OMG!

OMG the long-awaited live album Sacha Sacket and the Ladykillers Live from the Zone is out, and what's most shameful for me, has been since December 9! I hope Mr. Sacket doesn't take away my fanboy credentials for my shocking late arrival to the party. This is terribly exciting news...Really, I'm not being facetious. I am more than a little hot & bothered about this. Yes, I have a little bit of a crush. You'll have to excuse me, I'm a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourself. Here's a topic: Why can't ruxpin ever manage to make it to a live show of Sacha's despite his constant trips to L.A.?

More anon.

'tis the Season

It's that time of year, when lists are all the rage. My methodology is as follows: what does iTunes say I listened to most? What can't be right about those results (it can't be trusted)? Massage, massage. Lather, rinse, repeat. Look back at December 07 and see what carried over. Wipe away embarrassments aplenty. Massage, massage. Lather, rinse, repeat.

With no further ado, here's my top 100 tracks, 1 to 100, with comments where I have 'em:

1. Lyrics Born - Don't Change

• I still recall vividly seeing the posters pop up announcing this album in downtown San Francisco, and the visceral thrill that I felt knowing new Lyrics Born was coming. The hip-hop event of the year.
  

2. Everybody Get Dangerous - Weezer

• Yes, Weezer. Yes, it's that delightful.
  

3. Trouble's What You're In - Fink

• Fink is, simply put, the Bomb. Run, don't walk, to buy his albums.
  

4. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
5. This Is The Thing - Fink
6. Black & Gold - Sam Sparro

• So much for preconceptions. They flew out the window when I saw the video and discovered, much to my surprise, that Mr. Sparro is a skinny little white boy. You wouldn't know it from his amazing tour de force album, deeply packed with flashes of riffs worthy of Prince, classic Michael Jackson, you name it. This kid's got mad skills.
  

7. Pocketbook (Feat. Ludacris) - Jennifer Hudson

• ...and Ms. Hudson's got mad pipes.
  

8. Being Bad Feels Pretty Good - Does It Offend You, Yeah?
9. Grace - Will Young
10. If Only - Fink
11. Brandon Boyd - Sacha Sacket

• Awesome L.A.-based musician. Not to be missed.
  

12. Will You Return? - Avett Brothers

• Granted, I'm no concert goer, but of those I've seen, the Avetts blew the roof off the joint.
  

13. Little Weapon - Bishop G/Lupe Fiasco/Nikki Jean
14. Ready For The Floor - Hot Chip

• What's not to love about quirky emotional intelligent Brit dance music? Hot Chip mopped the floor with the competition.
  

15. A&E - Goldfrapp
16. The 1 (featuring Missy Elliott) - Janet Jackson
17. Mirror - Supreme Beings of Leisure

• New Supreme Beings = Joy everlasting.
  

18. For Our Elegant Caste - Of Montreal

• The quirkiest weirdest funniest track of the year.
  

19. Spiralling - Keane

• Keane can rock! Who knew?
  

20. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
21. Long Division - Death Cab For Cutie

• This album's so deep with good tracks, you'll need your scuba gear.
  

22. Make It Good - Fink
23. Bitch Went Nuts (Doublin' version) - Ben Folds

• So our beloved Ben Folds released an EP, Doublin', full of tracks with titles matching those of his later full-length LP. But the songs while sharing names are anything but similar. I'm coming around to the LP, but the EP had me from the get-go. This was the standout track.
  

24. Shake A Fist - Hot Chip
25. Discipline - Nine Inch Nails

• Mr. Reznor celebrates freedom from his record label with a free album to his fans. And it's not some throwaway, it's the Real Deal. An approachable, hook-laden delight.
  

26. Troublemaker - Weezer
27. Blueberry Pancakes - Fink
28. Move - C.S.S.

• C.S.S. so completely owned 2008.
  

29. Baby (Feat. Betty Wright) - Stone, Angie
30. Bring It On - Jean-Marie, Leon
31. Happy - N.E.R.D.
32. 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland) - Madonna
33. F.U.N.K. - Prince
34. Speed Up (Radio Edit) - Funkerman
35. Dr. Yang (Way to Normal version) - Ben Folds
36. Pretty Little Thing - Fink
37. My People - Presets, the
38. I Fly - C.S.S.
39. Better Than This- Keane
40. No Sunlight - Death Cab for Cutie
41. Play With It - Angie Stone
42. Lovers Are Losing - Keane
43. Pork and Beans - Weezer
44. Give It 2 Me - Madonna
45. Dita Dimoné - Pop Levi

• His sophmore solo album hit the mark where his debut did not. A keeper.
  

46. I Would Be Sad - Avett Brothers
47. Beat Goes on (featuring Kanye West) - Madonna
48. Paralyzed - Elf Power
49. Reckoner - Radiohead
50. 1,000,000 - Nine Inch Nails
51. Down Is the New Up - Radiohead

• In Rainbows owned the first half of '08, and when it began to wane, along came the second disk. The gift that kept on giving.
  

52. Midnight Madness - Chemical Brothers
53. Jai Ho - A. R. Rahman

• The movie of the year: Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. And this is the track that wraps it up beautifully.
  

54. The Frown Song - Ben Folds
55. Maybe You Can Save Me (from You) - Sacha Sacket
56. Violet Hill - Coldplay
57. All Summer Long - Kid Rock

• Proof there are indeed second acts in American music. The track was unavoidable, well, all summer long.
  

