How many pervs caught the Jenna Haze cameo?

songRadiohead or Andrew Bird?

Santa delivered Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion to the internets today. It’s the most accessible album they’ve ever put out so if these freaks have scared you off before, if you somehow didn’t pick up on Animal Collective being the spirit of Brian Wilson, you may want to give this album a listen.

Is it too early to award “Summertime Clothes” Best Song of 2009? Shit. Or is it “Guys Eyes”? Or “Brothersport”? Or “In The Flowers”? This album is too overwhelming at the moment. I can’t decide.

(I do realize Brian Wilson isn’t dead)

Things have been pretty hectic, and like Jar Jar said this season is better spent away from a stupid keyboard.

Last weekend I saw some people save Christmas… mostly The Hard Lessons, Dutch Pink, and Dan Kroha. The Nice Device killed it to which caused me to try to think if they had ever been involved in Sounds & Spirits before. The answer was “I’m drunk.”

I also went to Stirling’s Birthday Air Guitar Extravaganza. Lightning Love and The Skies Above turned in pretty great sets. Bobby Emmett played a set at that end of the night with his new band called This Singer Needs To Button Up His Shirt And Work On His Chops Before Acting This Cocky or TSNTBUHSAWOHCBATC. They were a’ight, I guess.

I’ve been putting in some ridiculous hours as of late, but if you’re not into that sort of thing perhaps mall Santa isn’t the job for you. I find it oddly rewarding, though.

Here are three tracks that all come from my Top Whatever of 2008 list. Wait, how about 4 tracks.  One holiday bonus because I love you.

Throw Me The Statue - Yucatan Gold
Throw Me The Statue - Yucatan Gold

Boston Spaceships - You Satisfy Me
Boston Spaceships - You Satisfy Me

Operator Please - Just A Song About Ping Pong
Operator Please - Just A Song About Ping Pong

Augie 2 Dope & Violent K - Chirstmas Is Cold (In The D)
Augie 2 Dope & Violent K - Christmas Is Cold (In The D)

This is my last work day and then I’m on festivus until after the new year.  I can’t speak for that other guy, but my blogging frequency will suffer accordingly as I get reacclimated to Real Life away from this desk, this computer, this awful awful coffee. Don’t expect much coverage unless something amazing happens…like Deastro gets discussed on 89X or a black guy gets elected president. The rest of the internet already seems to have shut down, which is good because I can’t handle seeing any more Top 10 lists that include Vampire Weekend.

If you’re just fucking sitting there waiting for the day to end, the greatest Christmas Movie Ever is on YouTube in its entirety (in 10 parts).

Did the host of this show really describe Electric Six as “super amazing times twelve”? It’s good to know if this blogging thing falls through, I can take my limited vocabulary and obnoxious laugh over to Fox News.

This is from last Friday’s episode of Red Eye.

The RIAA has never won a lawsuit against alleged filesharers and, to make matters worse (better), a number of the accused successfully counter-sued for things like fraud and deceptive business practices. Someone even tried to use “anti-gangster” laws to counter-sue. Every attempt to legally bring the accused uploaders to justice backfired, and the RIAA became even more of a laughingstock than they were to begin with.

On Friday, the RIAA announced they would no longer be suing individuals. Instead, they’re going to monitor your internet activity and let your Internet Service Provider know whether or not your activities are alright with them.  So they can’t bust you legally, but they can bully your ISP into shutting your internet off. Granted, they haven’t disclosed their entire plan, but I don’t see how this is going to be a success either — even despite the obvious privacy issues.

What happens when I claim this wireless router technology completely baffles me? “I can’t be certain, Mr. ISP Man, but I’m pretty sure my neighbors are using my hands-free internet signal and they’ve always got the latest music and television and movies (the MPAA will also be joining in on this). Especially Sasha Grey movies. They love her. Oh, and can you help me with this ‘Windows Firewall Is Currently Off, Your Computer Is At Risk’ warning message? I can’t seem to make it go away.”

That works, by the way. Twice so far.

So tonight’s the annual LOUD LOUD WHAT? THOM MCANN WHAT? Sounds and Spirits debacle at the Stick. On the down side, it’s mass chaos every year. On the plus side, it’s mass chaos every year. You know what to expect by now and, let’s be honest with each other, you’re only going in hopes of running into my mistletoe belt buckle. Get it? That means you have to kiss my xmaspenis.
There are a couple other decent shows going on elsewhere tonight, so if you’re not into tradition check those out — but if you ask me, you’ll be a traitor to millions of years of Detroit musical history by planning an event the same weekend as Blowout.

Saturday night is a tough one. The hands-down, no-contest set of the night is the Back In Spades reunion. The chance to hear “Detroit Slums” performed live again…fuck, yeah.  The problem with that set is that it’s at Small’s, and that holocaust chamber is only tolerable when less than fifty people are there. I imagine this will be a packed house and I imagine everyone will have emphysema by the time the second band takes the stage. So, I dunno. I may hold out for The Fletcher Pratt / Back In Spades / Fifth Period Fever / Ghost City bill. Hell, that should be our third Detroit Unplugged show.
If you’re skipping this one, there are strong bills at Lager, Northern Lights, Belmont and…Trowbridge House of Coffee? Like, a real coffee house? Are you shitting me? I’m glad Hamtramck has their eight hundredth music venue and all that, but I think it’s in everyone’s best interest not to book Deastro at the Caffeine Palace. He’ll have four new side-projects with free MySpace EPs coming next week, mark my words.

Wherever you go this weekend, drive safely. I’ll leave you with some footage from last year’s Sounds and Spirits show:

Tomorrow.  Sounds & Spirits?

For the first time that I can think of, I was actually considering another event on the night of the Holiday Sounds & Spirits show.  The Crofoot is putting on some electro-dance shopping Nintendo dance party, and I kicked around the idea of skipping Sounds & Spirits in favor of attending it.

Of course, tomorrow I will be with the rest of you at The Magic Stick.  Just like always.  But why?  I was trying to think of the last performance at a Sounds & Spirits that wowed me…  That one time that Thunderbirds Are Now! played that U2 song?  The time Mick Collins played with that other band that had a cool name, and he wore a Red Wings jersey and a santa hat?  I remember that being pretty cool.  The Muldoons have always delivered, too.  Who was that crazy death metal band with that Mas! dude last year?  Was that Sleigher?  What about this year?

