19 (Nine Nuf Balloons)
It's snowing here in Bosstown. Again. Another foot, they say, coming out of the square states like a white grudge. That'll make five and change this winter. It's got me beat. I'm all whupped and pruney-toed. I eat cold food from boxes. I don't sleep right. I spend the small hours dancing by myself, in the nude, doing the Billy Idol sneer thing into a half-lit mirror. Is this proper self-care? I ask you.
The only thing that's going to get me through this next one is rawk, mama.
It's all that ever gets me through.
1. Sam Roberts
We Were Born in a Flame
(Lost Highway, 2004)
Former hockey player turns guitar God. Happens all the time. In Canada. These are big, juicy anthems in the big, juicy tradition of The Band. "Taj Mahal" is so incandescent you'll want to hump the closest option, nice and slow.
2. DM & Jemini
Ghetto Pop Life
(Lex, 2004)
Hip hop with the beeg funksoul hooks, the kind of high-octane stuff that makes you do the dumb chicken strut at strange parties. DM serves up the seven-layer cake jams, Jemini supplies the sick flow, the dumb macho poses, and the smart polemics (see: "Bush Boys"). Yummers.
3. Ed Harcourt
Strangers
(Astralwerks, 2005)
Loud and extremely beautiful piano rock in the modern mersy mold. Meaning: lovesick, atmospheric, unstoppably hummable. "Remember How It Was" will make you weep for John Lennon all over again.
4. Little Barrie
We Are Little Barrie
(Genuine, 2005)
Stripped down three-piece whompblues to be filed under: groovilicious. Think Black Keys and White Stripes with a little extra Hendrix sex jazz. Highly suited to aerobic exercises of the necessary varieties.
5. The Ike Reilly Assasination
Sparkle in the Finish
(Sixthman, 2004)
Ike is Iggy's more talented kid brother. We been waiting for him to put another one in the ditches for two years now. Nobody rocks like this anymore: the punk snarl and the fat heart. His songs don’t make you want to sing along; they make you want to scream along.
6. Faux Folk Double Shot!
Alastair Moock
Let It Go
(Moockshake, 2004)
Milton
Scenes from the Interior
(Moon Caravan, 2003)
Caught these two former schoolmates on a double bill and they floored me. Our favorite Moock sets his sly rasp to sublime waltzes, Nawlins stomps, honky tonk, and tuneful rock. Milton writes sad poems to sweet melodies and sings in a delightfully strained baritone. "In the City" is the best rap ever written about NYC. Ever.
7. Carina Round
The Disconnection
(Interscope, 2004)
What if Fiona Apple got a little older and figured out how obnoxious her whole wounded dove shtick had become? And then she made an album that rocked, even a little viciously, a little agro, full of the moody venom and the sweet relent. Hey, we can dream.
8. Guest Tip: Are You Dunn Yet? Edition
(Courtesy of the Sisters Dunn: former students, future authors, current dancing queens)
Kings of Convenience (Beth)
Riot on an Empty Street
(Astralwerks, 2004)
The Kings are made up of a bespectacled Trivial Pursuit buff and a (male) Yoga enthusiast. Don't be fooled, though – every song is the one that makes you wanna buy the soundtrack. Especially "Misread," which is sad and happy all at the same time, in that Belle and Sebastian kind of way. You'll suddenly find yourself thinking that it's especially poignant to look at old photographs.
Loretta Lynn (Meghan)
Van Lear Rose
(Interscope, 2004)
I can't stop spreading the news about this record, which is alternately raucous (the foot-stompin' and deeply sexy "Have Mercy"), touching ("Miss Being Mrs."), and wickedly clever ("Mrs. Leroy Brown"). Loretta's honeyed voice stars, closely followed by the songs themselves, all penned (for the first time) by Lynn herself. "Portland Oregon," a duet between the 70-year-old Lynn and 20-something producer Jack White of the White Stripes has me hoping these two crazy kids will just hook up already.
9. Ted Leo & Pharmicists
Hearts of Oak
(Lookout, 2003)
Teddy Ballgame can't decide if he wants to be Dennis DeYoung or Johnny Rotten, and that’s so totally fine with me. This is guitar rawk with nods to both the prog and the punk in all of us, discordant, flamboyant, and, when required, surprisingly tender. "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone" is our generation's "The Boys Are Back in Town." (Shouts to Johnny Pape for the tip.)
10. Thievery Corporation
The Cosmic Game
(Esl Music, 2005)
I've done enough bangng for one Tip, so let me briefly rave. The Corp is Electronica a la Morcheeba, with stiff enough melodies to keep the tracks from feeling like sonic noodles. David Byrne is among the esteemed guest vocalists, talking better than he has in years.