goddamn songs about rain. Makes a person wonder how many songs there are about the sun.
1. “Rain Song,” Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy, 1973
2. “Here Comes the Rain Again,” The Eurythmics, Touch, 1984
3. “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” Travis, The Man Who, 1999
4. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” written by Burt Bacharach for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
5. “Dry the Rain,” The Beta Band, The Three EPs, 1998
Special thanks to Amy! for inspiring this blog. In a comment on my recent Songs to save your party blog she wrote, “As a follow up to this article, I propose you consider the question, what songs are guaranteed to END the party?”
Amy!, your wish is my command. I call this my “Maxi Pad Playlist” because these songs are guaranteed to suck the moisture (and the fun) right out of any party. If it’s two in the morning and you want your asshole friends out of your living room, throw any one of these tunes on and watch the polite excuses begin:
Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond - This song sucks!
Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler - Beaches: The ultimate buzz kill.
Summer Lovin’, John Travolta and Olivia Newton John - Last night, Creative Loafing threw a party celebrating the launch of their spiffy new website. I was there drinking a Dixie Cup of wine, discussing the sad condition of the newspaper business (hence the Dixie Cups) with a very interesting guy and having a generally pleasant time. And then, this bullshit filled the air. I couldn’t say my goodnights quickly enough.
Taxi, Harry Chapin - This song has all the ingredients to ruin your night. It’s brooding, slow-moving, tragically sad and features a musical interlude with only cello and a male singing soprano.
Come Sail Away, Styx - Speaking of male soprano, I think it’s more effective at breaking up a party than a police raid.
This is all I’ve got off the top of my head. Surely, there are more abjectly awful songs out there than these five. Add at will!
This past Saturday I attended a friend of a friend’s 50th birthday celebration. At 25 years old, I was the youngest reveler there by a solid two decades. This generation gap evidenced itself in all of the usual and uncomfortable ways. My skuzzy Chuck Taylors and the holes in my jeans belied my immaturity while the absence of any beer to drink besides Miller Lite belied everyone else’s rapidly declining sense of taste.
Given the temporal and cultural barriers dividing me from the rest of the party, I began bracing myself (and by bracing myself I mean drinking Makers Mark on the rocks) for a pretty lame night. And then, it happened. The unmistakable drum riff that opens The Commodore’s 1977 funk classic “Brick House” filled the room. Perfunctory conversations ended, drinks were abandoned, purses were stashed away and we all simultaneously took to the dance floor. It was if someone blew a whistle tuned to a frequency we were all preprogrammed to respond to. Or, maybe more like we were all extras in a party scene in some stupid Hollywood movie and the director just said, “Action!” Either way, the vibe in the room was instantly transformed.
This experience set me to thinking that there must be other songs that possess this mysterious power to transcend barriers like age, extent of intoxication and comfort level with one’s own body and turn a really lame time into a really good one. Here’s a list of the tunes I’ve come up with so far. Feel free to add to it. I call this my “In Case of Emergency, Play This!” list:
Brick House, The Commodores - (See explanation above.)
Kiss, Prince - Eternal and immutable sonic perfection. It also tends to elicit some pretty hilarious sing along attempts.
Just Dance, Lady Gaga - I know it has yet to stand the test of time, but I’m willing to stake my reputation (ha!) on this one on the following grounds: My 61 year old dad and I saw Lady Gaga open for The New Kids on the Block this past November. (Please don’t ask how that ended up happening.) We both really dug this tune right off the bat.
Super Freak, Rick James - The bass hook alone possesses the power to transform even the most mundane and reserved amongst us into the titular “Super Freak.”
Recognizing the release (and very good reviews) of Morrissey’s new album, Years of Refusal, out today, Paste has released a list of the 10 best Smiths songs. Let’s see if we at CL agree with it:
10. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”—One of three Queen Is Dead songs on this list, “Bigmouth” features a nice anachronistic lyric about Joan of Arc and a Walkman. The song rocks fairly hard by Smiths standards; a colleague recently told me that “Morrissey actually growls on the live version off Rank,” then played me the clip. (Sure enough, he does.)
