2007 is mere hours from being done, so I am contractually obligated to make a year ending post about music.
It's tough to top 2006 as far as music related activity goes, so I'll just let 2007 stand on its own. I moved to a new town this year, which means I moved away from my favorite concert buddies. You know who you are. I've had to travel more for shows. Well, I actually haven't traveled more for shows, but the necessity was greater. Oh! And I got an iPod this year, finally. His name is DJ Reggie, he's a silver 80GB Classic, and I've only managed to get 15 GB in him thus far. I add stuff every day. It's exhausting.
total new cds: 55. (33 new releases, 22 back catalogue)
total shows: 15 shows in 6 states
And because no year end wrap-up is complete without lists....my top 6 of 2007!!!!
Favorite songs:
1. If the Brakeman Turns My Way - Bright Eyes.
2. Long Play - Dick Prall
3. You Are My Face - Wilco
4. The Temptation of Adam - Josh Ritter
5. The Sun Also Sets - Ryan Adams
6. Australia - The Shins
Favorite lyrics:
1. "We passed the time with crosswords that she thought to bring inside. 'What five letters spell apocalypse' she asked me. I won her over saying 'W.W.I.I.I' She smiled and we both knew that she'd misjudged me." Josh Ritter, The Temptation of Adam.
2. "Trying to be thankful our stories fit into phones. And our voices lift so easily A gift given accidentally When we're not sure we're not alone" Wilco, I Am Your Face
3. "Without the numbness all the pain is so intense to feel." Ryan Adams, I Taught Myself How to Grow Old
4. "I tried to pass for nothing but my dreams gave me away." Bright Eyes, If the Brakeman Turns My Way.
5. "Honesty like hanging trees don't get used anymore" Dick Prall, Long Play
6. "Yesterday it hit me that I do All the little things That you do Except those same little things That you do Are annoying. They're annoying as hell in fact." White Stripes, I'm Slowly Turning Into You
Favorite concerts:
1. Toad the Wet Sprocket, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. Did I mention this was the best birthday ever?
2. Ryan Adams, HOB Chicago. I think there are still parts of my face melted on the floor of the HOB.
3. Josh Ritter, Park West Chicago. Josh Ritter, solo acoustic, with Renee, James and Asshead as my concert buddies? Plus, the first sighting of the Jack Bauer of concert security. Awesome.
4. Teitur/Jenny Owen Youngs, Beat Kitchen Chicago.
5. Josh Rouse, Golden West Saloon, Albuquerque.
6. Ryan Adams, Red Rocks Denver.
Favorite new finds (artists I started listening to this year):
1. Wilco. Yeah, I'm late to the boat. Get over it. Besides, could I continue my love of Sansone without finally listening to Wilco? I think not.
2. Jenny Owen Youngs
3. The Shins
4. Rocky Votolato
5. Fionn Regan
6. Travis
(Josh Rouse should be in this category, but I bought one of his cd's last year. I didn't really get Josh Rouse until this year. Now? L-O-V-E.)
Favorite back catalogue pick-ups. (Okay. I admit it. I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes. But these are the cds I picked up this year that came out pre-2007 that I'm kicking myself for not buying sooner.)
1. Wilco's entire catalog (except the Billy Bragg stuff). Now James and George can get off my case.
2. Josh Rouse - Subtitulo.
3. Rocky Votolato - Makers
4. Elliott Smith - Either/Or
5. Brett Dennen - So Much More
6. Griffin House - Lost and Found
Favorite New Releases:
1. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga. This was a tough year to pick a favorite. Cassadaga won by a hair over Sky Blue Sky. I just think this was such a fantastic cd, start to finish. Ok, I will admit, the beginning of every Bright Eyes cd annoys me with his self-indulgent little oddities. The packaging makes up for it though. So cool.
2. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. I hear a lot of people who have listened to Wilco for years complaining about this album. That's when I realize that I'm lucky that I just started listening to them, because I can hear this cd with fresh ears. I bought it with no expectations, and I love it without comparing it to anything else they have done.
3. Dick Prall - Weightless
4. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
5. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of...
6. Travis - The Boy With No Name
Music highlights:
1. Being asked to be webmistress of Teitur's website. It feels so good to be so trusted. And it never would have happened without one really damn good reference. There are no words for my appreciation of that person.
2. Toad wishing me a happy birthday from on stage. Even the thunder-stealer couldn't take away the glow from that day.
3. Traveling to L.A. to finally see Glen play at Largo. Pilgrimage complete. Plus I got to see DJ Jazzy Night Court.
4. Getting George to finally accept Josh Ritter into his life. You cannot resist The Animal Years.
5. Shawn Mullins in Colorado. Dancing on the streets with my kids. Joy.
6. Jenny Owen Youngs grabbing James' ass. Genius.
And if James has special categories, damnit, I should too.
* Worst song by an artist I love: Halloweenhead - Ryan Adams
* Everyone tells me I should love it, but I don't: Boxer - The National
* Best cd autograph: Jenny Owen Youngs - "Adobe Sneak Attack Motherfucker! NICER ASS!!"
* Best cd that I can't understand a word of: Teitur - Kata Hornid
* CD I still haven't bought, but I will in 2008: Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Looking forward to 2008. Hopefully I'll see you on the road.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
gonna trade the weather for the western coast
This past weekend, I took a trip out to California. In my head, song lyrics were rattling around, building up for my trip...
"Going out to California. Gonna let the water warm my clothes..."
"Halfway to Hollywood, I'm selling songs, you're selling your good book..."
