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ha’fway 2016
Happy 240th birthday, United States!
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Ah, the annual halfway through the year music recap where I never post an end of year recap. *eyeroll* Eh… I don’t blog much anymore… regardless, here goes for my Top 10 of 2016 so far…
Artist – Album (style)
- Sia – This Is Acting (pop)
- Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (rock)
- Wussy – Forever Sounds (indie rock)
- Holy Fuck – CONGRATS (live electronic)
- Elliott Smith – Heaven Adores You (soundtrack) (indie rock)
- Steve Taylor & the Danielson Foil – WOW to the Deadness -EP- (indie rock)
- David Bazan – Blanco (indie rock)
- Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – Otis Was a Polar Bear (jazz)
- The Claypool-Lennon Delirium – Monolith of Phobos (rock)
- Damien Jurado – Visions of Us on the Land (indie rock)
What’s still to come in 2016…
Chevelle, Peter Mulvey (it’s in the can), Alex Somers’ score for Captain Fantastic, John Zorn (about every month), TOOL (music done, lyrics nearing completion?), Sigur Rós (maybe 2017), Charlie Hunter, and based on kickstarters/pledgemusic that I’ve supported: Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate, Derek Webb‘s Mockingbird Remixed and Fleming & John, plus much more, I’m sure.
Will I continue with blogs in the future? I don’t know. :P
ha’fway 2015
Happy 239th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I don’t blog much. Not much time. I haven’t even put out my Favorites from 2013 or 2014… well, here goes for my Top 10 of 2015 so far…
Artist – Album (style)
- Failure – The Heart is a Monster (rock)
- Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell (indie rock)
- Faith No More – Sol Invictus (hard rock)
- Steve Taylor & the Perfect Foil – Goliath (rock)
- Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) – Hand. Cannot. Erase. (progressive rock)
- Daniel Johns (of Silverchair) – TALK (pop, dance, rock)
- John Zorn’s The Dreamers with Mike Patton, Sofia Rei & Jesse Harris – The Song Project Live at Le Poisson Rouge (jazz, avant garde, pop)
- Dave Douglas – High Risk (jazz with electronics)
- Nellie McKay – My Weekly Reader (cheeky 70s rock tribute)
- DRKWAV (Skerik, Medeski & Deitch) – The Purge (doom, jazz, electronic, all over)
What’s still to come in 2015…
Ben Folds with yMusic, Holy Fuck (no release date, but they recorded it in late 2014), John Zorn (about every month), Puscifer (teaser on their Instagram?), TOOL (music done, lyrics nearing completion?), Charlie Hunter, and based on kickstarters/pledgemusic that I’ve supported: Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5 has a couple more EPs due, Dweezil Zappa, Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate, Jude Christodal, Dylan Carlson of Earth, and Fleming & John.
Will I continue with blogs in the future? I don’t know. :P
Dan – np: Critters Buggin – Stampede
ha’fway 2013
Happy belated* 237th birthday, United States!
*-everything I do lately is belated
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So, here are my faves of the first half of 2013… and outside of the Top 5, it’s all kind of random order on how I feel today… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end (click album art for sound samples):
Artist – Album (style)
- Thom Yorke’s Atoms for Peace – AMOK ( electronic rock )
- Sigur Rós – Kveikur ( ambient icelandic )
- Kim Taylor – Love’s A Dog ( singer-songwriter )
- Dave Douglas Quintet – Time Travel ( trumpet jazz )
- Fol Chen – The False Alarms ( electronic indie pop )
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Cold Satellite – Cavalcade ( americana rock )
- Goddamn Electric Bill – Dead Alive ( electronic indie pop )
- Jon Madof’s Zion80 – Zion80 ( jewish afrobeat )
- Pat Metheny plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – Book of Angels, Vol. 20: Tap ( jewish jazz )
- Palms – Palms ( catharsis, a magical blend of Isis & Deftones )
- Mike Patton – The Place Beyond the Pines ( movie score )
- Overseas – Overseas ( indie rock )
- Pinnick Gales Pridgen – Pinnick Gales Pridgen ( soulful power trio )
- Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing (and Other Stories) ( prog rock )
- Puscifer – Donkey Punch the Night -EP- ( rock )
- Les Rhinocéros – Les Rhinocéros II ( avant jazz rock )
- Steven Bernstein’s Sexmob – Cinema, Circus & Spaghetti: Sexmob plays Fellini: The Music of Nino Rota ( trumpet jazz )
- Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob ( pop )
- Tomahawk – Oddfellows ( hard rock )
- Wussy – Duo -EP- ( indie rock )
I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet) and whatever “et cetera” that the cool kids are listening to these days; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.
The 2nd half of 2013 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, Over the Rhine (a double-album Meet Me At the Edge of the World & new holiday album), George Hrab’s 21812 live CD/DVD, another from Holy Fuck, new Nellie McKay (rumored), Levi Weaver (pledge now!), 3rd Ear Experience (just got in the mail), Chali 2Na (more EPs in the Against the Current series), Au4 & Digital Noise Academy (physical CDs for their late 2012 digital only), yMusic, and many more…
Favorite concerts of 2013 (so far):
- Tomahawk in Portland (Feb)
- John Zorn @ 60 in Minneapolis (Apr)
- Charlie Hunter, Booker T. Jones & Carlton Jackson in Portland (Apr)
- Prince in Portland (Apr)
- Secret Chiefs 3 – two nights / four sets in Seattle (May)
and tons more where I didn’t write a review
(click pictures below for review links)
~Dan – np: 3rd Ear Experience (with dUg Pinnick of King’s X) – Boi
My Favorites of 2012
Life has been a been busy/hectic lately, to say the least. Not enough time to do the usual extended blogs for best of instrumental, vocal and whatnot with lots of descriptions. And since, hell, it’ll be 2014 before too long; so I figured I’d get out my favorites of 2012 list in some fashion now before it’s officially too late.