58. Blind - Hercules and Love Affair

• And from some alternate dimension, one lush with house grooves and ethereal singers, emerged Hercules and Love Affair. The most distinct unexpected delight of the year.
  

59. Yes - Coldplay
60. Brainwascht (Way to Normal version) - Ben Folds
61. Jager Yoga - C.S.S.
62. Nine in the Afternoon - Panic! At the Disco
63. Good - Supreme Beings of Leisure
64. Pocket - Sam Sparro
65. Keeps Gettin' Better - Christine Aguilera
66. How I Became Paranoid - C.S.S.
67. Echoplex - Nine Inch Nails
68. Living Well Is the Best Revenge - R.E.M.

• The comeback of the year. Pity radio & MTV seem to have moved on. Not to be missed.
  

69. Lost - Coldplay
70. Everything & Finally - Pop Levi
71. One Pure Thought - Hot Chip
72. Get Your Share - Fink
73. Spotlight - Jennifer Hudson
74. Out at the Pictures - Hot Chip
75. Diamond Hoo Ha Man - Supergrass
76. Wannamama - Pop Levi
77. This Boy's in Love - the Presets
78. The Best Revenge - Fischerspooner

• But where's the album, Fischerspooner?
  

79. Funplex - the B-52's

• Time away did them good. The second best comeback album of the year.
  

80. The Bomb - Bitter:Sweet

• As if a new Supreme Beings of Leisure album wasn't blessing enough, we also got this delightful disc from offshoot group Bitter:Sweet.
  

81. Judy (for Shame) - Sacha Sacket
82. So Many Roads - Fink
83. You Don't Know Me (featuring Regina Spektor) - Ben Folds
84. Don't Dance - Hot Chip
85. Caravan Girl - Goldfrapp
86. Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love - Coldplay
87. What You Are - Sacha Sacket
88. Slice of Heaven - Magnet
89. Better Get to Livin' - Dolly Parton

• God bless Dolly Parton. And at her advanced age, inspiring to see her claim the reins with her own new label, solid album, and intact optimistic spirit. A treasure.
  

90. All I Need - Radiohead
91. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine - Sia
92. Teen Lovers - the Virgins
93. Gamma Ray - Beck

• I tried so hard to like this album. I did. But it's no Midnite Vultures. Still, this track's a great groovy throwback to better days.
  

94. Ride - Supreme Beings of Leisure
95. Hold on - Hot Chip
96. Dancing Now - the B-52's
97. Ali in the Jungle - the Hours

• A holdover from late '07. The Hours are the real deal, ya'll.
  

98. Bangers and Mash - Radiohead
99. Walcott - Vampire Weekend
100. Go to Sleep - Avett Brothers


...and that's that. Usually I have a much harder time narrowing down the list (it's actually 300 tracks total, but my fingers are tired.) This year took hardly any whittling at all to reach 300. Not sure if music sucked this year, or my attention was merely spread more thinly across multiple pursuits. All I know is that of the top 300, a mere twenty albums dominated decisively. Here they are, in no particular order:

Radiohead, In Rainbows
Fink, Distance and Time
R.E.M., Accelerate
the Presets, Apocalypso
C.S.S., Donkey
the Avett Brothers, Emotionalism
Lyrics Born, Everywhere at Once
Madonna, Hard Candy
Sacha Sacket, Lovers and Leaders
Hot Chip, Made in the Dark
Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs
Coldplay, Viva la Vida/Prospekt's March
Sam Sparro, Sam Sparro
Nine Inch Nails, the Slip
Ben Folds, Way to Normal/Doublin'
Supreme Beings of Leisure, 11i
Pop Levi, Never Never Love
Keane, Perfect Symmetry

And a very merry '09 to ya'll.

The Avett Brothers, Canopy Club, September 7, 2008

Just caught the Avett Brothers show at the Canopy Club here in Champaign-Urbana, and they blew the roof off the joint. I have to say I was somewhat taken aback at the turnout. I'd only recently turned on to them with their new CD, and had tentatively pegged them as a cool bluegrass punk (for want of a better catchphrase) sound, but not one that would pack the house. Having seen them bring the packed house down tonight, I stand corrected. I'm delighted the young 'uns have such an eclectic taste, it gives my old heart hope that "popular music" might be expanding just a wee bit in the years ahead.

So if they're not bluegrass punk, what are they? Hmm. There is a heavy blast of Irish influence mixed in there (a little Breeders/Pogues touch I find welcome), yes they inescapable bluegrass banjo sound, but also unexpectedly compatible Asian cello bits, and even a south of the border barnstormer "Salina" from their new Emotionalism major label release to close the set. Wilco channeled through the Grand Old Opry with a heavy splash of pop bubbling underneath. I like it.

This will be taken by some as the height of insult, but halfway through the set I leaned over to a drinking companion to say, "you know, they're pop enough that I can see them being packaged as another quirky Green Day type of act, and having success at it," to which she heartily agreed. Perhaps the Green Day reference is a bit much; I merely meant as a benchmark for popular success, not style. They're that good. I hope for their sakes they prove that successful, too.

Recent Additions of Note to the Celestial Playlist

Jean-Marie Leon, "Bring It On." But pity the rest of the disc largely falls flat.

Sam Sparro, "Black and Gold" and the WHOLE FRIGGING (eponymous) ALBUM. Maybe I'm just in serious Prince withdrawal, but this sure sounds like the barnstormer I've been lacking. Ferocious.