9. “Ask”—A highlight among highlights on Louder Than Bombs, in which our narrator spends “warm summer days indoors / writing frightening verse to a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg.”
8. “Rusholme Ruffians”—An underrated Meat Is Murder track, which makes our list for three reasons: Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar, Morrissey’s schoolboy angst and the hopelessly romantic lyric, “I might walk home alone / but my faith in love is still devout”
7. “Girlfriend in a Coma”—A vicious two-minute pop song that leaves you reeling.
6. “How Soon Is Now”—Thanks to Marr’s epic riff, this may be the most widely known Smiths song amongst the general public. For a band that specialized in intimacy, “How Soon” works surprisingly well as an ’80s anthem.
5. “Panic”—I’ve always wanted a radio show with this as my theme song. (Bonus points if you can watch the video without vomiting.)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 15, 2009, at 1:47 pm
We all know the standard classic mixtape love songs – “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton,” Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love,” Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady,” “I Will Always Love You,” (Dolly or Whitney, you pick the version), “At Last,” by Etta James, most of the Beatles’ early catalog. But what about modern, 21st century love songs, i.e., those that came out after January 1, 2001?
Up until I started preparing this, I never really thought much about it, but surprisingly, I came up with a wealth of ideas, almost too many. The songs I thought up are not necessarily traditional ballads (though there are several), are not always romantic or saccharine or even very nice, do not always offer bold statements of devotion or everlasting ardor. But in each, the meaning is clear even if it isn’t always spelled out clearly.
“Fell in Love with a Girl,” The White Stripes, White Blood Cells (2001)
The song made stars of pasty, Detroit-based indie alt blues duo Jack and Meg White, both because it was nice and short and tasty raw, and because it has a really cool Lego video. Check it out, if you haven’t already seen it a few dozen times.
In response to Leilani’s “Top 10 Stupid Band Names,” I’d like to point out that, yes, not only are some band names stupid, or bad - sometimes they’re downright stolen.
We’ve all sat around stoned, drunk (even sober) and thought up – or accidentally stumbled upon - the next greatest band name EVER. There’s got to be a list of those names somewhere, right? I seem to remember someone saying, “We’ve got to write that one down!”
There are plenty of band names inspired by literate source material or that just make sense (Steely Dan, named after a dildo in William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch or The L.A. Guns and Hollywood Roses combining to form Guns and Roses). But to lift the name of your group straight out of another artist’s catalog instead of establishing a new identity for your sound, your band, your business? It’s like starting up a fast food chain and calling it “Big Mac’s.”
As my wife pointed out, the only time a tribute should be paid to a band’s song is when you’re actually paying tribute to that band – as is the case with “Paradise City: The Guns N Roses Tribute” or ”Strutter: The Ultimate Tribute to Kiss.”
Here’s my list of offenders (in order of offense taken):
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jan. 20, 2009, at 8:01 pm
Guitar World recently offered up a list of the “Top 10 Stupidest Band Names of All Time” and I gotta say, it doesn’t look like they put a lot of thought into it, like someone had a good idea but didn’t use enough brain power to carry it out properly. Here’s the list:
1. The Beatles
2. Limp Bizkit
3. Boy Parts – Throbbing Gristle, Revolting Cocks, Iron Sausage
4. Girl Parts – Nashville Pussy, Bush, Pussy Galore, Hot Tuna
5. Scatological Names – Butthole Surfers, Fudge Tunnel, Butt Trumpet
6. Place Names – Nantucket, Boston, New York City, Europe, Asia, Chicago, Wakefield, Landale
7. Yes
8. Toto
9. The Presidents of the United States of America
10. The Band
First off, it’s not even an authentic Top 10 (see numbers 3 through 6). Second, The Beatles? You’re a writer at a marginally well-known rag that covers music, solely, all the time, and you can’t come up with a better bad band name than The Beatles? And you stick it up top, in the number one slot, as if to say it’s the worst band name of all time, even though the list is supposed to be in no particular order. And if it really is in no particular order — The Beatles were the first band you thought of? Really? I don’t want to judge, but I am. So I’ve made my own highly subjective, somewhat thoughtful list of awful band names in response. In no particular order: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Jan. 19, 2009, at 1:16 pm
In honor of the good doctor’s day, I’ve compiled a list of songs either paying tribute to MLK or spreading a message I do believe he’d approve of.