Here’s what was my favorite music from last year…
vocal top 10
(in no particular order beyond #1)
instrumental top 10
(in no particular order beyond #1)
Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola –
Not Getting Behind is the New Getting Ahead
ep, internet, etc
Best Novelty: Sufjan Stevens’ Silver and Gold boxset
Best Internet-only releases: Glen Phillips Coyote Sessions,
Greydon Square Type II : The Mandelbrot Set,
Sufjan Son Lux & Serengeti (s/s/s) beak and claw
Best EPs: Levi Weaver’s I Am Only A Tiny Noise
Peter Mulvey’s Chaser (OOP)
Best Vinyl-only: Wussy “Dangerous Highway” 7″
Sufjan Stevens & Rosie Thomas “Hit & Run” 7″
Enjoy! I’ll sort of promise to do better with timeliness on next year’s lists!
ha’fway 2012
Happy 236th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So, here are my faves of the first half of 2012… and outside of the Top 5, it’s all kind of random order on how I feel today… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end (click album art for sound samples):
Artist – Album (style)
- OSI – Fire Make Thunder (glitch prog)
- Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (jazzy pop)
- Peter Mulvey – The Good Stuff (indie songwriter playing standards with a band)
- Damien Jurado – Maraqopa (indie rock)
- Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar (electronica)
- Sigur Rós – Valtari (ambient icelandic)
- Emily Wells – Mama (chamber hip-pop)
- Floratone – Floratone II (jazz)
- s/s/s (Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, Serengeti) – Beak & Claw -EP- (interesting)
- Storm Corrosion (Steven Wilson & Mikael Akerfeldt) – Storm Corrosion (ethereal proggy departure)
- John Zorn – The Gnostic Preludes (jazzy experimental)
- John Zorn’s Moonchild Trio (Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn & Joey Baron) with John Medeski – Templars (noise rock)
- Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 2 (drone)
- The Chance Brothers – Growing Concern (indie rock)
- Regina Spektor – What We Saw From the Cheap Seats (pop)
- Ani DiFranco – Which Side Are You On? (folk pop songwriter)
- Buckethead – Electric Sea (gentler instrumental guitar)
- Bad Veins – The Mess We’ve Made (indie rock)
- Cosa Brava (Fred Frith, Carla Kihlstedt, etc) – The Letter (rootsy jazz adventure)
- David Krakauer plays Masada Book Two – Book of Angels, Vol. 18 (Pruflas) (klezmer jazz)
I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet) and whatever “et cetera” that the cool kids are listening to these days; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.
The 2nd half of 2012 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, Mike Patton & Luciano Berio’s Laborintus II, Ben Folds Five’s reunion studio album, Ric Hordinski’s Arthurs Garden (physical CD, though the download came out a bit ago), the Dusted debut from Holy Fuck’s Brian Borcherdt, Erin McKeown’s kickstarter, and I’ve heard rumors of a new Nellie McKay disc for the Fall.
Favorite concerts of 2012 (so far):
- Penn & Teller and Cirque’s Zumanity in Las Vegas, Jan 18th & 20th
- Secret Chiefs 3 in Eugene & Portland, Feb 6th & 7th
- Nellie McKay’s I Want To Live! in Eugene & Portland, Mar 2nd & 4th
- Puscifer in Portland, Mar 14th
- Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 in Eugene, Mar 18th
- Radiohead in Seattle, April 9th
- Roger Waters presents Pink Floyd’s The Wall in Portland, May 22nd
- Beck in Bend, May 27th
(click pictures below for review links)
* Favorite Instrumental Albums of 2011 *
As I start this post, I will say that this is all very subjective and really put together for my own purposes. I’ll also state that, yes, some of the music below does have some vocals (i.e.- the Goddamn Electric Bill & Mike Patton CDs). For the most part, it’s sequestered to a track or two on a long CD of mostly instrumental goodness. My list, my rules, and/or my breaking of the rules. With that being said, all of the artists below tend to be in the jazz and instrumental frame of reference anyway.
As said before… I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my fourth year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, Facebox pages, yadda yadda yadda. Some of these also made it on to my 2011 Mix CD (free streaming/download).
OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Note: Ric Hordinski’s Arthur’s Garden (which made it on my 2011 Mix) is technically a 2012 release, hence its absence above.
Where do I get most of these jazz and other instrumental releases? My #1 favorite source for jazz is Downtown Music Gallery in New York. Manny and Bruce and their great staff are superb… and being the official distributor for John Zorn’s Tzadik doesn’t hurt my affection for them. I usually do a monthly Tzadik order (if the releases strike my fancy), and they have a ton of other non-Tzadik jazz and avant-garde releases as well.
And, no, I’m not affiliated, I don’t get a commission, and beyond my initial “big tax refund / gotta get caught up on Zorn order of 2005,” I haven’t gotten a discount with DMG. I just love and support what they do.
Enjoy the New Years’ weekend!! Be safe! See you in 2012.
