I really have to say, after much listening and plenty of second and third and fourth chances, I am very disappointed with TV on the Radio's mediocre album. This is even more disappointing because I thoroughly enjoyed Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, and this is not anywhere near a step up for them. At best, I like maybe two or three tracks off of it.

I am also disappointed by poor efforts from Lupe Fiasco (too many producers creates an erratic and jagged album, much better when rap albums sound cohesive and consistent, thus allowing them to flow better), Gnarls Barkley (too much filler, one amazing track), Ghostface Killah (ok, but thought it would be stunning), Thom Yorke (very disappointing because Radiohead is my favorite band), Outkast (few good tracks, a lot of filler), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (liked their first album a lot more, don’t like this new one at all), The Flaming Lips (little too out there, like older stuff better) and maybe Beck—was disappointed at first but is slowly growing on me.

The few albums that I have really enjoyed this year are by Destroyer, The Knife, Yo La Tengo, The Roots, The Strokes and Bob Dylan (I think that’s all). I have already heard The Decemberists’, Hold Steady’s, Howe Gelb’s, Scott Walker’s, Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s, Serena-Maneesh’s, Mastodon’s, and The Liars’ albums—thankfully, I didn’t purchase—and didn’t like. Does anybody have any other suggestions on albums that are already out that are worth checking out?

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I really have to say, after much listening and plenty of second and third and fourth chances, I am very disappointed with TV on the Radio's mediocre album. This is even more disappointing because I thoroughly enjoyed Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, and this is not anywhere near a step up for them. At best, I like maybe two or three tracks off of it.

I felt the same way after a couple listens (and also ranked Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes as one of my favorites of 2004). This is one album that took me awhile to get into. I left it for awhile, then went back to it. I'd now rank it among my favorite albums released this year.

Maybe I'm wrong though, I'm not big on any of the 6 albums you actually like (though I like a few tracks off the YLT and Destroyer albums), so maybe our tastes are too different.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
Maybe I'm wrong though, I'm not big on any of the 6 albums you actually like (though I like a few tracks off the YLT and Destroyer albums), so maybe our tastes are too different.

What are some of your favorites?

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
What are some of your favorites?

The Hold Steady - BAGIA
Twilight Singers - Powder Burns
TV on the Radio - RTCM
The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
Tapes N' Tapes - The Loon
Eagles of Death Metal - Death By Sexy
Built to Spill - You in Reverse

Those are my faves, not necessarily in that order.

For FragileKidA, these are my 2006 faves:

Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions This album was recorded live in a house, and I'd love to witness it first-hand the same way...oh yeah, I've got the DVD which came with the album. Still, I'd rather experience all the JOY and BIG SOUND live.

Built to Spill You in Reverse
eels with strings Live From Town Hall (the DVD version is even better.)
Johnny Cash Personal File (first disc)
Roseanne Cash Black Cadillac
Alejandro Escovedo The Boxing Mirror

I really love Bob Dylan and Yo La Tengo, and I'm also into the Hold Steady and Beck.

The one I (yeah, it's just me) seem to be most disappointed with is the Decemberists The Crane Wife. I can't really explain it though. I have a good friend I haven't seen for a while, and I want to play it for him so that he can appreciate the homages to Yes. Maybe I'll change my mind, but there's just something about it that seems boring to me. I can accept that it's not really badly-done, but I feel like either leaving the room or skipping to the next song after about two-three minutes. Maybe that's why I posted this.

quote:

I really love Bob Dylan

This one's coming off my list. The fact he credits himself for writing "Rollin' and Tumblin'" bothers me a great deal, and it only leads me to doubt the other material on Modern Times actually belongs to him. I'm all for "borrowing" as a form of ground-level inspiration, but his theft (was Love & Theft meant to be ironic?) has soured me on his music.

quote:

The one I (yeah, it's just me) seem to be most disappointed with is the Decemberists The Crane Wife. I can't really explain it though

I was a little underwhelmed at first too, but The Crane Wife is really a huge step forward for them. It's shooting up my list pretty quickly.

Dylan certainly took a lot for his versions of "Rollin' and Tumblin", "Someday Baby" and "Nettie Moore", all old blues or folk standards which have been around for years. He did rewrite some of the lyrics and change the perspective of the songs though. I was checking "Rollin' and Tumblin'" at AMG because I'd already heard at least five versions before Dylan's. They credit the song with at least six different composers, even though it's basically the same song every time.

