Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

In Soviet Russia, post reads you. ~ Family Guy

What we need is some good old fashioned fun for the holiday season. There’s this sweet little game called LineRider that is sweeping the nation with each geometric stroke. Check it out here: LineRider.

There is this really awesome music program called MusicIP that analyzes your music library and then can create playlists of songs that sound similar to a song that you choose. So let’s say you want to create a downtempo mix, you “seed” the playlist with a song that you think is appropriate for the playlist. Then you can tell the program to create a playlist of as many songs you like. The Analysis of the songs takes a while, but it’s well worth it. Also, the program recommends new artists with links to tracks. Check out MusicIP (click the download software box in the middle), it’s free!!

Do you like to read about what’s going on in the world, but don’t like having to go to 10 different websites just to get the information you want? Then get an RSS reader. I have a Mac, and I use the free Vienna News Reader. For Windows, there are a ton of free RSS news readers, but I suggest you read this to find which is best.

Drum roll please….

1. Under the Influence of Giants-Under the Influence of Giants
Maybe you’re a little surprised by this selection, or maybe you’re giving me that sly nod of semi-approval, or maybe (just maybe) you’re thinking that I’m dead on. After careful deliberation over all the albums considered, I kept coming back to this one. Under the Influence of Giants is the album Sting and the Police would have made in 2006. It’s edgy, but it isn’t cookie-cutter. Under the Influence of Giants (UTIOG) have created the polyester of indie rock-pop, genre-spanning music. You’re not really sure what exactly to call it, but when the falsetto starts to sound and the chords start to play, you just accept that this album is extraordinary. Think Eric Clapton, Sting and The Police, Maroon 5 (but much better), and various late 80s bands that are un-namable at this point.
There’s a great deal of harmony in the album as a whole. They certainly complement each other vocally, but I’m more impressed with the way they incorporate intricate melodies, bridges, and solos into the songs themselves. Nothing is redundant or boring. This album is a well-planned party and everyone is invited. So check your presumptions at the door and just enjoy it. Whatever your tastes, this album is sure to please. For once, being ‘Under the Influence’ is a darn good thing.
Buy Under the Influence of Giants here.
Listen to “I Love You” and “Mama’s Room” (an extra song!!) as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

Tomorrow’s the big day–be sure to check back for the number one album and some nice goodies…..

4. Office-Q & A
I posted about this band earlier, but I’m going to elaborate. I also need to make a disclaimer here. This album is no longer for sale, as Office (not The Office) was just signed by a label a couple of weeks ago (I can’t believe it took that long). Their ‘first’ album is due out early next year, so I’ll keep you posted on that.
But on to this ‘demo album’ of sorts…Q & A is just a spectacular display of what pop/rock really sounds like. Q & A has a ton of energy throughout but it is never overbearing or overdone. I could almost see this album being the soundtrack to a Rocky movie–it’s that kind of inspiring rock album that isn’t preachy but isn’t trite either. I said it before and I still mean it: They sound like Coldplay with higher seratonin levels. They do that catchy hand-clapping thing in “Wound Up” that gets accented by great guitar riffs and drum beats. I love the positivity coming from songs like “Dominos” or the way they create terms like “Big Bang Jump!” (are they trying to tell Miriam-Webster something?). Thank Goodness they have been signed.
Nothing to buy yet. Go here to download a bunch of tracks.
Listen to “The Big Bang Jump!” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

3. The Weepies-Say I Am You
The Weepies were the most pleasant of surprises this past year, as the super-folk-duo of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan. None of their solo works really stand out as incredible, but together they form a significant group. Sometimes touching and sentimental, other times flirtatiously deep, and still other times waxing poetic, The Weepies is anything but depressing. They show an impeccable knack for creating delicious pop tunes, without losing literary quality. It seems to me that Tannen and Talan were born to harmonize, were meant to sing with each other. Say I Am You plays with your emotions, it takes you on a car trip throughout the bustling east coast, through the mild-mannered farms of the midwest, to the mountainous west, while making stops in the cotton skied south. This is an album about relationships–with the earth, with the people around us, and with ourselves. Say I Am You challenges us to find what is meaningful and good in this world, and to hold on to it with our dear lives. It’s personal and it’s universal. Touché, The Weepies.
Buy Say I Am You here.
Listen to “Riga Girls” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

