MUSIC THREAD

The Avett Brothers on Letterman:

What a beautiful, beautiful song.

 

Emotionalism was fantastic. I'll have to check out their new album.

Also, I recently discovered the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle.

I've had the CD for a little more than a week and my jaw is still on the floor. What a fucking amazing record, especially "Care of Cell 44" and "Beechwood Park." That's just me though ... it's all brilliant. No, it doesn't compare to the Beatles' output during the same period, but it's not far off.

 

Great new band I've been hearing lately: Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.

The guy has some "Godfather of Soul" in him, and his band kicks ass, too.

check out their single "Sugarfoot":

another great tune is on their Web site ... "Gunpowder": http://www.blackjoelewis.com/

 

Heard some of the new Joe Perry album, Have Guitar, Will Travel. Loved his stuff way back in the day with the Joe Perry project, much of it was better than what Aerosmith was churning out then.

Some good stuff on the new one, including a killer cover of "Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" which was done by Fleetwood Mac way, way back in the day.

 

Has anyone here heard Mayer Hawthorne?

He's a nerdy looking white guy who, in a way, sounds like some forgotten Motown artist from late '60s and early '70s, kind of the male version of Amy Winehouse. Well, Amy Winehouse without the drug problem.

Whatever the case, his debut album is fucking fantastic, one of the best things I've discovered this year. Here's a few songs:

"Maybe So, Maybe No"

"Ills"

"Just Ain't Gonna Work Out"

"Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin"

"Green Eyed Love"

 

I just discovered this album.

It's freakin' amazing, but also a bit sad in a way. Like you said, these guys could/should have been huge. Some other tracks:

"Keep On Knocking"

"Freakin' Out"

 

Good call, No One and Trey B. These guys were one hell of a power trio. As you say, a damn shame they didn't get heard more in their time.

Click on one of these You Tube links, and there's a bunch of tracks you can check out.

My favorite: Let the World Turn

 

This freaking Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes album is haunting me right now.

"Home" might be one of the most poignant love songs I've ever heard. And the rest of the records is just trippy and folky and chill. Can't stop listening.

 

Has anyone else put together their top 10 lists yet? This is always a fun exercise -- it's nice to know what others are listening to and see what you missed (in my case, MGMT until late last year).

Anyway, here are my favorite albums of 2009:

1.) Phrazes for the Young, Julian Casablancas (Strokes' frontman branches out on his own)

2.) Humbug, Arctic Monkeys (Their darkest album yet ... I love Alex Turner's voice)

3.) A Strange Arrangement, Mayer Hawthorne (Motown throwback whose tunes sound like lost gems)

4.) Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear (Not sure how to categorize this, but I think it's tremendous)

5.) The Resistance, Muse (Nothing groundbreaking, just another great Muse record)

6.) My Old Familiar Friend, Brendan Benson (Hook-heavy power popper who should be a bigger solo act)

7.) Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (Closest thing to a dance album they've made)

8.) Them Crooked Vultures, self-titled (Rock supergroup delivers, um, super debut)

9.) La Roux, self-titled (Catchy electronic pop that harks back to '80s)

10.) For the Whole World to See, Death (Don't know if this qualifies, which is why it's No. 10 ... punk band recorded album in early '70s but wasn't released to the masses until this spring)

Just missed: Backspacer, Pearl Jam; Slow Dance, Jeremy Jay; Midnight at the Movies, Justin Townes Earle; West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Kasabian; Telekinesis!, Telekinesis

 

Katharine McPhee's new album came out today. I can't speak for the music, but she looks pretty damn good as a blonde.

 

I know a lot of folks can't stand Vampire Weekend, but their new album is on sale at Amazon MP3 for $3.99 a day early.

 

I listened to it streaming on NPR.org (I think) last week.

These guys seem like they should be right up my alley, but damn, they just bore the hell out of me. The first album had its moments; the second one, from an admittedly half-assed listen... not so much.