There are no writing credits on the album itself, at least as far as I can tell, but AMG does credit Dylan with all of them, even while they mention that he borrowed liberally. If I really want to get into it, I could say that "Thunder on the Mountain" rips off "Johnny B. Goode", credited to one Chuck Berry, even though Johnnie Johnson undoubtedly deserved some credit.

Even so, my friend Scott and I spent one afternoon figuring out where many of the pieces of the album came from, and whether those pieces came from further back than what we cited. In the end, I asked Scott, "So you have a problem with this album and all this 'lifting'?" (We'd only determined about four songs that obviously 'lifted'.) He said, "No, it's the best album you've played this year." I tend to still agree. I'm also sure when he hears The Crane Wife, Scott's gonna go off on all the Yes and Supertramp stuff.

The liberal borrowing of Saga's Confessions of a Yakuza on Love & Theft and Henry Timrod's poetry for Modern Times is hardly an instance of borrowing from the folks and blues tradition and extends well beyond homage to one's influences.

I love Bob. I love both albums. Saga, though, would likely have had a fine case in court had he not been a good sport as would Timrod if his work wasn't in the public domain (and he weren't dead, to boot).

Intentional or not, Bob's been working with unwilling collaborators lately far beyond the sort of reworking of source material that's a tradition in Western music.

Now Playing: "Other Side of the World" K.T. Tunstall Eye to the Telescope

quote:

If I really want to get into it, I could say that "Thunder on the Mountain" rips off "Johnny B. Goode", credited to one Chuck Berry, even though Johnnie Johnson undoubtedly deserved some credit.

You're an idiot. Marvin Berry called Chuck so he could let him hear the "new sound" Marty McFly was laying down at the school dance. Please get your facts straight.

I stand corrected. Dylan ripped off Marty McFly and Doc Brown.

Wait. So, Dylan stole Doc Brown's time machine, travelled to the mid-19th century, and penned a book of poetry under the name Henry Timrod?

Let's see. Henry Timrod is an anagram of He'd Minor Try. Have you listened to the track "Ain't Talkin'" from Modern Times backwards?

It's all becoming clear. Oh, so clear.

Now Playing: "Purple Sneakers" You Am I Hi Fi Way

Me dirt horny too!

Okay. Now you're just being ridiculous.

Or are you?

Now Playing: NPR's All Things Considered

I have been pretty disapointed by Beck's new release "The Information" it is just a mangled retread of his earlier releases. I didn't really like "Guero" but enjoyed every one of his previous releases. I am also pretty disapointed by TV on the Radio's "Return to Cookie Mountain" just because of all of the hype. It isn't a bad album, but it isn't one of the years best either.

Add Sunset Rubdown's "Shut Up, I'm Dreaming" to my list of huge disappointments. Given this thing a full focused five listens and it is just a overwrought, overindulgent piece of pretension in the worst sense of the word.

I loved Apologies, but Krugg definitely seems to be one of those artists, ala Captain Beefheart or David Lynch, who are so off the wall they actually need to be reigned in to produce their most inspiring work...someone get this guy back to his more common sensically breathren of Wolf Parade pronto.

quote:

Originally posted by DrAwesome:
I have been pretty disapointed by Beck's new release "The Information" it is just a mangled retread of his earlier releases. I didn't really like "Guero" but enjoyed every one of his previous releases. I am also pretty disapointed by TV on the Radio's "Return to Cookie Mountain" just because of all of the hype. It isn't a bad album, but it isn't one of the years best either.

I found Geuro boring (except for Broken Drum.....even better remix by Boards of Canada) but find The Information a great blend and a great listen from beginning to end. Give it another go.....Think I'm in Love, Strange Apparition, Dark Star, actually I can't leave out many....the last track is a great remix of himself.....

OK, last week I had the audacity or lunacy to say that The Crane Wife was boring. Well, I'm not ready to claim it's Top Ten or anything, but it does seem to go down much easier than it did last week. There! Are you happy now? And those of you who are now more pissed (or is that ambivalent?) re: me, I know who you are, at least until you come clean or take a bath or some such thing.

quote:

I loved Apologies, but Krugg definitely seems to be one of those artists, ala Captain Beefheart or David Lynch, who are so off the wall they actually need to be reigned in to produce their most inspiring work...someone get this guy back to his more common sensically breathren of Wolf Parade pronto.

Trout Mask Replica was certainly not Beefheart's most reigned in effort...

Are you also implying that the Straight Story is Lynch's best?

I will say The Elephant Man is, but The Straight Story is his most down-to-earth.

Hard to get down(er) to earth than a riding lawnmower...