2. Alexi Murdoch-Time Without Consequence
Nick Drake just came out with a new album–he’s just going under the pseudonym of Alexi Murdoch. Of course, this is a total lie, but you might not know that from listening to Alexi Murdoch’s Time Without Consequence. I’d been awaiting this album for quite some time (along with my fellow Murdoch fan Matt), and my expectations were more than fulfilled. It is obvious to liken Murdoch to a Nick Drake copycat, but that would be oversimplifying Murdoch’s talent and sound. Time Without Consequence hovers between a ground of mystery and mystic haunting and an infinite sky of creative positivity and innovation. Murdoch grabs hold of his listeners, he entrances them, and imparts wisdom upon them that is hard to forget. Armed with mostly just a raspy baritone and a loose acoustic guitar, Murdoch’s music sounds much bigger than one would think. This is not a sparse acoustic album–it’s a well-produced, other-wordly album that finds Murdoch changing the listener for every 4-minute chance (and sometimes longer) he gets. In listening to Time Without Consequence, I find that the title perhaps isn’t so accurate; Indeed, I feel that this album has a time-slowing effect to it, with the only consequence being the beautiful piece of artwork that Alexi Murdoch has created.
Buy Time Without Consequence here.
Listen to “Blue Mind” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

The pulse is quickening…the anticipation is heart-racing…the music is sweet.

7. Belle and Sebastian-The Life Pursuit
Maybe this album should be ranked higher than it is, because everybody and their mother in the blog scene has rated this album pretty high. I’ve always had this aversion to listening to Belle and Sebastian because I just thought it was that kind of music. I don’t what the hell that means or what the hell I was talking about. Damnit, The Life Pursuit is one of more complete albums I’ve heard in a long time. This album makes me feel that everything in the world is good. It makes me feel that music can make you happy and not be cheesy. It makes me want to go up to random people on the street and give them a great big hug. The Life Pursuit is chock full of cheery falsettos, clarinets, bopping organs, and jangly (my new favorite adjective) guitars. The Life Pursuit is that summery-sounding rock album that grabs influences from the likes of Marvin Gaye and The Doobie Brothers and sounds a little like a more accessible version of The Flaming Lips or The New Pornographers (although neither of these really pinpoint the sound). Don’t be fooled-this album is a lot smarter than it may appear at first.
Buy The Life Pursuit here.
Listen to “For The Price of a Cup of Tea” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

6. Sufjan Stevens-The Avalanche
From the man who brought you the inspiration behind the name of this blog, comes the B-sides (!!) from Illinois, one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. For those of you wondering who the hell I’m talking about: Sufjan Stevens is a prolific indie-darling, whose album Illinois in August of 2005 shot him to superstar status in the indie music world. You’ll be hard pressed to find anybody who doesn’t really like him. Illinois was originally slated to be a 50-song double album, but Sufjan decided to package it as a 25-song single album. After receiving such praise for Illinois, Sufjan decided to release The Avalanche, the other half of the double album.
Essentially, The Avalanche begins where Illinois left off. The beloved banjos and trumpets stay, only to be complemented by his characteristic weird conglomeration of sounds at the ends of a few of the songs on the album. One of the greatest songwriters today, Sufjan doesn’t disappoint on The Avalanche–just about every song is a masterpiece in itself. Call him over-hyped, call him whatever. With three different versions of the now-famous “Chicago”, and nearly twenty other tracks that range from the uplifting to the gentle-sleep-inducing ballads, this album of B-sides is much better than a collection of A-sides from a boat-full of bands this year. The bottom line is that Sufjan’s formula works:
1 part quivering vocals
+
1 part introspective and thoughtful lyrics
+
12 parts instruments
———————————————————-
An album that’s worth listening.
Buy The Avalanche here.
Listen to “No Man’s Land” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

5. Josh Rouse-Subtitulo
Who needs medication? All it took for Josh Rouse to go from the melancholic Americana songwriter to the hip, rootsy optimistic singer was a trip across the Atlantic. A former inhabitant of the great states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Tennessee (among others), Rouse decided to move to a small town on the Atlantic coast of Spain. He immersed himself in the small town culture and just wrote songs. After two years of searching and writing, he released Subtitulo. Rouse is a true folk-hero–and a prolific one at that! He sticks to acoustic guitar based songs, laced with subtle strings and a gentle piano. This album is like a blanket that wraps you up as the sun dips below the horizon on a cool summer’s eve. Rouse is always frank, but it’s his voice that lets the whole package go down smoothly. The vocals are soothing–sonic therapy, if you will. When listening to these songs, I start to get a feel for who he is…that takes some real talent. There are a few songs on the album that lack greatness, but “His Majesty Rides” (you can tell Rouse gets into this one) and “It Looks Like Love” (just listen to the piano!!) are some of the greatest songs I can remember in a long time.
Buy Subtitulo here.
Listen to “His Majesty Rides” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