I’m not denying that the lineup is strong.  Would I have gone a different route?  Probably.  I just like to see something done “outside of the box” that still shows some new effort was put in.  15$ to a good cause is fine.  I’m all for it, and I think it’s great that bands donate their time to charity.  Still, “for charity” doesn’t mean you get to dust off some song from a few years ago and trot it back out and think you did your part.  You do not.  I didn’t donate 15$ to hear Ryan Allen sing Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Also, if Windy Weber reads that poem again, I’m leaving.  I think she did the same thing three years in a row.  That, or she did it once and it just felt like it took three years to get through it.  Maybe it’s always a different poem.  I don’t know.  Regardless, enough is enough.

Upon reviewing the lineup I’ll go ahead and put my $15 on The Barettes and Dan Kroha delivering the goods.  The Suburban Sprawl crew have the luxury of already having written a Holiday tune, and they will show us all how they play it.  I already heard those songs, though.  For $0.  New. Exciting. Outside of the box.  Why yes, yes I am a needy bitch.

So. Here they are. The 2008 “Best Of” lists that I asked a few people to help out with. I figure that going over the shorter lists of many people should make things more interesting than me just talking about me like I always do. Please admit though, that me talking about me is pretty great, too. This is a little late which is a little bit my fault, and a little bit the fault of people needing a few extra days to make sure their lists were just right. Top whatevers of 2008. Here you go.

B E N / B L A C K W E L L

Dirtbombs / Science Farm / Cass Records. A pretty interesting guy and you might hate him. Once he stayed in on a Saturday and I called him boring. Then he asked me how many countries I’d been to in the last six months. Then I shut the fuck up.

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2008

“I’ve got a list of “disappointments” but you’ll have to pay to see that one…”

1. The Dutchess and the Duke “She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke”

I love the way this record makes me feel vulnerable. I love that it was done on a lark, by two musicians in Seattle’s nascent punk/garage scene who really have no connection to acoustic folk. I love this particular string of lyrics, the best I’d heard all year…

Ain’t you sick of hearing ‘things are gonna work out’?
Ain’t you sick of hearing ‘things are gonna be alright’?
Will somebody lie?
Everybody talks a lot of pretty stories
but when they talk you know they don’t even look you in the eye

I love that I cannot stop playing this record. I love that the only records I feel I can pull-up to refer to D+D are Simon and Garfunkel and mid-sixties drumless Rolling Stones songs. I love everything about this album.

2. Terrible Twos s/t

The Terrible Twos singles were all decent, but none of them ever really blew me away. So for every cut on this album to be as blistering, caustic, skittish and ferocious as it is, well, I feel like they should be sent as Detroit’s delegates to the next International Punk Congress. They’ve clearly surpassed the best work of the Piranhas (a major influence on the Twos) and show no sign of slowing. Damn.

3. The Raconteurs “Consolers of the Lonely”

This album proved to me that it’s still possible to completely love a big rock and roll record made in a fancy studio with horns, fiddles and all the requisite lavish accoutrements. I’d just as soon figured that I hate anything in this style, but it’s just that no one else does it right. Gra ndiose in all the best ways.

4. Vampire Weekend s/t

In complete disclosure, had this record not been released so long ago (was it January? February?) it would easily be my album of the year, as I’ve probably listened to no other disc as much from front to back. Reading them talk about descriptivism vs. prescriptivism in regards to linguistics and Ezra Koening’s musings about people of his generation having the benefit of drawing from all different world cultures in hopes of establishing traditions of their own, regardless of where they’re from…well, this band just makes me feel smarter. Conversational questioning lyrics like “Why would you lie about something dumb like that?” or “How am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?” They also deserve more praise for all the tracks being self-produced. It all reminds me of my effete, East Coast, liberal, Ivy League upbringing that I never had.

5. The Walkmen “You and Me”

I don’t think these guys can re lease an album that I don’t adore. This one feels more morose than anything they’ve done since Everyone Who Pretended… and it’s a welcome revisiting. The swagger of the guitar on “Canadian Girl” makes me smile every time. The consistency of this band is frighteningly good and how come no one else seems to acknowledge it?

6. Modey Lemon “Season of Sweets”/”The Birth of Jazz”

Is everyone asleep as to how much these guys completely kill it? No one else in the world as accurately can summon the spirit of the Who and Liars at once, that is, equal parts behemoth stadium rock riffs coupled with blindingly wild art punk weirdness…and drums that just bring the shit storm. “Rainbow Beard” off the self-released “Birth of Jazz” EP is my song of the year.

7. The Night Marchers “See You in Magic”

Quite possibly won over by the riff to “In Dead Sleep (I Snore ZZZZ)” and that alone. Having never caught any Rocket From the Cry pt or Hot Snakes records upon release, this new John Reis outfit is as impressive as anything any of his other bands ever did. Not a dull moment on here.

8. Kelley Stoltz “Circular Sounds”

Another masterpiece from the master.

9. The Breeders “Mountain Battles”

Kim Deal has never made a false step in any of the projects she’s helmed and this is yet another historic entry into the Breeders’ canon. You either get it or I just feel sorry for you.

10. Human Eye “Fragments of the Universe Nurse”

If ever a record suffered from a vinyl-only release, this was it. My inability to somehow digitize a copy cut my possible listens by 70% easy. Nevertheless, Tim Lampinen is this town’s punk laureate as far as I’m concerned and the fact they turned down an offer to open a Dirtbombs US tour only impresses me more.

D A N / G I L L I E S

I’m pretty sure this guy is metal. Bass for Chapstik and Novadriver. His list includes the words “night”, “black”, “sword”, and “gutter”. Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s metal.

TOP 10 RECORDS

The Night Marchers
See You In Magic

The Black Keys
Attack & Release

Torche
Meanderthal

Nomo
Ghost Rock

The Mars Volta
The Bedlam in Goliath

The Gutter Twins
Saturnalia

Melvins
Nude with Boots

The Sword
Gods of the Earth

My Morning Jacket
Evil Urges

Harvey Milk
Life… The Best Game in Town (Anthology)

Note: two of my favorite records of the year were Dillinger Escape Plan - “Ire Works” and Baroness - “Red Album.” But, since they both came out in ‘07… well, I guess I can’t include them.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Constantines
Kensington Heights

Flying Lotus
Los Angeles

Indian Jewelry
Free Gold!