Keane, "Spiralling." Looking forward to the upcoming album, we'll see what rehab did to their lead singer. This unexpectedly rocking track teases that perhaps we have something a little less drowsy in store...

The Faint, Fasciination is frankly a disappointment. "The Geeks Were Right" suggests we can expect more of the same great Faint sound, but the album is surprisingly sluggish. "Forever Growing Centipedes" an exception amongst quite a few loser tracks.

So too, exceedingly disappointing, is the Black Ghosts LP, which we have been feverishly awaiting e'er since "Tears from a Gun" popped up as a freebie on iTunes o'er a year ago. That track fails to appear, but much of what does is somehow cranks up the annoyance factor in each track enough that I've grown bored quickly. A few standouts tracks: "Anyway You Choose to Give It," and uh, hmm. That's about it.

Beck's Modern Guilt has been back burner cookin' in my main playlist for a couple months, but I've failed to ever engage with the material much. It's a snoozer akin to Sea Change which bafflingly gathered accolades whilst brilliant Midnite Vultures has been cast a failure in the discography. This is a cruel world. Still, a few Guilt tracks percolate up through the back door: "Gamma Ray," and uh, hmm. That's about it. Sensing a pattern here this summer.

I am still wrestling with the new C.S.S. album. Have to get back to you on that one.

Ben Folds! "Bitch Went Nuts"!!! There is a God, and He is Good.

Caesars' "Strawberry Weed." And better yet, "No Tomorrow."

Finding the Charlatans' You Cross My Path a delight so far. Will dig deeper and report back.

Same deal for bizarre Pop Levi's Never Never Love. Odd little tadpole. Scratch & sniff.

Hello ruxpintunes.

Hello ruxpintunes. listen

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early June harvest

Viva la Vida snapshot review: the boys dialed up Eno's and ordered the Joshua Tree special. This is a messier album than X & Y and I think it's to its benefit. And the lyrics thankfully are less "You, you, you" than last go-round: Mr. Martin has darker stuff on the brain this time out. Solid A, not even A minus.

Next up to pick or pan: N.E.R.D., Weezer, the Dandy frigging Warhols, the Pharrell-produced Kenna album, the National EP, Kylie's X, new Kaskade and Booka Shade to boot. At least I'm not hurting for tunes to travel with!

bad blogger! no doughnut

true, true, the blogging tapered off of late (and that's a generous assessment). what can I say? time is in short supply.

the tunes they are a-rockin', though. when I'm not madly duplicating my main playlist to the iPhone, AppleTV, both PSPs, three Macs, the PS3, and now the (cough, cough) BlackBerry, well. you can imagine that takes a bit.

fortunately, the List at present is fairly solid. Here's quick impressions on the Stuff accompanying me as I fly all over the country this spring. cheers.

Lyrics Born, Everywhere at Once
Thank God! I've waited long enough for this to drop. Seeing posters all over San Fran was one of the highlights of that first week out west. New Lyrics Born album? Then all must be all right with the universe after all. Sigh, relief.
See "Don't Change" in particular. Good shit.

Nine Inch Nails, The Slip
Thanks for the free album, Trent! And it's a damn fine piece of work to boot. Bonus!
See "Echoplex", and the lovely "Discipline" for fine returns to NIN form. After the instrumental endlessness that was Ghosts I-IV, I'm glad to have Trent's gravel pit, fuck you like an animal voice scratching the back of my skull again. Hooray!

Coldplay, "Viva la Vida" and "Violet Hill"
Hey, if the album is as good as these two leaks, sign me up, man. At least SOMEbody still wants to take on U2 for Greatest Band in the World.

R.E.M., Accelerate
I know, color me surprised too. First listen didn't do much, then I saw the acoustic video for "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" and something clicked. Now I'm hearing threads of Automatic for the People and Monster weave in to the once-tired Athens sound of R.E.M., the ten-song death-dirge suites that posed as their last couple albums have been forgiven, and by golly we have a Rock and Roll album here. Shocker of the '00s. I thought these boys were toast.

Madonna, Hard Candy
Growing on me. Some of the Pharrell stuff was a little hard to swallow at first. Some of the lyrics are just freaking painful. But it is hard to argue with "Give It 2 Me" and "Dance 2Night" and even "4 Minutes..." once they're tattooed on your cranium. Give the lady credit, she knows the Hook from a mile away, and seldom fails to include it.

Moby, Last Night
I know: is it retro night in here? Apparently so. Everyone I was listening to in the 90's in back in heavy rotation it feels like. This album is not Amazing, but it is Very Good. Once the music is all licensed out to commercials, we can all wallow in its vibe for eternity in 30-second chunks. Thanks, Moby.

Bitter:Sweet, Drama
Supreme Beings of Leisure, 11i
I'm lumping these two together; so far as I can determine, they're pretty much two forks off the same Oversoul 7 road anyway. All I know is when I want to drive to Lounge Town, these are two of my first stops. I'm so delighted to have new albums: having both drop so closely to each other is tiki-licious (I hang my head in shame for writing such dreck. forgive me). The edge definitely goes to SBoL: these cats can Howwwwl.
See especially: "Pieces", "Everything" from SBol, "The Bomb" certainly is by Bitter:Sweet.

