And this guy is my first download. Jens Lekman has a great Jonathan Richman vibe going on. I’ve already downloaded the single for his upcoming album “Friday Nights at the Drive-In Bingo.”
This video is “You are the Light.” It’s quirky and fun. Greg Brooks will probably hate it but he can just break out his Operation: Mindcrime album and tune out 
Aug 29
I found this guy last month on emusic. The voice is rough, which I like. But the lyrics are stout. Check out Alistair Moock. This is from his new album, Fortune Street:
God Saw Fit To Make Tears – Alastair Moock
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Everybody is living just this side of the drain
You’re either parched in the desert or you’re drowned in the rain
You ride the rails for a while you keep your hands close to your sides
But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry
Your mother will love you whatever you do
And that’s worth what it costs you ’cause she’s one of the few
You look around for a lifeline you turn your head up to the sky
But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry
Pride hangs around on the corners showing its legs to the crowd
And wisdom’s hailing a taxi trying to get out of this town
Mercy’s begging for spare change as the rest of us keep walking by
But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry
This life is a quilt of trouble but it’s all that you own
And it’s better than none when you’re cold and alone
Everybody’s a soldier everybody’s a rock
Everybody is living with whatever they got
You close the gates to wherever you’ve been you try to leave tomorrows behind
But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry
Since we have passed the midway mark of this year I thought it an apropos time to look back at the best the music world has had to offer through June.
Understand that this list is not static and is likely to change considerably as the year progresses. At this point last year, The Dixie Chicks held my spot for best album. By the end of the year they had fallen to number 9.
Because I’m a YouTube junkie, I’ll give you pertinent videos as well.
10. The Twilight Sad–Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters: These Scottish rockers create an aural masterpiece that harkens back to the Wall of Sound era. These songs are in no way upbeat but they possess a beauty that is able to contain but somber and melancholy lyrics alongside a near symphonic sound. The Scottish brogue may be off-putting for some but, to me, it stands up well as a bridge between the downcast and the upbeat.
Here is a link to an MP3 of the opening track Cold Days From The Birdhouse.
9. Storyhill–Storyhill: This singer-songwriter duo from Montana are all about majestic harmonies and simple tunes. They have the bearing, lyricism and soaring melodies that hints of a modern day Simon and Garfunkel. This is a song they wrote for one of their weddings. It’s called “Highlight” and is my favorite cut on the album:
8. Susan Werner–The Gospel Truth: Werner calls this an “agnostic gospel” album. But what you will find is an album of great faith. This is one of a small influx of more progressive Christian recordings a la Derek Webb that is slowly coming into its own. From the hilarious “Our Father” to the foot-stomping inclusion anthem that is “I Will Have My Portion” Werner continues to demonstrate that she is a tremendous lyricist and a voice that needs to be heard. Here is “I Will Have My Portion”
7. Sinead O’Connor–Theology: If you had told me that I would ever include an O’Connor album in my “best of” anything, I would have laughed at you. But this two-disc set is a revelation and further evidence of the gathering storm of an alternative to CCM. Broken into two different sessions, The Dublin recordings are stark and introspective. The London recordings are largely the same tunes with a full band backing. The difference is between prayer and celebration. Meditation and praise. And her voice beautifully centers the entire project. Here is Something Beautiful:
6. Bright Eyes–Cassadega: Yeah, Conor Oberst is cocky and smug. But he makes a great album. It opts for more cryptic and less heavy-handed political ruminations than some of their previous outings. And that makes for a more enjoyable, diverse collection of tunes. Here is the great “Four Winds”
5. Patty Griffin–Children Running Through: If you have never heard Patty Griffin then you are missing out on one of the great unsung voices in music today. She is an accomplished lyricist, tremendous guitarist. And that voice! Oh, that voice. She can shift from one musical genre to another without breaking a sweat. And this may be her best album yet. Interesting tidbit: when Kelly Clarkson performed on the Idol Gives Back show she chose the Martin Luther King tribute “Up The Mountain” from this album. Here is “No Bad News”
4. Brandi Carlile–The Story: The problem here is how to adequately describe the power and dramatic flair that comes through in Carlile’s vocal. It would be a grave disservice to merely dismiss her as another angst-y female vocalist. She has a range that can transform a song from a maudlin ballad to a roots rocker in one beat. You may remember this song if you watch Grey’s Anatomy. “The Story”
3. Mavis Staples–We’ll Never Turn Back: I’ve had a difficult time not listening to this disc over the last two weeks. Take the greatest songs from the Civil Rights Era, sung by one of the greatest living voices of the Blues and update it for a contemporary audience with the guitar licks of a living legend and you get this collection. Check out this scorching version of “99 & 1/2.” “My God is a freedom God”
2. The Avett Brothers–Emotionalism: If the Beatles did bluegrass it might sound like this. Any other year and this would be my #1 album. Stellar harmonies, clever lyrics, multiple styles converging to produce a pop confection are reasons enough to put this at the top of any list. Here is my favorite track, “Shame”
1. Michael McDermott–Noise From Words: At this point I don’t know what more I can say. It’s not hyperbole to say that this is greatest songwriter of my generation. And this is his best outing since his 1996 self-titled album. It is a crime of the highest order that he is not a house hold name. No song-writer has ever touched me lyrically like Michael has. If you buy any album this year, get this one. Here is the debut video, “Mess of Things”
Honorable Mentions
Todd Snider–Peace, Love and Anarchy
Mary Chapin Carpenter–The Calling
Bon Jovi–Lost Highway
Kelly Clarkson–My December (Note: I love Kelly Clarkson and I really want to love this album. So far, I just can’t.)