Raconteurs
Consolers of the Lonely

When I listed this album as a disappointment halfway through the year, it was not a lie. However, several of the songs have truly grown on me. My only disappointment, is that the album could have probably cut about five songs for a more pleasurable “full-album” listening experience.

FUCK YOU:

Gnarls Barkley’s Odd Couple,
Destroyer
Vampire Weekend
and everything else JRC and Jasper liked.

G O R I L L A

Best. Comments. Ever.

TOP 5 REVIEWS OF CHINESE DEMOCRACY

The fourteen-year-old me would stare at me with disbelief, shake his head and ask, “what the hell happened to you old man?”

The point is, I haven’t bothered to listen to Chinese Democracy… yet. Sure I heard songs that were leaked on the internet over the past couple of years - but I just haven’t gotten around to hearing the final product.

I have however, read a lot of reviews of Chinese Democracy, here are five of my favorites.

Adam Graham - The Detroit News.

“Guns and Roses an Over-the-Top-Masterpiece”

Key metaphor — “It’s a Hummer at an electric car convention, celebrating its excesses at a time when everyone else is scaling back and running for cover.”

References to Buckethead - 1. References to Bumblefoot - 1.

David Fricke - Rolling Stone.

Key metaphor — “I bet you think I’m doin’ this all for my health,” Rose cracks through the saturation-bombing guitars in “I.R.S.,”

References to Buckethead - 2. References to Bumblefoot - 1.

Mark Savage - BBC

Key metaphor - “Sorry, another break-up song, aims for grandiose but ends up sounding ridiculous - like Pink Floyd covered by Metallica.”

Reference to Buckethead - 0. References to Bumblefoot — 0. (Typical shoddy BBC reporting.)

Chuck Klosterman - The Onion AV Club (2008)

Key metaphor (How can you pick just one?) - “Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It’s more like reviewing a unicorn.”

References to Buckethead - 1. References to Bumblefoot - 0. (Really Chuck? Really?)

Chuck Klosterman - Spin (2006, based on a version of the album that only exists in the mind of Klosterman and in the leaked version of a few songs)

Key metaphor - “This is the kind of gutter-glam boogie ballad that makes “November Rain” seem like a bucket of burro vomit warming in the afternoon sun.”

References to Buckethead - 1. References to Bumblefoot - 0 (Clearly the man has an anti-Bumblefoot bias.)

Final tally - Buckethead - 5, Bumblefoot - 2

G R E G / B A I S E

Talent buyer for The Crofoot, and in the past the Majestic complex. Constantly bringing bands to the area that the area has no business having here. He drinks Bacardi and Coke, I think. You should consider buying him a few next time you see him.

Some Favorites in 2008

TOP RECORDS

Bart Davenport, ‘Palaces’ (Antenna Farm) + live
Blank Dogs, ‘On Two Sides’ (Troubleman) + maybe live in 2009
Fucked Up, ‘Chemistry of Common Life’ (Matador) + live
Jennifer O’Connor, ‘Here With Me’ (Matador) + live
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, ‘Why Is Bear Billowing’ (Carpark) + live
The Dead C, “The Secret World’ (Ba Da Bing) + live
V.A., ‘The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru’ (Barbes)
White Hinterland, ‘Phylactery Factory’ (Dead Oceans) + live
Windy Weber, ‘I Hate People’ (Blue Flea) + live
Windy and Carl ‘Songs for the Broken Hearted’ (Kranky)
Zomes, s/t (Holy Mountain)

LIVE

Baltimore Round Robin Eyes Night - one of the best musical events I’ve ever witnessed.
The Elephant 6 Surprise Package Tour
Gardens
Getatchew Mekuria + the Ex, Mahmoud Ahmed + Alemeyehu Eshete and the
Either Orchestra, + Extra Golden
The Homosexuals + Tyvek + F’ke Blood
The Intelligence
Lasers and Fast and Shit
Mission of Burma
The Monarchs
Rodriguez
Shellac
Stereolab

PLUS THESE FROM EARLIER

D. Charles Speer and the Helix - ‘After Hours’ (Black Dirt) and live
Inca Ore - ‘Birthday of Bless You’ (Not Not Fun)
Kurt Vile - ‘Constant Hitmaker’ (Gulcher) and live with the War on Drugs
Lexie Mountain Boys - ‘Sacred Vacation’ (Carpark) (+ live as of the
Baltimore Round Robin)
MV and EE with the Golden Road - ‘Gettin’ Gone’ (Ecstatic Peace) and live
Neil Hamburger - ‘Sings Country Winners’ (Drag City) and live
Red China - ‘Bear’ (Loco Gnosis) and live
Terrible Twos - s/t (X!) and live
The Brigadier - as heard on myspace
The Smoots - as heard on myspace

A SAMPLING OF LIVE FAVES

Dengue Fever
Han Bennink
The Sadies
Kelly Jean Caldwell
Colossal Yes
New Music Detroit performing Frederic Rzewski
Destroyer
Oakley Hall
The Constantines
Telepathe …

J A S P E R

If you looked up dickface in the dictionary, how wild is it that it would be a picture of a guy with a bag over his head? This activity required him to weigh out the fact that he hates group participation of any kind versus his love of telling you what he likes.

In no particular order, the following were my favorite albums of 2008
that I was able to think of at this particular moment.
Congratulations to the following entires:

Why - Alopecia
Animal Collective - Water Curses
Deastro - Legends / Keepers
Mason Proper - Olly Oxen Free
of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
Future Islands - Wave Like Home
Apes - Ghost Games
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of Understatement
The Dead Bodies - Cock Cock Cock Cock Xanadu Xanadu
Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances
Jaguar Love - Take Me To The Sea
PAS/CAL - I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura
Electric Six - Flashy / Sexy Trash
Ladytron - Velocifero
Ratatat - LP3
Child Bite - Fantastic Gusts of Blood
The Kills - Midnight Boom
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Terrible Twos - Terrible Twos
The Datsuns - Headstunts
The Faint - Fasciinatiion

J E F F / A R C E L

My favorite poster designer in Detroit, and if you need some work, get at him. He’s always at the scary punk as fuck shows, and by reading his list he could be Ben Blackwell’s gay lover. He’s not though, I’m pretty sure.

