Top Ten Albums of 2006, Pt. 1

Top Ten of '06

Here are Jordan's picks for the best of 2006.

1. Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist - When Saturday Night Wrist came out, I left it in my CD player for three monthes. No kidding. The record is like if you painted a picture of a stunning, naked beauty, but instead of paint, used sludge and muck from the sewer. It's wonderful. It's not the Deftones peak of musical ability, but it is their highest artistic peak as far as song-writing.

Stand-out tracks - Hole in the Earth, Beware, Kimdracula, Xerces

2. Bob Dylan - Modern Times - Dylan is back. Again. I swear, this man is some kind of miracle. Modern Times is a bluesy, twangy, swingy, deep, rich, and amazing record. Again, it's Dylan. We get Dylan's version of classic blues motifs and melodies, melding in those classic themes like lamenting lost love and questioning God, with Dylan's poet's command of language and sentiment.

Stand-out tracks - Thunder on the Mountain, The Levee's Gonna Break



3. Pearl Jam - S/T - Pearl Jam re-emerges from pretty much obscurity with this, their eighth studio record. The band has evolved into something of an anachronistic totem in the midst of all the changes in music. They still play The Who style stadium-guitar rock, write socio-political songs, and want a little bit of crunch in their guitars and may have a solo or two. This album propels them further in to that role, with blue-collar anthem "Unemployable" and intro/retrospective songs like "Life Wasted" and commentary songs like "World Wide Suicide". And I am enjoying the hell out of, because I like The Who, I like Bruce Springsteen, and I like Pearl Jam.

Stand-out tracks - Unemployable, Life Wasted, Gone


4. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife - This is The Decemberists fourth album, and their first on a major label (Capitol). Fortunately, the band has kept in tact their tendency of intelligent, inventive song writing. Colin Meloy really anchors the band with his literate and fanciful lyrics that make for great storytelling, and his fantastically unique voice. The Crane Wife is a more than worthy follow-up to their final album with Kill Rock Stars, Picaresque.

Stand-out tracks - O Valencia!, Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then), Summersong


5. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time - This is the Seattle band's second album (or first, depending on what chronology you want to use) to make my "top list". The best thing about the record is that no matter how intimate the material, lyrically, we are rarely pandered to with balladry or less intensive vocals. Even on the acoustic "St. Augustine", Ben Birdwell still carries it by only softening a little bit. Birdwell does us all a service there, becuause his vocals are really the driving force behind the band, being its best instrument of all. The timbre is something like Neil Young, but with better use of pitch and more melodious. Good stuff.

Stand-out tracks - The Great Salt Lake, The Funeral


6. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale - Ghostface's fifth solo album is, in this reviewers opinion, his absolute peak. Delivering his patented imagery-heavy rhymes accompanied by some very good beats (even without RZA), Ghostface takes us back to the Slick Rick days a little bit with tracks like "Shakey Dog", in which we witness some of that classic, story-tellin' rap. Good stuff.

Stand-out tracks - Shakey Dog, 9 Milli Bros

7. Mastodon - Blood Mountain - A very strong follow-up to the Moby Dick concept album Leviathan, Blood Mountain is just as balls out and in your face, but with even more of weird folklore imagery. Now, of course, mythology has been a metal staple for years, but I don't recall ever hearing a song about a "Cysquatch" (that being a half-cyclops, half sasquatch hybrid). Sonically, Mastodon are terrific. Drummer Brann Dailor kicks provides a driving force behind the band that really sets the tone. It's a tight, very technically proficient albums filled with terrifying woodland creatures, what's not to love about that?

Stand-out tracks - Colony of Birchmen, Capillarian Crest

8. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways - This was Cash's final album, released posthumously, and he sounds absolutely exhausted on it. The bare, stripped down perfomance suits Cash in his final days. The majority of the songs are covers (including the Springsteen song "Further On Up the Road", which is a stand out), with just Johnny and an acoustic guitar. Rick Rubin has provided us with an extremely bittersweet retrospective of Johnny Cash through his five albums that he produced for The Man in Black, and this one is no exception. If you dig old country at all, you'll enjoy American V.

