MY OWN PRIVATE AIRWAVES

I have been taking a bit of a blogging hiatus, though I was recently tagged by Liberality for a music meme, which of course I couldn't resist. In this case I must list the top 25 tracks in rotation on my MP3 player - this is easy for me because I obsessively sync my iPod with my iTunes library and therefore always have my automatic "top 25 most played" list up to date.

It is a fickle and ever changing list (a healthy sign I believe for a true music geek) so with little further ado here is the current Top 25 as per the airwaves in my own private musical universe;


1. "Skinny Love" - Bon Iver
2. "Happiness" - Goldfrapp
3. "Mistaken For Strangers" - The National
4. "Another Sunny Day" - Belle & Sebastion
5. "Fade Into You" - Mazzy Star
6. "Fake Empire" - The National
7. "Challengers" - The New Pornographers
8. "Hold On, Hold On" - Neko Case
9. "Lay Your Head Down" - Keren Ann
10. "A Well Respected Man" - The Kinks
11. "Samskeyti" - Sigur Rós
12. "Boy With A Coin" - Iron & Wine
13. "Rugla" - Amiina
14. "Margaret Vs. Pauline" - Neko Case
15. "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" - Spoon
16. "Borrowing Time" - Aimee Mann
17. "In You Eyes (live)" - Ben Harper
18. "Messenger" - Blonde Redhead (w David Sylvian)
19. "Meet Me In The Morning" - Bob Dylan
20. "Bitches In Tokyo" - Stars
21. "Fall On Me" - REM
22. "The Last Beat of My Heart" - DeVotchKa
23. "Jeane" - Sandie Shaw
24. "Ceremony" - Galaxie 500
25. "Marquee Moon" - Television

I will have to tag a few other hapless bloggers of course, so Mellowlee, Barb, Anais & Allison you are all officially on notice!

btw - I like getting a glimpse into other people's personal musical universe - it takes me to my happy place!

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2007

Here are my favourite 10 albums of the year. It was a good year for music really, and it was somewhat painful having to narrow it down. They are not ranked individually within my list, rather they are all noted for elevating my soul for various reasons throughout the year. Lots of links are provided .... Enjoy!

Amiina - "Kurr" - The album title comes from the Icelandic word for birdsong, which is an apt description for this tranquil and transcendent album from this female quartet. For an experimental album it is surprisingly warm, drawing you into a richly textured aural landscapes. This is the album you want to play at night as the soundtrack to your lucid dreams, the ones where you are flying unfettered and free from the restraints of gravity. Also, any album that includes wine glasses, musical saws, metalophones and glockenspiels deserves a closer examination. (Video Links; Hilli, Icelandic TV Performance).



Blonde Redhead - "23" - This is nostalgia music reminding me of other 4AD and indie bands of yore that were my musical mainstay in the late 80's and early 90's. The album is dense and impressionistic and is both alternately playful and brooding at times. Kazu Makino's voice is a beguiling instrument weaving in and out of the richly textured production. Some of the tracks remind me of a more accessible and melodic version of My Bloody Valentine. This is surreal dream pop for the 21st century. (Video Links; 23, Dr. Strangeluv)



Crowded House - "Time On Earth" - Musically there is nothing ground breaking here, but what you do get with this Crowded House reunion is more finely tuned and thoughtful song writing from Neil Finn. The songs alternate between starkly melancholic numbers and some of the more upbeat pop gems that Crowed House are best known for in their past work. Neil Finn's ruminations on the fragility of life and the trials of human relationships, in combination with his penchant for a good pop melody make this album a subtle though engaging affair. (Video Links; Don't Stop Now, Silent House, She Called Up)


Gogol Bordello - "Super Taranta!" - This latest offering from Eugene Hutz and his merry band of global gypsy punks is a chaotic and joyful assault on the senses. It is a life affirming journey through the global village, as seen from the eyes of an immigrant to the new world. The accordion and violin add an element of warmth and compliment the frenetic guitars and the thickly accented, almost shouted vocals of Hutz. The aesthetic of the album is summarized perfectly in these lines from the opening track Ultimate; "There were never any good old days/ They are today, they are tomorrow/ It's a stupid thing we say/ Cursing tomorrow with sorrow." (Video Links; Wanderlust King, Supertheory of Supereverything)


