Pretty Goes with Pretty

Do I Want to Go There?

Where are my tastes taking me? Do I want to go there?

I asked myself this question, at least a little facetiously, in a post a couple weeks back. If you've followed this blog at all in the last year, you know many of my listening hours have been spent with the Byrds, which led in turn to more groups from the late-60s/early-70s Laurel Canyon scene. I've slowly been following that trajectory into the 70s with mixed results—Joni is great, Fleetwood Mac has many great moments, America is offensively awful. Despite some misfires, I'm still undeterred in exploring this area of pop music (with the help of the Rising Storm, among others).

The thing is, I know where this ends: The Eagles. The Fucking Eagles. Connecting the dots, the line doesn't get much straighter moving from the Byrds to CSNY to the Eagles. The bands sprang literally from the same landscape, separated only by a few years.

And I know it just ain't gonna happen for me. I've loathed the Henley et al. ever since I was a wee lad watching Henley's ugly old face sullying my MTV. At some point, as I mine this period of pop music, I just know I'm going to come to a point where I say "enough." (Eagles aside, I know that many of my beloved Byrds went on to make some pretty crap records.)

Where are my tastes taking me? Do I want to go there? In the context of Laurel Canyon it's easy to mock that question. It's easy, as Richard did in the comments to that original post, to presume that I'm "worried" about where my tastes are going. (Granted, I've worried in the past.) But the fact is that with any sub-genre in which one gets thoroughly immersed, the answer, sooner or later, is no. No, you don't want to go there.

This simple truth occurred to me when I was having a discussion elsewhere about post-rock bands from the 90s—the many bands that were coming out of or inspired by the Louisville/Chicago axis: Slint, Rodan, Tortoise, June of 44, Rex, Him, the For Carnation, Shipping News, Ativin, A Minor Forest, Ui, Dianogah, To Rococo Rot, Kriedler, et alia ad infinitum. These bands were everywhere for a long time, including my own collection, and now they've largely fallen out of fashion both at large and in my personal estimation. Sure, I still have a soft spot for certain songs here and there (Ani-sette! Anisette!), but in general I cringe at the idea of listening to a band with two bass players or a baritone guitar playing angular riffs with all downstrokes, stark drumming playing in odd time signatures and stop-start beats.

Can't the same be said for any sub-genre? To love the harmonies and easy feelings of the Byrds must mean an inevitable loathing of the Eagles. To have your mind blown by Tortoise's blend of Ennio Morricone, Steven Reich, Can, and Miles Davis is to be inevitably underwhelmed by Ui's moody funk.

Some sub-genres go deeper than others, depending on your taste. One could spend years with "alt" country before noticing a vague sense of boredom with the latest Jay Farrar release; or maybe get one's fill of, I don't know illbient or dubstep, after just a couple albums and artists. There's a distinction to be made between genres and sub-genres (or even sub-sub-genres), of course. One could devote one's lifetime to the larger umbrella of country or electronic music. Despite not being very interested in post-rock, I'm still neck deep in indie rock (including a liking or at least awareness of bands like Battles or TV on the Radio, who are obvious descendents of 90s post-rock). It's the difference, I guess, between the interstate and the access road. You can travel on the latter for a stretch with some success, maybe passing by the gridlock of the genre at large; but eventually you run out of road.

Everyone has ruts: some impression that, well, music sucks. I just can't find anything interesting right now. But of course it's not music that sucks; you've just run out of road and it's time to get back on the interstate. Where are my tastes taking me? Do I want to go there? Yeah, for a while longer.

Assessing the Assessments (More Best Ofs)

As previously noted, I've been clicking through Largehearted Boy's exhaustive collection of best-of posts, downloading samples of many albums that have been on my radar all year but for one reason or another I never pulled the trigger on. I've been doing this slowly but steadily since the Boy started compiling lists back in November. Feeling I've now surveyed the 07 pop landscape a little better, I thought I'd offer some further opinions on what I'm viewing as the general consensus/usual suspects that didn't make it onto my own best-of list. Some of these I've heard the entire album, some I haven't. I leave it to you to defend them and/or to push me to the point of (gasp!) paying money for the complete albums. And of course, if I've still left out what you consider the best album of the year, let me know in the comments.

Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam (listened to 7 of 9 tracks)
Encountering these guys very, very early on in their career (at which point I made numerous negative associations), compounded by previously hearing only the god-awful Campfire Songs in full, I gotta say I've been absolutely resistant to jumping on the Animal Collective (and affiliates) bandwagon. Finally in the last few months I've recognized my biases as irrational and I've begun to listen to tracks from Strawberry Jam on their own merit (here's one: "Peacebone"). I totally get why these guys are so talked about; as someone at another blog said (sorry, can't remember which one), there's a pretty good chance that this moment in music history will be identified by the sound of Animal Collective and the many bands in their sonic universe (Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Panda Bear, etc.)—reverbed-to-fuck, often harmonizing vocals; unpredictable song structures and dense layers of instrumentation and sounds; and a hodgepodge of influences ranging from psychedelia to folk to spastic hardcore to electronica to first-generation emo to Zappa, 13th Floor Elevators, and... no, not the fucking Beach Boys. That said, perhaps I just feel too familiar with the things influencing Animal Collective to shit myself over how original they are. Or maybe those negative associations just haven't entirely gone away.

Ultimate verdict: accolades deserved. Once I get over myself, I will likely purchase this (and one or two previous) album(s).

Arcade Fire, Neon Bible (purchased/listened to entire album)
I love Funeral to death. I think it will go down in history as one of the albums of the decade, and will influence innumerable young kids to start bands and change the world and all that. But Neon Bible? I'm shocked it is getting as much love as it is. This album is boring; this album is really boring. The lyrics are mostly idiotic and the production is muddled from beginning to end. I had mixed feelings on the album when it first came out, trying to find the goodness wherever I could out of love for their debut. But the fact is this album gets worse the further away I get from it. I'm going to bet that everyone showing love to Neon Bible was converted by a live show and not by the recording itself.

Ultimate verdict: accolades undeserved. Don't believe the hype.

Battles, Mirrored (listened to 6 of 11 tracks)
Best math rock album I've ever heard, though coming from me that could be damning with faint praise. In truth "Atlas" is easily--easily!--one of the best songs of the year, though the rest of (what I've heard of) the album does not ascend to the same heights. "Atlas" works so well because the virtuosity of the players never gets in the way of the fact that this is a party jam. But suppressing the sheen of virtuosity can be a difficult thing to sustain over an entire album.

Ultimate verdict: accolades deserved, though I trust lists that put it in their top 20 more than those that put it in the top 10.

Josh Ritter, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (listened to 5 of 14 tracks)
Ritter seems like a pretty straight-down-the-middle songwriter. He's never been on my radar before, but my ears perked up once I started seeing this on so many people's lists. He seems like a strong, if not totally distinctive, songwriter.

Ultimate verdict: undecided.

The National, Boxer (listened to 5 of 12 tracks)
Why does the National make me feel so unsure about myself? I can't figure them out; better put, I can't figure their fans out. What I've heard of Boxer is fine, just fine, but what are you people hearing that is making you lose your shit for them? Occasionally I'll hear a spark of something interesting in their songs, but the general tone seems a little one-note and not very engaging.

Ultimate verdict: accolades undeserved, until someone explains otherwise.

Of Montreal, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (listened to 8 of 12 tracks)
Of Montreal has a discography I've yet to truly navigate; I have an early, lo-fi album (Cherry Peel) and a later album (Satanic Panic in the Attic). But whenever I check their bin at the record store I see many other albums and I have no clue as to their chronology nor their quality. All I really know is that Satanic Panic is brilliant. Hissing Fauna... is pretty good. There's nothing bad about it but I can't find a toehold. Ultimately that has to count against the album, doesn't it? For a band that is so aggressively pop, I'm just not getting hooked. Then again I've only heard half the album. Does it work better as a whole? Do some songs need to work in context?

Ultimate verdict: undecided. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Okkervil River, The Stage Names (listened to 6 of 9 tracks)
I have many Okkervil River songs on my iTunes, though no complete albums. I sense that that is where I go wrong with these guys. I find that I either really like or am really ambivalent to their songs. That's why I never did purchase Black Sheep Boy (despite "All the Latest Toughs") and why I've yet to buy The Stage Names (despite "Unless It's Kicks"). I have the strong suspicion that the majority of their songs are the ones I'm ambivalent to. There's something very mid/late-90s Drag City about Okkervil River, calling to mind also-rans like Appendix Out or Lullabye for the Working Class (remember them?). Those bands were (rightfully) regarded as second rate compared to Smog, Palace, Silver Jews, etc. I've yet to feel with confidence that Okkervil River transcends.