My Other Favorites of 2011 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts & Photos of ‘11 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave EPs/Vinyl/Live/DVDs/more of ‘11 are *HERE*
- Fave Vocal Albums ‘11 are *HERE*
- Old Years:
- 2010: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts,
- Best of the 2000s Decade (1-10, 11-20, 21-25)
- 2009: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts
- 2008: Instrumental, Vocal, EPS/etc, Concerts
- 2007: Vocal, Instrumental, Concerts
- 2006 & 2005
~Dan – np: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
* Favorite Vocal Albums of 2011 *
I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my fourth year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. For that reason, the favorite vocal albums list goes first this go ’round. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, Facebox pages, yadda yadda yadda. A lot of these also made it on to my 2011 Mix CD (free streaming/download).
OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Honorable Mentions: Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean, Tres Mts – Three Mountains, Pomplamoose – The Album You Bought At Our Show (Thanks for That), MC Frontalot – Solved and The Roots – Undun.
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Check out the 2011 Mix for some samples, click the Amazon buttons for other samples, and support the music if you like what you hear!
My Other Favorites of 2011 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts & Photos of ‘11 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave EPs/Vinyl/Live/DVDs/more of ‘11 are *HERE*
- Fave Instrumental Albums ‘11 are coming soon
- Old Years:
- 2010: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts,
- Best of the 2000s Decade (1-10, 11-20, 21-25)
- 2009: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts
- 2008: Instrumental, Vocal, EPS/etc, Concerts
- 2007: Vocal, Instrumental, Concerts
- 2006 & 2005
~Dan – np: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
* Favorite EPs / Vinyl / Live Albums & more of 2011 *
This is sort of a precursor to my “official” Favorites of 2011 blogs. Up later this week, I’ll post my favorite vocal and favorite instrumental albums of 2011. Anyway, on with the music pimping…
Favorite EPs of 2011
- Savanna Coen – Strength
- Auragami – everything. Now.
- Works Progress Administration – 4×4
- Amanda Palmer/Ben Folds/etc – 8in8
- Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar 4
Favorite Vinyl-only Release of 2011
- Secret Chiefs 3 (FORMS & Ishraqiyun) – Saptarshi / Radar 7″
- Chamberlain/Krauss/Phelps – Modular: Sonic Explorations 12″
- John Zorn’s The Dreamers – The Christmas Song/Santa’s Workshop 7″
fave non-vinyl-only issue: My Brightest Diamond – All Things Will Unwind 12″ (is luscious)
- Fantômas – The Director’s Cut Live
- Kevin Smith – Red State
- Morgan Spurlock – POM Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold
- Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
- Sigur Rós – Inní
Favorite Internet Only Releases of 2011
- Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 2 (monthly series from March to December)
- Sigur Rós – Inní
- Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy – United Front (live at Newport)
- Damien Jurado – Live at Landlocked
- Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood – In Case the World Changes Its Mind
Favorite Podcasts in 2011 (they’re free, yo! Search for them on iTunes)
- George Hrab – Geologic Podcast
- Keith Olbermann – Countdown on CurrentTV
- Rachel Maddow – The RM Show on MSNBC
- Bill Maher‘s New Rules
- Adam Carolla – The Adam Carolla Podcast, Ace on the House and CarCast
- Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier – SModcast
- Kevin Smith & Ralph Garman – Hollywood Babble On
- The Skeptics Guide to the Universe
- CNN’s Political Notebook
- Marc Maron – WTF Podcast
- Dan Savage – Savage Lovecast
Best Cover Art & Packaging in 2011
- Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning (special edition)
- Chamberlain/Krauss/Phelps – Modular: Sonic Explorations 12″
- Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender (special edition)
- My Brightest Diamond – All Things Will Unwind (colorful, lovely cover art)
- Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers (stunning die-cut leaf design)
- John Zorn’s The Dreamers – A Dreamer Christmas (vinyl, designed by Chippy)
Favorite Indie Releases in 2011 (DIY all the way)
- Jason Ludwig – Lost in Love and Tanglings (Cincinnati/Austin-based, former Noctaluca frontman)
- Savanna Coen – Strength EP (13yo Eugene singer with a voice beyond her years)
- Dream Theater – Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory (on vinyl)
- Ben Folds – Best Imitation of Myself (hits w/ some new BFF songs)
- Toad the Wet Sprocket – All I Want (hits, rerecorded)
- Various Artists/Sufjan Stevens – On Joyful Wings (tribute album to Seven Swans)
Worst Music News in 2011 (for me at least)
- Faith No More‘s reunion tour didn’t hit the U.S. proper, again… and the promised Mondo Cane U.S. Tour didn’t happen.
- Dream Theater not wanting to take a short break/hiatus, and thus kicking out Mike Portnoy, one of the best parts of that band…
Best Late-Getter in 2011 (something that came out before 2011)
- Florence + The Machine – Lungs (from 2009)
Best Musical Novelty / Ingenuity in 2011
- F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album
- Weird Al Yankovic – ALpocalypse
- Kevin Moore – Shine (for Küçük Kıyamet)
- The Book of Mormon
So, yeah, this was the catch-all post… check back later this week for the more traditional year end wrap-up festivities…
My Other Favorites of 2011 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts & Photos of ‘11 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave Vocal Albums ‘11 are coming soon
- Fave Instrumental of ‘11 are coming soon
- Old Years:
- 2010: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts,
- Best of the 2000s Decade (1-10, 11-20, 21-25)
- 2009: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts
- 2008: Instrumental, Vocal, EPS/etc, Concerts
- 2007: Vocal, Instrumental, Concerts
- 2006 & 2005
The GREAT Holiday Recipe Collection
Re-runs are on TV. Re-runs are on this blog… it’s a “slow news day” as it were, and since Thanksgiving is coming up, why not create a “best of” recipes blog? It’ll be your one stop shop!
