Something strange is going on. How is it that Destroyer is getting snubbed in the year-end best lists Metacritic is listing on its Best 2006 lists? How can an album be ranked 8th numerically and not be listed in a single top 10 list. I'm puzzled. Maybe it's like college football, where they don't remember what you did early in the year.

Right Now,

There are several albums whose underperformance in Best of Lists is surprising to me...

Most from earlier in the year...

Particularly...

Destroyer's Rubies
Beirut's Gulag Orkestra
Howe Gelb's 'Sno Angel Like You
Yo La Tengo's IANAOYAIWBYA
and Los Lobos The City and The Town

My only guess is that all of these albums are tweeners that don't spark hard passions among any niche-based critics...be they predilected towards mainstream rock, hip hop, rap, metal, or indie.

Unfortunately, at least IMHO, they are all a lot better than many of the albums getting a lot of year-end list mentions (Arctic Monkeys or Gnarls Barkley anyone).

If I could I think I would change my list and add Mastodon's "Blood Mountain" which I didn't like at first listening to it when it came out but now enjoy! I would also add Silent Shout because it was a very good listen even though complex and sometimes scary. Beirut is another great record that would be high up.... Subtle's album hasn't been on many lists actually I don't think it's been on any lists. Nellie Mckay hasn't been getting any love!

The Destroyer album is decent and I used to love it, but there are many others that I would put above it. I guess others might have felt the same way?

I've been kind of surprised that Built To Spill hasn't gotten much attention.

It's ranked higher than Keep It Like A Secret on MC, and I've read reviews that say it's the best BTS album (which I don't quite agree with).

In a year without a real standout album, I found You In Reverse to be the most enjoyable listen from front to back.

quote:

I've been kind of surprised that Built To Spill hasn't gotten much attention.

I like You In Reverse quite a bit - I had it placed at #8 on my year end list if I remember correctly. It's a good listen pretty much the whole way through, except for the 8th track who's name escapes me at the moment. "Gone" is one of the best songs of the year in my opinion.

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Originally posted by ericg75:

quote:

Originally posted by Musicalifragilistic:

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Originally posted by ericg75:
I don't get the impression that Craig Finn is telling women they should forego being independent and find themselves a good man.

DAMN!

I know, sorry to disappoint. However, Musicalifragilistic, if you're interested, I think there are a couple of Two Live Crew albums from the late 80s/early 90s that drive home that point.

hahahahahaha

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Originally posted by ericg75:

quote:

Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
(Or at least bored enough to be bothered by the lyrics of 'You can make them like you' suggesting that independence is a negative trait for women.)

I think you're once again missing the point of the Hold Steady's lyrics, Art.

My take on it is that it's about a girl who's hiding her problems behind the facade of relationships. The drug use, etc. is her boyfriend's doing, since he's the one that "deals with the dealers". The last verse contains the lines "They say you don’t have a problem until you start to do it alone. They say you don’t have a problem until you start bringin’ it home. They say you don’t have a problem until you start sleepin’ alone." The girl believes that as long as she's doing this stuff with someone, it's not sad, when in fact it is. I don't get the impression that Craig Finn is telling women they should forego being independent and find themselves a good man.

I think you're beating a dead horse, eric. Art was convinced that the Hold Steady was sexist months ago, and doesn't seem to care to distinguish storytelling or irony from misogyny.

But he's got no problem with The Decemberists' apparently misogyny by re-telling the tale of the Crane Wife or the Two Gallants' use of a certain taboo word.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: philosopherEric,

Hm. There are so many albums listed here that I haven't heard. But, here are my favorites:

Liars - Drum's Not Dead
The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
T.I. - King
J Dilla - Donuts
Hot Chip - The Warning
Sereena Maneesh - s/t
Justin Timberlake - Futurelove/Sexsounds
Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
Ghostface - Fishscales
Hold Steady - Boys and Girls of America
The Knife - Silent Shout

I have no idea about an order yet.

The thing about that kind of irony, if it is meant ironically it's subtle enough that you have to know the personality of the band enough to know they aren't really saying what they mean. Especially considering the lyrics are sung too fast to completely process. In this case, my impression of the band's personality was formed by 'Your Little Hoodrat Friend'.

I wouldn't compare that to the Decemberists who are clearly a band whose songs tell fictional stories and don't represent their views on anything (Except for 16 Military Wives). Or to the Two Gallants who clearly are just trying to sound 'outrageous'.

