1. Slowdive – Souvlaki (1993)
2. Magnetic Fields – The Wayward Bus (1991)
3. Magnetic Fields – Holiday (1994)
4. Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs, Part I (1999)
5. Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs, Part II (1999)
6. Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs, Part III (1999)
7. Tortoise – Tortoise (1994)
8. Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)
9. Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
10. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
My list for Best Music of 2009 is not set in stone and it will not stir up many new sales for the artists mentioned. I sat at my desk, decinding which one made the cut – my simple list is not based on any reviews, recommendations – and no artists is listed because of any favors. It’s good music – pure and simple. It’s just like, my opinion, man. I love all genres of music and this year, I believe these to be the best songs released within the last calendar year. There are many new artists that made the list, but a few oldies that perhaps show my bias, but you can never go wrong with artists like Yo La Tengo, My Morning Jacket, or Tortoise – can you? Just check out the list, will ya? (more…)
U2 played a long set full of songs from every decade they’ve been together. Personally, I like everything up to Zooropa, but each fan has their own U2 favorites and opinions. The stage presence was immense, the electricity used must’ve cost more for 4 hours than the rest of the town of Foxborough, MA for that evening. The band looked good, performed well, but the sound was atrocious. I was sitting in the 300 level and it was just awful. Every note, every word that Bono said, echoed, ricocheted, and bounced into each other, some getting lost in the concrete walls and sky-boxes. Toward the end, I moved down to the warmer 100 level where the sound was clearer, the vocals more crisp, and that unique guitar sound of The Edge was much more coherent. People from all walks of life were sneaking their way to better seats and singing, but also joyfully dancing to “Where the Streets Have No Name.” I was pleased to hear tunes like, “MLK,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “With Or Without You,” and “Mysterious Ways.” Bono brought great attention to the election problems and Human Rights violations in Iran and Burma, but I’m sure some of that message was lost on the inebriated patrons scattered all over the ad-ridden coliseum. It was a great experience inside the stadium and beforehand, tail-gaiting across Route 1. I just wish the sound was better from atop Mt. Gillette.
Tortoise ‘Beacons of Ancestorship‘ (Thrilljockey)
The 6th studio album starts off in high gear. Tortoise display many of their futuristic-sounding tools right out of the gate, including the rapid percussive sounds of John McEntire and the layers of rich timbre, heavily stuttering electro bass, and distorted beats that hit your speakers hard – be careful… Post-punk, experimental, avant-garde, genre-benders, whatever you want to call it, this Chicago band is back and this time all 11 tracks are all around you. Enjoy. I recommend this album if you’re a fan of such albums, like TNT, Standards, and the 20 minute chef d’œuvre, Djed.
There is a piece of music we should all listen to each 5th of May. Yes, Cinco de Mayo is a day when Americans like to drink Mexican beer and eat nachos, but it’s also a day when Mexico kicked France out of their city of Puebla, only to lose the city to the French less than a year later… May 5th is not the big Mexican holiday many think it is, despite what you hear at area watering holes this evening. The big celebration and Mexico’s Independence Day is on September 16th (Sieste de Septiembre), not May 5th… But back to the reason for listening to this song and watching this video of a 1994 classic live MTV performance… It’s because it shows Liz Phair and her band, performing Cinco de Mayo, before she jumped the shark.
