My top 10 of 2007

My own recap of my favorite releases of this year.

10)Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Probably the most intimate and beautiful album released this year. This album is for anyone who wishes TV on the Radio were best friends with Sam Beam. A unique twist for the hole left in your heart after the death of Elliott Smith.





09) Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

I listened to this album many times during my move from Chicago to Portland. When I listen to it now I will always have images of a beautiful Wyoming Sunset.










08)Okkervil River - The Stage Names

It took a while for this album to hit me, but it has... hard. These boys know how to make emotionally driven music even when they're not trying.









07) St Vincent - Marry Me

Seeing Annie Clark live helped me understand how wonderful this album is. Such a huge, deep record for a multi-talented individual.









06) the Teeth - You're My Lover Now

Each year I seek out my favorite 'out of the blue' band/album and The Teeth took that slot this year. I got to see these guys live in Chicago before I left and there couldn't have been a better way to say goodbye.








05) Beirut - The Flying Club Cup

Zach Condon may be an elitist. He may also subscribe to the Morrissey-lifestyle newsletter, but damn can he make great music.










04) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

If I were to fall in love with one individual simply for the music he creates, it would be this individual. Jens Lekman has won my heart. sigh...









03) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

This sophomore album is a perfect Dancey-post-punk record. The Debut LCD Soundsystem put out a few years ago went on a little too long and some songs were kept alive a little too long, even if you're dancing. Sound of Silver makes it look easy and sound even better.





02) Battles - Mirrored

When I think about the future of music, I hope this album influences the way young bands think when they're creating their albums.










01) Menomena - Friend and Foe























I now live in the same town as these three guys. This is the most enjoyable and creative album released this year and I enjoy it far too much.

Hooray for lists!

Happy Howlidays

I never agree to dressing up dogs like people. I think it's wrong.
This was a little different. The Vet we take Arlo to had a charity 'picture with santa' day, where we make a donation and one of the vet techs dressed like Santa.
We had the option of putting antlers or a santa hat on our dog, but we politely refused. Arlo in the arms of a vet-turned-santa is priceless enough.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Um...

Bill Cosby...
Shouldn't you add a comma somewhere in there?

also

this makes me laugh a lot.

Tis the Season

Happy Holidays from a hard working adult in Portland Oregon.

PNP

the Portland Neutrino Project is in full swing. Last week Curious Productions purchased three brand new Sony VX 2100 cameras. I've been playing around with mine a lot. It has many different in-camera edits as well as top-o'-the-line low light shooting.
The cast has been great. We're all learning the ins and outs of these new cameras. I can't wait for the show's debut on January 18th.

Troubles: a trip down memory lane

I have been writing music reviews for different online publications for going-on five years now.
I write about twenty reviews a year, on average... which isn't a lot, but seeing as how I don't get paid for it, I do it because I enjoy music and I enjoy writing... so it's kind of the best of both worlds. With every year I probably write one or two reviews I'm really proud of - and every once in a while a bit of controversy is stirred up upon the publication of a review.
Case in point - my review for Seth Knappen's album "Leaving Sound". When I listened to this album I was bored and amazed at how much he was ripping off the sounds of John Vanderslice - so I wrote this review:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dear John Vanderslice,
Let me start by saying I am obviously a fan of all the music that you create. Being a songwriter myself, I have an ear for the creative and atmospheric textures you are able to layer within all of your songs. From the perfectly timed whirrs and buzzes of"Fiend in a Cloud", way back to the beautiful and heartfelt crooning of "My Old Flame". My hats off to you, sir, you are an inspiration.

The way you make a moody album flow is astounding. You can take a simple chord progression and use it to its fullest potential by layering genius sounds and fleshing out strong lyrics on top of all of it. You never (or rarely) create the feeling of any one particular mood - and that is my problem. You see, I've made an album consisting of 9 separate tracks, yet they all sound exactly the same (and to be honest, they're all a little boring).

I was able to work with a friend of mine, Mr. Alan Sparhawk of the band Low (name drop), which possibly added to the dull and somber feeling of everything, but I'm not trying to place blame. I hear you yourself are a bit of a perfectionist in the studio. Geez, if only I had that sort of patience. I have an overwhelming tendency to strum a guitar slowly and draw out one note on a keyboard for minutes at a time. With all that said, I suppose me whining in the most sad and pathetic way when I sing doesn't really help matters much ("Carrying You Through" for example).

I was in the band Darling for many years, which paved the way for my slow music tendencies. I've been around music for a long time and I love to create it, but I think I need a vacation. Maybe I just need to cheer up. Perhaps writing this letter will cheer me up, after all- you are someone I obviously get inspired by. Maybe this will be the start of a long, friendly relationship. Thank you for your time, I gotta go now, I'm gonna eat some Triscuit crackers and watch golf on television.

Write back soon.