Iron & Wine "The Shepherd's Dog" Sam Beam returns with a more full sounding, less low-fi affair than on his previous releases. His whispery vocals are complimented here by a muddy and organic backing band, functioning as the perfect soundtrack to his surreal lyrical journey into Americana. The album has a mesmerizing and dream like quality and after multiple listens it weaved its way into my consciousness. (Not too many great videos on YouTube, so check out the bands My Space page for some songs from the new album)



M.I.A. - "Kala" This is hip-hop for the globally minded, representing a refreshing perspective outside of the mainstream, including stories of third world refugees, and those often defined as the "other". The album also has a party like vibe at times and has a frantic and engaging pace. The range of samples and instrumentation is staggering to the imagination, including everything from Bollywood film scores to the "Guns of Brixton" by the Clash. Also, any album that includes both a partial cover of the Pixies' Where is My Mind and also samples a didgeridoo for a bass line is alright in my books.(Video Links; Paper Planes, Jimmy, Bird Flu)


The New Pornographers - "Challengers" - On their fourth album the Pornographers continue to thrill and perplex with their ability to craft the type of songs that have that rare ability to get stuck in your head while at the same time being somewhat indecipherable. This is a more subdued and subtle offering from this talented collective. It is an album that sneaks up on you after a few listens and will eventual embed itself inside your brain. A more grown-up, though no less engaging outing, full of the richly textured hooks and dynamic vocal interplay between Neko Case and A.C. Newman. (Video Links; Challengers, My Rights Versus Yours)


Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Raising Sand" - This collaboration was the surprise of the year for me, and upon reflection it makes perfect sense. The harmonies between Plant and Krauss are amazing and they approach each obscure cover version with a rare combination of reverence and restraint. The production by T Bone Burnett is crisp and minimalist, bringing the artists dynamic voices to center stage while adding new, albeit subtle, sonic dimensions to two artists that are already established in their own right. (Video Links; Album preview on YouTube)


The Polyphonic Spree - "The Fragile Army" - On their third album Tim DeLaughter's symphonic rock collective have created a jubilant call to arms. It is a brazenly hopeful record that avoids sounding trite and addresses the need to come together in turbulent times. One of the standout tracks, Running Away is a giddy celebration of being deeply smitten with another person and much like the rest of the album it is endearingly direct and earnest. This is the album that took me to my "happy place" in 2007. (Video Links; Running Away, The Fragile Army)



Spoon - "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" - Clocking in at 36 minutes this is a tightly crafted indie-pop masterpiece that flies by quickly, demanding repeated listens to grasp what the band has accomplished in the studio on their sixth outing. The songs are deceptively simple and there is actually a lot going on in each track, therefore listening with headphones is essential in this case. The album as a whole had the rare ability to stick like goo into my brain and I played it continually all summer. The blue eyed soul meets indie rock found in Your Got Yr. Cherry Bomb is probably one of the most infectious tracks of the year. (Video Links; The Ghost of You Lingers, The Underdog, You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb)

List'O'Rama: MY FAVOURITE SONGS OF 2007

It is the time of year where in true geek fashion I begin to compile lists of my favourite musical addictions for the year. I absolutely adore this time of year and I have already began to poor over lists from Paste, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and NPR among others. I am utterly hopeless.

Its a painstaking process, and I have to admit that I am quite fickle, changing my mind repeatedly. It is strange really, because its not like the fate of the western world is hinging on what titles gets cut from my shortlist. The origins of this process stems from my record store days, which provided me an opportunity to push my favourites on unsuspecting patrons and tell them what they really should have been buying!

To get things rolling here is my list of some of my favourite songs of the year. I am not into ranking within the list (that would be too painstaking) , so I have simply listed my favourite tracks in alphabetical order by artists. If I turn at least one person on to a new song that rocks their universe then I will consider it mission accomplished. I have linked every song to either the actual video, or some form of visual representation or performance. Enjoy!
Black Francis - "Threshold Apprehension" - The former Pixies auteur illustrates with this song just why he was an early muse for Curt Cobain, and countless others who formed bands after being blown away by the Pixies. He's in fine form here. This track provides a raucous listen that is reminiscent of Black's best work with his former band (see my previous Black Francis posting)

Blonde Redhead - "Dr. Strangeluv" - This track is an ethereal piece of transcendent dream pop. Like a few other past 4AD label mates, Blonde Redhead are adept at crafting highly impressionistic songs that take you on a journey to another place. What might be lacking in substance is rich in atmospherics and texture. It is a breath of fresh air.