"Are you still beautiful in Los Angeles, 'cause it's been so long I can't handle it..."
The trip was a semi-spur of the moment decision. The end of finals week somehow wound up corresponding with a Glen Phillips concert at Largo in L.A. If you're not a big Glen fan, that probably doesn't mean much, so I'll try to explain. Ever since Glen went solo, Largo has become something of his home base, and he has been known to play songs there that haven't been heard other places. And, if you know me, you know there's nothing that makes me happier musically than a Glen show. So, the timing of the show seemed somewhat serendipitous. My traveling companion was my friend Sara, who flew in from Philly for the show.
Flying into L.A., my impressions were as follows: 1) there really are palm trees all over the place. And 2) the air is brown. (In my head, I thought, "Free radicals! Free radicals! I need antioxidants, quick!") From where we stayed in Hollywood, we could have been in almost any city during the summer. The palm trees were really the only distinguishing feature. It was amusing to see people walking around in winter coats in 72 degree weather. I also accosted Dave Navarro in the airport to get his picture with James' famous Asshead shirt.
I got to meet a few people with whom I have had email correspondence. It's always interesting to finally meet someone in person to see if they match up with the person you have created in your head.
The show itself was good, but short. Glen was joined by Sean and Sara Watkins, Greg Leisz, and Pete Thomas. Also, Randy Guss made a surprise appearance on drums during "Windmills". I had actually seen him outside before the show, but didn't realize I would be seeing him onstage. I was kinda hoping for more Glen. Just Glen. But it's hard to complain when the songs sounded so good.
I had a lot of fun on the trip, but I'm coming off it feeling strangely out of sorts. You know how sometimes you build something up so big in your head that there is no way it could ever live up to your expectations? So many things about the trip were great, the show, the inimitable duo that are Cliff and Ian, my think-alike Sara, too many black & tans, Pink Berry frozen yogurt, the staff at our ultra-funky hotel... But there was something remotely toxic about L.A. for me. I don't know if it was the air, or the traffic, or the surliness of the people bustling about oblivious to the people around them. Or maybe it was the delayed plane that left me stranded in Phoenix until almost 2 a.m. Whatever it was, I'm feeling a little drained.
I did come out of the weekend with a realization about people. I've met a lot of people while traveling around and moving across the country. There are people that pass into and out of your life without affecting it much. There are incredibly positive, fun people, who enrich your life regardless of how long they are in it. And there are the negative people who drain your energy in one way or another. It always seems that the negative ones make the bigger impact. I need to work harder at appreciating the positive ones and forgetting about the negative.
" So goodnight Hollywood Blvd, goodnight,
See ya soon
Goodnight Hollywood Blvd, see you sometime
Yeah, right
Yeah, right"
"Going out to California. Gonna let the water warm my clothes..."
"Halfway to Hollywood, I'm selling songs, you're selling your good book..."
"Are you still beautiful in Los Angeles, 'cause it's been so long I can't handle it..."
The trip was a semi-spur of the moment decision. The end of finals week somehow wound up corresponding with a Glen Phillips concert at Largo in L.A. If you're not a big Glen fan, that probably doesn't mean much, so I'll try to explain. Ever since Glen went solo, Largo has become something of his home base, and he has been known to play songs there that haven't been heard other places. And, if you know me, you know there's nothing that makes me happier musically than a Glen show. So, the timing of the show seemed somewhat serendipitous. My traveling companion was my friend Sara, who flew in from Philly for the show.
Flying into L.A., my impressions were as follows: 1) there really are palm trees all over the place. And 2) the air is brown. (In my head, I thought, "Free radicals! Free radicals! I need antioxidants, quick!") From where we stayed in Hollywood, we could have been in almost any city during the summer. The palm trees were really the only distinguishing feature. It was amusing to see people walking around in winter coats in 72 degree weather. I also accosted Dave Navarro in the airport to get his picture with James' famous Asshead shirt.
I got to meet a few people with whom I have had email correspondence. It's always interesting to finally meet someone in person to see if they match up with the person you have created in your head.
The show itself was good, but short. Glen was joined by Sean and Sara Watkins, Greg Leisz, and Pete Thomas. Also, Randy Guss made a surprise appearance on drums during "Windmills". I had actually seen him outside before the show, but didn't realize I would be seeing him onstage. I was kinda hoping for more Glen. Just Glen. But it's hard to complain when the songs sounded so good.
I had a lot of fun on the trip, but I'm coming off it feeling strangely out of sorts. You know how sometimes you build something up so big in your head that there is no way it could ever live up to your expectations? So many things about the trip were great, the show, the inimitable duo that are Cliff and Ian, my think-alike Sara, too many black & tans, Pink Berry frozen yogurt, the staff at our ultra-funky hotel... But there was something remotely toxic about L.A. for me. I don't know if it was the air, or the traffic, or the surliness of the people bustling about oblivious to the people around them. Or maybe it was the delayed plane that left me stranded in Phoenix until almost 2 a.m. Whatever it was, I'm feeling a little drained.
I did come out of the weekend with a realization about people. I've met a lot of people while traveling around and moving across the country. There are people that pass into and out of your life without affecting it much. There are incredibly positive, fun people, who enrich your life regardless of how long they are in it. And there are the negative people who drain your energy in one way or another. It always seems that the negative ones make the bigger impact. I need to work harder at appreciating the positive ones and forgetting about the negative.
" So goodnight Hollywood Blvd, goodnight,
See ya soon
Goodnight Hollywood Blvd, see you sometime
Yeah, right
Yeah, right"
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