Radio Free Berry 12.28.05
Posted by Brian Berry on 12.28.2005
TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2005, Against Me sells out, new Devo album, My Morning Jacket sticks it to the man, and Stereolab news, all in the 5th edition of Radio Free Berry!
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS…
Welcome to the fifth and final edition of Radio Free Berry for 2005. You can look to RFB for the freshest indie/college rock reviews, up to the minute news, tour and new release dates, and a Las Vegas casino buffet of disorganized running-at-the-mouth on music related issues.
I received an e-mail from a fellow writer at 411 who reads my column for the exact reason I write it each Tuesday. This is an excerpt from the e-mail:
"I just finished reading your column. Once again, it's brilliant. You may single handedly reintroduce me to music. I LOVE music but seem to be stuck with the old standbys not willing to budge. Perhaps that is because for the past decade or so music has really SUCKED. No longevity, nothing that gets deep in your soul, etc. but now there is hope and I'm excited to learn again."
Since the inaugural edition of Radio Free Berry I've received three e-mails almost identical to this one. The main reason I started the Radio Free Berry column was to make accessible music not played on commercial radio stations. I find that with ‘indie' news sites (e.g. Pitchfork Media, Filter, College Music Journal), it's often difficult to know what writers are talking about without any frame of reference. My plan is to serve as a Cliffs' Notes to indie and underground rock so music related texts and conversations make more sense to my readers. If you ever have any questions about a band please drop me an e-mail!
In this column you'll find my Top 10 Albums of the Year, news on Against Me!, My Morning Jacket, Devo, and Stereolab. If you made a year end music list I encourage you to e-mail it to me. I'd love to see what my readers are listening to. Check out last week's column here, where I covered my #11-30 albums of 2005.
1. AGAINST ME! SELLS OUT
Florida's political folk-punkers Against Me! inked a deal with Sire Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., this week. Against Me!, who released one album for No Idea records and two for Fat Wreck Chords will drop their fourth full length some time next year. After three indie albums Against Me! are apparently ready for the majors. (Photo courtesy Wikimedia.com)
I am not an indie purist in any sense but this deal makes me feel queasy. Against Me! are a band who has been adamant about their disdain for major labels. On their 2005 album, Searching For A Former Clarity (Fat Wreck), the song "Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners" is an attack on major label politics. While their music remains some of the best punk of recent memory, one has to question the integrity of a band sending out contradictory messages. Maybe money and increased distribution & promotion is more important to them than ‘keeping it real.'
3. BEST ALBUMS OF 2005: #1-10
After filtering through a list of over one hundred albums from this year, these are ten most satisfying to my musical palate. Last week, I posted #11-30, and now you have the cream of the 2005 crop. Look for all the staff top 10's within the next week at 411 Mania!!!
10. Lucero-Nobody's Darlings (Liberty & Lament)
Release Date: May 24
Memphis' Lucero is the second coming of Minneapolis legends, The Replacements. On their seventh album of punk infused alt-country, Ben Nichols delivers well written, hoarsely sung songs, befitting your favorite rough and tumble dive bar. Their rough, passionate sound translates well in their live performances, which I highly recommend you check out when they come to town. Album produced by Jim Dickinson (The Replacements, Big Star).
9. Ween- Shinola Volume 1 (Chocodog)
Release Date: September 6
Released on their own Chocodog label, Shinola Volume 1 is the first in a series of never released rarities and outtakes from Pennsylvania's eclectic kings of weirdness. Somehow, this collection manages to stand up with their best work (i.e. 1992's Pure Guava, 1994's Chocolate and Cheese, and 1997's The Mollusk). If you didn't like Ween before this album will not convert you. The album is heavy in genre-crossing as with most of their albums (12 Golden Country Greats being the exception). On this one, you'll find tripped out space jams ("How High Can You Fly"), unusually gentle love songs ("Someday"), a lampoon of the Village People & Michael MacDonald ("Boys Club"), and the just plain weird ("Tastes Good On the Bun"), amongst a handful of other odd ball classics.
8. Spoon- Gimme Fiction (Merge)
Release Date: May 10
For their fifth studio album (the first since 2002's Kill the Moonlight), Spoon takes a darker approach to their brand of carefully orchestrated guitar rock. With the addition of synthesizers and a string section, courtesy of Tosca Strings, their sound becomes fuller than ever before. Songwriter/frontman Britt Daniel continues to write some of the best songs in rock music today, shining brightest on the mysterious character tale of "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine" and the Beatle-esque "Sister Jack."