Bright Eyes - "Four Winds" - Conor Oberst has crafted a much needed dose of biting political and social commentary to help lift us out of our Bush era Orwellian daze.

Crowded House - "Don't Stop Now" - Neil Finn's songwriting is back in fine form with his reunited band. This is a great pop gem, complete with Finn's penchant for a good pop melody. (read my previous review of the Album)

Feist - "My Moon My Man" - This song is immediately catchy and was embedded into my brain permanently after one listen. It is a rapturous and playful love song that demands a little booty shaking (a great video too!).

Flight Of The Conchords - "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" - This one will make you laugh, taking the piss out of countless acoustic ballads by over-emotive, sensitive guy singers.

Gogol Bordello - "Ultimate" - A chaotic and joyful masterpiece that spits in the face of thoughtless nostalgia and offers redemption through seizing the moment. (read my previous album review here)

Interpol - "Pioneer To The Falls" - Sounds like Joy Division's hipster little nephew and his friends from an Echo and The Bunnymen tribute band have been having fun in the studio again - a great song by a great band that flaunts it's influences proudly, though also has something of it's own to give as well.

Iron & Wine - "Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car" - A muddy, slightly trippy little piece of post modern folk rock from Sam Beam and his cohorts. Complete with mesmerizing vocals and stream of conscious meanderings.

Keren Ann - "Lay Your Head Down" - A pretty little gem, kind of reminds me of Mazzy Star with more of a pop oriented sensibility. The vocals and strings on this track are haunting and lovely.
Alicia Keys - "No One" - Alicia is miles ahead in talent compared to many of her contemporaries and here she has crafted a modern day soul-pop classic. This song will bounce around in your skull for a long time, you have been warned! She is Aretha Franklin for a new generation.

LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum" -Wonderful irony laden gem from James Murphy about the globally maligned North American way of life. An infectious, playful and conceptually captivating number, much like many of Murphy's other anthems.

M.I.A. - "Paper Planes" - A refreshing piece of more globally focused hip-hop that is the perfect anecdote to the mindless bling that dominates the mainstream. M.I.A. is playful with her samples, in this case using the sound of gunshots followed by cash registers in a rhythmical fashion. Clever, bold and daring, this is a real highlight of the year.

Kylie Minogue - "2 Hearts" - Kylie plays chameleon here with this glam rock tribute. Slick, quick and immediately catchy, Kylie is the queen at crafting a good pop single (see my previous Kylie posting)

The National -"Mistaken For Strangers" - A paranoid and oppressive sounding track that perfectly captures the angst of existing within a corporate entity in the 21st century. The thick swirling guitars are brilliantly menacing, creating a haunting soundscape.

The New Pornographers - "Challengers" - A more reflective and subtle piece than is usual from Vancouver's uber-group of power popsters. The song offers a glimpse of something new, of taking a journey to unknown places where one cannot see ahead clearly. The song is a gentle whisper and demands multiple listens to appreciate its magnificence. One of my favourites this year (check out my New Pornographers album review here).

The Polyphonic Spree - "Running Away" - Some life affirming symphonic rock that is unabashedly bold and optimistic, without sounding trite or overly formulaic. If you are feeling giddy with love I suggest you crank this up and sing along with Tim Delaughter's choir towards the heavens.

Rilo Kiley - "Silver Lining" - Shedding some of their hipster sensibilities Rilo Kiley go for some 70'a Fleetwood Mac inspired pop on this one. This song makes the aftermath of a cruel break-up actually sound quite pretty.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Killing The Blues" - What at first seemed to be an odd musical paring makes perfect sense after you hear this song. Wonderful and restrained harmonies with sublime production from T-Bone Burnett help make this sleepy number into something that is quite breathtaking.

Spoon - "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" - Motown meets indie rock in this infectious little diddy that will have you scrolling back again on your Ipod repeatedly. One of the catchiest songs of the year.

Coming Soon - My favourite albums of 2007!

List'O'Rama: "Television Songs"

This week's list- Television songs. Most of these songs do not paint a flattering picture of the beloved idiot box. It was actually hard to think of any songs espousing the joys of television that weren't being blatantly ironic. I would love to hear selections from other people. Now excuse me while I flip through 57 channels with "nothing on".BLACK FLAG - TV Party (1982) - A raucous punk rock anthem celebrating the vapidness of incessant TV viewing - "don't talk about anything else, we don't wanna know, we're dedicated to our favorite shows". The best part is when they shout out the names of the shows that dominated television at the time - That's Incredible, Hill Streets Blues, Dallas etc.