An all vegetarian, mostly vegan recipes list for your holiday get-togethers. Great for Thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Eid ul-Fitr عيد الفطر, Christmas, or the also popular Xmas…
Here are some of my favorite recipe creations (dreamt up here)…
- S’mores Pouches – super fun, not too difficult, I’m really proud of this creation…
- Chantrelle & Gruyere Quiche – I also made it with a Cheetos crust, but don’t feel as if you have to follow suit…
- Jalapeno Brie Poppers – Great served with a blueberry compote!
- Taco Scones – How could something so easy and so delicious never have been conceived of before? These are flippin’ brilliant (and versatile for substitutions). Have some salsa, guacamole or sour cream on hand for dippin’…
- Savory Feta & Kalamata Pound Cake – I took an olive oil poundcake recipe and “Greek’d” it up. It’s a fave!
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Cocktail paired with…
Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwiches – This was one of my favorite, unique recipes. It took some time to test (oh no, I have to taste test vodka again!?). The pairing with the grilled mac & cheese sandwiches worked really well. The peanut vodka is too late to start for Thanksgiving, but I’d recommend trying it!
Here are some classics… they’d go great for your holiday noshing…
- Mushroom Dumpling Stew – brilliant for the cold rainy fall!
- Vegan Biscuits & Mushroom Gravy – I could eat this year ’round, any meal!
- Framboise Cranberry Relish – Easy, but almost a waste of beer. Delightful – no lie!
- Cute Olive Penguins – I wish I had thought of this… I did make ’em though… super cute…
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake – super easy, and pretty quick (outside of the chill time).
- Pumpkin-infused Vodka Cocktail – A little too late to start for this year, but outside of time letting it sit, it’s pretty easy.
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – Very time consuming, but oh-so-delicious!
- Bleu Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits – Sort of my own creation, but enough of a staple to include down here. I took a biscuit recipe and added about a cup of bleu cheese to the dough. I’m making these again for Thanksgiving 2011…
- Avocado Fries – I heard about these from Punchy, bassist from one of my favorite bands. They’re super decadent. The avocado fries are, too.
Desserts…
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding – I couldn’t believe how smooth & rich it was…
- Spiced Biscotti – with or without fruit – a really flexible recipe.
- Blueberry Muffin Bread Pudding – I don’t really like bread pudding. But I looooove blueberry muffins.
Raw Vegan Pies – apple & strawberry pies from Jónsi & Alex’s raw cookbook. The crusts are the big takeaway here… super awesome raw pie crusts!
- Raw Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake – The secret ingredient is elementary school kids’ hopes & dreams. Tastes as expected… awesome!
- Carl Sagan’s Simple Apple Pie – you must first create the universe…
Back to the normal music blogging shortly… have a great Thanksgiving holiday!
ha’fway 2011
Happy belated 235th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So, here are my faves of the first half of 2011… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end (click album art for sound samples):
Artist – Album (style)
- Murat Eyuboglu & My Brightest Diamond – Letters to Distant Cities EP featuring the words of Mustafa Ziyalan (spoken word/indie rock)
- Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender (folk-americana)
- Radiohead – The King of Limbs (anti-radio rock)
- David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) – Strange Negotiations (indie rock)
- dredg – Chuckles and Mr Squeezy (modern progressive)
- Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (drone metal)
- Tides from Nebula – Earthshine (postrock)
- Garage A Trois (Skerik & Co) – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (groove jazz)
- Kevin Moore – Shine (Küçük Kıyamet Soundtrack) (movie score)
- Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (postrock)
- Reptet – At the Cabin (horny jazz)
- Goddamn Electric Bill – Jazz (organic electronic)
- Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (postrock)
- Yoshie Fruchter’s Pitom – Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (instrumental klez-rock)
- Tres Mts (Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam & dUg Pinnick of King’s X) – Three Mountains (rock supergroup)
- Eisley – The Valley (modern rock)
- Michael Kelsey – Submerged (Midwest guitar virtuoso)
- Trey Parker & Matt Stone / Original Cast Recording – The Book of Mormon (sacrilegious broadway)
- Elysian Fields – Last Night on Earth (lusty indie-pop)
- Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (whispy indie rock)
I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet)… the new Hiromi, Gangpol & Mit, and whatever “et cetera” that the cool kids are listening to these days; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.
The 2nd half of 2011 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, (including The Dreamers Xmas CD & the Rovo Sax Quartet collaboration), Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer (2nd album), some digital releases from A Perfect Circle, the doomy Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Opeth‘s 70s throwback album, Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson‘s 2nd solo album, My Brightest Diamond is wrapping up one in the studio (will it be out in 2011?), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out (it’s been a while though), probably something from one of Mike Patton‘s other bands (Fantômas live DVD, Tomahawk’s 4th album, more?), and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.