Stand-out tracks - Further On Up the Road, Like the 309, On the Evening Train

9. Islands - Return to the Sea - Rising out the ashes of Canadian band The Unicorns, Islands are an exciting band that should have a bright future. With their mix of melodious clanging, funky basslines, the occasional MCing, evocative vocals, and a dash of classic pop sensibilites Return to the Sea becomes one amazing record.

Stand-out tracks - Where There is a Will There is a Whalebone, Rough Gem

10.Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That - This French outfit really knows how to put together a smooth record, even with sometimes frenetic energy. Even the instrumental tune "North" keeps your attention. I've read comparrisons to The Strokes, and I can't see it on certain tracks (like "Napoleon Says"), but I really find them a lot easier to listen to, but maybe not as exciting.

Stand-out tracks - Lost and Found, Long Distance Call


- Jordan M.
Sulphur Springs, TX

Cool Swag

Fright-Rags The Gate Shirt

I figured I may start making posts about some of the cooler pieces of swag that I come across (and wish I could buy) on the net. I'm always finding great stuff. Kicking it off is this sweet new shirt over at FRIGHT-RAGS that showcases one of the finer movies of the 1980's, The Gate.


Fright-Rags always has good stuff. I've picked up a couple of shirts from the site and have not had any kind of hassle with them. Very prompt. The best part is they are consistently coming out with quality merchandise. They have a Zuul shirt, for crying out loud! Teriffic.

Clip of the Week

Jon LaJoie - Show Me Your Genitals

With the ongoing, and hopefully lengthy series of top ten albums going on, I almost forgot about the clip of the week. Fear not, here it is:



- Jordan M.
Sulphur Springs, TX

Top Ten Albums of 2007, Pt. 2

It's taken me a while to finish this one with the FTM day journal and the baseball preview work, but I'm back on board.

The best of 2007:

1. M.I.A. - Kala
If you've ever wanted to know what it sounds like to take reggae, hip hop, electronica, and world music and play them all at once while maintaining pop sensibilities and super catchy hooks, this is the album for you. And it was done so well, it was the best record of the year. If you've heard the track "Paper Planes" even once, you've undoubtedly listened to it 100 times. And it doesn't get old.

Stand-out Tracks: Paper Planes, Boys



2. Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand
If I were to ask you about unlikely duets in music, the reigning queen of bluegrass and the frontman for unarguably one of the loudest, hardest-rocking bands in rock history would rank among the most unusual, right? Well, this record surprisingly proves the theory wrong.

Stand-Out Tracks: Please Read The Letter, Rich Woman



3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Simultaneously dark and lovely, this reminds me of the best record R.E.M. never made. This creative 7-piece has tastefully blended 80's pop, new wave, arena rock, and Springsteen into one of the most re-listenable albums of the year.

Stand-Out Tracks: Keep The Car Running, The Well & The Lighthouse



4. Kanye West - Graduation
Not nearly as genre-bending as his two previous efforts, Graduation takes what Yeezy does best to new heights of pop appeal. It was almost impossible to avoid the Daft Punk collabo "Stronger" considering you would hear it nearly every 30 seconds throughout the summer. Thing is, it was such a fun record that I didn't mind.

Stand-Out Tracks: Stronger, Barry Bonds, Good Life



5. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Until this release, I had always been curious what Etta James would've sounded like mixed in with today's pop garbage. It was so refreshing to hear something so retro yet so fresh. It's hard to believe someone so crazy could record something this real.

Stand-Out Tracks: Me & Mr. Jones, You Know I'm No Good, Rehab



6. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
James Murphy and the boys managed to take their previous self titled release, and make their rock harder, their dance bolder, and their groove deeper. While most bands try to reinvent their own wheel, bands like LCD just take what they do well and do it better.

Stand-Out Tracks: All My Friends, North American Scum, Watch The Tapes




7. Fair To Midland - Fables From A Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True
This major label debut from System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's imprint Serjical Strike maintains some of the chaos that SOAD fans have grown to love, while incorporating gentle elements of bands like Coldplay to form a very animated manic sound. The journey from hard and heavy to soothing melodies is surprisingly easy on the ears, enough to be the only hard rock album on this year's list.