10. KT Tunstall-Eye to the Telescope
So you’re probably wondering why I have KT on the list. Why not is really the question to be answered. KT didn’t start out big, except for her sound of course. I haven’t heard a female singer/songwriter who can contemplate about the mysteries of the world and still rock like the best of them! She balances her unique solid vocals with some pretty nifty guitar work to boot. Eye to the Telescope shows us two very different artists–a balladeer and a true rocker. It’s the best of both worlds. KT is a real talent, and we shouldn’t put her down for the fact that people actually dig her sound.
Buy Eye to the Telescope here.
Listen to “Heal Over” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

9. Zero 7-The Garden
This was probably one of the most anticipated albums for me over the past year. I simply adore Zero 7 and I was even more pleasantly surprised when I found that Jose Gonzalez (!!) was going to do vocals for half of the songs on The Garden. I posted about these guys here, but I think they deserve a bit more congratulations. From the tripped-out, disco-tuned, percussion-filled rendition of “Crosses” (a Gonzalez original) to the more classic-Zero 7, space-expanding, color-coded “Today” to the slightly odd “The Pageant of the Bizarre”, The Garden flows incredibly well. Zero 7 target emotions-they evoke subconscious memories with their ethereal and plushy sounds. I don’t know why this review has come out more pretentious than the others—I guess I’m just having a hard time explaining how much I like this album.
Buy The Garden here.
Listen to “Today” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

8. The Format-Dog Problems
I don’t really know how I chanced upon this Tucson based band, but I’m glad I did. Dog Problems is a high-pitched, insanely catchy and pop-driven album that somehow retains a sense of intimacy despite what its sound may suggest. This is an album with big aspirations, reflecting a band with a great deal of potential. The lyrics range from the humorous to the ‘self-reflectory’, packaged in sweet candied melodies. Imagine Sting and The Police meets Billy Joel, except without all the drunkenness and car accidents (too soon?). Most of these songs make me just downright giddy, and I think there’s definitely something to be said for happiness-inducers these days.
Buy Dog Problems here.
Listen to “Time Bomb” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

This whole venture has gotten us really excited about the past year in music, but more importantly, we’ve even more excited for music being released in the coming year. Patrick is going to have the whole scoop for you….

15. Vienna Teng-Dreaming Through The Noise
Read what we wrote about her in this post.
Buy Dreaming Through the Noise here.
Listen to “1BR/1BA” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

14. Ollabelle-Riverside Battle SongsWe’re only loving this band more and more. It’s bluesy, it’s soulful, it’s good.
Read what we wrote about Riverside Battle Songs in this post.
Buy Riverside Battle Songs here.
Listen to “Reach For Love” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

13. Razorlight-Razorlight
Why exactly these guys decided to self-title their sophomore release, I have no idea. Why Pitchfork berated these guys to no end, I have no idea. Why Q Magazine rated this album the 3rd best of the year, I do have an idea.
Read what I wrote about Razorlight in this post.
Buy Razorlight here.
Listen to “Fall to Pieces” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

12. Ray Lamontagne-Till the Sun Turns Black
I was anxiously anticipating this album and my expectations were definitely met by Ray Lamontagne’s raspy and comforting vocals. Ray Lamontagne is a unique talent, whose styles range from laid-back blues arrangements, to Carribean lamentations, to funky fresh melodies. Imagine Jack Johnson rolled together with a little Nick Drake, and you’ve got a basic idea of what Lamontagne’s all about. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t post about this year, but he nevertheless makes the grade here.
Buy Till the Sun Turns Black here.
Listen to “Three More Days” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

11. Phoenix-It’s Never Been Like That
No, they’re not from Phoenix. They’re a French-American band that write trippy, catchy, and downright fun songs. Now, ordinarily I don’t like anything French unless we’re talking about Air or–as is now the case–Phoenix. With pulsing drums, a happy guitar, a modest usage of electronic tools, and fluttering vocals, Phoenix has put together an album that has me thinking that “it’s never been like that”. I’m not going to link to the Pitchfork review (because that only encourages them), but from what I recall, they received a pretty good review for a band that is relatively well known in indie circles. Screw it, they got an 8.0–even Pitchfork liked it. Read the review here.
Buy It’s Never Been Like That here.
Listen to “Napoleon Says” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

It’s time, CSVMAD readers! Oh yes.
We’re going to start counting down the 20 best albums of 2006. Here’s out it is going to work:

We’re going to give you 20-16 and 15-11 in the coming days. Then, Patrick and I will be releasing albums 10-1 (2 at a time, like the animals in Noah’s ark) as we flood you with the best music of the year.