7. Six Organs of Admittance-School of the Flower (Drag City)
Release Date: January 25
Influenced by finger picking guitarist John Fahey and psych-folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex, Six Organs of Admittance is the brainchild of Northern California nomad Ben Chasny (also guitarist of the very heavy psych-rock band Comets on Fire). Chasny is an extremely talented guitarist/songwriter whose seventh album of acoustic folk, free jazz, and Japanese experimentalism is a candidate for the most beautifully created album of 2005. While he often draws comparisons to freak-folk musician Devendra Banhart, Chasny takes a more experimental approach to his music and with a more engaging voice (his voice recalls Nick Drake). Songs range from the very short, extremely moving ballad "Words For Two," to the more progressive and chaotic thirteen-minute title track.
6. Stars- Set Yourself On Fire (Arts & Crafts)
Release Date: March 8
You know that eventual feeling after a relationship ends when you realize that everything's going to be okay, that you can live without that person being as close as they once were, and the mere glow of the sun becomes the most inviting, optimism inducing presence you can fathom? Set Yourself On Fire is the quintessential album to accompany those feelings. With beautifully arranged horns, strings, and piano, Stars made the break-up album of the year, doubling as the best chamber pop record of 2005. The tone isn't bitter enough to be juvenile, and not cynical enough to be about an older couple, which makes this a landmark for twenty-somethings getting over a rough spot in their love life. Highlights include the opening track "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead," "Celebration Guns," and my favorite song of 2005 (which is also the most rocking song on the album), "Ageless Beauty."
5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Self-Released)
Release Date: June 28
I'll be the first to admit I was skeptical about the much hyped New York band, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah for one very stupid reason: their name is horrible. Once I got over this pretense, I was greeted by a great record of spastic pop-rock, by a band sounding like a gleeful Arcade Fire, as sung by David Byrne (and I'm a huge Talking Heads fan!). 2006 will be the year that CYHSY breaks in a big way, with alternative rock radio play and sold-out medium venue tours in their near future. I'm listening to it now, drinking ale, dancing like a convulsing horse, with absolutely no sense of rhythm…and I've never felt better in my life.
4. Animal Collective- Feels (Fat Cat)
Release Date: October 18 Feels is the album the Keebler elves would make (this may be a lost reference to younger readers) if they spent more time playing with wild animals in the forest rather than slaving away on the factory line, making bland cookies. For the entire album, there's a textural dichotomy of childlike naivity and creepy nature music. If Feels were chosen as the soundtrack to a movie version of Where the Wild Things Are, it wouldn't come as a shock. AC sounds like they were having such a good time recording the album that they probably weren't concerned this became one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year.
3. The Mountain Goats-The Sunset Tree (4AD)
Release Date: April 26
The Mountain Goats fourteenth album in only ten years just might be their best. The Sunset Tree is an autobiographical album about the physical and emotional abuse singer-songwriter John Darnielle experienced by his alcoholic step-father. Following a chronological order, the album is best experienced from beginning to end. In the course of forty minutes, the songwriter is abused with gritty detail, runs away from home with a girlfriend, abuses alcohol himself, travels, avoids his passed out step-dad, discovers that his step-father dies of a heart attack, and puts closure on the incident through forgiveness. This album has a thick coating of intellectual honesty that isn't found in most other singer-songwriters works. If you can listen past his nasally voice (I find it endearing) you'll discover some of the best lyricism of our time.
2. Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop)
Release Date: September 27
Like a dark new wave band as channeled through Modest Mouse (Mouse frontman Isaac Brock produced and delivered the band to Sub Pop records), while replacing Mouse's country/western influence for Eno/Bowie/Roxy Music of the 70s, Montreal's Wolf Parade were one of the many Canadian bands to find success in 2005). Their debut full-length took me several listens to enjoy, but once Apologies clicked, I couldn't stop playing it. Vocal duties are traded off by Dan Boeckner, who sounds strikingly similar to Beck, and Spencer Krug, whose vocals remind me of Interpol's Paul Davis. My favorites on this album were both Boeckner songs, and were also the last songs on each side of the vinyl: "Shine A Light" and "This Heart's On Fire."