The Presets, Apocalypso
I must have done something good to deserve all this slamming music at once. Where do I begin with these nutbags? Take some early Depeche (when there was still a little "Something to Do" metallic crunch to their synthesizers), throw in vocal styling and attitude akin to one of my faves, the Faint. Add a dash of "Paninero" era Pet Shop, a can of Red Bull, some vodka, and mix it up. Loud, rude, a little sweaty. Some hot stranger pressing up against you on the dance floor. Delicious.

Cex, Actual Fucking
Already holds the distinction of Album It Took Me Too Damn Long to Find, Darn It. I've a deep and abiding love for Cex, weird crazy experimental Cex. He played once in Champaign a few years back, an absolute train wreck of a show, but it was I think just before the time this album emerged in 2006, so putting the pieces together after the fact, I begin to see how he was working it all out. "Baltimore" and "Los Angeles" are the real stars here, IMHO. I'm just thrilled he sounds like Cex again. Hoo freaking ray!

Sacha Sacket, Lovers and Leaders
I'm so jazzed that I may get to see Sacha next weekend in Pasadena. L&L is so beautiful, so lovely, you really ought go buy a copy today. You'll feel muuuuch better afterward. Splurge and buy 2004's Shadowed while you are at it, it is excellent and on par with the new disc. And he's dreamy cute too! Sigh.

That's it, folks. Oh sure, there's still some In Rainbows from Radiohead and Distance and Time from Fink in heavy rotation, but that is so 2007. And let's not even mention the new Aimee Mann. Blech!

Now up, up and away!

briefly noted

First things first. Okay, Janet's stupid damn Feedback does creep up on you. There. I said it. Now let's move on.

But I was right about the Goldfrapp remixes. Eh? Eh?

Madonna. Justin. Timbaland. Ugh. "4 Minutes to Save the World" is really the best you kids could come up with? Really. Nevertheless, with Timbaland even this dreck is tolerable, even memorable ("don't be a pri... maDONNA") on occasion.

Run, do not walk, to purchase 11i from Supreme Beings of Leisure. I am loving "Mirror" of course in its Connery Bond stylings, and "Good" and everything else in ear's reach on this album. Tremendoso!

Color me surprised: so far, a lot of Accelerate from R.E.M. is actually listenable, Automatic for the People-esque in its sound, though perhaps not mining as deeply as that true gem. But it's pleasing to hear the boys play something other than those sunny dirges from the last few albums!

Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple is opening itself up presently. More anon.

Moby's so-old-it's-new-again sound on the new album is a refreshing return to form. Can't wait for the German car commercials to come.

and yes, we are not ashamed of a little Dolly Parton cheerleading here at Seat of Our Pants Press. Backwoods Barbie is her most commercial accessible music in years. "Better Get to Livin'" warmed this Grinch's heart recently and brought actual sentimental tears to my jaded little eyes. God bless Dolly's little well preserved heart for carrying on, putting out her music on her own now that the labels are done with her, and still getting that senior bootie up on American Idol this week to mentor the young pups and sell some CDs. We love you Dolly!

And so much more still to listen and report back on: B-52's new album (their first in o'er a decade!) to tread cautiously into. Erykah Badu's sonic barrage New Amerykah Part One (4th World War). The eponymous Hercules and Love Affair. Destroyer's Trouble in Dreams. Champaign-Urbana's own Headlights have a new album. SO much. Hell, I'm still getting comfy with In Rainbows and that's SO 2007.

power up

It's official. another tentacle. ruxpin sure do love his video games.

a bit of praise for Goldfrapp

"A&E" shore is purdy.

"Little Bird" of the same, new Seventh Tree album is good too...in its Enya-opening-act kind of way. But it does have a touch of the Cirque de Soleil to it. The rest of the album, even more so. meh. where's my upbeat Goldfrapp?

Let me state for the record, I know Goldfrapp's whole ruse in the press that "this album's a more relaxed, acoustic affair" is hogwash. smoke & mirrors. the remixes will come upon us, relentless. remix EP's by the truckload on iTunes, and let's not forget the now-mandatory "special edition" CD re-release we should be seeing in several months. buy now, buy later!

never forget, now that we Americans have run out the clock on our relentless consumerism, and are wallowing in our gluttony, those that profit off of us have little choice but to offer up more of the same dreck and make you pay more frequently for another spoonful. the future is all about making us pay for the same thing, multiple times. they'd rent the air we breathe to us if they could figure out how to corner the market.

being a slobbering consumer still in the throes of the End Days here, I just want it all now, now, NOW. this does not make the waiting part any more fun though. c'mon, girls, gimme a beat!

miss jackson are you nasty?

I'm not quite sure when Janet Jackson's career went off a cliff. (Sorry, it's just "Janet." with the period, now. Whatever.) It definitely predated the whole Super Bowl nipple show, for which I Still Blame Timberlake...flashing that poor woman's boob while singing "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song" and then claiming it's a wardrobe malfunction, and letting her take the heat. I mean, really! Not cool, JT. We know you grabbed the wrong damn part of that rip off bra on purpose!

Back up from breasts to dear Janet; Miss Jackson if you're nasty. Love of her be damned, the fact remains that several consecutive albums have just not been doing it for me. And I say this having once been Hard Core for Ms. J. (Indeed. In one story from my past, yours truly can be found stripping for a bar full of guys to Janet's "Nasty" for New Year's Eve, with the 45 sluggishly playing at the wrong 33 1/3 speed. I know, I know. Grandpa's telling stories again. Let's save that one for another time, my sweets).