Sincerely,
Seth
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The day after it published online, Seth Knappen himself wrote an email to my editor asking him to take it down. He said he was offended and the review confused his friends and family, asking him "why did you write a letter to John Vanderslice"...
Really?

My editor wrote him a hilarious email in response:

Hey Seth.

Uhm, first off I should preface this email by saying that no tone is
implied, that I take no offense to your email(s), and that hopefully we
can clear this up for everyone's understanding. Sorry for the slow reply,
but I was on a trip and didn't get your messages until Sunday evening. Look,
I know you're the center of the Universe and all, and I should have been
home all weekend checking my email, but alas- I was out of town. See, that
could be seen as rude unless I put one of those :) things in there! But it
wasn't rude, because email has no tone! Happy happy rar rar!

Okay, so first of all someone did indeed send us a press kit with your
album asking for it to be reviewed, so you might want to check on who is
representing you without your express written consent. We don't solicit
for press kits- they just magically appear from places we've never heard
of. So, that out of the way, we were indeed asked for our opinions on your
album. When we're sent a press kit the contents are ours to do with as we
please.
There is a clear statement on our website regarding this matter, and we
cannot be held responsible for those who do not read said statement.
Obviously, as we were sent a press kit, we are free to use your name,
the album cover, song titles, et cetera in our reviews. That should be
obvious.

Now on to the review. It's sarcasm and, quite frankly, anyone with half
a brain knows that IT IS A REVIEW and that it was written by Bob Ladewig,
a writer for LAS, a publication which was sent a copy of your album. I
mean I honestly, sincerely apologize if any of your fans, friends or family
have been upset thinking you'd actually written that letter to Mr.
Vanderslice, but if that is indeed the case you need to find some smarter people to
associate with.

So, after your initial howling email, I removed the link to your email
address (which was funny- admit it!) and your last name as a courtesy
to you. That's about as far as it goes. We are under no obligation to
accept unsolicited mail, no obligation to open said mail, no obligation to
listen to contents of said mail, and we're certainly under no obligation to
write a review. But we did all of that stuff with a package someone sent us
WITHOUT ASKING, as a courtesy, and now we're getting the third degree? Tisk, tisk.

Basically there are no rules once we open that press kit. Because if
there were rules, number one would read: Do not send us a packet of plastic
and paper asking for a review unless you really want a review. With all of
that out of the way, I'll consider this issue resolved unless you'd like our
legal council to send you a copy of the review policy which should have
been read before the press kit was sent out.

Now I'd like to take a moment to surmise that if the same style of
review had been written for a review which called your album "the true trump
to John Vanderslice" and went on to rave about it I'd most likely not be typing this email.
If you have any other questions, please let me know. Again, please keep in
mind that this email has no tone :) and that none should be implied.
Thanks for reading, and have a good week!

-> Eric J Herboth / Editor
PS- If you'd really like to name your next album "the lostatsea.net cd
that tells the public what these people really think about what theyre doing in their own words..... courtesy of seth knappen" that would be totally cool with us. We'd be honored (although we'd probably urge you to use an editor for grammur)!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
how silly.

Year in Music review

In Random order, my twenty favorite releases this year.
To be whittled down to a top ten at some point this month.

Menomena - friend and foe
Battles - mirrored
Jens Lekman - night falls on kortedala
Beirut - the flying club cup
Iron & Wine - the shepherd's dog
LCD Soundsystem - sound of silver
Arcade Fire - neon bible
the Teeth - you're my lover now
Spoon - ga ga ga ga ga
Bon Iver - for emma, forever ago
!!! - myth takes
St Vincent - marry me
Man Man - six demon bag
Okkervil River - the stage names
Radiohead - in rainbows
Andrew Bird - armchair apocrypha
the New Pornographers - challengers
Patrick Wolf - the magic position
Alaska in Winter - dance party in the balkans
Sunset Rubdown - random spirit lover

I think those are all the albums released this year that I would consider putting in my top 10. Time to start listening closely, I guess.

Too much Whine, not enough Iron

We went to see Iron & Wine at the Crystal Ballroom this evening. I have all the albums Sam Beam has recorded under his Iron & Wine moniker and I enjoy them a lot. Some more than others. I've written on here how I do enjoy the new album very much... but I've never seen him live.

apparently he has a band now - and they all took part in writing and recording the new album. That's a good sign. As I said - I like the new album.
If you're wondering whatever happened to the crowds of people who used to follow the Grateful Dead around, I can now tell you. They're in the band that backs Sam Beam and together they all call themselves Iron & Wine.

It's pretty unfortunate. Sam Beam used to write/record some of the most beautiful and intimate folk/indie tunes around. Now he's got this backing band of old jazz/hippies who like to transition from one song to the next with a fucking jam session. They played for an hour and a half. Maybe 3 songs sounded like their original versions and all but two of them included a serious hippy waste of time jam session.

Disappointing for sure.