MUSIC THREAD

Hey, he's OUR convert!!

 

And The Band Most Likely To Be on the Juno 2 Soundtrack or Make You Feel Super Cool to Hear About Them Before The Village Voice Writes About Them goes to:

http://www.myspace.com/noahandthewhale

 

Been getting into this girl, Kerli, in the past few days. Here's her myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/kerlimusic

She's from Estonia and is tough to describe. Each song sounds somewhat different. In different songs, she sounds similar to Alanis, Amy Lee or Pink. It seems, though, that when she sings slower she sounds like Alanis and when her songs are quicker she sounds like Amy Lee.

 

Anybody putting together top 10 lists yet? I'm always turned onto some cool stuff by y'all's lists. Here's mine, in no particular order after No. 1:

Conor Oberst -- Conor Oberst
Okkervil River -- The Stand Ins
Butch Walker -- Sycamore Meadows
My Morning Jacket -- Evil Urges
Vampire Weekend -- Vampire Weekend
Drive-By Truckers -- Brighter Than Creation's Dark
The Hold Steady -- Stay Positive
Death Cab for Cutie -- Narrow Stairs
Atmosphere -- When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
Los Campesinos! -- Hold On Now, Youngster

 

I don't know if I got 10 new albums this year but one I really have enjoyed is Two Men With The Blues by Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis.

 

I would add the Raconteurs' album to that list.

 

Liked it, but didn't love it.

 

I'd add Chinese Democracy to the list. ;D

 

Joe Bonamassa - Live From Nowhere in Particular

 

Not necessarily in order...

Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
Joe Jackson - Rain
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!
Diplomats of Solid Sound Featuring the Diplomettes - s/t
Ben Folds - Way to Normal
Menahan Street Band - Make the Road by Walking
Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning
What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us
Randy Newman - Harps and Angels

A few others may belong on the list once I listen to them a little more, like the new ones from Okkervil River and TV on the Radio. I'm a huge Ben Folds fan and I'm pretty disappointed in the new album, but the best songs on it are still good enough to crack the list.

I highly recommend The Gaslight Anthem. I've seen them described as Bruce Springsteen meets Social Distortion, and that's not far off. It's the eMusic critics top album of the year. It's a freakin' fantastic record.

 

This list was much easier to cobble together last year; 2008 was pretty weak in regard to new releases.

My top 10 (in order):

1. Okkervil River -- The Stand Ins
2. Last Shadow Puppets - Age of the Understatement
3. Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
4. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
5. Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
6. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
7. Radiohead - In Rainbows (Well, if you go by Jan. 1 retail release date)
8. Sloan - Parallel Play
9. Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08
10. The Kills - Midnight Boom

 

I hadn't heard of these guys until I saw PC's recommendation here. This is a tremendous call. I picked it up yesterday and have had it blasting all day. Heavy Springsteen influence (what do you expect from guys from Jersey), but terrific, tight songs. These guys should be huge but maybe it's great that they aren't.