Never Happy

Portishead: Dummy

In the summer between transferring from York to Calvin, this music snob told me that Portishead were making the most exciting kind of music being made at that time. I was a little confused and turned off because to me it was obvious that that honor belonged to Spiritualized, but I was also intimitated enough to go out and find a used copy of Dummy. And I had to admit it was pretty good even though I never really got into the whole trip-hop thing. To be honest, Massive Attack probably won't survive a round where I'm choosing it. But Dummy has stood the test of time pretty well. Listening to it last night, I was really impressed with its vocals and production. The "spy" sound sometimes feels a little too affected, but the hints of soul are sweet. In fact, there were a few times it reminded me of His Name is Alive's Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth (an album I like more than I probalby should). Also, quite a few of the songs are just really good. Still, there are also a few so-so songs; this isn't a big deal, but the thing is that the so-so songs sound incrediby similar to the good ones. The whole record has a kind of cool feel to it, and after a while, I just felt like I was listening to the same thing over and over. Often, I like cohesiveness. A lot of my favorite records maintain a similar style throughout, but this album might just be too cohesive.

Karen Dalton: In My Own Time

I didn't know this album or this artist at all. I wasn't sure I liked her voice at first, but it didn't take long to grow on me. I read that she's often been compared to Billie Holliday, but I think she sounds a little more like Macy Gray (someone I like more than I probably should). The opening track "Something On Your Mind" has a really nice vibe to it. In fact, whereas Dummy feels cool, this album has a pretty warm feel. It also has a kind of timeless quality to it. I assumed it was fairly new. It sounds like it might have been popular around the time Lucinda Williams released Car Wheels..., but it turns out it came out in 1971. It also turns out that this is a record of mostly covers. I didn't recognize a lot of the songs, but I did recognize "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You). The thing about a cover is that if it isn's as good as the original, it needs to be different enough that it's still worth doing. In both these cases, I felt like the cover was just a pale version of the originals; I will say, it's hard to cover Motown. These two songs also feel out of place on the album--two pop/soul songs stuck in the middle of a folk album.

I guess I'm hard to please. If you're too consistent, I'm going to complain. And if you try something different, I'm going to complain. Either way you're screwed. But if you're Portishead, you're less screwed because I'm picking you for the next round. If nothing else, Wendell seemed to like dancing to your beats

I hope Kevin isn't the kind of vindictive person who wouldn't pick my album just because I didn't pick his. In other words, I hope Kevin isn't too much like me.

The Vatican weighs in on Music Death Match

Getting into the spirit of the Great Music Death Match, the Vatican's official paper released its own top 10 list. I'm glad to see the Vatican agrees with my inclusion of Paul Simon's Graceland on the list

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/02/15/the-beatles-michael-jackson-and-u2-make-vatican-newspapers-list-of-best-albums-bob-dylan-snubbed/

Patty Griffin vs. New Porncartographers

On Patty Griffin: I probably won't ever listen to this album again.  It's not terrible. There are some songs which, objectively speaking, are really great.  I think a lot of the lyrics are cliche I think some are so literal that I want to ask, "What's the big deal" about this lady.  On the other hand, tunes like "Let Him Fly" and "Not Alone" have a great Mark Kozelek guitar feel and some really nice soulful vocals that I can understand why she'd be someone's favorite singer/songwriter.  "Poor Man's House" has some great tension between the repetitive dissonant guitar  part and lyrics about poverty and God.  Good meat to chew on.  But those are just a few tunes that stood out to me.  I rated each song since I wasn't familiar with Griffin before this and only one song got a full 4 points. Two songs got 3 points.  Only one song got a 1 point.  The rest were kind of hanging in the 2-2.5 area. 

I also did the rating thing with the New Pornographers since I hadn't really listened to them before.  Mainly because I've got this anti Neko Case thing going right now.  She bores the crap out of me.  Most of this record bores the crap out of me.  But, I did give 3 songs 4 points. I will listen to "Challengers" and "Failsafe" multiple times in my life, I'm sure.  But I'm just not into the ultra smooth, clean, and cutesy clever stuff they pull on this record.  There are elements of this record that remind me of stuff I like a whole lot better.  Tim Vesely  of Rheostatics has a project called The Violet Archers which has similar production nuances as this record and it's just way better.  Better song writing. Better use of instruments. And while I really appreciate a good french horn in a pop song(the Spirit of Giving), and I too am "sick of America and its screaming decay",  I just can't fully buy in to the New Pornographers.