“Power to the People,” Curtis Mayfield
“It is now the nation’s turn / for all to be concerned / We can be freer still / it is the people’s will / And bring back the power for the people / that’s all we ask in our country dear / the sick and the hungry are unable / protect them and those who may live in fear.”
“Motherless Child,” Richie Havens, the Woodstock 1969 version.
Havens sings straight from the heart, his face almost pained when he bellows the improvised “Freedom” lyric (not in the original recording of the song) over and over again.
“Black or White,” Michael Jackson
Jackson promotes racial harmony with a John Landis-directed video that features a young and adorably rebellious post-Home Alone Macaulay Culkin. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Dec. 26, 2008, at 2:49 pm
There are plenty of albums I listened to incessantly (or not so incessantly but still enjoyed) this past year that didn’t make my top ten, but are still worthy enough of mention. I’ve also included a few I missed all together when they came out and am just now really digging on — there’s just too much music out there, people. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War) [Universal Motown]
I only heard Badu’s fourth studio effort for the first time a couple days ago, and kicked my self profusely for not listening sooner. Love it, gives me an automatic head bob, and the only reason I ever avoided it was because I’d heard it was too political. It’s political, all right, but in a blacksploitation film sort of way, all hot funk meets justified rage.
Black Moth Super Rainbow, Drippers EP [The 70's Gymnastics Recording Company]
The five-member experimental ensemble released another album of colorful, synthified, psychedelic fizz – the sort of music you’d expect from the soundtrack to a 1970’s space odyssey. The album includes songs produced over the past year that won’t be on the next album, and each limited edition release comes with one of five scratch n’ sniff scents: fruit punch, campfire, firecracker, tomato and dirt.
Phish, At the Roxy CD Box Set [Jemp]
It’s just not fair to pit a three-night show performed by a band more than 15 years ago against new music, even if said shows do include one of the best versions of “Tweezer” ever known to Phish kind. A truly great box set that anyone who considers themselves a Phan should own.
Panther, 14kt. God [Kill Rock Stars]
Spastic fun rock music with big beats and a Mick Jagger swagger. This album is just a great time.
Beach House, Devotion [Car Park]
The second dream pop album by Baltimore duo Beach House is simple and elegant, each song leisurely, achingly lovely and marked by the soft, sweetly ethereal vocals of singer Victoria Legran. Read the rest of this entry »
In 2008, I tried to take pictures at almost every show I attended. It’s a daunting task. Sometimes the lighting sucks, you may get stuck far from the stage or some venues may not let you bring a camera in at all. But when all goes right, you can go home with some swell shots of the bands.
These are my photo highlights of the year. Click on any image to view as full size.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Dec. 19, 2008, at 6:32 pm
I’ve written different variations of the following caveat for years, but I think it establishes an important distinction: The following is a list of my favorite albums of 2008. This is not to be confused with what’s important or hip or widely acclaimed by the critical community. If some of the titles below happen to be important or hip or widely acclaimed by the critical community, it is purely by chance.
1. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges (ATO). 2008 was the year I finally got pulled into My Morning Jacket’s orbit. It started with their appearance on Saturday Night Live and continues with Evil Urges, a rock album that I still don’t know quite what to make of, other than it constantly fascinates and delights me. Jim James and his Louisville compadres wantonly hop around through different styles — bracing riff-rock, terse funk, jam-band ooze, sweet balladry, twang, power-pop, neo-folk, prog and more — and somehow make it all sound so perfectly at home.
2. Al Green: Lay it Down (Blue Note). A lot of artists tried their hand at the vintage soul sound this year, but the master schooled ’em all. Coproduced by Green, ?uestlove and keyboardist James Poyser, Lay it Down lovingly evokes Green’s early-’70s heyday, with the easy sweep of the grooves and organic arrangements that allow the singer ample room to rifle through his whole bag of signature techniques: the shaping of a line, the slipping in and out of falsetto, the melismatic flourishes. Younger vocalists Anthony Hamilton, Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend go to school with the professor and end up getting good grades.