Favorite concerts of 2011 (so far):
- Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – The Shedd, Eugene, Jan 8th
- Reptet – Luckey’s, Eugene, Jan 14th
- The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl) – The Woods, Portland, Jan 28th
- Nels Cline Singers – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Jan 30th
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Feb 18th
- U2 – Qwest Field, Seattle, Jun 4th
- A Perfect Circle – The Schnitzer, Portland, Jun 29th
(click pictures below for review links)
* Favorite Instrumental Albums of 2010 *
Disclaimer: No, I haven’t heard all 8,000+albums released this year. I’ve heard about 120 of them, which makes me at least 98.5% likely to be wrong. I make no claims to objectivity. These albums are my favorites from 2010. You might think that the one you’ve heard that I haven’t heard is the best album of 2010. And you might be right. And, I while I generally agree with John Roderick about Year-End Lists, I still find it quite fun to compile my own.
As I start this post, I will say that this is all very subjective and really put together for my own purposes. I’ll also state that, yes, some of the music below does have some vocals (i.e.- the Beats Antique & Tin Hat CDs). For the most part, it’s sequestered to a track or two on a long CD of mostly instrumental goodness. My list, my rules, and/or my breaking of the rules. With that being said, all of the artists below tend to be in the jazz and instrumental frame of reference anyway.
As said before… I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my third year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, SpaceBook & MyFace pages, yadda yadda yadda. A lot of these also made it on to my 2010 Mix CD.
OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Honorable Mentions: The Album Leaf‘s A Chorus of Storytellers, For a Minor Reflection‘s Höldum Í Átt Að Óreiðu, Yuka Honda‘s Heart Chamber Phantoms, Medeski Martin & Wood‘s The Stone Issue Four (great NFP/charity live release), and Jamie Saft‘s A Bag of Shells…
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Where do I get most of these jazz and other instrumental releases? My #1 favorite source for jazz is Downtown Music Gallery in New York. Manny and Bruce and their great staff are superb… and being the official distributor for John Zorn’s Tzadik doesn’t hurt my affection for them. I usually do a monthly Tzadik order (if the releases strike my fancy), and they have a ton of other non-Tzadik jazz and avant-garde releases as well.
And, no, I’m not affiliated, I don’t get a commission, and beyond my initial “big tax refund / gotta get caught up on Zorn order of 2005,” I haven’t gotten a discount with DMG. I just love and support what they do.
Enjoy the New Years weekend!! Be safe! See you in 2011.
My Other Favorites of 2010 Recaps:
* Favorite Vocal Albums of 2010 *
Disclaimer: No, I haven’t heard all 8,000+albums released this year. I’ve heard about 120 of them, which makes me at least 98.5% likely to be wrong. I make no claims to objectivity. These albums are my favorites from 2010. You might think that the one you’ve heard that I haven’t heard is the best album of 2010. And you might be right. And, I while I generally agree with John Roderick about Year-End Lists, I still find it quite fun to compile my own.
I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my third year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. For that reason, the favorite vocal albums list goes first this go ’round. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, SpaceBook & MyFace pages, yadda yadda yadda. A lot of these also made it on to my 2010 Mix CD.
OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Honorable Mentions: Finger Eleven‘s Life Turns Electric, Gnashing of Teeth‘s Walking the Appian Way, Kaki King‘s Junior, Kim Taylor‘s Little Miracle (out late Dec ’09 digitally), and That1Guy & the Magic Pipe‘s Packs A Wallop!…
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Top 20 instrumental albums coming up later this week…
My Other Favorites of 2010 Recaps:
* Favorite EPs / Vinyl / Live Albums & more of 2010 *
This is sort of a precursor to my “official” Favorites of 2010 blogs. Up later this week, I’ll post my favorite vocal and favorite instrumental albums of 2010. Anyway, on with the music pimping…
Favorite EPs of 2010
- Holy Fuck – +Ghost (bonus disc with Latin)
- Auragami – Resistance (thanks, Michael)
- Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People
- Owen Pallett – Demo (with Shara Worden – FREE)
- Haftor Medbøe Group – Box of Monkeys (technically 2009, but I got it late)
Favorite Vinyl-only Release of 2010
- My Brightest Diamond & Dayna Kurtz – Gone Away / Postcards from Downtown 7″
- Erik Friedlander – Alchemy 10″
- Isis / Melvins split 12″
- Damien & Drake Jurado – Hoquiam 12″
- John Zorn’s The Dreamers – The Gentle Side 12″
fave non-vinyl-only issue: Mike Patton‘s Mondo Cane 12″ (is luscious)
Favorite DVDs of 2010 (I didn’t really get any outside of music-related and an old H.Potter)
- Porcupine Tree – Anesthetize: Live in Tilburg
- Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
- Jónsi – Go Quiet & Go Live
- John Zorn & Richard Foreman – Astronome: A Night at the Opera
Favorite Internet Only Releases of 2010
- Kembwe – Kembwe
- Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 1 (monthly series)
- My Terrible Friend EP (a folky Pomplamoose spin-off)
- Celldweller – Wish Upon a Blackstar (a few chapters)
- Puya – Areyto EP
- Ty Tabor – Trip Magnet & Jelly Jam‘s Additives
- Asthmatic Kitty‘s Library Catalog Music Series (I think they also put some of these out as vinyl)
- Glen Phillips – Tornillo
- Kevin Moore – Shine (late, late 2010 – CD in early 2011)
- Rafter – Animal Feelings (maybe it came out on CD, too?)