Now to be honest, every album she's done has always been about the Monster Dance Jams for me, and all else is padding. Discipline, her brand new disk for a brand new label, is out. It is being pushed as Very Edgy Dominatrix. In reality it is heavy on the ballads, which is a big problem. 22 tracks, and well over half are either a.) syrupy ballads featuring Ms. Jackson's nasal tse-tse fly range, or b.) spoken word "interludes" that seem a little too stuck in Rhythm Nation days to be fresh. I count 7 danceable songs total. Color me disappointed. Having persused the rest, it's already been sniffed & identified as garbage and jettisoned off my playllist.

Now: as for those upbeat tracks. I am no fan of the first track "Feedback". It seems so, I don't know, so second-rate-Britney. I half expect some skanky Lohan-esque thing to slink out singing some shit like this. Or an Olson twin. But it's beneath Janet frigging Jackson, you know?

And "Rock with U"? Is it really wise to remake your freaky pedophile brother's tracks, badly, and remind us all anew of your broken brother? I need a shower.

Sigh. Well, at least there is a Missy Elliot track, "The 1", with some promise. Any track that starts out talking about men with seven inches has my rapt attention. But one track, provocative as it may be, does not make a comeback. Better luck next time, dear.

Fischerspooner!

That's right, bitches. Fischerspooner. New single! "The Best Revenge" puts the awe in awesome. Some kind of playful horn work in there that seems new, otherwise it could have easily been pulled from their last disk. I don't care, I want it. More, more, more!

Hot Chip continues to amaze. "Don't Dance" currently rocking my mind.

The LCD Soundsystem/Nike+ album now is out with a couple bonus tracks on it, repackaged as 45:33 ...only so-so are the new tracks. Even geniuses have their off days, I suppose.

I can't hear your voice: do I have a choice?

"You're my number one guy-y-y..."

Enthralled of late with all things Hot Chip.* There's a bunch of unfamiliar new tunes on my main playlist of late (of the Discover This! variety) and much of it is disappointing AltRock forgetable garbage. Made in the Dark is filling that void happily...it is All I Listen To, sprinkled with Hot Chip's back catalog gems.

They are simply weird, and I mean that in the best most flattering and fanboy way. The sound is like some 80's synthesizer band with a big heart on for the Beatles and trippy 70's rock. They sound like a favorite forgotten cassette tape that's melted just a bit on the dashboard.

The track "If I Could Have One Pure Thought" is far too modest. These cats have stacked the decks with sonic ideas assaulting from all directions. It also might be the sleeper hit of the album.

I thought they were One to Watch with "Boy from School" and its amazing video off the (B minus!) previous album The Warning. Do yourself a favor and check out "Down with Prince" from the older (C plus!) Coming on Strong, which sounds nothing like Prince until it does. Miraculously, and snarkily. And funkfully.

This new album is pretty darn awesome (A minus!), and reviewers praising its ballads ("Made in the Dark", "We're Looking for a Lot of Love") are spot on. Having approached this album from its Monster Jam first two singles "Shake a Fist" and "Ready for the Floor", I am only opening up to the slow jams now, "Touch Too Much" currently playing in the background as I write this. Is it even a ballad by the time it is done? It's just jaw dropping. Odd, odd, crazy shit. Gooood shit.

*that is, in the spare minutes where the PS3 is not still gobbling my time (see also: feverishly monitoring eBay video game auctions, and obsessively downloading every Unreal Tournament map and Playstation Network downloadable in sight. Enough. I sense another blog coming on, sigh.)

music, schmusic.

Ah, the best intentions. Well, there have been other distractions of late. Namely a big shiny PS3 full of games to occupy my time. It is, truly, all that & a bag of chips.

But music never is far, wherever I be. And thanks to Medialink from nullriver, all my iTunes and other media on the Mac is right there on the beloved Sony box, over Wi-Fi no less.

Steve Jobs ought be quaking in his boots about this...that Apple TV sure is sitting unused lately! (Added bonus: PS3 can play more types of media. No more ripping .avi files to .mp4 just to squeeze through the Apple gateway!)

p.s. "Little Weapon" from Lupe Fiasco is still top of my pops, daddio...

notes from the 8 hour car trip

Fink's Distance and Time is full of gems. "Blueberry Pancakes" top of my list this week, as is "This is the Thing" (the first single, if I'm not mistaken). This is a great, great album.

The new Mary J. album is quite good.

Songus Interruptus: With shame I confess that I'm totally listening to (and digging) Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall completely randomly as the songs pop up on the iPod, having never listened through the concert in order (the playlist of which is, as I understand it, that of the original Judy concert, of which I am equally ignorant.) For shame, for shame. His sister Martha Wainright's cameo appearance to sing "Stormy Weather" was a gem. (Although events in the car made it this week's Songus Interruptus.)

Now I must go back and listen to the whole concert album again, and in order, damnit.

full disclosure

I am also all over "What Is It?" from Baby Bash featuring Sean Kingston. Probably because SK looks so hot in the video. Getting all flush just thinking about it.

Whoo whoo! Clang clang clang clang.

darling, the Fink train has left the station, and we are on board. I am wallowing now in a tub full of music: the new amazing Distance and Time, rediscovering the excellent previous album Biscuits for Breakfast, and am studying the 2000 down-tempo album Fresh Produce with the look one reserves for the record store, when coming across a dubious ne'er-heard of album by one's fave artist.

