Bunch of Nonsense
Music, Books and Life in the SpiritBest Music of 2009
10. Wooden Arms by Patrick Watson
Kind of a wall of folk sound, this second record from this Canadian band does it all and does it all well. For all its eclecticism it somehow keeps things crisp and to the point. A simple beautiful stew to wallow in. Best song: “Big Bird In A Small Cage.”
9. Lost Channels by Great Lakes Swimmers
Again Canadians, GLS always make great music and this one is no different. There instantly recognizable sound isn’t turned upside-down here, but they have nudge out into new directions lyrically if you take the time to listen carefully. Best Song: “Pulling On A Line.”
8. Wilco (The album) by Wilco
What I’ll call the new Wilco (this and the last record) aren’t anywhere near past heights, but this record is a step in the right direction. After the wild experiments of the past, Wilco now seem intent on writing simple songs. Understandable, but the last one was simply too simple. For the first time in their career… they were boring. This one feels like they are beginning to find their feet on this new simple ground. Best Song: “Everlasting Everything.”
7. Sewn Together by Meat Puppets
Considering the Meat Puppets wildly erratic track record (both musically and personally) this is a fairly straightforward, dare I say polished, record. While nowhere near their past heights of punk/junk/country from you-know-where, this record has its charms, somehow even cleaned up, it’s still Meat Puppets. Best Song: “Sapphire.”
6. Monsters Of Folk by Monsters of Folk
As everyone knows by now, MOF is M. Ward, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. As super groups go, this one is pretty good from top to bottom. M. Ward delivers solid material (as always), Conor Oberst kind of hits and misses (especially lyrically), but Jim James really steals the show here with his high lonesome vocals. He’s the Richard Manuel of this Band. Best Song: “Magic Marker.”
5. Dark Was The Night by Various Artist
A charity record with a wide span of artists, Arcade Fire, Spoon, Cat Power, Bon Iver, The National, Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, etc.,. A double record with 31 tracks, many of them are really excellent. Everyone pretty much sticks to his or her style, but nothing feels like throw-away tracks. Double records get two Best Songs: “El Caporal” by My Morning Jacket and “Tightrope” by Yeasayer.
4. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
Sure to be on a lot of yearend lists, this one (while not as good as GB’s Yellow House, but few albums are) delivers when it has to. This is definitely Grizzly Bear doing what they do, Monumental Epic-ness. Their intricate layered and complex songs are always interesting and piled high with great vocals. If Brian Wilson had been born in 1978, grew up in New England, went to Julliard, hung out in Greenage Village with some angular guitarist like Marc Ribot, this might have been be what you would have got. Best Song: “Southern Point.”
3. Hold Time by M. Ward
M. Ward does what M. Ward does and you probably like him or you don’t, but I’ve drunk the kool aid a long time ago. This album doesn’t necessity crack the world wide open, but it’s pack full of great four-star songs. Everyone talks about M. Ward uniqueness, his guitar playing, his boy that sounds like it was recorded in 1949 etc., but I thing his real secret weapon is his songwriting. He simply can write great songs, particularly his easy flow why-hasn’t-anyone-written-that-before lyrics. Maybe not his best, but better than 95% of what’s out there. Best Song: “Epistemology.”
2. Around The Well by Iron and Wine
This double CD (triple LP) is a grab bag of b-sides, forgotten tracks and assorted other oddballs, is simply a masterwork of scraps. Sam Beam is not sitting still and even his out takes show he’s got great flair for making great music. Far from the bedroom one-man band of his first record, his newer stuff is larger band pieces, very produced, but also very good. Double records get two Best Songs: “The Trapeze Swinger” and “The Kingdom of Animals.”
1. Molina and Johnson by Molina and Johnson
Calling themselves “Phantoms of Folk” this coming together of Will Johnson (Centro-matic/South San Gabriel) and Jason Molina (Magnolia Electric Co. and Songs: Ohia) shouldn’t work like it does. A decidedly somber dark Texan affair from start to finish, nary a drum beat to be found, this is simply stellar work, with Johnson’s grimaced and tight vocals and Molina’s sweet vibrato working like one upmanship in the best way possible. Best Song: “34 Blues.”
Time to put up or shut up
Recently two of my writing projects were completed and were presented in their various forms. One went over well and was well received and one was somewhat of a bomb to which I received some criticism (well deserved). In the first writing project (The Grow Class curriculum for Calvary Church) contained a quote by Henry Nouwen that said that we (wrongly) find our identity in one or all of the following ways: “I am what I do. “I am what others say about me” or “I am what I have.” Again I reminded that God has a way of bringing these things home to us. Randy, repeat after me… my identity is not found in what others say about me, my identity is not found in what others say about me, my identity is not found in what others say about me (or my writing projects).
new music
As something of a semi-old dude (52 and counting, duh) who is pretty much stuck in the music past. How many other people are listening to this much Mott The Hoople? (There’s some. I saw them at the Ian Hunter show last year… ouch!) Anyway, for someone who pretty much believes the 60s and 70s ruled all things music. I loved much in the 80s too, but the 90s (as far as the all-time greats are concerned) consists of two bands (I won’t name them, you should know them, one was British and one was from Seattle), BUT (and I’m not saying these guys are all-time greats) there is a lot of great music being released these days from bands who were in Jr. high in the 90s. BTW, I’m not suggesting these are the only great bands that would fit that description, but these are six that have caught my ear.
MIDLAKE: These guys are from Denton Texas and sing like birds and write timeless music. Only two releases, but they are both worth owning and playing over and over and over. (I know they have an earlier EP, I have it, skip it, they hadn’t figured out who they were just yet and were a little too influenced by a certain all-time great 90s British band I didn’t name earlier).
AUGIE MARCH: From Australia these guys write breathtaking great poetic Beatle-ish music that you can’t dance to, but it gets under your skin and can make you weep for no reason.
GRIZZLY BEAR: a Brooklyn based band who play everything but the kitchen sink, kind of a twisted sideways experimental folk band with amazing harmonies. They have two full lengths and an EP. Best starting place, the second release Yellow House.
M. WARD: He doesn’t really fit with my description of “being in jr. high” in the 90s (maybe the early 90s), but I couldn’t resist. He’s just special. Utterly unique in every way (playing wise as well as a vocally) M. Ward has been consistently great, sometimes his recordings sound they were made at a blues or folk hay ride circa 1948. All four of his full lengths are excellent and worth owning. If I had to pick one it would be his first one “End Of Amnesia.” Indeed.
RUBY SUNS: New Zealander Ryan McPhun’s little project, its got a whole lot of cool vibe, amazing arrangements, great beach boy-ish vocals AND originality too.
FLEET FOXES: obviously the newest on this list, these guys only have one release (and it just came out) (and an earlier EP I’m not familiar with) but its a real winner. I suppose the jury is still out as for the long run, but I’m a believer (at least so far).
Bella
In a time when many supposedly great movies don’t know how to tell a story or write a script worth beans along comes Bella. A movie that tells its tale so effortlessly and well done that you don’t even noticed how it has pulled you into its world. This is a movie with some good old fashion moral backbone but is never saccharine or sugary. A movie about tragedy, family, hope, redemption. This had to have been a work of love as I’m sure getting it made and seen by people in today’s movie climate couldn’t have been easy. Bravo writer/director Alejandro Monteverde and stars Eduardo Verástegui and Tammy Blanchard.