1. The New Pornographers-Twin Cinema (Matador)
Release Date: August 23
Fact: Of the thirty-nine songs on their first three albums, Vancouver's New Pornographers have yet to write a less than excellent song. The eight-piece, supergroup released a near perfect third album of power-pop melodies this year, aided by the best harmonies in music today, as sung by Carl Newman (aka AC Newman), alt-country chanteuse Neko Case, and Dan Bejar (of Destroyer). Despite having ten of thirteen songs on Twin Cinema written by Newman, The New Pornographers feel more like a collective than an individual's work. This lack of showiness from any single member translates extremely well into their happy go lucky, cryptically worded, bubblegum rock. We can only hope for a fourth album in the near future. Highlights include "Use It," "These Are the Fables," and "Jackie, Dressed In Cobras."
4. SELL YOUR LIVER FOR TICKETS TO…
Coming to a venue near you very soon! All shows are most likely under fifteen bucks with exception to Stereolab, The Silver Jews, and Jeff Tweedy. If you go to one of these shows and it sucks, I'll buy you malt liquor.
Deerhoof
1-24 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
1-25 - Providence, RI - AS 220*
1-26 – Saratoga Springs, NY- Falstaff's at Skidmore College
1-27 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar*
1-29 - Philadelphia, PA - TBA*
1-30 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
* w/ Starter Set: featuring Leg & Pants Dans Theatre, Screenings by Martha Coburn, Le Ton Mite
Robert Pollard (of Guided By Voices) 1-26 Athens, GA - 40 Watt
1-27 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
1-28 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
2-09 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
2-10 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's
2-11 Newport, KY - Southgate House
2-24 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory
2-25 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
2-27 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
2-28 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café
3-30 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
3-31 Chicago, IL - Metro
4-01 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
4-20 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
4-21 Boston, MA - Paradise
4-22 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
Silver Jews 3-10 Athens, GA - 40 Watt
3-11 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
3-12 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
3-16 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom
3-17 New York, NY - Webster Hall
3-19 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
3-21 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
3-22 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
3-24 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's
3-25 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
Stereolab
3-1 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
3-2, 3-4 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
3-5 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
3-6 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
3-7 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
3-9 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
3-11 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
3-14 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
3-15 - Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe
3-16 - Northampton, New Brunswick - Pearl Street
3-20 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
3-21 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
3-22 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
3-24 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
3-28 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
3-29 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco/Uncle Tupelo)
1-31 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
2-02 Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
2-03 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
2-04 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
2-06 Arcata, CA - Humboldt State University
2-08 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
2-09 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
2-11 San Diego, CA - Spreckels Theatre
2-12 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
3-12 Sunrise, FL - Langerado Music Festival
Wolf Parade
1-02 san diego, ca- the casbah
1-03 los angeles, ca- el rey theatre
1-04 san francisco, ca- the independent
1-05 san Francisco, ca- the independent
5. COLLEGE MUSIC CHARTS
College kids on winter break=no new music charts from Dusted magazine or College Music Journal. Below are last week's charts. New charts will be posted in the coming weeks.
Dusted Magazine (December 13)
1. Animal Collective-Feels (Fat Cat)
2. Silver Jews-Tanglewood Numbers (Drag City)
3. Bell Orchestra-A Tape the Colour of the Light (Rough Trade)
4. Caribou- Marino Audio (Domino)
5. Bonnie ‘Prince' Billy- Summer in the Southeast (Drag City)
6. The Gris Gris- For the Season (Birdman)
7. Lightning Bolt-Hypermagic Mountain (Load)
8. Twink-The Broken Record (Seeland)
9. Gang of Four- Return the Gift (V2)
10. Akron/Family/Angels of Light-Akron/Family/Angels of Light (Young God) Credit: Dusted Magazine
College Music Journal (Issue 943)
1. My Morning Jacket-Z (ATO-RCA)
2. Sun Kil Moon-Tiny Cities (Caldo Verde)
3. Wilco-Kicking Television: Live In Chicago (Nonesuch)
4. Various- This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatle's Rubber Soul (Razor & Tie)
5. Broken Social Scene-Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
6. Gang of Four-Return the Gift (V2)
7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released)
8. Go! Team-Thunder Lightning Strike (Columbia)
9. Tom Vek-We Have Sound (Star Time International)
10. Rogue Wave-Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop) Credit: College Music Journal
Again, a good rule of thumb for differentiating these two publications are as follows: Dusted Magazine is a non-commercial website, free of charge for radio stations. Dusted collects playlists from college radio stations pushing underground/indie music almost exclusively (about 50 stations). College Music Journal collects data from both college and select commercial stations willing to pay for a subscription to their service (about 200 stations). Both are reliable sources for finding hip, new music being embraced by the college radio crowd.
