Whoa! That's so Weird!

I just found out that my Google double is dead!

www.sacbee.com

It's like reading my own obituary, except whoever wrote it knows nothing about me.

Creepy!

Good thing my other Google double, a James Monroe impersonator, is still alive and kicking. At least as far as I know...

www.dailyprogress.com

2007: A Year of No Awards

No recognition from Sufjan of the Igloos amazing Christmas Song...

No offical Grammy nod...

I guess I wasn't really expecting anything from either of these, but it still sucks to lose. Always.

Luckily one of my buddies at the radio station bought me a bottle of Black Bush, otherwise this Christmas season would have been a total bust.

Top 10 Albums of 2007 (a list with comments)

2007 will be rolling to a stop soon, and since this is my first full calendar year working for a radio station, my entire focus has been on albums of the year for the past week or so. I have quite literally listened to at least part of 1000 albums this year, many bad, most thoroughly mediocre, and a few notable gems. In the interest of keeping the public informed, and so that others may benefit from my uniquely trained ear, I present the following list of top the 10 albums of 2007 as picked by yours truly...

10) The Everybodyfields - Nothing is Okay (Ramseur)
www.theeverybodyfields.com

I first heard this album as I was riding across the country on my first long distance train trip. Something about the rhythm of rails mixed with the soft, melancholy of Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews' beautiful voices made for a perfect combination. I know everyone won't have the luxury of a cross country trip to enjoy this one, but it's worth a listen whatever your circumstances allow.

09) Rock Plaza Central - Are We Not Horses (Yep Roc)
www.rockplazacentral.com

Ok, technically this album came out last year, but only in Canada, so it's new to us in the states. It is far more twangy than the band name would suggest. Neutral Milk Hote-esque vocals singing songs about mechanical horses that think they're real horses = amazing album that gets crazier and cooler every time your listen.


08) Fionn Regan - The End of History (Lost Highway)
www.fionnregan.com

This album has a quiet, subtle sweetness to it that makes me want to curl up under a blanket, drink a cup of tea and fall asleep reading a book of Rudyard Kipling poetry... for some reason. The guitar playing and singing are top notch. Also, I'm partial to anything Irish. If you get a chance, I highly recommend watching the video for "Be Good or Be Gone."


07) Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart (Rounder)
www.rounder.com

Wow! I admit, I had no idea who Linda Thompson was before listening to this album. Hard to believe, but it's true. This has a little bit of everything I love: beautiful female vocals, British folk music, concertina, and a haunting duet with Antony Hegarty that was written by Rufus Wainwright. Plus I rescued this from the Americana reject pile at work. Crisis narrowly averted!


06) Gregory Alan Isakov - That Sea, The Gambler (Self)
www.thefreight.net

Gregory is one of a handful of amazing musicians living in and around Boulder, Colorado. I rarely fall in love with male voices, but there's something about his that strikes me. This album is incredibly mellow, but certainly not sleepy. It is probably the most obscure album on this list, but it's worth seeking out.


05) The Bowerbirds - Hymns For A Dark Horse (Self)
www.bowerbirds.org

I got this album as a digital download and I let it sit gathering digital dust for a few weeks. Then I saw this band live and was blown away! Somehow, The Bowerbirds manage to be both dark and optimistic, a combination I've heard few times before. The atmosphere of the recording is incredible, the instrumentation is sparse and the vocals just soar above it all.
"In Our Talons" and "Bur Oak" are 2 of the best songs I've heard all year.

04) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian)
www.jenslekman.com

Sweden has given us many, many reasons to fear it's musical exports. (ABBA anyone?) Thank god they've got Jens Lekman to make up for their prior musical indiscretions. This is an album of incredible pop songs that make you want to laugh as much as cry. "Postcard To Nina" is a fine example. There are few albums that can boast a closing song as incredible as "Friday Night At The Drive In Bingo."

03) Bishop Allen - The Broken String (Dead Oceans)
www.bishopallen.com

I think what I love most about this album is it's wonderful orchestration. Each song has a unique sound. No two are really much alike at all, and yet the album manages to flow seamlessly from song to song. You don't often find clarinet on indie pop albums, but you'll find plenty here. "The Monitor," the album's opening track, is such a great song that I find myself just listening to it continuous repeat.

02) The Eames Era - Heroes and Sheroes (Self)
www.theeamesera.com

I think my feelings towards pop music are much more amiable than they have been in the past. No where has this manifested itself more than in my absolute and utter love for this record. Pop has to have a certain amount of "gee whiz," bob your head kind of feel to it and this delivers in spades. There's also a certain amount of general weirdness to be found in the linking tracks that I appreciate. Check out the video for "When You Were A Millionaire."

01) The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (Ramseur)
www.theavettbrothers.com

This record won by a landslide this year. The first time listened to this, I laughed out loud with pure joy. Imagine Beatles tunes played by a folk group with bass, guitar and banjo and you'll be close to what these guys sound like. Practically every single song on this album is great, an accomplishment that very few bands achieve. One of my only regrets this year is that I missed seeing these guys' whole set in Telluride. Oh well, I guess there's always next year...

Well, that's it! If you'd rather listen to the opinions of people who are probably much more important than me, check out these lists:

• Pitchfork
• Paste Magazine
• Pop Matters
  

And I'm sure my readers will point to additional lists and maybe compile a few lists of their own. Any takers?

Other odds and ends

Now that I'm done with the car report, here's some other cool stuff!

• I saw a film last night called Plagues and Pleasures on the Saltan Sea. If it's coming to a theater near you, go check it out! It was in Fort Collins for one night only, so sorry everybody here...
• The Igloos have recorded a song! Unfortunately, you won't be able to hear it for a bit... They submitted it to a Christmas Song contest held by indie rocker Sufjan Stevens. More info about the contest here. (I sang backup vocals!)
• I played 3 gigs with 3 different bands last week. I am exhausted...

My Car

Everyone who knows me knows that I have a love/hate relationship with my car. Since I've been a registered driver, I've always had the same one: A '89 240DL Volvo station wagon. I've actually driven 2 of these, same year and everything. As far as I'm concerned, they are the best car ever made. I can't imagine my life without one.

On the other hand, my current situation has left me with almost no need of a car at all. When one lives within walking distance of work and the grocery store, there is little reason to start the thing up very often. If I didn't play acoustic bass, I'd probably get rid of my car altogether. This year, I've probably spent about $200 on gas, and that includes my trip to Telluride!

The problem occurs when it come to car maintenance. I always forget about it. Since I only get in my car maybe twice a month at most, thing like oil changes and working turn signals simply slip my mind. Those few times I need my car, it would be nice to have everything running nicely (and legally), but it's always last on my list of needs. Couple that with a crazy work schedule and almost no free time and you've got a recipe for a very lazy car owner.

My mother offered to ride out to the mechanic with me last night, so hopefully everything will be perfect again in the next day or so. I also cleaned up the junk that had accumulated, which I hadn't done since college. (I'm not exaggerating!) I guess this means I'll be able to expand my circle of influence once again, though who knows when I'll have time again. Work is always crazy and music seems to fill up the rest.

Even still, I'll probably keep riding my bike and walking when I can. I get far better gas millage that way ;)