Favorite Live Albums of 2010
- King’s X – Live Love in London
- Jónsi – Go Live
- Redbird (Peter Mulvey / Jeffrey Foucault / Kris Delmhorst / David “Goody” Goodrich) – Live at Café Carpe 2008 & 2009
Favorite Podcasts in 2010 (they’re free, yo! Search for them on iTunes)
- George Hrab – Geologic Podcast
- Keith Olbermann’s Countdown on MSNBC
- The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC
- Bill Maher‘s New Rules
- The Adam Carolla Podcast
- Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier – SModcast
- Kevin Smith & Ralph Garman – Hollywood Babble On
- Starfucking with Kevin Smith (OK, not free – proceeds for charity, though)
- SMoviemakers with Kevin Smith
- The Skeptics Guide to the Universe
Best Cover Art & Packaging in 2010 (all vinyl, but the CDs were cool, too)
- Mike Patton – Mondo Cane
- Jónsi – Go
- John Zorn’s The Dreamers – Gentle Side (vinyl, designed by Chippy)
Favorite Local Releases in 2010 (PacNW represent)
- Kembwe – Kembwe (Ashland-based ambient, vocal alchemy)
- I suck… that’s all the local-ish stuff I got this year…
Best Re-issues in 2010
- Carissa’s Wierd‘s first three albums (Ugly But Honest / You Should Be Home Here / Songs About Leaving)
- Mr. Bungle – California (on vinyl)
- Frank Zappa – Greasy Love Songs (deluxe re-issue of Cruisin’ with Rueben & the Jets)
- Elliott Smith – An Introduction to… (career spanning compilation)
Best Not-for-Profit Release in 2010
- Medeski Martin & Wood – The Stone Issue Four (for The Stone NYC)
Worst Music News in 2010 (for me)
- Cincinnati rock band Noctaluca broke up. Here’s hoping Jason Ludwig goes on to do some more interesting stuff.
- Faith No More‘s reunion tour didn’t hit the U.S. proper. Argh.
Best Late-Getter in 2010 (something that came out before 2010)
- Abagail’s Ghost – d_letion (from 2009)
- Fever Ray – Fever Ray (also from 2009)
Best Musical Novelty / Ingenuity
- Tristan Perich – 1-Bit Symphony
Best Music Videos
- Holy Fuck “Red Lights”
- Turf Fienz “Rain Dance”
- Cee-Lo Green “Fuck You” (original)
- The Gregory Brothers & Antoine Dodson “The Bed Intruder”
So, yeah, this was the catch-all post… check back later this week for the more traditional year end wrap-up festivities…
My Other Favorites of 2010 Recaps:
Favorite Concerts of 2010
Well, this year’s concert seasons were especially good to me… 365 days, 79 shows, 149 artists, many long nights driving home, and a lot of photos…
My favorite concerts of 2010:
- Sufjan Stevens :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {29 Oct} [review with photos] – completely stunning show
- Toad the Wet Sprocket :: Crystal Ballroom :: Portland, OR {28 Jul} [review with photos] – I am a slave to Glen & Co’s alt-pop
- Jon Þor “Jónsi” Birgisson (of Sigur Rós) :: Roseland Theater :: Portland, OR {13 Apr} [review with photos] – stupendous stage show
- Nellie McKay :: Berbati’s Pan :: Portland, OR {31 Mar} [review with photos] – missed her Eugene show while at Sufjan, I heard that show was also “the bomb”
- Dream Theater :: Roseland Theater :: Portland, OR {21 Jun} [review with photos] – made more special after Mike Portnoy left the band this fall
- Tegan and Sara :: Keller Auditorium :: Portland, OR {8 Apr} [review with photos] – first time seeing them, not too be missed
- Holy Fuck (twice) :: Mississippi Studios & Holocene :: Portland, OR {6 Jun & 14 Oct} [reviews with photos #1 & #2] – one of the most consistently great live acts, Holocene show was better, but Mississippi was also rad…
- Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa :: McDonald Theatre :: Eugene, OR {12 Jun} [review with photos] – keeping the FZ torch alive!
- Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy :: PDX Jazz Fest / Crystal Ballroom :: Portland, OR {28 Feb} [review with photos] – honestly, all of these Top 15 could be #1 in a slow concert year
- Over the Rhine (twice) :: WOW Hall & Aladdin Theater :: Eugene & Portland, OR {15 & 17 Nov} [reviews with photos #1 & #2] – twice after three years of OTR drought for me
- Charlie Hunter Trio (twice) :: WOW Hall & Sam Bond’s Garage :: Eugene, OR {18 May & 16 Dec} [reviews with photos #1 & #2] – Charlie has a pact with the devil… he’s too good…
- Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault (twice) :: The Woods & Sam Bond’s Garage :: Portland & Eugene, OR {22 & 24 Oct} [reviews with photos #1 & #2] – both brilliant storytellers before VH1 made it a show
- Susan Enan :: House Show :: Eugene, OR {15 Jul} [review with photos] – at our house… super fun & intimate
- Damien Jurado :: Mississippi Studios :: Portland, OR {27 Feb} [review] – I didn’t know more than half of the songs, but it didn’t matter
- Medeski Martin & Wood :: McDonald Theatre :: Eugene, OR {25 Feb} [review with photos] – jazz dance party!
Runners-Up: Bill Frisell Trio at The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, Fishtank Ensemble at a Eugene House Show, Pink Martini at The Hult Center / Oregon Bach Festival, Trio Subtonic & the Dead Kenny G’s at Mt. Tabor Theater, The Weepies at Aladdin Theater. Even after honorable mentions, I cut some GREAT ones… 2010 was a great year.