Maria McKee–Late December
Lucy Kaplansky–Over The Hills
Of Montreal–Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Son Volt–The Search?
What has been your favorite of the year?
Jun 29
On Tuesday I will unveil my top 10 albums of 2007 (so far). On that list will be what is probably the most transcendent album of the year: Mavis Staples’ “We’ll Never Turn Back.”
It is a rocking, rollicking and yet heartfelt compendium of some of the most enduring songs to emerge from the Civil Rights Movement. With Ry Cooder’s guitar licks and production it brings the heart and emotion of those songs into the present age.
Watch this video of Mavis pounding out the classic song “Eyes On The Prize”
Here she is performing the same song on Leno where you can see Cooder performing along with her:
Get this album!
My reading slowed down drastically during the final half of my vacation but I still got a few books in. Here are my thoughts for each of those:
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides–This epic story of genetic abnormalities, regret and consequences is a staggering read. You will be swept up in a story that spans 80+ years and deals with the repercussions of actions that ripple throughout time. This book will hook you from the first sentence. Grade: A
No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy–I have never been a McCarthy fan. I tried several years ago to read All The Pretty Horses and failed to connect with it. Then I read The Road, which turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2006. This is not at that level but still a good read. It’s vintage McCarthy in that it is not dependent on a happy or fulfilling outcome. Grade: B
Everyman by Phillip Roth–I know that people loved this book but I found myself struggling to finish the audio book. Thankfully it was only four hours long. Maybe I don’t get Roth. Maybe I need to be about 30 years older to appreciate this tale of a man recounting his life via his medical procedures. At any rate, I found it to be a somber and melancholy tale that never really managed to gain traction with me. Grade: C
While I Was Gone by Sue Miller–I wanted to like this book a whole more than I did. The premise was strong but there was something about the main character that I found maddingly frustrating. It was uneven throughout with flashes of brilliant writing only to be offset by an inexplicable turn. Grade: C+
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards–I would highly recommend this book alongside Middlesex as another tremendous tale of decisions and consequences. This is one of those rare books that you will find hard to put down. The conclusion was a little unsatisfying for me but all in all it was one of my favorites of the bunch. Grade: B+
I tried to listen to The Memory of Running but grew bored with it and quit. I also attempted A Thousand Splendid Suns but found myself unable to follow the accent and the fast pace in a car with three kids. I’ll wait for the hard copy.
I haven’t seen many movies lately but one I recommend: Who Killed The Electric Car?
My June eMusic Downloads are:
The Revolution Starts…Now by Steve Earle–One of the best Alt-Country protest voices out there. I had this when I was on Rhapsody. I finally added it permanently.
A.J. Swearingen–I don’t know who this cat is, but he’s good.
In the Aeroplane, Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel–Classic album recommended to my by Jonathan.
Theology by Sinead O’Connor–I downloaded just the acoustic Dublin sessions. I plan to add the other disk next month. I’ve never been an O’Connor fan but this is a beautiful and prayerful set of songs.
Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters by The Twilight Sad–Scottish rockers. Could make my year end list.
We’ll Never Turn Back by Mavis Staples–Wow! Wow and Wow! This is a stellar collection of songs from the Civil Rights era by one of soul’s enduring voices. I don’t typically like music in this genre but this will most definitely make my year end list.
Discover: Songs of Father by Various–A collection of praise songs by various Christian artists.
Hello Starling by Josh Ritter–Don’t know why I’ve never downloaded this. One of the best singer-songwriters out there today.
What are you reading and listening to?
May 22
For those of you who are interested in such things, here are the albums I chose to download this month with my Emusic package. Now I have to wait two more weeks, aargh.
Camera Obscura–Let’s Get Out of This Country
Melissa McClelland–Thumbelina’s One Night Stand (I’ve had her excellent ’04 debut for several months and finally decided to pull the trigger on her latest. I hadn’t downloaded it previously because I was unable to stream up. But it did not disappoint.)
Lloyd Cole–Anti Depressant and The Negatives–(For the Matthew Sweet fan in each of us.)
Warren Zevon–The Wind (I don’t know why I’ve never downloaded this before. It is as absolutely heartbreaking as a farewell disc is meant to be.)
Maria McKee–Late December (The former Lone Justice singer continues to churn out top-rank albums. But this is her most daring and adventurous yet. It was just released last month and deserves a close listen)
Arcade Fire–Neon Bible (I’m still not quite sure what all the fuss is, but this album is growing on me)
Of Montreal–Icons, Abstract Thee (I didn’t have enough tracks left to download their most recent full length so I thought I would give this EP a spin. Tremendous.)
Belle and Sebastian–Sing Jonathan David (3 tracks left? Nothing beats one of the B&S EP’s I don’t have yet.)
That leaves new releases by The Twilight Sad and Of Montreal at the top of my list for next month. I’m sure I will add to my Camera Obscura collection and tack on Neutral Milk Hotel as well.
I love eMusic.
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