Monday, July 12, 2010

Twenty-Hour-Work-Weeks and Gin Next To The Oscillating Fan: These Are The Summer Albums of 2010

Before I begin this year's edition of the Summer Albums, I suppose it's necessary to explain how I decide to pick these albums:

-The way each of these albums are picked are based solely on how well they fluctuate within the constructs of the summertime mentality, by which I mean "which are most appropriate for being cathartic and sweaty".   It's clearly a biased charade (as most of my lists are) of what makes me smile on the busride to work or while my friends and I are shit-housed at 5:00 pm.  We openly acknowledge that these are specific one-time opportunities, and bless the fact that we have the soundtrack to supplement it.

These are the Summer Albums of 2010:

Avi Buffalo Avi Buffalo 


This album takes something very innocent and makes it incredibly mature.  Clearly the dying breath the influence of bands like West Indian Girl and The Autumn Leaf, Avi Buffalo (whom, it should be mentioned, is lead by a kid younger than myself) uses a very well orchestrated arrangement of surfy guitars and high fading vocals to come out with more than a few consistent singles.



Frank Sinatra Watertown


When one could consider the possibilities of a concept album, few think Frank Sinatra, and fewer think of Frank Sinatra and divorce.  Frank Sinatra (quick review: Frank Sinatra is both from New York City, and... well, Frank Sinatra) composes 11 tracks only parelleling Carole King's Tapestry in lyrical content. Taking place in the fictional small town of "Watertown", Sinatra progresses through each song discussing how he, being a fictional blue-collar small town father, is left by his wife and the toil he struggles with keeping his shit together while trying to raise his kids.  All is done in the old standards style of his greater hits while being accompanied by occasional spliced-in audio.



Drive By Truckers The Big To-Do


Many have agreed that The Hold Steady really disappointed a lot of people with their album Heaven is Whenever, but where I like to differ in thought is I believe that Drive By Truckers picked up where they dropped the alt-country ball.  Much MUCH grittier than most stuff The Hold Steady does, and not to mention that Drive By Truckers have been doing this blue-collar type of shit longer.  DBT use a lot of heavy fuzzy guitar and really really heavy lyrics (among other topics: a young man getting his first lapdance, alcoholism, and paternal neglect), but at the same time they manage to manipulate the songs to come off more innocent and carefree, which I suppose what makes them so good to begin with.



Ike & Tina Turner Workin' Together


The first time I ever EVER heard their cover of "Proud Mary" was both:

A. Mind blowing
B. Less than three weeks ago

It sometimes feels like Tina might have been overlooked as the best (THE BEST) soul singer of the 60s and 70s.  People tend to focus on Ike's (may he burn in hell) brutality towards his wife during this time, but if you are able to neglect this time you'll notice almost flawless arrangements that were so carefully put together by Ike.  His clear need to control his environment is taken out on both Tina and their musical arrangements.  All the while Tina dances and sings as if to say "Fuck you, Ike.  Fuck you so hard."



Tame Impala Innerspeaker


When I first read about this album, I thought they were suppose to be something closer to Wolfmother (apparently, you don't have to sound like AC/DC if your band is from Australia... weird).  Neo-psychedilia can actually sound good sometimes, and this is that proof.  It's just enough to take you on a trip and not sound as shoddy as most of Mars Volta's discography.  It could be January, and this album is so well layered and not-stoner-sounding to put you in the right frame of mind to enjoy the sun.  I really look forward to camping to this album.  Perhaps the most mature album of 2010.



Miles Davis 'Round About Midnight


Miles Davis is great.  Negating Bitches Brew almost everything he touches turns to gold. However nothing sounds exactly alike of his.  'Round About Midnight is the obvious "late night" album.  I struggled at first to define a specific jazz album for this summer, but after a little thought this was the hands-down winner.  I've spent several nights sweating tirelessly in the evenings and this is the only thing that really accompanies my lukewarm beer this nicely.  



Earl Greyhound Suspicious Package


This is the... I guess one could say... Epic Summer Album.  Earl Greyhound has been discussed quite extensively on this blog, but I suppose what was negated was the subtle flow of each track.  Most songs individually play as legitimate singles, but collectively they bring together such an epic use of thundering drums, cascading vocals, and progressively intensifying guitar, with little to no filler.



The Rolling Stones Exile On Mainstreet


This is not a coincidence.  My listening to this album has everything to do with its recent reissuing.  I listen to a lot of nerdy podcasts who talk about music, and they all seem to love this.  I personally hate The Rolling Stones, but even in their pretentious nature, this really is one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard.  I have a strange spite against British blues revival, but my being able to relate to their debaucherous ways and imagining them sweating these tracks out in a basement in Paris make me content for a time.  "Sweet Virginia" is too good to pass up, as it seems to encapsulate both where Bruce Springsteen was getting all his gusto from (seriously was not expecting the flagrant use of the Sax) and what they fuss was all about.  People should spend less time summarizing the existence of the Stones, and instead break it off into two parts.  This later half of the good years is why.



The Black Keys Brothers


I don't what The Black Keys did, but they got their mojo back.  I now work at a radio station and each time I hear someone play a track from this album, it is immediately followed by the person playing the track saying "this album is so fucking good".  This is not like their old stuff.  People expecting a carbon copy of Thickfreakness or Rubber Factory will not be so much disappointed as thrown off.  This is clearly the work of a progression in sound, but it doesn't come off loose or shoddy.  This might be the tightest collection of work they have put out, but this only comes from really trying to broaden their horizons.



Guided By Voices Bee Thousand


I hate the 90s.  Music from this time was shoddy and falsely accused of being inspiring and interesting in technique.  This is has been my mentality for a long time.  I like my music tight and articulate and well put-together.  This is that first crack into finally "getting it".  This may have to do with the chaotic nature that turns a lack of composure into something that feels put together without having any choice.  If you stuggle to find meaning in life when things make no sense at all, I suppose this is that catalyst.  It's very 90s, they use the word "rape" at strange points, and they sound like they wear a lot of flannel, but for some reason, I just "get it".



The Pack A.D. We Will Computers


I hate to pigeonhole this band, but they really do sound like an all female version of The White Stripes.  They tend to border closer to the contemporary, but if its the closest I get to a "guilty pleasure", I'm okay with that.  Very eloquent in their brevity, The Pack A.D. are two women from Vancouver, B.C. (that makes them two of my most hated things; Canadians and a band that is often compared to The White Stripes), they really are quite fantastic. Their a little simple and there's certainly room for improvement.  But they nail something together I can't quite put my finger on, it certainly is sophmoric, but somehow they make it work.

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