6. NEW RELEASES TO SPEND YOUR $$$ ON
These brand spankin' new albums dropped Tuesday and are now available for purchase from finer retailers nationwide. Look out next week for new releases from Omar Rodriguez (Mars Volta, At the Drive-In), The Strokes, Joy Division, and Mano Negra.
Released December 19-
• Kraftwerk-Minimum Maximum (Astralwerks)
Comment: Old school German electro band, cleverly lampooned in The Big Lebowski (Autobahn, anybody?), releases a live box set. The tracks were pulled from several shows on Kraftwerk's 2004 tour and contains classic pulse and glitch ‘anthems' such as "Computer World" and "Pocket Calculator." I would suggest the album Trans-Europe Express(1977) or Computer World(1981) to new listeners. Because their shows are pre-programmed, expect the live recordings to sound quite similar to their studio albums (save, applause and cheering of course).
• Sound Team-Work (Capitol)
Comment: Five-track E.P. from Austin band, who makes drone pop out of country arrangements and hip-hop beats. Their early lo-fi efforts, aided by electric piano and unusual vocals, caught the attention of Capitol Records. Their full-length for the major label giant is due in March.
7. RADIO FREE BERRY'S BOOMBOX PICKS OF THE WEEK
(Runner-Up) The dB's- Like This (Warner Bros.)
(Runner-Up) Gram Parsons- The Gram Parsons Anthology (Rhino)
(Runner-Up) The Zombies-Odyssey and Oracle (Dale)
(CHAMPION) !!!-TAKE ECSTASY WITH ME(Touch and Go)
This two-track single by California's hottest dance-punk outfit !!! (pronounced Chk, Chk, Chk) clocks in at just under twenty minutes. The first track is a cover of The Magnetic Fields 1993 song, "Take Ecstasy With Me" while track two is a cover of Nate Dogg's 2002 track, "Get Up." !!! manages to turn a down-tempo electronica song, as well as a West Coast hip-hop anthem, into something uniquely their own.
8. PARTING THOUGHTS/PLUGS
• Nobody sent angry mail to me regarding my comments encouraging the looting Wal-Mart, running in the streets naked, or saving cats from trees. Maybe I should push the envelope a little further in the coming weeks.
• I'll spare any sentiment regarding this year, resolutions, etc, etc. I will say this much: I'm thrilled to have a weekly news column at 411 Mania and I look forward to covering indie and non-mainstream music in 2006.
• After being dead set against the idea of MP3 players for the past two years, I received a 30gb IPOD for Christmas. I'll be busy loading 7,500 songs onto the little guy for the next few weeks or so.
• If you liked Radio Free Berry, you'll love:
- Dancing About Architecture has Green Day, Flaming Lips, South By Southwest, and get this…GARY GLITTER news! Dun-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-HEY! Best hockey anthem ever. And them's fightin' words, Ian. You know what I'm talking about. Have fun getting shitfaced on New Year's dude.
- Check out the
Best Hip-Hop Instrumentals, Mix Tapes, and Unofficially Released Albums of 2005 in Phil Watts' Loop Diggin' Column. This covers a satisfying smorgasbord of the best in hip-hop from 2005. I plan to pick up the Clipse mix tape soon. Thanks Phil!
- Nirvana is the latest victim of Steven Mogan's The Untouchables column. Steven weighs the pros and cons of Nirvana's career and legacy.
-Misunderstood Masterpieces analyzes Double Team this week. Dennis Rodman and Jean-Claude Van Damme co-starred in a movie together?!? I'm going straight to the video store after completing this column. If we can get Bill Laimbeer and Chuck Norris for Double Team 2 I'll shit myself.
-Broken Social Scene (self-titled) review by Anthony Leung
-My Morning Jacket "Z" review by Morgan Marx.
(Photo courtesy Wikimedia.com)
(Photo courtesy AllMusic.com)