But the point of this is to see who would win between Patty Griffin and New Pornographers.

Based on the fact that I do think I will listen to a couple of songs off Challengers again, New Pornographers win it. 

Second round, here we go

Our Endless Numbered Days vs. Stone Roses self-titled

I thought this would be easier than it was. I re-listened to Our Endless Numbered Days first. I remember listening to this when it came out and being initially disappointed that Sam Beam had gotten away from his lo-fidelity feel. I quickly came around to this album and recognized for what it is...perfectly enjoyable listening. Iron and Wine feels like music personally performed for you in your living room. His voice feels warm, lived-in. This album really holds up well to repeated listening. I felt like I had to pick this album.

Then I listened to the Stone Roses again. The first 5 tracks on the album are brilliant. I love the jangly/dancy/pop feel to the songs, and they always make me want to turn the volume up louder. Elizabeth My Dear is a joke of a song that hasn't held up as well, but British humor seems to have a longer expiration date on it. It performs a nice segue to the second half of the album and the powerful closing songs on the album. To me, this album is timeless (even though it's very specific to a certain time/music scene). I'll be honest, it's hard for me to separate the nostalgia wrapped up in music. The nostalgia is part of the appeal for me. Objectively, I believe this album is still more impressive, even to this day.

Winner: the Stone Roses (Oh, how I wish I had seen you live)

an open letter about open letters

To whom it may concern, which is mostly zwartitude,
Are we really gonna try to sway votes? Throw the chips up and let them fall!
Or, make sure that Pixies - Surfer Rosa wins.

An open letter to Kevin Hoho regarding The Hold Steady

Dear Kevin,

As people are getting their favorite picks blasted out of the competition with the kind of stoic heartlessness perhaps needed for such a competition (see under: Jeff rips out Jane’s heart by choosing New Order over the Weakerthans) , I thought I would give a plug for my #2 pick.

Most people I’ve talked to either love The Hold Steady or they hate them. Jane hated them but is starting to come around ever since I dragged her to see them live. In some ways, I wish I had chosen their other album Boys and Girls in America to be higher on the list (it ended up in my #22 slot) because I think it is probably more appealing to most folks. It’s probably a little catchier and a little more polished. However, Separation Sunday—at least for me--carries what a great writer once refered to as “emotional resonance”. It’s also one of the few albums where the lyrics matter to me as much as the music does.

The album starts out with a few kids trying to “decide to go with whatever’s going to get them the hightest”—which essentially turns out to be drugs, lovers, or Jesus—and then proceeds to chronicle the messiness involved in pursuing these different avenues. Craig Fin sort of half talks/sings most of the album, and while I understand this is a turn off for some people, it works for me. Besides, some of the lyrics almost need to be spewed more than sung:

Yer little hoodrat friend's been calling me again / and I can't stand all the things that she sticks into her skin / like sharpened ballpoint pens / and steel guitar strings / she says it hurts but it's worth it / tiny little text etched into her neck / it said "Jesus lived and died for all your sins." / she's got blue black ink and it's scratched into her lower back / it said: "damn right I'll rise again." / yeah, damn right she'll rise again.

Some of this may seem a little adolescent, but then again, it is an album about adolescence. Rather than romanticize that age, Finn reminds us how awful that time can be—thus, his characters’ need to find something to put their faith in. My favorite is Holly, whose story closes the album and who offers us some redemption at the end:

Her parents named her Halleluiah / the kids all called her Holly / if she scared you then she's sorry / she's been stranded at these parties / these parties they start lovely but they get druggy / and they get ugly and they get bloody / the priest just kinda laughed / the deacon caught a draft / she crashed into the easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass / she was limping left on broken heels / when she said father can I tell yer congregation how a resurrection really feels?