Stand-Out Tracks: The Wife The Kids & The White Picket Fence, Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes




8. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Apparently, self-help divorce therapy sounds a great deal like a Ziggy Stardust synth storm. Not exactly how I would express those feelings, but for this record, it works like a charm.

Stand-Out Tracks: The Past is a Grotesque Animal



9. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
This is the sound of a true-blue indie rock band recording a fantastically commercial record. They always say that "a lot of times, less is more", and this album proves the cliche.

Stand-Out Tracks: The Underdog, Don't Make Me A Target



10. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Fuzzy, riff-heavy guitars with art rock synth over childlike vocals. A strange brew that is hooky enough to catch you by surprise. This is noise pop downplayed for the masses.

Stand-Out Tracks: Believe ESP, Matchbook Seeks Maniac





NOTE: Unlike 'Freak, I included the Fair To Midland release while not including The Timeline Post due to the fact that the FTM record was a formal label release but TLP's effort was independently distributed. I will, however, recommend everyone to check out The Timeline Post's self titled album here, as it was a very good record and deserving of a spot on this list in terms of quality.

'06 is a-comin'...

Top Ten Albums of 2007, Pt. 1

Top Ten Albums of 2007

Next on the list is 2007. So, here is my list of the ten best records from 2007:

1. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin - This Seattle band has a very high ceiling. Ben Bridwell has amazingly unique vocals, and fairly simple lyrics that you can't help but think he really means something more sinister. Birdwell's lyrics remind me a little of a David Lynch film. Everything is pretty much picture-esque on the surface, but you get the feeling there's something dark that's boiling just under the facade. I generally prefer the less twangy, southern inspired tunes, but I love this whole album.

Stand-out tracks - Is There a Ghost?, Ode to LRC, Islands on the Coast

2. Radiohead - In Rainbows - I wasn't real sure on Radiohead's latest effort when it was first released. The first time I really gave it a real chance was right after New Year's 2008, when I made a road trip by my lonesome to Shreveport for training. "Reckoner" came on while I was driving around the darkened Louisiana streets, and suddenly it all clicked for me. Maybe I just had to experience it.

Stand-out tracks - Reckoner, Nude, Videotape


3. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? - After the break up of he and his wife, singer Kevin Barnes seemed to have really begun shifting his writing style. A lot of the happiness has been sapped out of Of Montreal, and a much more manic, synth heavy record was born. And it's really damn good.

Stand-out tracks - The Past is a Grotesque Animal, Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse


4. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - I've been listening to Spoon off and on for a few years now, but this Austin group only really took my fancy with the release of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Of course, going back and listening to the older records (particularly Girls Can Tell), I'm able to appreciate them more now. At times, Britt Daniel's vocals even remind me of an indie version of Neil Diamond (check out the track "The Underdog" to see what I mean).

Stand-out tracks - The Underdog, Don't Make Me a Target


5.Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends - Les Savy Fav are a diverse band that does a lot of things well. From infectious grooves, to intense punkish crunches, Let's Stay Friends is a very cool record with some of my favorite songs of the year on it. Check out the stand-out tracks.

Stand-out tracks - The Year Before the Year 2000, What Wolves Would Do, Patty Lee


6. Type O Negative - Dead Again - I may be the only person to give Dead Again a spot on the best records of 2007. I do happen to think it is a wonderful record though. Type O really stepped out on a few limbs with it, incorporating weird Sgt. Pepper's style melodies and out-of-nowhere tempo changes on every song. Give it chance, it ain't your father's Type O Negative.

Stand-out tracks - September Sun, The Profits Of Doom

7. Panda Bear - Person Pitch - A very cool album with a sound like The Beach Boys at their highest (drugwise) peak. Person Pitch is pretty much all over the map. The vocals are smooth and wonderful, and this is juxtaposed by sometimes strange ambient sounds of instruments overlapping them at pretty much the same gain. Tons of reverb and weird jungle beats are the norm on "Good Girl Carrots". "I'm Not" is steeped in a world music vibe (also with a lot of reverb). All of this experimenting makes the album as good as it is, even the sometimes tiresome, twelve and a half minute run times of two tracks.