But lyrics aside, I would still put the album just under the top 20. The only song on it that resonates with me every time I listen to it is the first track.

(I do get the impression on this board that if I say something that's misinformed, I will be rebuked more harshly than if other people say something that's misinformed.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Art Vandelay,

I just read the Crane Wife story on wiki and don't understand what's misogynistic about it...

That makes you a misogynist.

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Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
The thing about that kind of irony, if it is meant ironically it's subtle enough that you have to know the personality of the band enough to know they aren't really saying what they mean. Especially considering the lyrics are sung too fast to completely process. In this case, my impression of the band's personality was formed by 'Your Little Hoodrat Friend'.

(I do get the impression on this board that if I say something that's misinformed, I will be rebuked more harshly than if other people say something that's misinformed.)

I'm not jumping on you Art. I'm just a fan of Craig Finn's lyrics, and I seriously think you're not getting it. If I seriously thought there was misogyny in the Hold Steady's lyrics I'd say so. But, they're not KISS or Two Live Crew. In the case of "You Can Make Him Like You", the irony in the lyrics is pretty clear if you actually listen to what they're saying.

I also don't want to pick on anyone, but I do strongly disagree that the meaning to "You Can Make Him Like You" is hard to pick up on. Seems pretty blatant to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
The thing about that kind of irony, if it is meant ironically it's subtle enough that you have to know the personality of the band enough to know they aren't really saying what they mean. Especially considering the lyrics are sung too fast to completely process. In this case, my impression of the band's personality was formed by 'Your Little Hoodrat Friend'.

I wouldn't compare that to the Decemberists who are clearly a band whose songs tell fictional stories and don't represent their views on anything (Except for 16 Military Wives). Or to the Two Gallants who clearly are just trying to sound 'outrageous'.

But lyrics aside, I would still put the album just under the top 20. The only song on it that resonates with me every time I listen to it is the first track.

(I do get the impression on this board that if I say something that's misinformed, I will be rebuked more harshly than if other people say something that's misinformed.)

To the latter point, I'll say calling someone a misogynist deserves critique, particularly if it's not true. If I called Thom Yorke a racist, people would climb in my shithole and live there. I also think you're paranoid, because a whole lot of people get called out for a whole lot of stuff on these Forums, all the time.

To the former point, all I can say is that you seem to make a huge leap from assuming that Colin Meloy or the Two Gallants are just telling a story, from a storyteller's perspective, to assuming that Craig Finn is just describing how he feels about women. I'm not going to try to argue with you about how you've misinterpreted the lyrics, because I really don't care to change your mind. I was listening to Bob Dylan today, and was struck by how much he hates women, too:

"It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right

I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
But goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right"

I realize that this is pointless and obvious, but since I just ripped it up elsewhere, I have something to say about that post. It's amazing how men and women can turn quickly from loving each other to hating each other. It's sad, but I guess it's a human mechanism to try to make the pain of lost love go away quicker. It's a very personal thing. I love YOU becomes I hate YOU.
That's not misogynistic, especially since I'm sure it occurs with both sexes. Likewise, the party who hates the individual of the opposite sex would like nothing better than to find someone from that sex to try again, at least when they're strong enough.

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Originally posted by philosopherEric:
If I called Thom Yorke a racist, people would climb in my shithole and live there.

That's the funniest thing I've read in here in a long time.

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I was listening to Bob Dylan today, and was struck by how much he hates women, too:

No Kidding!!! Exhibit B:

I just can't fit
Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit
When we meet again
Introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry and it was your world.
Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
You make love just like a woman, yes, you do
Then you ache just like a woman
But you break just like a little girl.

Bobby's got no respect for the ladies.

A new album that are really impressing me at the moment:

Liz Durrett - The Mezzanine

Piano, guitar, and spare drums together with her amazing and emotive voice make this one a winner. Nothing catchy here, just really intense singing and good music. Probably top 15, though this one needs more time. It's one of those albums that's gonna take a while to find out it's true greatness I think.

Since we're on the subject of The Hold Steady and their lyrics, maybe some of you can help me out.

I just discovered The Hold Steady and picked up both Boys and Girls in America and Separation Sunday. I love both albums, but I was wondering what was all the religious imagery about in Separation Sunday? Is the connection between drug use and religion meant to be ironic? I love the songs Cattle and the Creapy Things and How a Resurection Really Feals, but I think I might not be getting the point.