My favorite concert photos of 2010: (in chronological order)
(all images are free to use under a creative commons designation, simply identify Daniel Temmesfeld with a photo credit and link to jazzsick.wordpress.com, or items noted with emobiephotography.com is photo credit Margaret O’Brien)
Past Favorite Concerts Lists:
Favorite music of 2010 will be coming soon… EPs/DVDs/etc, vocal albums, instrumental albums, artists of the decade…
ha’fway 2010
Happy 234th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So, here are my faves of the first half of 2010… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end:
Artist – Album (label)
- Holy Fuck – Latin (Young Turks)
- Jónsi – Go (XL)
- Mike Patton – Mondo Cane (Ipecac)
- Ellery – This Isn’t Over Yet (Set Adrift)
- Charlie Hunter – Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid (Spire Artist Media)
- George Hrab – Trebuchet (Geologic)
- Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett (Secretly Canadian)
- AutorYno – Pastrami Bagel Social Club (Tzadik)
- Clogs (with Shara Worden & Sufjan Stevens) – The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton (Brassland)
- Tin Hat – Foreign Legion (BAG Production)
- The Dreamers play John Zorn‘s Masada Book Two: Ipos, Book of Angels, Vol. 14 (Tzadik)
- Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck – IRM (Elektra)
- Kaki King – Junior (Rounder)
- Jeanne Cherhal – Charade (Barclay)
- Loose Grip – Looking Glass (Fabrikant)
I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet)… the new Chali 2Na, David Cross, Hiromi, Johnny Cash, Beak>, et cetera; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.
The 2nd half of 2010 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, Nellie McKay (in the fall), Over the Rhine‘s new one (or maybe that’s early 2011), Zero 7‘s new one, Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), a new Sufjan Stevens (just speculating, I know he’s working on one), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out, Dave Douglas’ Spark of Being (Trilogy), probably something from one of Mike Patton‘s other bands, and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.
Favorite concerts of 2010 (so far):
- Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy – PDX Jazz Fest, Portland, Feb 28th
- Tegan & Sara – Keller Auditorium, Portland, Apr 8th
- Jónsi – Roseland Theater, Portland, Apr 13th
- Kaki King – CD World, Eugene, May 16th
- Holy Fuck – Mississippi Studios, Portland, June 6th
- Zappa Plays Zappa – McDonald Theatre, Eugene, June 12th
- Pink Martini – Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene, June 26th(click pictures below for review links)
Artists of the Decade – 2000s (#1 to 10)
Artists of the Decade – Honorable Mentions (1/1/2010 blog link)
- Dweezil Zappa
- Tori Amos
- Celldweller
- Iron & Wine
- King’s X
- Derek Webb
Artists of the Decade (#21 to 25) (1/1/2010 blog link)
25 ~ Ben Folds (solo)
24 ~ Peter Mulvey
23 ~ Opeth
22 ~ dredg
21 ~ Holy Fuck
Artists of the Decade (#11 to 20) (1/4/2010 blog link)
20 ~ Pedro the Lion (and David Bazan solo)
19 ~ Jurassic 5
18 ~ My Brightest Diamond
17 ~ Nellie McKay
16 ~ Secret Chiefs 3
15 ~ Over the Rhine
14 ~ Mike Patton
13 ~ Ani DiFranco
12 ~ Johnny Cash
11 ~ Dave Douglas
And now on to the final ten…
~*~*~
10 ~ Glen Phillips
At the turn of the decade / century / millenium, Glen’s band Toad the Wet Sprocket were breaking up. He went on to make several solo albums (Winter Pays For Summer being my fave thus far), several mostly brilliant side ventures (Plover, RemoteTreeChildren, WPA, Mutual Admiration Society), and even reunite with Toad for some tours. He’s as active as ever and also quite the tweeter (oft humorous / oft political).
~*~*~
9 ~ Porcupine Tree (and Steven Wilson projects)
Near the beginning of the decade, I was giving up on “prog rock.” Then a buddy told me about Porcupine Tree (thanks, SteveC). 2002’s In Absentia is amazing, and I quickly bought PT’s catalogue. The entire decade was full of Steven Wilson projects – whether Porcupine Tree or his many (and I mean many) side projects. Speaking of… Steven’s 6th and final Cover Versions CD and 7″ vinyl will be out sometime soon in the coming months.
~*~*~
8 ~ Sufjan Stevens
Illinoise was Paste’s #1 album of the decade. I think it’s in my Top 10 (as mentioned earlier, I honestly can’t bring myself to widdle down my album list to 20 or even 50 for the decade). Illinoise was my first foray into Sufjan’s world. The infatuation was near immediate. He ranges from poppy, to eclectic folk, to avant-electronic, to chamber music… and I think his song titles, while sometimes considered pretentious, put him in my hero list. :) The later part of the decade showed a more secluded Sufjan and a recant on the 50 States “promise.” However, I’m still very excited about what’s up his sleeves for the next decade.