DAVE EDMUNDS - "Television" (1978) - This rockabilly tinged number makes a sarcastic statement about the mindless love of television; "I don't care whats on/ if it's happy or sad/ I don't give a damn if its good or bad/ I sit and watch till it drives me mad/as long as its on I'm glad".

THE DISPOSABLE HEROES OF HIPHOPROSY - "Television, the Drug of the Nation" (1992) - A scathing industrial strength hip-hop polemic about the impact of TV on America. Michael Franti sees TV as having a desensitizing & numbing impact, creating a world where "a child watches 1500 murders before he's 12" and "armchair generals & quarterbacks can experience firsthand the excitement of warfare". It is also the place where "image takes precedence over wisdom". A piece of sharp and erudite social commentary that is sadly missing from much of the hip-hop on the airwaves today.

EX MODELS - "Its on Television" (2001) The Brooklyn based no-wavers provide a wonderfully choppy and chaotic song that begins with hastily uttered lines "there is no inspiration, only calculation". Musically, it sounds like the lead singer of Devo hired the Gang of Four for his backing band and developed a penchant for frequent and unpredictable time changes. This is a compliment of sorts.

PETER GABRIEL - "The Barry Williams Show" (2002) - Peter Gabriel takes on the persona of Barry Williams, a Gerry Springer inspired talk show host that represents the lowest common denominator on television. The lyrics are great; "Dysfunctional excess is all it took for my success/and when the punches start to fly the ratings always read so high/ it’s showtime". I would highly recommend checking out Gabriel's live DVD "Growing Up Live", which includes a splendid performance piece built around this song, including Gabriel filming the audience and playing Barry Williams with a preacher's zeal.JAPAN - "Television" (1978) - Clocking in at 9 minutes and 12 seconds this glam rock epic is one that David Sylvian would probably prefer that fans skip over. Not me though, I love Japan's more raunchy Hansa era pre 80's recordings, which are less arty and polished than their later albums. It appears that in this case Sylvian is agitated by a television obsessed lover; " Well but you're changing my love... It's television all night and day/ It's all you ever wanted ...fucking television!". Complete with screeching guitar solos, a light funk bass line and space age synths fading in and out throughout. This is loads of fun!

(Note: I couldn't find any video footage for this song, though if you want to appreciate my glam rock bliss check out these clips from Japan's early incarnation - Communist China, Adolescent Sex, & Sometimes I Feel So Low)

JOEL PLASKETT - "Television Set" (2005) - A playful diddy from the Canadian singer/songwriter, complete with hockey arena organs bouncing along throughout. Here TV is the only escape from the drudgery of life, where the "kids were screaming, wife was bitching", logically extending to a chorus of "I want a television set to free my mind/ television set to drown 'em out ... there ain't nothing better for the down and the out". I guess its better than drinking.

PUBLIC ENEMY - "She Watch Channel Zero?!" (1988) - Chuck .D. and his crew rage against mindless television viewing and its numbing impact. Specifically, an attractive woman gets a distorted view of men by watching soaps; "her brains being washed by an actor, and every real man that tries to approach.... he gets dissed like a roach" and notes that "her brains retrained by a 24 inch remote". Some usual great direct commentary from Public Enemy (their second consecutive appearance on List'O'Rama!)

TALKING HEADS - "Television Man" (1985) - Through a jangly pop number with funk underpinnings David Byrne and company explore how TV shapes the world for those willing to allow it to take them away; " When the world crashes into my living room, Television man made me what I am".

ROGER WATERS - "Watching TV" (1992) - From the appropriately titled "Amused To Death" LP, the former Pink Floyd singer tells a story about a woman killed in the Tiananmen Square massacre. He grieves for an innocent life lost, and notes that unlike many other lives ended needlessly out of the abuse of power, this one serves a higher purpose due to it reaching the world on TV. The lyrics that end the song are wonderful; "She's everybody's sister/ She's a symbolic of our failure /She's the one in fifty million / Who can help us to be free because she died on TV/ And I grieve for my sister". Some images are too powerful not change the world in some way.