Stand-out tracks - Comfy in Nautica, I'm Not


8. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - The Arcade Fire take on a pretty menacing tone with Neon Bible, and it works. It also feels really big, and intricate. Every song seems really important on its own and to the entirity of the album. In fact, the entire thing sounds like some kind of end of the world prophecy.

Stand-out tracks - Keep the Car Running, No Cars Go, The Well and the Lighthouse


9. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank - A pretty safe record to make following up the success of Good News, We Were Dead is still a good representation of Modest Mouse (even with Johnny Marr).

Stand-out tracks - Dashboard, Parting of the Sensory, Florida



10. Rilo Kiley- Under the Blacklight - A very poppy album, Under the Blacklight is still worth a few spins. Lewis' voice is still really sultry, and there are a handful of golden tracks on the album.

Stand-out tracks - Silver Lining, Breakin' Up

Please note that I have made the decision not to include Fair to Midland - Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True or The Timeline Post - S/T records on the list. This is because I have personal attachments to both albums, and would have them both tied at number one for me on a personal level. Just know that I think they are both fantastic records.

I Watched The Watchmen

A Mini Review of Watchmen

They finally did it. They filmed the unfilmable comic book Watchmen. After years of attempting, and far superior directors attached (Terry Gilliam comes to mind), Zack Snyder was able to do what no one else could. And he did a pretty damn good job with it, I must admit.

Before making the decision to watch the movie, I had a lot of trepidation about it. Alan Moore never wanted the film to be made in the first place, and who am I to be insubordinate to the great Alan Moore? But, I finally made the decision that I had to see it. I just had to. So, summoned up the posse and done rushed the movies. It was a little off putting in those first few minutes while the credits rolled and there was no mention of Alan Moore (obviously his choice), but I got over it.

The film itself contains most of the story that the comic covers. I'd say around 95% if we discount Tales of the Black Freighter and Under the Hood. I guess this is why the run time is pushing 163 minutes. Obviously, this ain't your average super hero movie. It's very dense with a lot going on. I'm sure it is going to be difficult for those unfamiliar with the source material to keep up their first time through.

As far as the acting, Jeffrey Dean Morgan pulls off The Comedian very well, Billy Crudup is actually a good Dr. Manhattan, and Jackie Earle Haley does a serviceable job as Rorshach. The rest of the cast works pretty well, could have been some upgrades, but mostly they do a good job. Matthew Goode does stand out as Ozzymandias.

Going back to Moore, Watchmen does feel a little wrong as a film. It feels like even in covering the exact same ground as the comic there is less meat. It's less satisfying. That's not to blame Snyder, but that Moore may have been right all along. He wrote a comic book because he wanted to write a comic book, if he'd wanted it to be a movie, he'd have written a script.

There are some scenes that leave something to be desired. A handful of the action sequences (ripped straight from Oldboy) felt a little bit extreme, and unhuman. I would've liked to have seen something a little bit more eighties in flavor, to go along with the setting.

Overall, it is a really good adaptation, and there's nothing more I could ask for. I would recommend it. But, if you can only choose one, stick with the book. It's still better as a comic.

8/10

- Jordan M.
Sulphur Springs, TX

Top 10 Albums of 2008, Pt. 2

So here are my selections for the Top 10 Albums released in 2008.

1. Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

Slug and Ant have always had a knack for creating a smooth blend of qaulity rhymesmanship over dope beats. On this one, they've made an instant classic. The pop is poppier, the bass thumpier, the lyrics deeper, and top it off with one of the great albums titles of all time. This one will stay in the rotation for years to come.

Stand-out Tracks: Like The Rest of Us, You




2. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Rich syrupy layered vocals over soaring mountain pop, these kids sound like they took all their grandparents favorite records and played them all at once. A truly refreshing sound.

Stand-out Tracks: Sun It Rises, Blue Ridge Mountains




3. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
I guess all those mixtapes were just batting practice for Weezy. The practice paid off, because he released one hell of a rap record that was a big part of the soundtrack of the summer. It was also the #1 seller moving more than 2 1/2 million copies.