3. Shelby Lynne: Just a Little Lovin’ (Lost Highway). One of the best singers of her generation, and certainly one of the lesser appreciated, caresses a program of songs made famous by the late Dusty Springfield. Backed only by a bare-bones quartet of veteran studio musicians assembled by producer Phil Ramone, Lynne carries the entire affair, singing the likes of “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” “The Look of Love” et al with subdued radiance. Lynne and company transform all of the tunes into sexy ballads, and overall the vocalist puts her firm imprint on these time-tested gems.
4. Firewater: The Golden Hour (Bloodshot). Tod A., singer, songwriter and one-man brain-trust of Firewater, wandered through India, Pakistan, Turkey and elsewhere, recruiting local musicians along the way and recording them with a single microphone and laptop. The results are an astounding fusion of punk-infused rock with indigenous Eastern sounds, anchored by Tod A.’s rag-and-bone voice and angry, sardonic lyrics. Overall, The Golden Hour sounds as rugged as the artist’s trek. Read the rest of this entry »
Hey! In case you care about what we liked this year, here’s our Top 10 for 2008. Enjoy!
1. The Roots – Rising Down
2. Metallica – Death Magnetic
3. Soulfound – Is a Rock Band
4. The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath
5. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
6. Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
7. The Sounds of Animals Fighting – The Ocean and the Sun
8. Anberlin – New Surrender
9. Thrice – Alchemy Index Vol. 1-4
10. CSS – Donkey
It’s that time of the year again. The humidity levels are way down, sometimes. The night air is peppered with the smell of fireplaces, sometimes. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa shopping is going as well as can be expected in our thriving economy. It all points to one thing…
Time to break out those “Top 10″ or “Best of” lists for 2008! Being the music snob that I am (obviously everything I listen to is far superior to the crap[alternate crap links, i couldn't decide between them, so you get 'em all! Crap,and even more crap!] you listen to), these are my favorite albums of 2008. As of starting to type this, I’ll say that I’m aiming for a list of ten, but it may turn out to be more or less. So, in order of release date, this is what I couldn’t stop listening to this year. I’ll name my favorite after the list. There can be only one…
Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, Orlando 2008
Vampire Weekend – S/T (XL Recordings; 1/29/08) – Ok, these guys have been on everyone’s list since 2007 when an early version of the album leaked, but who cares? They really are that good; and catchy as all hell, too. If the one new song they played in Orlando this year is any indication, their follow-up to this great debut should be even better.
Why? – Alopecia (Anticon; 3/11/08) – This is one of the most cerebral albums I’ve heard in a while. The lyrics are smart, personal and sometimes quite funny. The instrumentation is somewhat non-traditional (as far as a “rock” band goes) and the music is full of playful and danceable counterpoint rhythms and melodies. Why? are “indie” but not quite “rock”; maybe at little like They Might Be Giants; if TMBG were Rhodes Scholars in addition to being super smart and clever. I caught these guys live this year and they more than delivered the goods in concert. If you get the chance, go see them.
I am posting this from the hell that is the Baltimore/Washington International airport at Christmas time. I cannot think of a worse time of year to be traveling. If the hordes of amateur travelers uninitiated in the mysteries of TSA procedures don’t get you, then the nauseatingly sweet stench of their Starbucks’ gingerbread lattes will. And just when you think you’ve made it – you’re at your gate with your black coffee and the stale Glazed Cake Munchkins you got at Dunkin Donuts the night before – the real onslaught begins: “Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock…” ad nauseum, ad infinitum.
In honor of the incessant seasonal serenade that is driving me swiftly to the edge of sanity, here’s a top 10 list of the Christmas songs I hate the least. (Let’s face it, none of us really like any of them.)
Just one more thing before I begin: this will be my last post for Tampa Calling. As soon as I’m finished, I’m going to hang myself with the strap from my carry-on bag.
10.White Christmas
I’m a Floridian which means I was raised on stories of how my forefathers fled the frigid north to avoid ever having one of these again. I derive a sort of sick pleasure knowing that I’ll be slathering on coconut-scented tanning oil and drinking margaritas this Christmas while the rest of Christendom shivers. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Dec. 19, 2008, at 10:45 am
Lots of great music this year; here’s my subjective list of the best. Snider’s will be posted later.
