December 18, 2011: The Day I Almost Regretted Buying a House Near a Bunch of Trees

 Evil.

So, I'm totally cool with the idea that God created trees.  Thus, by default, I'm pretty sure God probably created leaves as well.  You'd have a difficult time, however, trying to convince me that the devil wasn't behind the idea that, at least once a year, every leaf would fall off of every tree right into the middle of your yard.  Raking leaves is terrible and I did it all afternoon.

Like everything I do though.....there was a pretty decent soundtrack to make leaf raking a little less terrible.  So, if anyone else out there is thinking about heading out into your yard attempt to get rid of this tree waste like I did...I'd like to suggest a soundtrack for you.  It certainly helped me. 

Album 1: Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

I mentioned two posts earlier in this very blog that Okkervil River albums are always somewhat difficult for me.  There's usually two songs that are great and then 8-9 that are very....meh.  This year's I Am Very Far is the closest yet to bucking that trend.  Will Sheff (Okkervil River's leading man) has added a TON of instrumentation for this album compared to previous albums: extra guitars, extra brass instruments, etc.  The result is a very full sound that doesn't come off sounding like every other album before it.  I've always had a difficult time pinning down what my problem was with the other albums.....and I think I'm finally narrowing it down to the fact that I just don't find them very unique.  There's a lot of music out there....no need to waste your precious listening time with something that you ultimately forget a few minutes later, kinda like background music.  This album, for me, begins to break out of that mold.  The added layers of instrumentation really create a unique sound that I hope Sheff continues to build on for many more albums.

Okkervil River - The Valley  

Album 2:  Nirvana - In Utero

I realize I'm not introducing anything to anyone by suggesting you listen to Nirvana.  But 18 years after it was initially released (how ridiculous does that sound), it's easy to forget how awesome this album really was/is....especially considering all the praise showered upon its predecessor Nevermind dwarfs that received for In Utero.  I find, however, that Nirvana's final album matches up very well track-for-track with its bigger brother Nevermind; and there may not have been a better closing song on an album from the 90's than "All Apologies".

Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea  

Album 3:  My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves

The majority of my favorite MMJ songs are from this album: "Mahgeetah", "One Big Holliday", and the one I've listed below to name a few.  This was a really nice way to close out a hard afternoon's work.  The closer "One in the Same" is one of MMJ's slower tunes, but imagine it on a cold late fall afternoon as the sun is setting, as I just heard it, and it just makes sense.  A couple years ago, MMJ toured with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.  I never saw any of the shows from that tour, but I can only imagine how special they were.  I'm guessing they played "Dancefloors" and I'm also guessing that it was amazing.

My Morning Jacket - Dancefloors (with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band!!)

It was a long day.  Perfect evening now to just relax with a cup of pennyroyal tea (or whatever beverage suits you) and watch two NFL teams that aren't the Titans play the way playoff contenders are expected to play.

RR

The Times They Are A-Changin'

They say you can't buy anything with a dollar anymore....and I suppose "they" are probably right.  $2 though?  $2 can buy you access to 10s of 1000s of songs.  The place?  Daytrotter.com

Daytrotter is a site that's been around for the better part of a decade for the purpose of distributing (in a legal way) music from lesser known bands.  They host a small music studio in Rock Island, IL in which bands stop on their way across the country to record live performances of both popular and previously unreleased songs.  These songs then get posted on Daytrotter's website for your listening pleasure.

Here's the catch though.....back in the day (circa 2008) Daytrotter was totally free.  This served to make the site extra awesome, because now you could obtain 5-6 tracks from a large number of bands FOR FREE.  Sigh....those were the days.  Today?  $2 a month.  I mean, you aren't exactly going to have to sacrifice a rent check to afford the $2 a month....but it ain't free.

Regardless....you get an awful lot though for your two bucks.  The site has grown substantially over the past few years allowing them to record performances of more (and bigger) artists.  It seems like they try to post a performance a day.  They allow both streaming AND downloading access to thousands of songs from bands with varying degrees of popularity.  For example, the two most recent sessions are from a lesser known singer-songwriter Charlie Faye and a slightly more popular rock band named Wilco.

I'm listening to the Wilco session right now.  You can find the session here.  Its decent.  Four tracks from this year's The Whole Love including the awesome, acoustic "One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)".  The tracks aren't terribly different from what you'd find on the album, however.  I find that a bit disappointing.