Ultimate verdict: undecided. Willing to be convinced.

Panda Bear, Person Pitch (listened to 4 of 8 tracks)
See above about Animal Collective, as all my reservations can be repeated here. I've had this album's virtues shoved down my throat by nearly every blog I read, which of course makes me rebel. Ultimately, however, I can't deny this album: it is unique and sophisticated and ambitious. But please, please, please, let's not mention Brian Wilson. Panda Bear is not fucking influenced by Brian Wilson, not in any substantial way (unless it's evident on the songs I haven't heard). Just because there are multiple vocal parts on "Comfy in Nautica" and "Bros" does not mean we've got the second coming of "God Only Knows." In terms of both melody and harmony, it's an insult to Wilson to put Panda Bear in the same room. PB has plenty of other virtues as a songwriter, but few if any which correlate to the Beach Boys. That I've heard, at least.

Ultimate verdict: accolades deserved, if misguided.

The Shins, Wincing the Night Away (purchased/listened to the entire album)
Like Neon Bible, I'm surprised to see this album popping up on lists (though thankfully, at least, not at the top of anyone's list). It's a pretty good album, sure, but it lacks real ambition. The band made a few minor adjustments to their approach on a couple songs in an attempt at setting Wincing apart from their previous work, but none were terribly refreshing or successful. Unlike Neon Bible, however, Wincing redeems itself the further away it gets from critical ears. I like most the songs when they show up on my iPod. I don't skip them, and I even sing along. But that compliment hardly qualifies Wincing for best-of-the-year status.

Ultimate verdict: accolades undeserved. A good album but not a great album.

Vampire Weekend (listened to 7 tracks)
Allergic to most blog hype, I ignored VW (along with Black Kids, et al.) when they came up earlier in the year. Listening to them now, without attaching any sort of Next Big Thing expectations, I actually like this a lot. There's nothing really groundbreaking here—it's just indie pop with a refreshing sound (example: "Oxford Comma"). Actually, that's how I would have described the Shins a few years ago!

Ultimate verdict: accolades deserved.

White Stripes, Icky Thump (purchased/listened to the entire album)
This album is a turd.

Ultimate verdict: accolades undeserved! Do not trust any list with this album anywhere on it—top ten, top hundred, whatever. If it's on someone's list then they didn't listen to enough music this year.

Wilco, Sky Blue Sky (listened to 8 of 12 tracks)
I consider myself a fan of Wilco, yet when mp3s started surfacing for Sky Blue Sky I was underwhelmed. "Impossible Germany" was wanky and a little boring. And I could've sworn my reaction was mirrored by many tepid reviews upon the album's release. Yet when it started showing up again and again on best-of lists, I gave it another chance and sampled more tracks. It's certainly growing in my estimation, thanks to songs like "Either Way" and "What Light." It's straight-down-the-middle mild country-rock, but it grows.

Ultimate verdict: accolades deserved, though I'm not convinced it should be placing quite as high on everyone's lists as it is.

Have I left anything out (other than MIA, who I just can't get excited about, sorry)? What was your favorite album of the year? What am I wrong about above? (I'm willing to be corrected if you've got a convincing argument.)

My Listening Hours: Looking Forward

The last few posts (here, here, here) have been concerned with January–March, but there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months—just have a look at this list. Here are some thoughts on a few of them.

Blonde Redhead: 23 (4/10)
I’ve managed to own every Blonde Redhead album ever produced, while at the same time not really caring about them since Fake Can Be Just as Good. How that has happened, I’m not sure. That’s not to say I haven’t liked the albums that have come after them. If nothing else the band has grown into their own sound over the years and have remained interesting—so sue me if I liked them better when they were a cross between Sonic Youth and Unwound! Did I hear right that one of the brothers is no longer in the band? I remain curious.

Feist: The Reminder (5/1)
Of everything on the horizon, my hopes are highest for this album. My wife and I bought Let it Die while we were on vacation in Paris in 2004 and it has been on steady rotation in our house ever since. That album had its share of songs that crossed way over the line into Adult Contemporary, which has never really sat well with me. But Feist has redeemed herself on those counts for two reasons: first, she said in print that she sort of cobbled together this album, including a few “cheeky” moments, and she had no intention of or idea that it would blow up the way it did. Supposedly the new stuff is more like the good parts of Let it Die (you know which parts those are); second, in her not-to-be-missed fantastic wonderful live shows, she those same awful songs are the highlight of the concerts thanks to the way she reworked them. I have tremendous respect for her songwriting abilities so she better not let me down. Or else!