MY FAVORITE RELEASES OF 2008

Daily Void - “Identification Code 5271-4984953784-06564″ (Deadbeat )

Art-damaged Chicago Weirdos make punk rock interesting and threatening again. This album is a mess of off-kilter guitars, fast-mechanical drumming and robotically delivered lyrics that paint visions of a grim Orwellian future, xenophobic paranoia, loss of identity and parasitic infestation. Equal parts DEVO, Rudimentary Peni, and the fear one would experience whilst staring into a black hole, this record rips from front to back.

Cheap Time - “Handyman” 7″ ( Douchemaster )

Think Dickies or Buzzcocks or The Boys or Clorox Girls meets Red Cross (one d!) and you’re in the right area. Fun glammy punk stuff from Tennessee! Fans of Reatards / Black Lips / King Khan & BBQ wouldn’t be disappointed.

Spiritualized - “Songs In A&E” (Universal/Spaceman/Sanctuary/Fontana )

J. Spaceman almost dies again and manages to write one of the best collections of space-pop-rock-whatever tunes ever all while laid up in the Accident and Emergency ward of the Royal London Hospital. What the fuck did you do last time you were bedridden? My favorite is the eerie, respirator backed “Death Take Your Fiddle”

No Age - “Nouns” ( Sub Pop )

Look, I tried really hard not to like it. I didn’t want to. But it’s really, really good. Those jerks.

Terrible Twos - S/T ( Criminal IQ / X! )

HOLY SHIT. I think I’ve listened to this album on my morning commute to work for 2 months on end. Terrible Twos are apeshit and infinitely talented. This is by far the best record release from the Detroit sect this year. It is engaging and raw and leaves nothing that I could even say needs improvement.

Jacuzzi Boys - “Island Avenue” 7″ ( HoZac )

The a-side on this little chunk of wax is a glue-sniffing garage rock masterpiece. Handclaps, fingersnaps, fuzz, and big springy reverb; these are all on-ramps on the highway to my heart and the Jacuzzi Boys know this.

Death - “…For the Whole World To See” ( Drag City )

Ok. So, at the “time of press” this hasn’t been released, but I am anticipating this one like a motherfucker. This is Detroit rock history. Death was a Detroit band made up of 3 black Jehovas Witnesses back in 74. The “Politicians In My Eyes” single is a proto-punk smoker that some vinyl nerds have shilled out upwards of $700 for on the eBayz. Drag City is putting out the whole 1974 studio session that spawned those two cuts in February of 2009, but this is going on this list because the boner I have for this album started in 2008 and may never end.

Vivian Girls - S/T ( In The Red / Mauled By Tigers )

Take My Bloody Valentine’s “You Made Me Realise” EP, make it into a surf album produced by Phil Spector and played by the Shangri-las and you have this bad boy.. er girl.

The Retainers - “Lose it” 7″ ( P.Trash )

4 really fun, fast, sloppy garage-punk songs from Minneapolis’ Retainers. Sounds a little bit like Denmark’s Cola Freaks meets the roster of Rip-Off Records, especially the Statics, with the infectious energy of Carbonas. Whenever they put out a full length, it’s gonna be a must-have.

The Pizzas - “Bad Ass Youth” 7″ ( Daggerman )

Man oh man. I think this record could be completely blank and I would still love it. For one, THEIR FUCKING NAME IS “THE PIZZAS” - who doesn’t love pizza?! Not me! I heart pizza so much that if you cut me, I will bleed pizza. Number 2, the cover art to this single has pretty much every cool thing that ever existed on it - collected in one place, so you don’t have to do the work, you just have to point your eyes at it. There’s a dinosaur, an old teisco looking guitar, some lightning bolts, a skull, some bitchin’ wayfarer sunglasses, a tough ass snake, a fist coming out of jar, and some other cool shit all stacked up on top of some 7 inch records. Luckily for us, this record is, in fact, not blank! It contains 3 snot-nosed, lo-fi trash rock smokers much in the same vein as previously mentioned Retainers 7″ sure to have you shaking like Marty McFly. I wish I could travel back in time and make the a-side my theme song in High School, then maybe I wouldn’t have dropped out.

J O H N / N E L S O N

New Grenada / Copper Thieves. Good dude. We talked about the 2008 Top Tens and then he drops this gem. Top Whatever > Top New Releases.

BEST CASSETTES FOUND IN A BOX IN MY BASEMENT

1. Slayer- Reign in Blood
2. Metallica- Master of Puppets
3. Anthrax- State of Euphoria
4. Megadeth- Rust in Peace
5. Testament- Practice What You Preach
6. Suicidal Tendencies- How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today
7. Exodus- Fabulous Disaster
8. S.O.D.- Speak English or Die
9. Death Angel- Act III
10. Nuclear Assault- Handle With Care

also: D.R.I.- Crossover, Prong- Beg to Differ, Sacred Reich- Surf Nicaragua

J R C

I like to eat. A lot.

2008 TOP TEN

Boston Spaceships - Brown Submarine
Child Ballads - Cheekbone Hollows
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Inside The Human Body
Operator Please - Yes Yes Vindictive
Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Midrange & Boost It
REM - Accelerate
Sebastien Grainger - Sebastian Grainger & The Mountains
The Cure - 4:13 Dream
Throw Me The Statue - Moonbeams
Why? - Alopecia

HON / MEN

The Feminists - Can’t Scream Loud Enough
Adam Green - Sixes & Sevens
Au Revior Borealis - Dark Enough For Stars
Pretty & Nice - Get Young
The B52s - Funplex
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Invincible - Shapeshifters
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak

TOP 7 LOCAL RELEASES

Javelins - Heavy Meadows
Lightning Love - November Birthday
Deastro - Every Single Thing He’s Done Ever
The Nice Device - Sorry We Killed You
Muldoons - s/t EP
Terrible Twos - s/t
Friendly Foes - Born Radical

M A R C / W I T H / A / C

I had the chance to interview Marc With a C this year. I’m a big fan of what he does and it turns out he’s a pretty great guy too. I thought it would cool to get the perspective of someone not entwined in the local scene. Guess what? I was right.