~*~*~
7 ~ John Zorn (Masada and otherwise)
I knew of Zorn in the 1990s (via the connection to Mike Patton and specifically Mr. Bungle), but didn’t get into him until 2003 or so. Even still, I didn’t know about Masada (his klezmer-jazz quartet) until mid-decade. Their recorded studio work was all in the 1990s, but they stayed active touring throughout the 2000s… and John Zorn kept actively writing Masada Book Two – which is a book of music covered by other bands and has seen a dozen fantastic releases on his label, Tzadik. I just counted, and I have 82 John Zorn related disks from the decade (CDs, DVDs, vinyl). So, um, yeah, he’s prolific. The Masada / Bar Kokhba / Electric Masada is my favorite category of Zorn releases; but his Filmworks series, Moonchild Trio (Mike Patton, Joey Baron & Trevor Dunn), and The Gift / Dreamers band are also key releases. 2010 has 12 new Zorn releases on the docket. *drool*
~*~*~
6 ~ Maynard James Keenan (Tool / A Perfect Circle / Puscifer)
One of the best singers in the world of rock, Maynard has kept busy… this decade: three bands and eight or so albums, several DVD releases, remix albums & singles, vinyl singles, and a new winery. While he doesn’t always nail it every time, his and his bands’ hit rates far exceed most. His solid work ethic points to more releases next decade. A recent interview leads me to believe that the touring side of things may slow down some, but I’m hoping that just means “less touring” and not “no touring.” There have been hints of Tool and A Perfect Circle studio stuff in the near future… and Puscifer seems alive and kicking (and keen on the internet EP thing). Puscifer is hitting the Midwest and East Coast in early 2010.
~*~*~
5 ~ Daniel Johns (Silverchair & The Dissociatives)
2002’s Diorama (by Silverchair) is a contender for best album of the decade for me. Daniel Johns followed that up with a side project with Paul Mac called The Dissociatives. Their self-titled debut (2004) is also a contender for best album of the decade… then Silverchair came roaring back in 2007 with Young Modern – another strong contender. Daniel Johns and his couple of bands has large gaps between studio releases, but they all score high every time for me. They’ve moved well beyond their debut (which they released in the 90s at age 15). 2010 promises the follow-up to Young Modern… so, look out, Best of 2010 lists…
~*~*~
4 ~ Elliott Smith
I found out about Elliott in early 2000, a little bit after Figure 8 came out. I had the opportunity to see him live at Southgate House (Newport, KY) on the Figure 8 Tour. He quickly became an important part of my musical diet. His albums hit me emotionally, but he left us too early (he died of apparent self-induced stab wounds to the heart on October 21, 2003). I still get goosebumps with his music and quite frankly have never been affected by a celebrity’s death like I am by Elliott’s. An album and more of his unreleased material has made its way out since his death. I don’t believe in an afterlife, but if there were one, I’d hope to get to meet Elliott and have a beer with him.
~*~*~
3 ~ Sigur Rós
Ágætis byrjun and ( ) may be the most beautiful things that I don’t understand due to language barriers – two perfect albums, if you ask me. This past decade Sigur Rós went on to make four full length albums, a handful of EPs and soundtracks, several world tours, an utterly gorgeous tour documentary called Heima (that rivals Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii in stunning beauty), and still find time to take time off (well, time off except for Jónsi – who released a duo album with his partner Alex Sommers and is set to release a solo album in early 2010).
~*~*~
2 ~ Radiohead (and Thom & Jonny solo)
One of the most unarguably overrated bands of all-time… yet, one of my favorites. The decade started with Kid A and ended with some Thom Yorke solo activity… it was a full decade of albums, tours, solo work (the aforementioned Thom solo stuff plus two soundtracks from Jonny). They branch out and sometimes get more praise and credit than is merited (I know skads of indie artists doing the “pay what you want” method years before In Rainbows), but I suppose Radiohead were the first formerly major-label / international band to do so. Anyway, Radiohead, despite public pressure, continue to evolve as a band. That scores major points with me. They’re hitting the studio in January 2010… yippie.
~*~*~
1 ~ Kevin Moore (Chroma Key & OSI)
Yeah, the #1 of the decade who few know about… Kevin Moore left the progressive rock band Dream Theater in 1994, shedding the seemingly antithetic “progressive” constraints of the progressive scene to make his own music. Chroma Key’s debut Dead Air For Radios (1999) is my #1 album of all-time… but it came out in the late 90s. The 2000 album You Go Now is probably in my Top 10 of all-time as well. The branching out into scoring with Kevin’s solo soundtrack Ghost Book (for the Turkish horror movie OKUL), political/religious-imagery radio/mix-taping with Memory Hole 1, and the new band project with Jim Matheos called the Office of Strategic Influence (aka O.S.I.) solidified Kevin in my favorite artists list. I’m looking forward to more Chroma Key, O.S.I., Memory Hole, or solo work that Kevin puts out… hopefully soon.
~*~*~*~*~
As pointed out the other day, the 2010s are shaping up to be a great decade… see you on the other side!
My Other Favorites of 2009 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts of ‘09 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave EPs/Vinyl/Live/more of ‘09 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave Vocal Albums ‘09 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave Instrumental Albums ’09 are *HERE*
- Old Years: 2008I, 2008V, 2008ep, 2008C, 2007V, 2007I, 2007C, 2006, 2005
~Dan – np: Charlie Hunter – Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid
Oh, and for those who say that the decade ends at the end of 2010… meh. I’m starting with 0 and ending with 9 (like a LOT of people). Rationale: the 80s, the 90s… you don’t say the 80s went from 1/1/1981 to 12/31/1990 or the 90s from 1/1/1991 to 12/31/2000.