I believe historically the internal monologue runs something like this: I've never heard of this! Must have. Is this --INSERT ARTIST HERE-- outtakes LP for real, or am I gonna be real pissed off in about 45 minutes? You can imagine how that usually turned out. Ah, to have a fat wallet again. What a brave little late teen I was, already exploring.

Don't know about that '00 album. (Whaddaya mean he doesn't sing?) Sounds a little Buddha Bar for my tastes. Like maybe they saw that whole late 90's shit winding down and headed for the lifeboats immediately. Will investigate and report back.

for posterity's sake, it's Kasem time

...according to me. Me, me, me! As far back as I've been listening to music, I've been obsessed with ranking my current playlists American Top 40 style. So, if I'm really blogging this crap (gulp), I'd better dump this out for posterity's sake, don't ya think? Without further ado, my top 200 for 2007. Let's start from #200, shall we?

#200 Baby When The Light Guetta, David
#199 Storm in a Teacup Erasure

Great album for Erasure. I'm so glad to have had their music with me all these years.

#198 The Ritz Office
#197 Supergirl Minor Majority
#196 Booty Bangs Jessi Malay feat Yung Joc
#195 Hong Kong Gorillaz
#194 Grown Woman (featuring Ludacris) Blige, Mary J.
#193 Work that Blige, Mary J.
#192 The Wrath Of Marcie The Go! Team
#191 Close Your Eyes, We Are Blind Alaska In Winter
#190 Amazing Seal
#189 Flathead The Fratellis
#188 Vessel Nine Inch Nails
#187 Kite High! Sacket, Sacha

You'll be seeing Mr. Sacket splattered all over this list. Two insanely great albums by Sacha--one new, one old--revealed themselves to me in Fall '07, and I am drinking deep of them still.

#186 Shut Up and Drive Rihanna
#185 Kix The Real Tuesday Weld
#184 The Valley Duran Duran
#183 Cry Me A River The Cliks
#182 If You Were Alien The Brunettes
#181 Believe The Bravery
#180 Girls And Boys In Love The Rumble Strips
#179 Love And Nostalgia Friday Bridge
#178 Just Abuse Me Air Traffic
#177 Whoo! Alright-Yeah...Uh Huh Rapture, the
#176 Makes Me Wonder Maroon 5
#175 This Is The Industry Harris, Calvin
#174 Golden Heart Erasure
#173 Suspicious Eyes Rakes, the
#172 Sound Of Silver LCD Soundsystem
#171 Someone To Love Fountains of Wayne
#170 Cinderella Aqualung
#169 The Ghost of You Lingers Spoon
#168 Split Needles Shins, the
#167 Get Innocuous LCD Soundsystem

This LCD track first heard on the Nike+ megamix album probably would have ranked higher, but I still associate it with the oh-so-mercifully-brief gym membership at the start of '07. Shudder.

#166 Lightsonic Groove Armada
#165 Sea Legs Shins, the
#164 Someone Great LCD Soundsystem
#163 Time To Get Away LCD Soundsystem
#162 Halo Sacket, Sacha
#161 When A Lover Leaves You Erasure
#160 The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect Rakes, the
#159 Us v Them LCD Soundsystem
#158 The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) Keane
#157 92 Subaru Fountains of Wayne
#156 Writer's Block Just Jack
#155 Something To Believe In Aqualung
#154 All My Heroes Are Weirdos !!!
#153 Lollipop Mika
#152 Rehab Winehouse, Amy
#151 I Talk Too Much Just Jack
#150 Sucker For Love Erasure
#149 Love Sweet Sound Groove Armada
#148 Grace Kelly Mika
#147 New Routine Fountains of Wayne
#146 Saturate Chemical Brothers, the
#145 Integral (Perfect Immaculate Mix) Pet Shop Boys
#144 In This Twilight Nine Inch Nails
#143 Box Full O' Honey Duran Duran
#142 Her Hairagami Set The Brunettes
#141 All Rights Reversed (featuring The Klaxons) Chemical Brothers, the
#140 Acceptable In The 80's Harris, Calvin
#139 Piece Of Me Spears, Britney
#138 Boy, Boy, Boy Underworld
#137 Pop Pop Stone, Angie
#136 Johnny Appleseed Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Oh, theme song from my poor cancelled one-season unresolved John from Cincinnati. How you broke my heart. Kiss my ass, HBO! I will remember this and Deadwood's undignified cancellation until the end of my days.

#135 Don't Make Me a Target Spoon
#134 Drop That Thing Groove Armada
#133 Gimme More Spears, Britney

I have no idea how so much Britney made it on this year's list. Oh yeah, now I remember: it's a slickly produced piece of pop perfection through and through, and the train wreck real-life drama of '07 only sharpens the edge. Save Britney! But keep your feet away from her moving car. Jeez.

#132 Do I Disappoint You Wainwright, Rufus
#131 The Girls Harris, Calvin
#130 No Submission (featuring Alabama 3) Matt Darey Vs. Tall Paul

Well, this had to do while I wait on a full A3 album. Darn it.