In case, you feel like this all too a little serious, there’s some great comedy on the album as well:

Yeah I think I heard about original sin / I heard the dude blamed the chick / I heard the chick blamed the snake / and I heard that they were naked when they got busted / and I heard that things ain’t been the same since.

It’s odd for me to concentrate so much on the lyrics, but I didn’t want you to miss them on a casual listen. This album deserves to be paid attention to, and it’s easy to miss its emotional impact if you get stuck on his voice or the big guitar riffs. The music, I believe, speaks for itself. It’s a little bit of punk and a lot of rock n’ roll. It’s large and dirty and unapologetic.

This may all seem a little earnest, but that’s what this band does to you. They’re not cutting edge (they’re basically playing classic rock), they’re not ironic, and they’re certainly not hipsters (my friend Brooke’s reaction to seeing them live was “He’s so old. He looks like a science teacher. That’s awesome.”) If you choose Automatic for the People I’ll understand (Brian, Steve—want to give a testimony for that album?), but I wanted to put in a good word for this record. If you want, you can do the same for Karen Dalton.

Last few for the first round, and onto the second...

Hey all,

First of all, great work. I loved reading every one of your choices. They made me laugh, they made me cry. So now, Sarah, Jeff, and Kevin are going to finish the first round (since there are only 13 of us and not 16), and the rest of us will get started on the next. I'm toying with the idea of always letting the first three people to get their picks in for each round get to choose the last three--this would encourage speediness since the fastest people would get to choose slightly more often. Just an idea for now.

Anyway, below you'll find some more great match-ups. Sarah and Kevin both hold the power to take out my favorite albums; Andy can choose his favorite if he wants--but at the cost of taking out Guns n' Roses; Karl and Bruce both get good match-ups where their competing choices are of somewhat similar styles; Brian got some stuff this time I think he likes; Eric has perhaps one of the more disparate matches; and Jane can have her revenge upon Jeff if she so chooses.

End of Round 1

Sarah

(14) London Calling vs. (19) Blue

Jeff

(15) Massive Attack - Blue Line vs. (18) Eluvium – Copia

Kevin

(16) Hold Steady – Separation Sunday vs. (17) REM Automatic for the People

Round 2

Dwight

(1) Luna – Penthouse vs. (32) Chicane – Behind the Sun

Steve

(2) New Pornographers – Challengers vs. (31) Patty Griffin – Living With Ghosts

Karl

(3) Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It in People vs. (30) Flaming Lips – Soft Bulletin

Andy

(4) Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind vs. (29) Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II

Eric

(5) Air – Moon Safari vs. (28) Dread Zeppelin - Unledded

Bruce

(6) Neil Young – Harvest vs. (27) Avett Brothers – I and Love and You

Andrew

(7) Portishead – Dummy vs. (26) Karen Dalton – In My Own Time

Brian

(8) Stone Roses – Stone Roses vs. Iron and Wine – (25) Our Endless Numbered Days

Jane

(9) Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies vs. (24) Bob Dylan - Highway 61

MVB

(10) Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers vs. (23) Pearl Jam - 10

69 VS Graveland

I also got stories about how these albums affected me profoundly.
Graceland: I remember the first time I heard this album. I puked violently. I was drunk at the time, crazy drunk, and I'm pretty sure that's why I puked. The second time I listened to Paul Simon sing about feeling good, I wasn't. I wasn't intoxicated, but I was fairly ill. I puked. Everyone was saying, "Dwight, you got to check out Graceland! It's a classic." Being one to always pay attention to what others think, I gave it another shot. The third time I listened to it, I was feeling really good, and I was as sober the boy in the bubble. I puked.
I think this is one of the most over-rated albums of all time. I've never been able to swallow it. I love good harmonies. I love great percussion. These qualities are found on Graceland. What's not found, is a song that doesn't make me spew.
60 + 9 Love Songs: Fittingly, a woman gave this too me; a woman I was dating. I'd never heard of Magnetic Fields. She showed up one day and had a copy for me. We broke up shortly after. Perfect.
You know that awkward meeting after the break-up where borrowed items are returned? We never had that meeting. And, if some day, she calls and asks me to meet to awkwardly return the borrowed, this album will have mysteriously vanished. Now, I can't say it's the best album of all time cause there are some real stinkers on this ambitious project. But 69 songs?! And all about one theme; love. I dare say that not even Cupid could write 69 stellars about the subject. Magnetic Fields came pretty close though.
Winner: 69 Love Songs (or 55 Great Songs)
Loser: Graceland (or Pukeland)

I'll miss you Wendell

Andrew asked us to listen to the albums in the same way, which for me is easy. I listen to pretty much all of my music in the car on the way to work (three or four tracks at a time). On a ©Discman. With an adapter plugged into the tape deck. Whether or not that had any impact on the outcome, I’ll let you be the judge.