Hi all. My name is Marc With a C. I’m a lo-fi pop songwriter, and I also did some writing for the RetroLowFi zine back in the day. Jay asked me to tell you about my ten favorite albums of the year. I like to talk about records, so it’s a real treat for me. After much deliberation, this was my cream of the crop for the year, in order:

1. The Breeders - Mountain Battles:

No record can sum up the confusion and general feelings of 2008 like “Mountain Battles”. And while the latest platter by The Breeders didn’t knock everyone’s socks off at first, the album certainly proved to be a real grower. Some folks were a bit nonplussed at the lack of a “Cannonball Part Two”, but this was a record that just sat gloriously, waiting to be absorbed. All of the hope for positive change in 2008’s American presidential election can be heard in the quietly sentimental tracks “Night of Joy” and “We’re Gonna Rise”. But the album didn’t stop there… the Deal sisters sang from the collective voice of other nations in a breathtaking cover of “Regalame Esta Noche” as well as the rollicking - and tongue twisting - “German Studies”. People, this record is time capsule material. And besides that? This album’s songs are thirteen reasons that Kim Deal never has to make another Pixies record again, as far as I’m concerned.

2. Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull:

Sometimes you need a record that gives you room to think without telling you what to think. An album full of droning melodies that doesn’t impose, but also doesn’t exclude. And you need the tones emanating from the vinyl to sound like a slightly heavier version of Low meets Japancakes penchant for noodling in one key, just to see where it goes. And of course, anything lyrical would just kill the mood. That would be Earth’s “The Bees Made Honey In the Lion’s Skull”. It’s Dylan Carlson’s definable masterpiece, and it’s destined to be remembered as a contender for “album of the decade” by anyone that pays close enough attention to it. And, as is my wont, I’ll have to recommend the album to you on vinyl. Not only do you get a great bonus track, but there’s two songs per side. And that might seem detrimental to the overall experience, but once the second track on each side fades out… you really don’t even notice. It’s like you’re still sitting there, listening to the record take you on a second silent journey.

3. Cars Can Be Blue - Doubly Unbeatable:

Look, I’m a sucker for saccharine sweet pop with slightly edgier undertones. And on my watch, no one did it better this year than the Athens duo Cars Can Be Blue. The album kicks off with the gushy “Sun Blows Up”, rife with nods to the Brill Building school of pop hooks, but quickly takes a sharp turn with the pointed “Coat Tails”, a track so vicious in undertones that any musician in listening range has to shift in their seat uncomfortably. Becky Brooks lays down the cute and nasally vocals that put a little honey on the lyrical poison she occasionally dishes out. And you just don’t see Nate Mitchell’s dead-on impersonation of Tom Waits - “Cycle Of Violence” - coming a mile away, with lines like “I know how mama felt / when she’d reach for the whiskey / then reach for the belt… gonna beat my kids until they act their age”. I won’t spoil all the lyrical surprises for you, but the driving pop melodies here are so strong that it takes quite a few listens to even realize what the band is REALLY saying. “Doubly Unbeatable” is the gift that keeps on giving, baby.

4. Dr. Dooom - Dr. Dooom II:

Kool Keith has had a million nomenclatures over the years, and he resurrected this one just to kill off another pseudonym: Dr. Octagon. For the second time. And while yes, Kutmaster Kurt’s production is still sharp enough to make you wonder what you ever saw in Dan The Automator, the real coup here is that the Dr. Dooom character fixes a huge problem with your average hip hop posturing. While most MC’s will supposedly shoot you on the street for drug deals gone wrong? Dr. Dooom is just flat out evil. He’s following you for no reason. He’s maiming you and storing you in the closet because he’s deranged. No reason is given… except for the murder of Dr. Octagon. That was a mercy killing, as people were sticking the DocOc name on any ol’ remix and pretending that it was “new Kool Keith product”. He beats Octagon to death with rocks to save face. The rest of the time? He’s clobbering you with ungodly rhymes that prove beyond the shadow of a doubt what many have suspected all along: Kool Keith is still the most original MC in hip hop… and he’s absolutely out of his mind.

5. Chris Zabriskie - This Silent Bloody Night:

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that Chris Zabriskie played drums in Marc With a C on and off for a number of years. That didn’t slant my view of this album, though. Not only did I have absolutely no involvement in the writing or recording of this hushed album, but if some random guy dropped out of the sky with this album, I’d have still wanted to build a statue in it’s honor. It’s deceptively quiet and ultra dynamic. The focal point here is a lonely piano, an occasionally multi tracked acoustic guitar and Chris’s forlorn voice… trying to make sense of emotions that are so esoteric to him, the narrator, that he can barely bring himself to let the listener in on exactly what he’s experiencing. And that’s Chris’s real coup here: he describes the situation as the events are occurring, but rarely gives any perspective on how it has affected the person in question since. It’s all sung from a very “now” viewpoint, but also with enough quiet resignation to give the listener a clue that these subjects occurred in the past. There’s eventually a pretty explosive finale, but “This Silent Bloody Night” is an album that needs to be digested from start to finish. Over and over.

6. Juliana Hatfield - How To Walk Away:

Sometimes it’s hard to be a Juliana Hatfield fan. According to her blogs, she’s always seemingly just steps away from packing up her guitar forever, and each record seems more and more designed to be her epic and final statement. “How To Walk Away” is no exception. Maybe there’s a bit more production sheen evident here than on her last few outings, (both solo and with the Some Girls outfit), but from the get-go, Juliana is singing in a reserved yet chirpy manner about overstaying her welcome in “The Fact Remains”. And that’s not the only time she looks into her storied past, either. “This Lonely Love” blatantly revisits “It Should’ve Been You” from her much maligned “In Exile Deo” album, while she sings about just how isolated she feels each time she falls in love with a song. And that feeling is par for the course with Ms. Hatfield. You never know if she’ll visit your town again, and you also can’t really tell if you’re listening to a teary farewell or a simple pop song. This point is especially underlined in songs like the lightweight but oh-so-catchy “Just Lust” and “My Baby”, the latter of which may be one of the most painfully jangly breakdowns of the final days of a romantic relationship committed to wax in recent memory. A record this produced really shouldn’t feel so emotionally raw, but it cuts right to the jugular armed with little more than a pixy stick, understated guitar work and Juliana’s inimitable voice.