1. of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl) I’ve lauded this album to the moon and back, and I love it for the very reason it turns other people off – the quick and abrupt rhythm changes within the songs, the clever and suggestive lyrics, and the layers upon layers of rainbow-hued sonics. Kevin Barnes’ refusal to dumb down his music for mainstream audiences is commendable and refreshing, especially since the result is a virtual masterpiece. I’ve listened to it at least 100 times over the past three months and I’m still not sick of it, which, in my book, makes it the best album of ’08.
2. Bon Iver: For Emma… Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
Bon Iver is Wisconsin singer/songwriter Justin Vernon. His rootsy debut album under this moniker is the sort that takes your breathe away with its stunning, austere beauty — light drums, acoustic guitar, the occasional wash of background sonics. But the sole element that makes For Emma’s subtleties and well-crafted songs of longing and loss work so well is Vernon’s delicate, soulful falsetto, sometimes multi-tracked to elegant effect and so magnificently expressive it brings a tear to the eye.
3. TV on the Radio: Dear Science(Interscope)
Bumpin’ disco-funk dance music marked by out-of-the-box beats and brimming with sexiness and soul, Dear Science found a rather serious Brooklyn art rock band building upon their dark meditative style by letting loose and having fun with it.
4. MGMT: Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
People use the word “derivative” a lot when discussing this band. But MGMT does ’70s-style psychedelic glam rock right, throws in some funky electro-pop for kicks, and presents it with the sort of cock-strutting confidence you’d expect from a band on its fifth record, not its first (or second, depending on who you’re asking). What really makes this album a top 10, however, is the production quality; I’ve heard demos and the songs wouldn’t be nearly so good if they hadn’t been jazzed up in the studio.
5. Icy Demons: Miami Ice (Obey Your Brain)
The experimental Chicago/Philadelphia ensemble departed from their distinctly Zappa-esque-jazzified-prog-rock-meets-New-Wave-pop sound to an album so out there that even I couldn’t wrap my mind around it at first – off-kilter melodies, shifting time-signatures colliding with warm and mellow samba beats, menacing cello and buzzing synthesizers broken up by a xylophone-infused vocal interlude. In the end, the novelty spoke to me.
OK, here’s my list. Stay tuned for Top 10s by Snider and Leilani.
1. Lucinda Williams: Little Honey (Lost Highway)
On Little Honey, alt-country queen Lucinda Williams returns to the more focused, rock-oriented sonics of her breakthrough 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. In doing so, she reveals a newfound sexual confidence (”Honey Bee”) and celebrates domestic bliss (”Tears of Joy”). The singer/songwriter also manages to mine pathos for humor on the superb Elvis Costello duet “Jailhouse Tears.” Williams can still break your heart, though. “Little Rock Star” plays like a much-needed note to Amy Winehouse, penned by a sympathetic female singer who has already survived the perilous, do “whatever it’ll take to get them to listen” phase. Williams closes Little Honey with a fun treat: A surprisingly awesome swamp-rock cover of the AC/DC road warrior anthem “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna to Rock ‘n Roll).”
2. Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
Lil Wayne’s stoned, whisper-y flow and high-drama delivery is spellbinding. The dude opens his mouth, and you listen, hanging on each dazzlingly whack rhyme. On Tha Carter III, Weezy’s scattered-brain brilliance is in top form – as is the big budget production that dutifully follows Weezy’s serpentine flow like a hypnotized lover. The New Orleans native’s boasts, observations and musings are weirdly striking at nearly every turn (”I’m a young millionaire, tougher than Nigerian hair.”) Wayne still bulks at straight story telling, but to fault him for this would be like dissing Dali or Picasso for rebuking realism.
3. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges (ATO)
Genre-hopping indeed rock outfit My Morning Jacket’s juiciest disc to date features a smattering of styles, all of which are rendered outstandingly natural by the Louisville band. There are moments of extreme sadness (”Librarian”) and utmost silliness (”Highly Suspicious.”) Leader Jim James’ versatile voice convincingly sells everything from guitar-blazing, kick drum-intensive arena rock (”Aluminum Park”) to somber country-pop (”Sec Walkin.) Unlike other ultra eclectic offerings, Evil Urges never comes across as show-y. You just get the sense that My Morning Jacket is doing what they love. And doing it damn well.