First up was New Order’s Substance. One of the first things that struck me about this was how many songs I immediately recognized once they started playing. It’s been years since I listened to any New Order album, but many of the tunes have stuck with me, at least subliminally. Some of it sounded too dated, while others could have been lifted from the latest Cutcopy album. There is a strong tension between rock and electronic music, and it’s no surprise that these tracks have been remixed frequently. The production is interesting, almost sloppy at times, and it’s hard to discern how intentional that was. Lyrically New Order can run toward the generic or vague, which works well at times (Bizarre Love Triangle) but not so much at others (State of Confusion). Overall, a fantastic album, with only a few misses which are more than made up for by the standout songs.

I listened to Reconstruction Site through twice. I enjoyed it more the second time, and much like Karl said of Nick Drake, I expect it will continue to impress me upon subsequent listens. I thought it really picked up in the second half, especially The Prescience of Dawn. The lyrics are intelligent without being too self-stylingly clever (although what the hell is a loonie, amiright Americans?). It’s a very personal album, but not overly indulgent. I would have liked to see a little more of the raucousness it threatened at times, but I guess that was not to be.

So basically it comes down to which criteria I decide to use. If it's the Which Album Is More Important In The Overall Scheme Of Music? then I would go with New Order. If it's the more cogent album, then it's Reconstruction Site. I actually re-wrote my final selection several times. I have lost sleep over this. But here it is: Substance. As Megan pointed out, the reviews above led her to believe that would be the album I chose (even when I had first chosen Reconstruction Site).

Two interesting notes:
1) In 2003, Substance was ranked number 361 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

2) Apparently one of the members of The Weakerthans used to play in Dig Circus, a band who I used to go and see often when I was in high school. Read the article below for the last paragraph, if nothing else.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dig_Circus

Also, I lied. It’s not even a ©Discman, it’s an AIWA.

The Cure vs. Mogwai

The Cure's Disintegration was going to win from the outset.  It just was.  I still did my homework and really enjoyed Young Team by Mogwai.  In fact, I'll probably give it numerous spins from here on out.  But I can't fight the fact that Disintegration was a very formative record for me...especially in those most cliche moments of my first month at college when I sat in my dorm room friendlessly pining after a girl back home...a girl who would never be mine. 

A few years ago, I went to see the Cure in Pontiac.  I had lawn seats...tickets bought for me by a girl I thought was about to be mine.  I left Bruce and Sarah's wedding reception early to go.  As sky grew blacker and the band wailed...off in the distance, too small to really see...while the girl I came with danced with another boy, I thought to myself, "I am really here all alone."  All I wanted at that point was to hear Plainsong live...just once in my life.  Summer hung in the dark air, but it was still cold, like the cold if you were dead.  And then I saw her there, smiling at me just for a second.  I sat on the ground. Head hung between my knees.  I released any hope I had for this love.  Suddenly, the opening bells of Plainsong rang.  I almost didn't even realize it was happening, but there I was, about to live that moment alone.  Somehow it was perfect.  Then, the girl I came with ran over to me and threw her arms around me.  But it was hollow. It was false.  It was, somehow, perfect.  To experience the Cure in that setting, to hear that song while being embraced by the one who was simultaneously shattering my heart into bits and at just the right age to appreciate the mellow-drama of it all makes me very protective of the Disintegration record. 