7. Robert Pollard - Off To Business:

“He used to be in Guided By Voices, drinks alot and was a schoolteacher”. There. That oughta cover the “things any writer has to bring up about Robert Pollard”. You know, like if you write about The Pixies and don’t mention Nirvana somewhere in there, right? Whatever. Robert Pollard made a straight up fantastic rock record this year that was somewhat overshadowed by his well-publicized new band, Boston Spaceships. But this album? This is the one for my money. From the airy and majestic epic “The Blondes” all the way to the self-referential “Wealth And Hell Being”, “Off To Business” upped the ante that Pollard’s been dishing out since shutting the doors on GBV in 2004. Ain’t it grand to have an artist so good that you have to choose between roughly five of his albums per year, deciding on the best of the bunch? Uncle Bob is too good to us, kids.

8. Children Of The Sixth Root Race - Songs From The Source:

This album was recorded in 1973 by a family cult called the Source Family. It’s not a reissue, as the tapes mysteriously disappeared way back when. Drag City finally put it out this year… and it’s just mind-blowing stuff. There’s sort of a psych-soul vibe here, along with some heavy 70’s riffage. The vocals on this platter can break windows, and frankly… if this is what being in a cult does for your musical abilities, someone please sign me up for one. The history of this music and the surrounding cult are fascinating, but I think you’d be hard pressed to show me something more interesting that these folks came up with than the gobstopping “Godmen”. And sure, there are misfires here and there, like that long track with dated religious predictions that, urm, never came true. But as both a historical document and an enjoyable record, “Songs From The Source” probably had a bigger emotional effect on me this year than almost anything you can name. I cried real tears halfway through this album. No joke.

9. Joe Jackso - Rain:

Somewhere between the sneering uncomfortability of Steely Dan and the occasionally too-similar-for-comfort Ben Folds lies Joe Jackson… a guy that has had noticably and reliably unreliable releases for the last ten years or so. One minute he’s churning out an unfairly overlooked electronic symphony, and the next… well, he’s picking up where “Beat Crazy” left off all those years ago. With his original backing band. But this years Joe Jackson model gets back to the root of why we all liked him in the first place: back to basics recordings featuring little more than piano, bass, drums and Joe’s well-aged vocals. And he’s back to letting the song’s hook reign as the king, with a dish of society-skewering lyrics on the side. For such a musical chameleon, “Rain” is the first album he’s done in years where he actually sounds comfortable just being Joe Jackson. Which means that you’re in for ten solid songs by one of the best songwriters of our time. That’ll do.

10. Sudden Death - Fatal Error:

So Tom Rockwell (aka Devo Spice) has been doing his brand of nerdy rap as Sudden Death since roughly 1988. His production values sound lo-fi even by nerdcore’s lackadaisical standards, and his vocal delivery is so everyman that you might wonder what the hell I’m impressed by here. Just… mark my words. Once you’ve heard the first few tracks on “Fatal Error”, you’ll understand why Rockwell is pretty much the biggest artist on the Dr. Demento show since, well, Mr. Yankovic. His lyrics are gut-bustingly funny, and each song comes equipped with a sarcastically sing along chorus. He manages to find fresh ways to talk about well worn topics: sucky cell phones, unreliable computers, the day that robots take over, etc. His perspective is just different enough to put him right in front of the novelty rap pack, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the underground figures it out. Genius.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Capstan Shafts - “Fixation Protocols”
The Simple Carnival - “Girls Aliens Food”
Hot Lava - “Lavalogy”
Jonathan Richman - “Because Her Beauty Is Raw & Wild”
The Smittens - “The Coolest Thing About Love”
Steve Poltz - “Unraveling”

R Y A N / A L L E N

Friendly Foes / Thunderbirds Are Now! Some Detour, and a pretty alright dude. I threw up twice in his backyard, so I let him do a list. I hope you like reading. I hope you like reading A LOT.

It’s true — a shit ton of music came out this year. And while in years past I’ve felt that there was always a definite 10 albums (or sometimes more) that rose above the rest of the pack, 2008 felt a little different to me. Trends became prevalent (lo-fi art rock like Times New Viking, Vivian Girls and Tyvk seemed to be all the rage), and another slew of big time albums came out this year that, quite frankly, I either just didn’t hear (TV on The Radio), listened to a lot and then forgot about (Raconteurs), or was just utterly disappointing, save for a few shining moments (My Morning Jacket). But really, nothing totally hit me. I didn’t obsess over much. Whenever people asked me what I was listening to, I simply drew a blank (which is kind of embarrassing, considering I spent a better part of the writing about new music for Detour). So with that in mind, my top ten list isn’t necessarily a run-down of my favorite albums of 2008, so much as it’s a list of ten things that fascinated, enraged, entertained, or musically amused me over the last year. Pretentious? Sure. But when have you known me to be otherwise? Bryan Metro, this one’s for you…

10. Local Music:

I bet if you took a cross-country poll, you’d find that no other state in America has produced more quality music than the bands that call Michigan home. Ann Arbor represented hard with Mason Proper’s creepy and contemplative “Olly Oxen Free,” as well as birthed perhaps my favorite album at the moment in Lightning Love’s “November Birthdays.” Old friends New Grenada and Child Bite both released records that took 90s influence (NG’s being Love Battery, CB’s being Brainiac) and modernized them into fully realized pieces of awesome with “Energy Shortage” and “Fantastic Gusts of Blood.” The Pop Project’s long awaited “Stars of Stage and Screen” is a Jellyfish fans wet dream come true, and Prussia’s “Dear Emily, Best Wishes, Molly” is something akin to having a sock-hop in Phil Spector’s house (maybe a bad idea?) while smoking some serious weed. That Dead Bodies EP has the word “cock” in the title. And Javelins’ “Heavy Meadows”? — proof positive that you can never listen to too much of the Smiths. I love them all.

9. The singles from that goddamn MGMT album:

Whether you’re a bohemian actress doing rails off a diamond encrusted mirror, a Flaming Lips obsessive still reeling from a one-two punch of bad albums, or were ever in the kitchen in the Allen household, chances are you heard the insatiably catchy singles from MGMT’s “Oracular Spectacular” (”Time To Pretend,” “Kids,” and “Electric Feel”). All three swaggered with Bowie-esque space-glam, Beck-ish electro-funk, and were catchy as fuck. Now headband wearing druggies, “90210″ fans, and my wife finally have something in common.

