I could do this in the style of All Songs Considered...
Biggest Surprise
(take 1)
Elephant Six Related Bands Get Sort of Really Popular on Really Pretty Great Albums
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
(take 2)
I end up liking more female vocal products this year than in previous years:
Lavender Diamond - Imagine our Love
Meg Baird - Dear Companion
St. Vincent - Marry Me
Marissa Nadler - Songs 3: Bird on the Water
and yes,
Feist - The Reminder
Biggest Letdown
The New Pornographers - Challengers
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Their big arena rock show kind of encapsulated how I feel about the White Stripes right now. The recordings seem to be about providing more material for the shows rather than leaving a really great statement. At the show I enjoyed the old stuff and then the new stuff and then I found myself wanting to go for a walk while the new stuff kept coming.Most Innovative
Grizzly Bear - He Hit Me
Creepiest song of the year, for sure.Best New Band
Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse
They were good when we saw them open for Mountain Goats, too.Best Album of Bob Dylan covers that almost everyone likes
I'm not there
A few more things...
If I was just making a "best of list", these would probably be in there too:
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Bill Callahan - Woke on a Whaleheart
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Best Album by a Band that Doesn't Really Sound Like Anyone Else but Still sounds like the Same Band but in a Non-stagnant, Impressive Way
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Album that converted me from "not impressed"
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Album that I didn't understand why it was getting deluxe reissued until I actually listened to it
Shearwater Palo Santo (rerelease)
Album I Wasn't All That Into at first But is Actually Quite Enjoyable to Listen To
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
It's a really a shame that Wilco shows are kind of impossible to get tickets to nowadays.I wish I liked these more quickly than I am liking them:
Times New Viking
No Age
I bet these bands are really fun live. I just haven't spent the time really getting through to the songs that seem to be in the recordings somewhere.Albums by bands that I have liked at one time or another that just haven't compelled much listening this year:
Antibalas - Security
Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
The Ponys - Turn the Lights Out
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living with the Living
Vic Chesnutt - North Star Deserter
Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
This list is of stuff that is currently "underwhelming", not as disappointing as the "letdowns" but not what I'd hoped for. Although I tend to hold out hope that if I give a few more listens, I'll enjoy them more.Xmas gift that I'm looking forward to listening to
the Robyn Hitchcock Box set
Irritating and Probably Dumb Record Label Maneuvers
Drag City and Anti taking their stuff down from emusic.
FYI, record labels for things I'm curious about but not sure about, I'm probably going to wait and buy it used rather than new or itunes, if it's not on emusic.Fun and Smart Use of a Music Website
Stereogum's Cover Projects - tribute albums to OK Computer and Automatic for the People
And the price was right for these tribute albums--free. Probably what the going rate for tribute albums should be.As for the past year's shows seen,
Most enjoyable
Yo La Tengo's Freewheeling Show
Seen It Before But Still Surprisingly Fun
The Hold Steady and Art Brut (alone or together)
Other shows that I remember as being especially good
Mountain Goats
Okkervil River
You have to go see this band to see how dedicated their fans are
Drive-By Truckers
Most surprisingly amazing show
Shearwater at Pace University
yes, it sounds strange to me, too.Good free shows in parks
Sloan
Apples in Stereo
Spoon
Hopefully next year's free shows are as good.Shows that made me enjoy seated venues
M. Ward
Feist