List'O'Rama: "RADIO SONGS"

Time for a new feature in order to fulfill my geek cravings and my endless desire to ruminate on the musical universe; LIST-O-RAMA- basically, theme based musical lists. Today's list is inspired by one of my previous postings, Radio Nowhere. These radio themed songs seem to fluctuate between two categories, either nostalgia for the grand old days of radio, or disgust over the appalling and disconnected state of the airwaves. Enjoy;ELVIS COSTELLO - "Radio, Radio" (1978) - classic Costello from his new wave era, lots of choppy synths and guitar - 1 part nostalgia mixed with 5 parts biting social commentary. I love this young and angry version of Mr. Costello , and these lines could have been written about the state of the world today;

"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead/But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed/You either shut up or get cut out; they don't wanna hear about it/.It's only inches on the reel-to-reel/ And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel

JOY DIVISION - "Transmission" (1979) - It is a bit of a stretch to use the word "hopeful" when describing a Joy Division song, but in this case Ian Curtis seems to find redemption through the blissful airwaves. Despite the "blind destruction" and isolation of the night there is also beauty in joyful and rapturous sound ; "No language, just sound, that's all we need know/ to synchronise love to the beat of the show/And we could dance.... to the radio". One of my all time favourite songs, forever etched into my subconscious. (Here's the video courtesy YouTube)

JURASSIC 5 - "Radio" (2007) - an old skool inspired love fest - J5 give props to all the Hip Hop pioneers they listened to on the radio growing up, and they make their own connection to the present, noting that "J5 is rockin' on the radio". This is pure nostalgia.

THE RAMONES - "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio" (1980). This Phil Spector produced track is a true classic where the Ramones pay homage to the 50's era radio songs they grew up with; "Do you remember lying in bed/With the covers pulled over your head?/Radio playin's so no one can see". The Ramones knew their musical roots, and despite their punk rock stylings they were essentially just a great rock band that took their music back to the simple essential elements. Great fun! (Here's the video courtesy of YouTube)

R.E.M. - "Radio Song" (1991) - This opening track for the Out Of Time album is one of my favourite R.E.M. tracks. It builds up gradually from Michael Stipe's opening line - "the world is collapsing around our ears", to the closing rap/rant by KRS-1; "DJs communicate to the masses/Sex and violent classes/Now our children grow up prisoners/All their lives radio listeners". Some fairly direct commentary from a band otherwise known for fairly cryptic lyrics.RUSH - "The Spirit of Radio" (1980) - This Canuck rock anthem was inspired by legendary Toronto radio station CFNY, 102.1 FM, which at that point in history was a cutting edge indie station that was playing a lot of the music you weren't hearing elsewhere on the dial. The song espouses the joy when the DJ " plays the song that's so elusive". Obviously written
before the digital era, where there aren't many songs that are so elusive anymore, often a mere download away.

PUBLIC ENEMY - "How To Kill A Radio Consultant" (1991). An all out assault on the complacent airwaves. Chuck D is pissed off at stations in black urban markets that don't reflect the reality of street life; "Only black radio station in the city/Programmed by a sucker in a suit/Slick back hair he don't even live here". Nobody sticks it to the man quite like Chuck D. Public Enemy are always a cathartic listen.

REGINA SPEKTOR - "On The Radio" (2006) - Regina Spektor is a wonderfully eccentric artist and reminds me of less intense Tori Amos. This chorus of this piano based song expresses the simple pleasure of hearing a beloved song on the radio; " On the radio we heard November Rain/ That Solo's really long, but it's a pretty song/ We listened to it twice 'cause the DJ was asleep". This song captures those rare moments that take us outside of ourselves, often inextricably linked to a song that will always hold a strong and deeply personalized association.

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS - "You Can't Say Crap On The Radio" (1980) - Some classic punk rock thrown in for good measure. Clearly some poor DJ was frazzled by the band's use of expletives, and the band notes the irony of not being able to "say crap" on the radio, though the DJ gets to "play shite all day" The classic disconnect indeed!

TOM ROBINSON - "Atmosperics: Listen To The Radio" (1982) - This track that Robinson co-wrote with Peter Gabriel is a classic. This song evokes images of a displaced foreign national, working alone in a foreign land. There is comfort found in the little rituals of life; buttered toast, coffee, "smoke another cigarette, and listen to the radio" . Connections to others are made through the airwaves, however distant the transmission may be. (Click to listen to this song via Robinson's site).

(Kudos to Robinson for providing free downloads on his site - a justified reaction to the fact that the record company gets 5x the amount per Itunes download than he does)