8. Beyonce, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”:

Over a mutated reggae-tone beat and minimal synth lines, a robot-fingered Beyonce basically says if you want to hit that shit, you gotta marry it. Nice. Jay-Z obviously got the hint. If he somehow didn’t, B’s performance of the song on SNL this year would have sent the message: Her all-female band totally throws down, and her giant thighs rumble and shake with the fury of a thousand disgruntled girlfriends waiting for their man to get down on one knee and pop the question already.
I also liked that Oasis single, “Shock of Lightning,” mainly because it sounded like Stereolab being covered by Kula Shaker.

7. Detour’s Rock City Festival:

Yeah, maybe including this in my list is a bit self-congratulatory, but even if I had absolutely nothing to do with the festival, I would still have felt the undeniable excitement and pride surrounding our fair city’s music scene over that long weekend in June. I got to see lots of bands that I’d only heard were great (and of course were), lots that I knew would be, and watch other people run around bat-shit crazy drunk with massive smiles on their faces. I don’t think I’ve ever hugged, cheers-ed, high-fived, laughed, or rocked with as many people as I did during that weekend - and it was glorious.

6. The Kind of Music I Want to Hear - Ladyhawk & Royal Bangs

In the course of one week, I saw two of the best bands that I’ve ever seen in my life - Ladyhawk from Vancouver, BC and Royal Bangs from Knoxville, TN. Both may have played in front of crowds that I could barely count on both hands, but each band sweat and slayed like their lives depended on it. It was then that I dubbed both bands “The kind of music I want to hear.” Check out their albums, listen to their songs, and maybe go to their shows next time they come around? You probably won’t, but you should.

5. Justice live // Elephant Six Holiday Surprise Show

Both of these shows are tied for the live music highlights of the year for me, and couldn’t have been more different.
Justice, whose music was drilled into my head for a year working at Urban Outfitters, was not necessarily high on my list of acts to see (I’ll take hipster indie rock over hipster Daft Punk-y electro any day). But still, I went with an open mind, and was simply blown away at how rock and roll the whole thing was - from the band’s Strokes-esque look and the stacks of Marshall amps on the stage, to the sea of American Apparel-clad kids losing their minds as if they were at a Nirvana show…the whole experience was hardly what I expected.

The E6 show was like a Disney movie, a demented variety show, a 60s-ish acid trip, and a hodge-podge of psychedelic insanity that culminated in Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum playing “Engine” in the middle of the crowd and totally making me cry real tears.

4. The 90s:

The collected works of Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, Guided By Voices, Archers of Loaf, Chavez, Superdrag, Sloan, Jets to Brazil, Sebadoh, and Chisel have inspired me more this year than they did when I first heard the records back when I was 15. Also, I realized early Green Day is totally underrated, and that Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta” might be the best song of that era.

3. Discoveries:

I had a lot of new discoveries this year that I’d like to share. Emitt Rhodes’ 1970 self-titled debut album sounds like a long-lost Paul McCartney record, and I can’t believe I hadn’t heard this earlier. I finally realized that Jay Reatard is awesome, and his live show I caught this year, as well as those Matador singles comps, rule. NYC new-romantic chamber pop group Violens delivered a Lilys-meets-Spandau Ballet 3-song EP that I would have totally worn out if I had it on record instead of on my iPod, and I expect them to own my 2009 once their album comes out. Also, their album may have been disappointing, but the Little Ones’ “Terry Tales and Fallen Gates” EP was one of my go-to jams when I was sick of everything else.

2. The Pretty, “Mustache In Your Face”:

I have to give major thanks to Brandon White for turning me onto this most monstrous of all jamburgers. I’m pretty sure this was the most listened to song of the year for me, courtesy of a completely unknown 60s psyche-rock band that found it appropriate to write a song about mustaches being all up in your face. The riffs are blown out and fuzzy, the vocals a mix of Morrison and Eric Burden, there’s some tasty organ stabs, oh, and also these lyrics: “The Devil and the monkeys are coming upstairs, I’m seeing you girl, yeah yeah. But you’re not gonna take the rest of my world. What a lie, what a lie…MUSTACHE IN YOUR FACE.”

1. Oh, and… my actual Top Ten, cos I couldn’t resist:

1. Deerhunter - “Microcastle” // 2. Fleet Foxes - “Ragged Wood” // 3. Pas/Cal - “I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura” // 4. No Age - “Nouns” // 5. Jamie Lidell - “Jim” // 6. The Whigs - “Mission Control” // 7. Born Ruffians - “Red, Yellow, Blue” // 8. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - “Real Emotional Trash” // 9. Deerhoof - “Offend Maggie” // 10. Wolf Parade - “At Mt. Zoomer”

T H O M A S / M A T I C H

Ex-RDW. Sometimes he be writin’ good, which is why RDW let him go. That’s not allowed. He’s still out and about and he’s still passionate. Plus, you’ve got to have the token gay friend. Holla atcha boi.

TOP 10 RECORDS

College - Teenage Color EP

I feel like I discovered a shipwrecked gem from the ’80s in a dead gay DJ’s attic. “Teenage Color” is the most spectacular piece of synthesized euphoria I’ve heard all year. I’ve haven’t had a chance to steal his debut full-length, Secret Diary, yet, but from what I’ve heard, this is easily my favorite new artist of the year. Think Deastro, Brian DePalma and France.

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

As if you needed anymore convincing, The NME named Alice Glass, CC’s lead “singer,” the coolest person of ‘08. Too bad for Glass that the Atari 8-Bit chip jammed into their keyboards is the real star and we could replace her with projections of Princess Leah.

The Dodos - Visiter

These beautiful love songs bloom with crushingly intimate lyrics, gripping guitars and drums that bang harder than a lover at your door at 3 am.

The Faint - Fasciinatiion

Don’t most sci-fi movies have a great message but we just get caught up in the special effects?

Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair

Studio 54 gay disco. Fucking incredible. Virtuoso vocalist/freak Antony Hegarty is a luminary, check out the “Another World EP” for what it would be like with Andy Warhol after they left 54 at 4 am.