Bjork: Volta (5/8)
Talk about tremendous respect for songwriting ability. There’s no one that applies to more than Bjork. I wasn’t too fond of her last, Medulla, from the standpoint of wanting an enjoyable listening experience. But I have great respect and appreciation for what she set out to do. And the new one includes collaborations with Timbaland and Lightning Bolt? I wish it was all on the same song.

Mice Parade: s/t (5/8)
Elliott Smith: New Moon (2xCD rarities) (5/8)
Sea & Cake: Everybody (5/8)
Tarwater: Spider Smile (5/8)
Remind me on May 8th to great drunk and wax nostalgic for my senior year of college. If you’re wondering what I was listening to in 1999, this is a pretty good summary. I don’t know if I’ll actually purchase any of these records when they come out, but I will be paying attention to how they’re received and will check the mp3s as they come. If any of them represent a drastic creative resurgence, you’ll see me at Amoeba plunking down some bills.

Keren Ann: s/t (5/8)
I enjoyed most of Nolita, though it got a little somnambulant after a while. Has she grown?

Rufus Wainwright: Release the Stars (5/15)
Some time after Poses came out I had decided that I probably didn’t really need much more Rufus in my life. He does sort of sing the same melody all the time. In a state of supreme ambivalence I listened to Want One in a Virgin Megastore while waiting to meet up with my wife—and I had a conniption right then and there because “Oh What a World” was so wonderful. The whole of Want One, for me, still stands has Wainwright’s creative peak. Want Two, its companion, is his depth. There are some good songs there but that album just did not take. So I find myself back where I was in 2004, ambivalent. Will he surprise me again?

Battles: Mirrored (5/15)
I left the overly complicated mathy shit behind a long time ago, but Battles somehow strikes the right chord. I haven’t liked everything by then—sometimes it’s too techy for me—but their new song and video are great, so I’m getting stoked on this one.

Dungen: Tio Bitar (5/15)
Ta det Lugnt, surprise to me, really got a hold of me. In terms of my own reaction to them (not necessarily their own ability), it might have been a lightning-in-a-bottle moment, but I’ll be curious to hear this.

Wilco: Sky Blue Sky (5/15)
Word is Wilco has retreated from the more abstract direction they were headed on Ghost is Born. I have mixed feelings about that. Ghost is Born really didn’t sit well with me when it first came out but after seeing them on Austin City Limits I went back to it and it really started to grow on me (though it’s still not my favorite). Nels Cline’s guitarwork is just stupendous. But on the other hand they are apparently going back to a more rootsy sound, something closer to their first couple records. Summerteeth remains my favorite Wilco album, so if they could get in that vicinity again I sure wouldn’t complain.

Interpol: tba (6/5)
These guys are going to have to get really interesting for me to give two shits.

Shellac: Excellent Italian Greyhound (6/5)
I’m not a rabid Shellac fan—in fact I think I’ve never heard 1,000 Hurts—but I have a soft spot for At Action Park and the early 7”s, plus I used to really get off on the ten-minute opener to Terraform (but not so much the rest of the album—I was like the Bizarro Shellac Fan that year). I went through a phase from about ’98–’05 where loud records just didn’t do much for me. I’m out of that phase now, so perhaps I should return to Shellac.

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (7/10)
These guys deliver every time. I’m looking forward to this the same way I’m looking forward to the next Spider-Man movie: I know what to expect, and I expect to enjoy it.

Tegan & Sara: The Con (7/24)
Who ever would have thought I’d be looking forward to a couple lesbians and an acoustic guitar? Yet here I am. I absolutely loathe everything I’ve heard by T&S that came before 2006’s So Jealous. But that album, even with all its whiny self-esteem issues, is inescapably tuneful.

New Pornographers: Challengers (late August)
“It is maybe slightly more epic,” says Carl Newman. I was late to the NP train and am currently in mad love with all three of their albums simultaneously. I’m in a sort of blind-love mode where I think that as long as it’s a new New Pornographers album, I’m going to think it’s brilliant. You’ll likely have to take everything I say with a grain of salt.