SS over BS

Well, this was a match up between two of the albums on my list. I was pretty sure that Seven Swans would win, and I was right. However, I think both albums are worthy of the list. I kind of wish someone else had drawn The Ghost of Tom Joad because I would have liked to hear their thoughts. I think I got the album as a gift either in 95 or 96, right after it came out, and it helped broaden my musical interests from pretty much only listening to the popular alternative music of my high school days, to finding an appreciation for folk music. A number of the albums that ended up on my top 30 list were chosen for some qualities that perhaps don't come through if you're just looking at the music. Things like storytelling, quality of voice, message, and ease of listening. I love Bruce's voice on this album. Many of the stories are of immigrants to the U.S. and the plight they face here. If you're like me, and you believe that art is rarely truly apolitical, then I definitely don't mind when art critiques an unjust part of society. I knew that this album wasn't going to beat Seven Swans for me, but listening to it was enjoyable, although I did find by the end that I was ready for it to end.
I'm not going to pretend that I have a good enough understanding of music to write intelligently about an album like Seven Swans. I'll leave that to Sarah and many others in this group. I'll just say that I love listening to this album. See Karl's post for more reasons to like the album. It's personal, it's beautiful, I love his voice. I like the repetition and the added layers, both vocal and instrumental, throughout the songs. I have listened to this album a lot over the last five years, perhaps more than any other album over that time period. I think I've slowed down on it a bit over the last couple years, but I was reminded in listening to it again today how good it really is. Unlike The Ghost of Tom Joad, which I enjoyed, but was glad when it was done, I started Seven Swans over when I was done listening, as I wasn't quite done washing the dishes.

She Toes the Line

Luna – Bewitched vs. The Band – The Band

Luna’s Bewitched could certainly contribute a few tracks to the soundtrack to my first few years of college, and it turns out there’s still a lot to recommend the album. I appreciate that it’s mood-malleable or mood-neutral, a.k.a. enjoyable in a variety of states and situations. And there are some hilarious lines: “I had to be drunk just to look at your face / that was alright by me.”

I’ve never been wholly sold on Bewitched, though, and while it’s largely taste, here’s why: I would characterize it, with the main exception of the title track, as somewhat aloof. I’m not looking for consistently heart-wrenching, but I find myself favoring a bit less sheen and a bit more substance. There’s no one song on the album that lyrically or sonically nails it for me, or at least not in the way that makes me anxious to put it on a mix CD or playlist for a friend. Also, much of the second half of the album makes me feel lethargic. It’s just so even, so lulling.

The Band’s The Band wins hands down, partly because as soon as I started listening to the album, I felt a familiar disappointment that it would end eventually and I’d have to go about my business free of The Band. I only listen to this album occasionally when playing cards or cleaning house, but it makes whatever I’m doing better. Instead of being mood-malleable, it is restorative. (For anyone interested in drawing a contrast with the emotional resonance I find lacking on Bewitched, consider “Whispering Pines” on The Band, for one.)

On a larger scale, listening to The Band teaches both rock’s history and future. You see not just the emotional contours of the lyricist’s current life, but also larger cultural and historical contours. There’s a generosity of approach here, a desire to show that much of what we suppose divides us can perhaps bring us together. Not to get all hopeful or anything. It's The Band talking.

Fifth Upset

Weakerthans - Left and Leaving vs. Bonnie Prince Billy - Ease on Down the Road

Well, if you know me well, you know I love a good upset... but rest assured, this wasn't a spite-andrew type of upset at all.

I lucked out, because I was unfamiliar with both of these albums, although I am familiar with BPP - I See A Darkness, which probably gave an unfair advantage.

I gave Left and Leaving multiple listens, but I just couldn't buy into it. I'm positive it is a good album, though just not for me... today. The notes I made while listening typically centered around the lyrics, that they were a little too obvious at times. I will say, the 3rd track reminded me of a Steve D song, so that track obviously kicks ass, and the last 3 tracks I enjoyed as well (but they reminded me of no one).

With Ease on Down the Road, it was a different story. There was a lot less convincing needed, because I always figured I was missing out by only having a single Bonnie Prince Billy album... and that was answered quite quickly, I _was_ missing out. Half-way through the album, I was thinking that both albums would have done me well 10 years ago, but Ease on Down the Road carried more weight today.

Ease on Down the Road makes it to the next round.

Also That

Also that: Jeff, if you choose New Order over the Weakerthans, you've held Wendell for the last time.