4. Robyn: Robyn (Konichiwa/Cherry Tree/Interscope)
This year former Swedish pop tart Robyn finally witnessed the U.S. release of her 2005 self-titled disc. Britney and the rest of our countrys’ brain-dead blowup dolls blew Robyn away in terms of sales, but the woman born Robin Miriam Carlsson in 1979 proved the most compelling of the bunch. By far. Over thick disco beats, jittery high hat, deep space bleeps and icy strings, Robyn subverts pop platitudes. She exudes sexiness, smarts, poise and vulnerability in a way rarely seen in a world where hottnes is defined by Paris Hilton.
5. Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Columbia)
The magnitude of Dylan’s late-career resurgence is brought into sharp focus here with a collection of “rare and unreleased” tracks recorded between 1989 and 2006. The two-disc set is a dud-free treasure chest featuring previously unreleased gems like the Time Out of My Mind outtake “Red River Shore” (an epic folk tale with spiritual overtones), the unreleased 2005 lament “Can’t Escape From You” and the superior Oh Mercy session version of “God Knows.” Another testament to Dylan’s genius is hearing drastically different “alternate takes” that are every bit as fascinating as the ones that made the final cut. Sequenced judicially, Tell Tale Signs plays like a stellar double-album by popular music’s most vital elder statesman.
Here’s a continuation of my “Top 10: Depressing Christmas Songs.” Because, truth be told, I still ain’t feeling too damn cheery this time of year. But, y’know, happy holidays!
1. “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis,” Tom Waits
Killer line: “I’ll be eligible for parole come Valentine’s Day.”
2. “Blue Christmas,” Elvis Presley
Killer line: “Youll be doin all right, with your Christmas of white, but I’ll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas.”
3. “Christmas in Washington,” Steve Earle
Killer line: “If you run into Jesus, maybe he can help you out.”
4. “A Long December,” Counting Crows
Killer line: “I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower.”
5. “Same Old Lang Syne,” Dan Fogelberg
Killer line: “She gave a kiss to me as I got out, and I watched her drive away.”
Perhaps you’ve heard about Gov. Rod Blagojevich getting busted for trying to auction off a senate seat.
Poor guy.
Now Obama is urging him to resign. I say, throw Blagojevich’s corrupt ass in jail. Or better yet, prison. With a big dude named Bubba.
Top 10 Songs for Blagojevich
1. “Christmas in Prison,” John Prine
2. “Xmas in Jail,” Asleep at the Wheel
3. “The Governor,” James McMurty
4. “Jailhouse Tears,” Lucinda Williams w/Elvis Costello
5. “Jail,” Dan Bern
Nude women have always been a favorite thing of mine. Writing this blog post here about how jiggle joints are recession proof got me thinking about the almighty pole, and the hotties who gleefully swing from it in all their naked glory. I haven’t frequented a strip club in over a year. That’s far too long of a titty bar break. Another one of my pals needs to have a bachelor party, soon, so I have an excuse to soak up some awesomely X-rated Tampa nightlife.
Top 10 stripper songs
1. You Can Leave Your Hat On, Randy Newman/Joe Cocker
2. Stripper, Lords of Acid
3. Girls, Girls, Girls, Motley Crue
4. Pop That Pussy, 2 Live Crew
5. Nude, Radiohead
6. Live Nude Cabaret, Jackson Browne
7. Nude Night, Chemical Brothers
8. Clothes Off!, Gym Class Heroes
9. Club Action, Yo Majesty
10. Cajun Stripper, Belton Richard & The Musical Aces
Last Thursday, on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to land on the Moon, NASA came out with the embarrassing news that it had somehow, over the years, managed to record over America’s most important historical footage of said trip to the Moon’s surface. You know, the famous footage of Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” the one that all those conspiracy theorists say is faked Wag the Dog style? Yeah, that footage.
Recognizing the release (and 
Hey! In case you care about what we liked this year, here’s our Top 10 for 2008. Enjoy!
