The Gits

Film #26 for me in '09 was The Gits.

My NetFlix rating: 3 stars
Jamie says: So-so documentary about an icon of the Seattle music scene.
RIYL: Hype

Official site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Shakespeare Was A Big George Jones Fan

Film #17 for me in '09 was Shakespeare Was A Big George Jones Fan.

My NetFlix rating: 3.75 stars
Jamie says: Like watching your Grandparents old home videos...if your Grandparents were June and Johnny Cash.
RIYL: Real country, Cowboy Jack Clement, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Dolly Parton...

Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Go 2009

We're only 15 days into the new year and I've already got two nominees for best new discovery of the year: Zune Pass and the newly launched MLB Network. Seriously, baseball 24/7 and all-you-can-eat music for $15 a month (you even get to keep 10 tracks...that was the kicker that finally won me over). Sign me up!

Top 10 Albums of 2008

With less than 7 hours to spare here are my top albums of the year. Overall a somewhat disappointing music year, but still plenty o'favorites. My top 2 techinically released late last year though I wasn't able to get either delivered until this year hence 2008...deal with it :-)

Top 10 Albums of 2008

10.
The Black Angels
Directions To See A Ghost

9.
Lucinda Williams
Little Honey

8.

Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes

7.

Moondoggies
Don't Be A Stranger

6.

Okkervil River
The Stand Ins

5.

Gary Louris
Vagabonds/Acoustic Vagabonds

4.
Damien Jurado
Caught In The Trees

3.
Black Mountain
In The Future

2.
A.A. Bondy
American Hearts

1.
Travis Tooke
Artichoke

Just Missed
Avett Brothers - The Gleam II, Black Keys - Attack & Release, Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago, Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark, Grand Archives - Grand Archives, Raveonettes - Lust, Lust, Lust, Retribution Gospel Choir - Retribution Gospel Choir, Ryan Adams - Cardinology, Sun Kil Moon - April, Throw Me The Statue - Moonbeams

Best Live Album
The Thermals - Live At The Echoplex 12/07/07

Best Soundtrack
Juno

Best Reissue
Whiskeytown - Stranger's Almanac, All of the Replacements albums

Best Live Shows I Saw This Year
Damien Jurado @ Triple Door
Cave Singer @ The Moore
John Vanderslice @ Bumbershoot
Old 97's @ Bumbershoot
Lucinda Williams @ Bumbershoot
Colin Meloy @ The Showbox

Most Disappointing Albums of the Year
Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark, Ryan Adams - Cardinology

2008 Mixtape
1. Counting Crows - "Hanging Tree"

2. British Sea Power - "Waving Flags"

3. Black Angels - "You on the Run"

4. Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me"

5. The Muslims - "Bright Side"

6. Moondoggies - "Changing"

7. Black Mountain - "Evil Ways"

8. Ryan Adams - "Magick"

9. My Morning Jacket - "I'm Amazed"

10. Magnetic Fields - "California Girls"

11. Damien Jurado - "Coats of Ice"

12. Grand Archives - "Torn Foam Blue Couch"

13. Throw Me The Statue - "About to Walk"

14. Avett Brothers - "Murdered in the City"

15. Gary Louris - "True Blue"

16. A.A. Bondy - "There's a Reason"

17. Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"

18. Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"

19. Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson - "Rattlin' Bones"

20. Roadside Graves - "Far and Wide"

21. Travis Tooke - "Would You Burn?"

Previously
2007 Year End List
2006 Year End List
2005 Year End List
2004 Year End List

But I Sent You Away, Oh Mandy

This just in....Ryan Adams, still awesome.

"I found the entire speculation and subsequent photographs and intrusions terrifying and only wish to live as normal a life as possible, so that I might always remain punk as f*** AND sober. Also, I just want to jam. Plus I like metal A LOT." - Ryan on breaking up with Mandy Moore

Link

Gainesville Music

It's a good time to be a Gainesville music fan circa 1995.

You can download a remastered version of the classic For Squirrels' limited edition debut disc Baypath Road here.

Then check out former Squirrel and Subrosa front-man Travis Tooke's newish solo disc Artichoke.

Then dig through Less Than Jake's recently re-released back catalog.

And finally take a listen to Jared Flamm's (of Noah's Red Tattoo) new band Biirdie and their recently released new album Catherine Avenue.

Isn't it time for another bloom. album?

Gary Louris

Preachin' to the choir music recommendation of the day: Gary Louris' new disc Vagabonds. If you're a Jayhawks fan I'm sure you've already picked this one up (right?). If you're not a Jayhawks fan you've already been missing out for 23 years so I doubt this random post'll change your mind.

Anyways, if you are on the fence for some reason though perhaps this sweet tunage will win you over:

Be sure to pick it up at your favorite local indie music store (remember those?) to get the all acoustic bonus disc.

