Most Anticipated Albums of 2009 – Part 4

8.  Neko Case

Middle Cyclone – 03/03

This girl just keeps getting better and better.  I find myself jumping at any chance to hear her voice, whether it is just backing up her bandmate A.C. Newman with their innovative rock band the New Pornographers, or as in this case singing the lead on a solo album.  Although, fortunately for us, the term solo is very relative.  Throughout the album she is surrounded by great talent with the guestlist including M. Ward, Garth Hudson, Sarah Harmer and members of the  New Pornographers, Los Lobos and Calexico, to name a few.  In addition to twelve new songs that Neko wrote herself, Middle Cyclone includes covers of ‘Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth’ by Sparks, and “Don’t Forget Me” by Harry Nilsson. All I have heard is this first single that she has given away for free.  But it is unsurprisingly rumored to be her best yet.  As if I haven’t given you enough reason to go get this album, she recently graced the cover of Paste Magazine.

Neko Case – People Got A Lotta Nerve

Check out this great video on the making of the album.

7.  Samantha Crain

Songs in the Night – 4/28

The creators of my favorite EP of the year, are set to release their full-length debut this April. Samantha Crain hails from the tiny little town in Oklahoma where my beautiful bride attended college.  So it has been fun to see how much attention she is getting lately. The album is going to be released on Ramseur Records, home of the Avett Brothers and the Everybodyfields, two bands that have been getting a lot of playtime in my library. Along with her band the Midnight Shivers (Jacob Edwards, Andrew Tanz and Stephen Sebastian), Crain recorded all twelve tracks in five days at Echo Mountain Studios with producer Danny Kadar (Grizzly Bear, My Morning Jacket).   Here are two Daytrotter performances of tracks from the new album.

Samantha Crain – Devils In Boston

Samantha Crain – You Never Know

6.  Beirut

March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland - 2/24

Zach Condon is absolutely phenomenal and I am so extremely excited about this album.  As I am listening to the few tracks that have leaked so far, I am having a hard time imagining how I could be any more excited about an album.  But apperently I can, for I have five more to go.  If you are unfamiliar with Beirut, it is Balkan music filled with some of the most gorgeous horn arrangements you’ve ever heard, made by a kid from Santa Fe, New Mexico.  In just a matter of weeks he gives us his third official release with a double EP, March of the Zapotec, Realpeople Holland.  The latter of the two appears to be synth-driven, which is something completely new from him.  It should be fun, but I am definitely glad that March of the Zapotec seems to be just building off of their usual style.  I’ve heard a track from each, and honestly he’s never sounded better.

Beirut – The Shrew (from March of the Zapotec)

Beirut – My Night with the Prostitue From Marseilles

5.  Andrew Bird

Noble Beast – 1/20

Yes I know, this album has already been released. Therefore, I am no longer anticipating this album, but rather I am in the middle of digesting it.  But I am taking my time and savoring every moment.  But it seems that is what you must do with an Andrew Bird record.  I find my self just sitting for hours chewing not on just his intricate string-filled melodies, but also on his carefully chosen words.  Like many of his previous records I have found myself curling up with a dictionary as I prepare to be taken into his whistly lit-pop world.  Noble Beast is nothing new, but that makes it no less exciting.  And so far it is very deserving of this number five spot on my list.

Andrew Bird – The Privateers

Andrew Bird performing Fitz and Dizzyspells on Letterman.

Most Anticipated Albums of 2009 – Part 3

Olympics Playlist

There are a few things that get me to sit on my butt and stare at a television set all day long and not regret doing so.  And on that short list along with March Madness and the World Cup, is the Olympics. The Olympics is the most recent addition to this list, because 2004 was the first time I really watched the Olympics.  And then I only really watched it because I wanted to spend time with this really hot girl I liked (who I later decided to marry). Anyway I decided that this event was worth of a post.  So here is my post in honor of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics.

So China in my opinion really raised the bar when it came to  the opening ceremonies.  I really enjoyed watching the theatrics of it all.  They continued to just wow the crowd and the millions watching all over the world.   So in honor of the events that have taken place and are going to be happening for next couple of weeks, I have created a little olympic-style playlist for you all. If you like you can leave a comment and vote for your favorite songs and then maybe I’ll hand out some medals. Anyway. Here is the playlist. Hope your ears bleed.

1. The Neighborhood – China Boy (removed 2/13/09)

2. Counting Crows – Holiday In Spain (removed 2/13/09)

3. Beirut – Postcards From Italy (removed 2/13/09)

4. James Taylor – Mexico (removed 2/13/09)

5. Five Iron Frenzy – Oh, Canada (removed 2/13/09)

6. Wilco – Impossible Germany (removed 2/13/09)

7. Jets to Brazil – Sweet Avenue (removed 2/13/09)

8. The Shins – Australia (removed 2/13/09)

9. Spoon – My Little Japanese Cigarette Case (removed 2/13/09)

10. The Beach Boys – Surfin’ U.S.A. (removed 2/13/09)

Best Albums of 2007

i realize that i am extremely late on this, but i think it’s ok because i just started this a couple months ago. plus i feel like i need this much time to process. had i made this list back in january, a couple of these well-deserving albums would have been left off the list. so here it is.

10 Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

like most great albums this one took a little while to grow on me. but i am glad i gave it the time, because i have definitely found some great gems on this album. if you love wilco already just listen and enjoy. if not i suggest you see them live, it will surely help you to appreciate this album. at least it did for me.

wilco – hate it here (removed 2/13/09)

9 Beirut – Flying Club Cup

balkan music at its best. seriously. if you have never listened to this one man band you are missing out. each track has just gorgeous horn and string arrangements, and condon’s voice accompanies the music so well.

beirut – in the mausoleum (removed 2/13/09)

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Beirut – The Flying Club Cup

2007 was a great year for music. i wrote last week about what i thought was one of the top five albums of last year, and today i introduce to you another. (i may actually come up with a list sometime in the future, hope that’s ok even though 2008 is almost half over.) zach condon is a very talented multi-instrumentalist who records and performs under the moniker “beirut.” after listening to his music, one might assume that he was from lebanon or at least somewhere far away from the states. but in fact condon is a santa fe native, currently residing in new york, who plays balkan music. and does so very beautifully, if i do say so myself. for those not familiar, balkan music is a type of music from southeastern europe that is often charactarized by its very complex rhythm and instrumentation. condon’s main instruments are the trumpet, on which he is very skilled, and the ukulele. but those are definitely not the only instruments to be heard on beirut’s latest release, the flying club cup. with the help of final fantasy‘s owen pallett, who did the string arrangements for arcade fire’s neon bible (another top 10 album of ’07 for me), some of the songs on the album feature as many as 14 different instruments.

i haven’t heard but one song off of their first album, so i can’t really compare this one to their older stuff. but i definitely give the album two thumbs up. having grown up playing the trumpet, i am a sucker for almost any music with horns that isn’t ska. but beyond that, his voice just seems to suck me in and capture my full attention with every song. so i encourage you to download this song, and if you like, i can assure you that the whole album is worth your time and money.

beirut – a sunday smile (removed 2/13/09)