#129 We All Want the Same Thing (featuring Akil Dasan) Kevin Michael
#128 The Sound Rapture, the
#127 Tears from a Gun The Black Ghosts
#126 Strapped For Cash Fountains of Wayne
#125 Kinda New Spektrum
#124 Love Today Mika
#123 Release The Stars Wainwright, Rufus
#122 Herculean The Good, The Bad & The Queen
#121 I-95 Fountains of Wayne
#120 God Given Nine Inch Nails
#119 Love Me Or Hate Me (Fuck You!!) (featuring Missy Elliott) Lady Sovereign
#118 Disco Friends Just Jack
#117 Outta Sight Chromeo
#116 Yolanda Hayes Fountains of Wayne
#115 The Sons Of Cain Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
#114 Waiting 4 U Chromeo
#113 I am somebody (featuring Chromeo) DJ Mehdi
#112 Nite Runner Duran Duran
#111 Hate On Me Scott, Jill
#110 Little Superstitions Rakes, the
#109 Trouble Voxtrot
#108 Pieces Of The People We Love Rapture, the
#107 Crown Royal Scott, Jill
#106 Don Gon Do It Rapture, the
#105 Take My Time Junior Senior
#104 Shim Sham Imperial Teen
#103 Tulsa Wainwright, Rufus
#102 Best Mamgu Ever Underworld
#101 Golden Skans Klaxons
#100 Me & Mr. Jones Winehouse, Amy
#99 Tony the Beat (Rex the Dog Radio Mix) Sounds, the
#98 How Low? Sacket, Sacha
#97 Whine & Dine The Lovemakers
#96 Vegas Harris, Calvin
#95 Little Stereo (featuring Daddy Boastin') Teddybears
#94 What Am I Fighting For? Unklejam

No group gave me greater fits trying to locate their music online than Unklejam in '07. Was it worth it? Meh. I guess, if you count this awesome crazy ass song.

#93 Relax, Take It Easy Mika
#92 Northern Whale The Good, The Bad & The Queen
#91 Watch The Tapes LCD Soundsystem
#90 Going To A Town Wainwright, Rufus
#89 Pressure Suit Aqualung
#88 Kitty In The Middle Presets, the
#87 Videotape Radiohead
#86 Release (featuring Justin Timberlake) Timbaland
#85 The Good Soldier Nine Inch Nails
#84 A Comet Appears Shins, the
#83 Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim Fountains of Wayne
#82 Faust Arp Radiohead
#81 Feel the Same (featuring Angie Stone) Groove Armada
#80 Rockers To Swallow Yeah Yeah Yeahs
#79 Red Rabbits Shins, the
#78 See What You Get Groove Armada
#77 Beautiful Burnout Underworld
#76 Are You The One? Presets, the
#75 The Beginning Of The End Nine Inch Nails
#74 House Of Cards Radiohead
#73 1973 Blunt, James
#72 Myth Takes !!!
#71 Lovestoned / I Think She Knows Justin Timberlake
#70 We Are The Night Chemical Brothers, the
#69 North American Scum LCD Soundsystem
#68 Read My Mind Killers, the
#67 Heart Of Hearts !!!
#66 Jigsaw Falling Into Place Radiohead
#65 All I Need Radiohead
#64 The Underdog Spoon
#63 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi Radiohead
#62 Yours To Keep (featuring Neneh Cherry) Teddybears

Dude, this song totally dominated 2006. You have no idea.

#61 Judy (for Shame) Sacket, Sacha

And he's really damn cute too. Go buy this album immediately.

#60 Get Myself Into It Rapture, the
#59 Soul Spaceship Ndegéocello, Me'shell
#58 All My Friends LCD Soundsystem
#57 Turn On Me Shins, the
#56 You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb Spoon
#55 Bend Over Beethoven !!!

!!! delivered the goods this year. A great rock event.

#54 Bonafied Lovin Chromeo
#53 Give It To Me (featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake) Timbaland
#52 Phantom Limb Shins, the
#51 Scar Stephen Fretwell

A dark horse. Still playing this a year later. Now I'm set to devour his '03 and '05 albums.

#50 Tiergarten Wainwright, Rufus
#49 Anniversary Vega, Suzanne
#48 Call Me Up Chromeo
#47 Just Fine Blige, Mary J.
#46 We Danced Together Rakes, the
#45 Starz In Their Eyes Just Jack
#44 Sanssouci Wainwright, Rufus
#43 One U Wanna C, the (featuring Wendy & Lisa) Prince

A Prince album from this century with two! (debatedly, three!) solid tracks! Alert the media. Oh yeah, he gave copies away in the UK newspapers, come to think of it. Then sued his biggest fan sites for using his image. Meh, never mind.

And furthermore, this much-vaunted "reunion" with Wendy & Lisa? Sure it sounds swell, but I defy you to find traces of either gal in this mix. Leave it to Prince to bury the hatchet and bury their vocals in one fell swoop. Clever midget, Trix are for rabbits.

#42 Bodysnatchers Radiohead
#41 Maybe You Can Save Me (from You) Sacket, Sacha
#40 Coloured Bedspread Lennox, Annie
#39 Closer Travis
#38 Sunday Girl Erasure
#37 By The Time I Get Home There Won't Be Much Of A Place For Me Grand National
#36 Must Be The Moon !!!
#35 Paris and September Sacket, Sacha
#34 15 Step Radiohead
#33 The Prodigal Sacket, Sacha
#32 Don't Stop The Music Rihanna
#31 I Could Fall In Love With You Erasure
#30 Do It Again (featuring Ali Love) Chemical Brothers, the
#29 Play With It Stone, Angie
#28 Momma's Boy Chromeo
#27 Reckoner Radiohead
#26 Way I Are (featuring Keri Hilson & D.O.E.) Timbaland
#25 Brandon Boyd Sacket, Sacha
#24 Playing In The Distance Grand National
#23 Nude Radiohead

I paid four bucks and change for their Grand Experiment. You?

