Songs (in no real order)
1. Drive By Truckers–“Decoration Day” (Decoration Day). A story as old as human history, told well.
2. Keep the Dog–“Domaine de Langardreer” (That House We Lived In). Another all time favorite. Beg borrow or steal to find this on CD, because you can’t really hear the bass that carries the Satie-esque melody here. Shame.
3. Sun Kil Moon–“Carry Me, Ohio” (Ghosts of the Great Highway). Live.
4. King Crimson–“Level Five” (The Power to Believe). The best band in the world in 1969 is still at it in 2003. Well, ok, only Fripp remains, but this cut approaches the power, if not the surprise, of the very first incarnation of the band referenced in last month’s theme. The rest of this album, maybe not so much, but this leaves a lot (everything) to live up to.
5. Richard Thompson–“A Love You Can’t Survive” (The Old Kit Bag). Another artist who appeared on my 1969 list. The album is pretty good too.
6. The Books–“The Lemon of Pink” (The Lemon of Pink). Tim must have turned me on to this when he listed it in the “B”s theme. Still haven’t picked up or digested the entire album, but really love this track.
7. Dave Douglas–“November” (Freak In).
8. The Microphones–“Solar System” (Mount Erie). Off the amazing Mount Erie album which I haven’t yet fully digested.
9. Sufjan Stevens–“Vito’s Ordination Day” (Michigan).
10. Robert Wyatt–“Forest” (Cuckooland). Really good early Floyd track, but not.
Albums
The top five here (and maybe deeper) are all 5 star efforts in my book and stand with anything from any other year.
1. Drive By Truckers–Decoration Day. Three terrific songwriters at the tops of their games: “Outfit” (Isbell), “Heathens” (Hood), “Your Daddy Hates Me” (Hood), “Deeper In” (Hood), “Loaded Gun in the Closet” (Cooley).
2. Tim Berne–The Sublime And. (Science Friction Live). I’m not sure anything gives me as great a thrill as hearing “Mrs. Subliminal/Clownfinger”. John and Tim, if you can find it, try at least the first few minutes, especially around 4:00-7:00ish if I recall correctly. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I once forced Brent to buy a Berne album for a few bucks at a used record store in Milwaukee. I don’t think he regrets it.
3. Vandermark Five–Airports for Light.
4. Songs: Ohia: Magnolia Electric Company.
5. Radiohead–Hail to the Thief. Head from the radio, brains by the boulder, of this thief’s great hall. I really don’t like writing about music, and can’t do it well. What’s to say, this is really fricking good.
6. Eyvind Kang–Virginal Coordinates
7. Califone–Quicksand:Cradlesnakes (Brent lists most of my favorites, which I know from a great mix cd he made me back in the day, especially Vampire, but would also have to mention “Michigan Girls“)
8. Gillian Welch–Soul Journey. First half of this record approaches her greatest material. The rest is not quite at that level, but still worthy: “Make Me Down a Pallet on Your Floor“, “Lowlands“, “Look at Miss Ohio“.
9. Tindersticks–Waiting for the Moon. Surprisingly strong, later career effort. Actually maybe it isn’t late career; I guess I started to lose interest around this time, perhaps wrongly. “Waiting for the Moon“, “Say Goodbye to the City“, “4:48 Psychosis“.
10. Robert Wyatt–Cuckooland.”Lullaby for Hamza“, “Old Europe“, “Beware“.
11. Slaughter Rule soundtrack–This is among my favorite mostly song mix soundtracks of all time, something I avoided for our soundtracks theme. Many of the greats in americana/alternative country offer songs that flow together perfectly with Jay Farrar’s understated but lovely instrumentals. I should see the movie.
Music Corner w/ Archive 