Black Mountain Again

Posted about these guys before, but I couldn't horde this gem in good conscious:

2021: An Aviation Records Compilation

If you can track down a copy of 2021: An Aviation Records Compilation, I'd highly recommend it. Picked it up a few weeks ago and it's one of the best compilations I've heard in a long time. Plays like a great mix tape from a friend who knows their stuff.

Black Mountain

It may only be FebRuary, but Black Mountain's In the Future is already a strong contender for my top album of 2008. You can check out a video of Druganaut from their stellar debut below. Also check out Tyrants (mp3), but beware that this is an album which sounds a gazillion times better when cranked to ten on a nice stereo system.

Hellfire

Book #3 on my reading list was Nick Tosches' Hellfire.

This is usually where I rave about the great book I just finished (and this one was great), but no amount of raving can beat the blurbs right on the cover. Try to beat these:

"Quite simply the best rock and roll biography ever written" - Rolling Stone

"The finest book ever written about a rock n' roll performer--nothing else comes close. But that is hardly it is. Sooner or later, Hellfire will be recognized as an American classic." - Greil Marcus

"The finest rock-star bio ever" -- The Village Voice

"The best rock-and-roll biography ever written" - Newsday

"A great book" - Barry Hannah <-- mostly awesome cause it's Barry frickin' Hannah!

Ryan Adams @ The Paramount

Caught Ryan Adams at the Paramount yesterday evening. He was a bit under the weather, but put on a rollicking rock-n-roll show. No openers, just 2+ hours of typical Ry-Ry craziness (the good kind). Set was excellent, hitting on old classics (Oh My Sweet Carolina, Come Pick Me Up) while mixing in a bunch of new stuff as well. Best show I've seen him do in a long time.

Oh and he even made us our own film...CARDINAL POWERS ACTIVATE!

Dancing on our Graves

Haunting and excellent video from the Cave Singers (my second favorite album of '07)

Oh Comely

Over the years I'm becoming more and more convinced that "Oh Comely" by Neutral Milk Hotel is my favoriteist song of all time. This isn't the best video (you can hear the album version here), but still...

Joe Metro

Bus riders of the world unite. The new video for the Blue Scholars' jam "Joe Metro" is a pretty darned cool view of Seattle via Metro Transit.

Top 10 Albums of 2007

Bucking the trend of publishing these in November, here are my top ten albums of the year.

Top 10 Albums of 2007

10.
John Vanderslice
Emerald City

9.

Brakesbrakesbrakes
The Beatific Visions

8.

Band of Horses
Cease To Begin

7.

Dntel
Dumb Luck

6.

Wilco
Sky Blue Sky

5.

Ryan Adams
Easy Tiger

4.
Okkervil River
The Stage Names

3.
Menomena
Friend and Foe

2.
The Cave Singers
Invitation Songs

1.

Spoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Just Missed
Lucinda Williams - West, The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On, Black Francis - Bluefinger, Arcade Fire - Neon Bible, Oakley Hall - I'll Follow You; José González - In Our Nature

Best Live Album
Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall; Robbie Fulks - Revenge

Best Soundtrack
Roky Erickson - You're Gonna Miss Me

Best Reissue
Counting Crows - August and Everything After; Damien Jurado - Gathered In Song

Best Live Shows I Saw This Year
Roky Erickson @ Bumbershoot
Art Brut @ Bumbershoot
Robyn Hitchcock @ The Triple Door
Wilco @ Marymoor Park
Patterson Hood @ ACL

Most Disappointing Albums of the Year
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder, Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch , Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Most Disappointing Live Show of the Year
Decemberists cancelling their Seattle date

Previously
2006 Year End List
2005 Year End List
2004 Year End List

Air Guitar Nation

Film #59 of my '07 list was Air Guitar Nation.

My NetFlix rating: 3.5 stars
Jamie says: Make air not war
RIYL: Spellbound, Wordplay, Mad Hot Ballroom, School of Rock

Official Site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia

Flight of the Conchords

This just in...Flight of the Conchords is frickin' hilarious. Hey, not all of us have HBO you know? Catching up on the DVD's now and realizing that I've been missing out.

NPR World Cafe
Sub Pop page

Halloween Mix

Some tunes from my Halloween Horror '07 playlist. Put it on random and enjoy.

Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost
Counting Crows - The Ghost in You
Counting Crows - Ghost Train
Daniel Johnston - Casper The Friendly Ghost
Johnny Cash - (Ghost) Riders in the Sky
Kristin Hersh - Your Ghost
Rollins Band - Ghostrider
Psychedelic Furs - The Ghost In You
Raveonettes - Attack of the Ghost Riders
Spoon - The Ghost Of You Lingers
White Stripes - Walking With A Ghost
Roky Erickson & the Aliens - I Walked With a Zombie
REM - i Walked With a Zombie
Danny Elfman - This Is Halloween
Ryan Adams - Halloween Head
Soul Coughing - Unmarked Helicopters
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Stagger Lee
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Death Is Not The End
Jeff Tweedy - Sugar Baby
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Crow Jane
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand
Ryan Adams - Brown Sugar
Bob Log III - Boob Scotch
Babes In Toyland - Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Tom Waits - Hoist That Rag
Magnolia Electric Company - Werewolves Of London
Ralph Stanley - O Death
Coasters-Down in Mexico
Jay Farrar - Voodoo Candle
Nirvana - Lake Of Fire
Pacific Gas and Electric - Staggolee
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile
Damien Jurado - Pink Moon
Alice In Chains - Them Bones
Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
Pine Valley Cosmonauts - Oh Death
Gary Jules - Mad World
Berzilla Wallin - Conversation With Death
Grant Lee Buffalo - Demon Called Deception
Reverend Horton Heat - Psychobilly Freakout
Ryan Adams - Vampire
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Billy Bragg & Wilco - Hoodoo Voodoo
Harry McClintock - Big Rock Candy Mountain
Robert Johnson - Me and the Devil Blues
Violent Femmes - Country Death Song
Bob Log III - Big Ass Hard On
Dusty Springfield - Spooky
John Lee Hooker - Graveyard Blues
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Curse Of Millhaven
Modest Mouse - Bury Me With It
Toadies - Possum Kingdom
Toadies - I Burn
Ronnie Dawson-Rockin' Bones
Ben Gibbard - Thriller (live)
Jeff Tweedy - Be Not So Fearful
Kasey Chambers - We're All Gonna Die Someday
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
Dandy Warhols - Hells Bells
Tom Waits - Dead And Lovely
Ryan Adams - I See Monsters
Hives - Die, All Right!
Sonics - Psycho
Drive-By Truckers - People Who Died
Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Cave Singers - Dancing on Our Graves
White Stripes - Astro/Jack The Ripper
Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls
Jackie Morningstar - Rockin' in the Graveyard
Ryan Adams - Note To Self: Don't Die
Townes Van Zandt - Waitin' Round to Die
Scott H. Biram - Blood Sweat & Murder
Brakesbrakesbrakes - If I Should Die Tonight
Nine Inch Nails - Burn
Roky Erickson & the Aliens-Bloody Hammer
Nine Inch Nails - I Do Not Want This
Son House - Death Letter
Interpol - Evil
M. Ward - Undertaker
Wilco - Hell is Chrome
Roky Erickson & the Aliens-Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)
Menomena - Rotten Hell
bloom - All Good Girls Dig Graves
Nine Inch Nails - Something I Can Never Have
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
Uncle Tupelo - Graveyard Shift
Eels - Your Lucky Day In Hell
Tom Waits - Everything Goes To Hell
Breeders - Hellbound
Tom Waits - Get Behind the Mule
bloom - Don't Tell a Dead Man How to Die
Scott H. Biram - Raisin' Hell Again
Jeff Mangum - I Will Bury You In Time
Band of Horses - The Funeral
Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)
Subrosa - Buzzard
Eels - Going to Your Funeral Part 1
Frank Black - Deadman's Curve
Grateful Dead - Candyman
Radiohead - Creep
Damien Jurado - Oh Death Art With Me
Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI
Buster Johnson - Undertaker Blues
Caitlin Cary - Please Take The Devil Out Of Me
Grandpaboy - Vampires & Failures
Gothic Archies - Scream and Run Away
White Stripes - Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
M. Ward - Dead Man
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive
Frank Black - Sugar Daddy
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You
Frank Black - Ed Is Dead
Okkervil River - For Real
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me
Steve Earle - The Devil's Right Hand
Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster
Gnarls Barkley - The Boogie Monster
Beck - Devil's Haircut
Wilco - Candy Floss
Band - The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Bright Eyes - Devil Town
Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil
Drive-By Truckers - Where the Devil Don't Stay
Daniel Johnston - Devil Town
INXS - Devil Inside
Murder City Devils - Tell You Brother
Eels - My Beloved Monster
Daniel Johnston - I Killed the Monster
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (are made of this)
Band of Horses - Monster
Frank Sinatra - Witchcraft
Sonics - The Witch
Adam Sandler - Werewolves of London
Long Winters - Scared Straight
Ryan Adams - Afraid Not Scared
Neko Case-Things That Scare Me
Blasters - Dark Night

You're Gonna Miss Me

Film #52 of my '07 list was the Roky Erickson documentary You're Gonna Miss Me.

My NetFlix rating: 4 stars
Jamie says: Awesome soundtrack plus family drama = Fascinating
RIYL: The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Psychedelic rock

Official Site
Rotten Tomatoes reviews
Wikipedia