Anyways, there's tons of great music to be found on their site and they're currently offering a free seven day trial.  Its not one of those free trials where you have to give your credit card and then remember to cancel after seven days either.  Nope....just give them an email address and you have total access to the site.  If you can't tell, I definitely recommend the site to people that are well versed in indie rock and also to those just looking to find something a little different.

2007 Revisited

Visit any music blog or music-related website this time of year and you're virtually assured of finding some sort of "Best of" music count down: Best Albums, Best Songs, Best Videos, etc.  This blog will certainly be no different in that aspect......minus the top videos (I don't really ever watch videos anymore).  As we get closer to the end of year, I will eventually countdown my Top Ten albums of 2011.  I've been doing this the past four years and it's always my one of my favorite music-related activities.  Back in 2007 I listed and wrote about my top albums of Ought Seven on my former music blog.  Every year after that just involved exchanging emails with friends.

The thought processes associated with forming my 2011 list has me contemplating what sort of considerations should go into making a Top Ten list.  Should I consider how excited I was when I listened to the album for the first time?  Should I only rank albums according to how I feel about them at that point in time?  If so, that really puts albums that came out over the past month at a real disadvantage to albums that came out at the beginning of the year and have had ample opportunity to grow with me.  Or does it help the chances of recently released albums because they're more fresh? Should I consider re-listenability as it stands today?  Or would I project what the re-listenability of an album might be like 5 years from now?

I enjoy thinking about these kinds of things and realize there's no perfect formula.  However, asking these questions has inspired me to go back through the years and reconsider my previous Top Tens.  This post is, thus, the first in a series that will re-evaluate my previous lists in order to get a feel for how my listening (or ranking) albums has changed.

Below I've listed the original albums found in spots 1-10 back in 2007 and their replacements if I were making that list today (which I suppose I am).  Enjoy and let me know your thoughts below on any of these  (or any other) albums and how they've grown or fallen with you over the past few years.

10. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
New: Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild Soundtrack

It was a pretty easy decision to knock this Ryan Adams album off the list.  Ryan Adams is proof to me that it is possible to have too much of a good thing.  His prolific nature has diluted the quality of his work to the point where I'm hesitant to try his next big project.  Rumor has it his newest album is great and sounds much like his earlier work (which I think is a good thing).....but I'm almost too tired to give it a try. In its place I have Eddie Vedder's work on the Motion Picture Soundtrack for Into the Wild.  I doubt this would make too many people's list if they were re-doing 2007, but I've had some pretty amazing times over the past couple years and I can remember more than one being soundtracked by this soundtrack.

Eddie Vedder -Tuolumne

9.  Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
New: No change

I had this one right where it should be....as I still break this one out from time to time.  Its opening track, "Don't Make Me a Target" is still tops on my list of Spoon songs. 

8.  Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
New: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Interestingly, this new list saw Wilco and Arcade Fire exchange places.  This Wilco effort has dropped a bit in importance to me over the years (though I still prefer it to 2009's Wilco [the album]).

7.  Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
New: Beirut - The Flying Cup Club

The seven spot on this list is an interesting one.  Beirut suffered the first go-around simply due to the fact that I hadn't begun listening to them yet.  Or if I had, I hadn't paid much attention.  The European sound apparently took a bit of time to grow on me.  Since then I've become quite a big Beirut fan and this remains my favorite of all their work.  Of all the albums on the original list, I had the most difficult time deciding what to do with this Andrew Bird album.  When this album came out.....I really did listen to it regularly.  So it wasn't exactly misplaced the first time.  It hasn't withstood the test of time like the others on the list.  That being said, it isn't the only album to completely fall off the list.  Of all to be completely dropped, this remains my favorite.  It probably would fall into an Honorable Mentions category if I took the time to do one.  So...let's just call it #11.

Beirut - Nantes 

6.  Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
New: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Arcade Fire won a Grammy this past year for Album (or Record....I can't never exactly remember which is which) of the Year for an album that I'm not entirely sure was their best album.

Arcade Fire - My Body is a Cage 

5. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
New: No Change

Loved Band of Horses then.  Love Band of Horses now. 

4. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
New: Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida

Of all the bands I listened to regularly back in 2007, Okkervil River has taken one of the biggest hits....evidenced by it dropping off completely from the new list despite being ranked #4 back in 2007.  I can't exactly put my finger on why they've fallen.  Each album they've done (including this year's I Am Very Far) typically has 2-3 standout tracks and the 7-10 tracks I couldn't care less about.  Ola Podrida, however, I still love.  This album was #2 on my original list and falls to #4 here, which should by no means be taken as a sign I listen or care about it less.  It simply falls due to the strength of the albums that moved up on the list.  I should mention how monumentally disappointed I was with Ola Podrida's follow-up to this album.....but this one was amazing.

Ola Podrida - Day at the Beach 

3. The National - Boxer
New: Avett Brothers - Emotionalism

I didn't listen to The Avett Brothers in 2007.  That was my mistake.  Emotionalism is easily my favorite work or theirs and it belonged on the list originally.

2. Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida
New: Radiohead - In Rainbows

If I ranked Radiohead records this would probably fall #2 only behind OK Computer.......and for me that's really saying something. The fact that this album fell out of the top spot is only indicative of how much I love the new #1 album.....not that I was losing interest in In Rainbows. 

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
New: The National - Boxer

I. Love. This. Album.  It's spectacular.  I cannot think of an album I've listened to more in the past four years or a song I've listened to more than "Fake Empire".  If I'm ever trying to tell a friend about The National, I'm almost hesitant to start them with this album because in my opinion it doesn't get any better.  I'd almost rather start them out with 2006's Alligator or last years High Violet and let them "stumble" onto this one themselves.  Funny thing is....back in 2007 I'd probably have tried to make some case about Alligator and Boxer being interchangeable.  I'm glad I didn't try to do that.

The National - Fake Empire  

New List
1. The National - Boxer
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows
3. The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
4. Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida
5. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
6. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
7. Beirut - The Flying Cup Club
8. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
9. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10. Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild Soundtrack

RR

The Missing Piece?

Done.  I've created a music blog.  Now, the internet is finally complete.  I honestly cannot believe we did it.  Congratulations to anyone and everyone that played a role in this.

You see....back in the internet's glory days from 2007-2008 I was part of a grand experiment: kgb v2.0.  kgb v2.0 was (is?) a music blog.  It was started by two young, inexperienced, and naive music nerds who were eventually joined by an even younger, less experienced, more naive music nerd (me).  What transpired over the next 18 months would eventually go on to transform the world to what we currently know and love.  It truly was an awesome time.  Eventually, however, interest waned and seemingly more important things such as "graduating" and "becoming responsible" eliminated music blogging as a priority in the lives of those three internet dynamos and removed kgb v2.0 from the National Consciousness.  kgb v2.0 was never heard from again.

Now, I suppose it's possible I have that a bit wrong.  I guess it's possible that the music blog I wrote with two of my buddies was one of approximately 15,000 music blogs and our biggest "accomplishment" was getting a shout out on the website for VH1's Biggest Week Ever.  Regardless.....it was incredibly fun.  It was a blast providing thoughts, opinions, and general what-have-yous about our favorite music, even though we were primarily writing for ourselves.  I'd be lying though if I said I haven't considered starting a new blog about 250 times since we collectively petered out at the old one.

Well, all it took was considering it a 251st time, because all of a sudden here I am sitting in front of a shiny, brand new music blog.  I imagine the things I will write about will be quite similar to the stuff found at the last place (there's a link to the right for the old blog).  So if you get some time, check out the old place and if you like what you read that's pretty much what you can expect this time around.

There will be a couple of changes, however.  For one, I'm probably not going to post as many mp3's for people to download (steal).  I'm very against pirating music and have basically eliminated it from my life.  I will, however, post links to places where you can stream the music I'm writing about and I'll post stuff that bands say is free game.  Other than that.....I would suggest if you like something you hear here then buy it.  At the very least you're out less than $1.00 to download the song at a place like Amazon or eMusic.

So, if you stumble upon this place I hope you enjoy what you find.  I'm not a particularly gifted or clever writer, but I do listen to a crapload (official IUPAC unit) of music.  Some of it you've likely heard....some maybe not.  If you've got thoughts about what you hear, I'd love to hear them.  So fire away in the comments section....I have a feeling you know how these things work.

Considering this is my official 'Introduction' to the blog I'll kick things off by simply linking to my favorite song that's called "Intro".  It's good to be back.

The xx - Intro

RR