#22 Guitar Prince
#21 Crocodile Underworld
#20 Get Down Groove Armada

Not to mention the best video of the year.

#19 Bounce (featuring Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott & Justin Timberlake) Timbaland
#18 Burn It All Down VHS Or Beta
#17 Australia (Remix) The Shins

Sure wish they'd swing back through Champaign again...

#16 I Go Hard, I Go Home Presets, the

All hail the Presets! My NIN, my Fischerspooner, my Depeche. You have joined their lofty ranks, o Aussie lads.

#15 Skin Divers (featuring Timbaland) Duran Duran

Best track on the Duran album by far.

#14 On The Sky Metric

Obligatory Metric appearance.

#13 Umbrella (featuring Jay-Z) Rihanna
#12 Traffic And Weather Fountains of Wayne

So the album is a bit of a let down from their last career high. With tracks this good, how could I not love 'em anyway?

#11 Heavyweight Champion of the World Reverend and the Makers

Number eleven?!? They was robbed, robbed I say! This track so owned my December.

...which brings us to the oh-so-controversial top ten of 2007*

#10 Timebomb Beck

Out of nowhere, a single. Perchance, an album? No album. A single. Just a single, to whet our Beck appetite. A joyous, ass-chomping, radio-gobbling, monster track single. That's all. I love you, you crazy Scientologist.

#9 Fancy Footwork Chromeo

Oh, how I feared my Favorite Recent Discovery would tank on album #2. One listen to this and all fears were allayed. Thank heaven for Chromeo!

#8 As You Are Now Vega, Suzanne

Vega's brief little album entered my iPod and has never left since. What an amazing songwriter and performer.

#7 Ali In The Jungle Hours, the

Check back this time next year...this and others from the Hours should pepper the list if memory hasn't faded by then. This track was, is, amazing. Rock & freaking roll. Only now in '08 am I finding out the album Narcissus Road is kickass through & through. Hallelujah!

#6 100% Chromeo

I'm gonna let you know, I wanna let you know, I'll never let you go, until you say please.

#5 Wish Upon A Dog Star Perry Farrell's Satellite Party

I understand this album from Farrell has been yawned at in some quarters. Maybe deserved, but anyone who isn't infected by this specific catchy track should be checked for alien antenna immediately.

#4 Rules And Regulations Wainwright, Rufus

Yes, I know this much Rufus can make a boy start liking the fellas. So be it!

#3 Baby (featuring Betty Wright) Stone, Angie

And bear in mind I love Angie Stone to begin with: this is her best track ever.

#2 Between My Legs Wainwright, Rufus

Favorite. Rufus. Ever.

#1 Capital G Nine Inch Nails

The most repeated most played song of the year. And a career peak for Mr. Reznor with this track.

In closing: I have never had a year like this. There were five hundred more great songs I had to pitch overboard to make this list. And so many of those were totally monster jams too. 2007 you wonderful year, we miss ya already. Now get the hell out.

*all according to me. Me, me, me! You will now be returned to your regularly scheduled programming.

in which we again sing the praises...

of one Lupe Fiasco. "Gold Watch" is every bit as much the keeper as the dreamy "Little Weapon." "Go Go Gadget Flow" and "Hip Hop Saved My Life" are quite good too. Yum.

And still reeling from "Shake a Fist" from Hot Chip. They are the most bizarre.

Fink, we love thee! "Trouble's What You're In" indeed.

out of the gate

So. The idea here is a little old music lover's log. "Blog" if it gets a reader other than me; humbler ambitions for now. I thought I might appreciate later having kept a running recap throughout '08 of what tunes owned the precious real estate betwixt my temples.

Amazing music always lands in my lap every January more than any other month, arriving with full force and volume, courtesy of year-end best-of list suggestions, all the big holiday releases, and free time 'round the holidays to bit torrent my fanny off. Add to all that my propensity to do year-end rankings of my favorite tunes (then purge the whole lot from my main iPod playlist) and the result? Yours truly awash in a flood of unfamiliar music. Scary, and sheer bliss.

Lupe Fiasco, for example. New to me, as is the new album The Cool. "Little Weapon" kills. I've been listening to that damn catchy Public Enemy-esque bit of brilliance repeatedly. It's like Terminator X channeling Enigma and "The Max"-era Prince, and that's before the lyrics start sinking in. Wicked.

Some artists seep in through osmosis: songs ranked high on my year-end list yet I never got around to investigating the album from which they originated. Prepping the year-end list prompts my butt into motion. Por ejemplo: I loved the Hours' "Ali in the Jungle" in '07 (#7 on the list...they was robbed!) but never sought out the full album until now. Now I am enjoying most of Narcissus Road, especially "Murder or Suicide." I love it when a one-hit wonder blossoms into a fave (hello, Chromeo).

What else is cooking? The Presets' new single "My People." Drool, drool. I can only presume a full album is imminent.

Fink is back! Distance and Time is solid across the board, in particular "Make it Good" and "Trouble Is What You're In." I love Fink; with this album he fills some of the void left by my dear departed Morphine. Sigh.

Hot Chip's "Ready for the Floor" from Made in the Dark is quite charming and addictive. As is Funkerman's "Speed Up"...that hook, "I want you behind my bedroom doors..." is classic and catchy.

Up next? New Belle & Sebastian to devour. Stay tuned to find out if it's a meh! or a meh.