Notice: We’re going to make a playlist available made up of select songs from the albums that are part of the countdown.

So don’t wake up just yet, or else you might miss Sandburg’s Top 20 in your dream.

20. Matisyahu-Youth
I have to give props to Matisyahu, who seems to have outlasted the novelty label that everyone has placed upon him. I must admit that I was more impressed by his first album, Shake off the Dust…Arise, but Youth sees Matisyahu expanding his musical capabilities. Isn’t it refreshing to see someone devoutly religious only encouraging people to discover what kind of religiosity works for them? Yes, yes it is.
Buy Youth here.
Listen to “Jerusalem” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

19. Jamie Lidell-Multiply
Jamie Lidell used to make freaky electronic music. A lot of it was not very good. Then Jamie Lidell discovered he had an amazing voice. Lidell then made awesome music. Multiply features retro-style, funky grooves that gets jazzed up and ‘bluesed’ down by Lidell’s vocals. It seems like Lidell has opened the door and it doesn’t look like the door is closing anytime soon.
Buy Multiply here. Also check out Multiply Additions here.
Listen to “Multiply” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

18. The Damnwells-Air Stereo
I just posted about these guys, so that this selection wouldn’t come out of left field. If you don’t remember what we wrote or you just got here because of elbo.ws, then read the post here.
Buy Air Stereo here.
Listen to “I’ve Got You” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

17. The Kooks-Inside In Inside Out
The Kooks could be terrible. Thank God they’re not. The Kooks have got that severe British accent that can sometimes be a total detriment to the sound. But The Kooks have managed to pull it all together and create an awesome rock album that’s both catchy and interesting.

Buy Inside In Inside Out here.
Listen to “She Moves in Her Own Way” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

16. Bernard Fanning-Tea & Sympathy
Read what we wrote about him in this post.
Buy Tea & Sympathy here.
Listen to “Further Down the Road” as part of Sandburg’s Top 20 Playlist.

For some reason, I love the music video. And lately, I’ve been frustrated. Many bands (or the directors they employ) think that shooting a video of the band playing the song should be enough.
But this is a wasted opportunity. This is a time for the band to show the expansiveness of their creativity. The music video allows listeners to understand the song in a different light, through a different lens.
That’s why, I’d like to tell you about some of the best music videos from this year (with links, of course). You’ll find most of these videos via either Cliptip or videos.antville. Also be sure to vote on video.antville for what you think are some of the best.

So let’s get on to the links already.

Hot Chip-Over and Over (to just go straight to the video, click here)

The Rapture-”Whoo! Alright – Yeah. Uh Huh….” (to just go straight to the video, click here)

The Softlightes- Heart Made of Sound (or you can go straight to the video)

The Zutons-Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love (or just click here for video)

Gnarls Barkley-Crazy (or you can click here for video)

This will be my last post before my end of the year picks, which are going to be done in a series of 4 or 5 posts. We’re going to start with some fun stuff and then get down to business for the top 20 albums of the year, but for now let’s just enjoy this.

Locksley is a Madison, WI turned Brooklyn-based quartet that will remind you of The Beatles. It’s 70′s light-hearted rock with a modern bite. With free-flowing, wilting vocals and jangly (you’ll see this adjective later on….it’s a word, I think) guitars that skip in your ears like rocks water skiing on Lake Michigan (which means very nicely). Locksley manages to create broad sounds that fill up the given space, but they never overdo it. It’s so easy to just create noise these days in an attempt to sound original or different (see TV on the Radio…yuck) but Locksley seems to have it all figured out. With their motto being “yeah. rock”, I think we’ve got an upcoming album about which to be excited (their first album will be released January 16).

A few tracks have been available over the internet, primarily over at freeindie.com so I’ll direct you to some of my favorite tracks from there.

Listen to “Here There” (4.7/5)
Listen to “She Does” (4/5)

I want to tell you all about a Brooklyn band, The Damnwells, that released their most recent album all the way back in August. But the album is so ‘damn’ good that I have to share it with our CSVMAD readers.