Javelins - Heavy Meadows

Fucking lush! A real daydream. These guys should be fucking huge with a singer possessing such a unique, cordial voice with a slight hue of emo, but in a good Ben Gibbard sort of way. And he drums! Like Phil Collins! Live show needs polish before they can conquer the world.

Kanye West - 808’s & Heartbreak

Heartbroken KanYe breaks out the vocoder and gets all auto-hop on us. Try listening to “RoboCop” and telling me (and Patrick Stump) that he isn’t the most interesting pop star alive.

King Khan & The Shrines - The Supreme Genius Of

R. Kelly might piss on a bitch, but King Khan is the real Pied Piper of this R&B shit.

Q-Tip - The Renaissance

Recent rumors claim that Q-Tip is secretly teh ghey with Busta Rhymes.

The Silent Years - The Globe

How have you not heard this one yet?

Terrible Twos - Terrible Twos

I don’t care for punk much. But they added copious synthesizers and cans of whoop ass.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Oh, brother…

The Walkmen - You & Me

“In The New Year” is brilliant. I can’t help thinking of the Bermuda Triangle or when the levees broke during Katrina with this one. Magnificent!

Weird Tapes - Get Religion

These guys(?) make awesome disco instrumentals that they give away for free on their blog. This collection’s “Nikki” features the coolest thing associated with Prince since that Super Bowl performance.

Why? - Alopecia

Hey Eminem, you’ve been permanently replaced.

LAST YEAR / NEXT YEAR

The National - Boxer

They might be my favorite band right now. Astounding compositions complement Berninger’s stirring baritone and genius lyrics. I showed up late to the party?

The Von Bondies - Love, Hate And Then There’s You

The second track, “Shut Your Mouth,” is so tongue-in-cheek and downright balls-y that I truly hope this band has an incredible 2009. Pop, passion and anthems abound.

W I L L Y / W I L S O N

The same thing I said last time… Publicist for The Magic Bag. Ex-wdet DJ who was always getting someone into something. One of the best guys I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in this city, easy. Every time a band is playing a cover that I know is a cover, but can’t place what the song was.. this guy will tell you the original, the record it appeared on, if it’s been reissued, and any other bit of information you need. This guy is a walking encyclopedia, and to have him involved in this is great.

TOP ELEVEN NEW RELEASES

Buffalo Killers - Let It Ride - Alive Records
Hank Williams - The Unreleased Recordings - Time Life
Plastic Crimewave Sound - Plastic Crimewave Sound - Prophase Music
Graham Day & The Gaolers - Traveled & Unraveled - Damaged Goods
Dirtbombs - We Have You Surrounded - In The Red
Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis - Two Men With The Blues - Blue Note
Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Momofuku - Lost Highway
Black Keys - Attack & Release - Nonesuch
Blanche - Last Year’s Leaves - Little Amber Bottles - Original Sound
Yohowa 13 - Song Portation - Prophase Music
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams - Yep Rock

TOP REISSUES

Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette - Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette - Tompkins Square Music
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band - Puckey Puckey: Jams & Outtakes - Rhino Handmade
Willie Nelson - One Hell Of A Ride - Columbia/Legacy
Elton John - Elton John/Tumbelweed Connection (Deluxe Editions) - Geffen
The Coasters - There’s A Riot Goin’ On: Complete Atco Recordings - Rhino Handmade
Squeeze - Argybargy (Deluxe Edition) - A&M UK
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Legacy Edition) - Columbia/Legacy
Otis Redding - Otis Blue (Expanded Edition) - Rhino
George Jones - The Hits… Then ‘Til Now - Time Life
Roy Orbison - The Soul Of Rock & Roll - Monument/Orbison/Legacy
Black Sabbath - Rules Of Hell (Dio Years) - Rhino
Bo Diddley - Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-60 - Hip-O Select
Various Artists - Atlantic Vocal Groups 1951-63 - Rhino Handmade
Love - Forever Changes (Expanded Edition) - Rhino
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Claudine/Pipe Dreams - Shout Factory
Little Willie John - 1966 (The Axelrod & HP Barnum Sessions) - Ace
Rodriguez - Cold Fact - Light In The Attic

FAVE LOCAL RELEASES (not including 45s)

The Pop Project - Stars of Stage and Screen on Suburban Sprawl
Mick Bassett & The Martha’s - Here’s The Whirlwind - Self Released
Javelins - Heavy Meadows - Suburban Sprawl
JSB Squad - Blue Circle, Rubber Bands - Self Released
Grayling - Spilling Over - Self Released
Various Artists - A Squared (Of Course) - Ace/Big Beat
Deanne Iovan - Just Like You & Me - MoPop
Hot Club of Detroit - Night Town - Mack Avenue
The Muggs - On With The Show - Self Released
Nomo - Ghost Rock - Ubiquity
Mazinga - Open The Blast Doors - Transmission

FAVE SHOWS OF 2008

Creepy Rick’s Birthday Bash with Fortune & Maltese, The Hentchmen and The Meltdowns at the Berkley Front
Simply Saucer/Human Eye at the Bohemian
The Muggs (Private Party) at the Auto Show
Tom Petty & Steve Winwood at the Palace
Anti-Freeze Blues Festival featuring Bettye LaVette & The Hodge Brothers at the Magic Bag
Powertrane featuring Deniz Tek at the Elbow Room
The Romantics at the Stars & Stripes Festival
Big Block/Grayling/Drinking Problem at Smalls
Grande Nationals/Gorvette/Silverghost/Dial Tones at the Magic Bag
Rodriguez at the Park Bar
Eagles Of Death Metal at Smalls
Cheech & Chong at the Fillmore

Z A C H / C U R D

Sub/Sprawl slash Quack! Vice President of Daily Operations, I think? He loves Quiznos. He co-fronts The Pop Project with everyone else in the band. He’s a bro.

TOP ELEVEN OF 2008

01. Cousins Vinyl (http://www.cousinsvinyl.com)
02. T.I. - “Swagger Like Us”
03. Jamie Lidell - Jim
04. Carrie Underwood - “Just a Dream”
05. Katy Perry - “I Kissed a Girl”
06. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
07. Keith Jarrett performing in Tokyo, Japan in 2002 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM2cdtU2qTg)
08. Rihanna - “Take a Bow”
09. Panic At The Disco - Pretty Odd
10. Beyoncé - “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
11. Sara Evans - “A Real Fine Place To Start”