Stand-out Tracks: A Milli, Mr. Carter




4. Metallica - Death Magnetic
After steering more towards plain old heavy alternative for the last 10+ years, the boys are bringing back the metal. It harkens back to the Justice and Puppets era sound, and totally shreds. It still doesn't hold a candle to any of their pre-Black material, but really few albums can.

Stand-out Tracks: Cyanide, Broken Beaten & Scarred




5. The Knux - Remind Me in 3 Days...

These two N'Awlins-born LA transplants are dope enough to remind me of early Outkast or De La Soul, hipster enough to rap about cappuccino with a mocha twist, nerdy enough to bring back 80's style big beats, but cool enough to play their own instruments like a garage band. If you know me, you'll know exactly why I love this band.

Stand-out Tracks: Bang Bang, Cappuccino



6. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Strangely captivating pop that feels both unusual and familiar. These guys can somehow dance all over the musical map and remain tuneful and catchy. Dig.

Stand-out Tracks: Halfway Home, Golden Age




7. Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger

Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon wrote this record while on a touring break due to having been diagnosed with leukemia. The record is much more mature and emotional that his previous writing work with SC. It's a dandy little piano pop album.

Stand-out Trakcs: The Resolution, American Love




8. Deerhunter - Microcastle
This is probably the stangest album I've ever liked. That says a lot about how good it is.

Stand-out Tracks: Calvary Scars, Agoraphobia




9. Elzhi - The Preface
A talented MC and member of producer's crew Slum Village, Elzhi has contributed some of the more unheralded great works in recent hip hop. This release is his first major foray out on his own, and he can more than handle the spotlight.

Stand-out Tracks: The Leak, Brag Swag




10. Cool Kids - The Bake Sale

This is what 80's hip hop sounds like 20 years later. Fresh. Basic beats and rhymes about dope kicks. Takes me back to being a kid, and it's a fun trip.

Stand-out Tracks: 88, Black Mags



2007 coming soon...

Clip of the Week

We Need Girlfriends - Ep 1

This is a web series that's been off the air for a while now, but was really funny. I hope that they make some more episodes sometime. It's not looking to good, because the creator has moved on to a new show that, unfortunately, just isn't as good. Here's the first episode of We Need Girlfriends:



- Jordan M.
Sulphur Springs, TX

Top Ten Albums of 2008, Pt.1

BEST ALBUMS OF LAST YEAR

So, hopefully this will be an ongoing series at the 'Choke. The plan is to do top ten lists from Newmo and I stemming back as far as we can go, year by year. We're going to start this thing off with the most recent year, 2008.

Here are the picks of 2008 by Jordan M.

1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes - This Seattle-based quintet just make me really happy. The harmonies on the record are what really sell it for me. It's kind of a Frankenstein's Monster of indie, surf, folk, and jam rock that leaves you feeling whispy all day. Definitely my favorite record of the year.

Stand-out tracks: Oliver James, He Doesn't Know Why, Heard Them Stirring




2. Weezer - Weezer (Red) - Say what you will, but Weezer is still sticking it to the man in grand power pop style. It's no Pinkerton, but the Red Album is still a really fun romp with some old friends.

Stand-out tracks: The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn), Dreamin, Heart Songs



3. TV on the Radio - Dear Science - Dear Science is the third strong album, out of three, for TV on the Radio. Strange pop songs that somehow seem like they should be all over the radio. These songs are seriously infectious, I suggest you give them a listen.

Stand-out tracks: Dancing Choose, Golden Age



4. Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark - Neil became the oldest man to ever have an album reach number one with this record (beating out Dylan). I'm glad to see Rubin pick up with Diamond where he left off with Cash. Ever song on the album sounds like a funeral dirge. If you like Neil Diamond, and who the hell don't, you're in for a treat.

Stand-out tracks: Pretty Amazing Grace, Home Before Dark



5. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges - Less progressive than some of their other albums, Evil Urges is rather straight forward and sometimes leans toward soft rock, but I'll be damned if I don't still enjoy it. It didn't earn as good reviews as their previous efforts, but this Kentucky outfit still has it.

Stand-out tracks: Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 1, Smokin' from Shootin'




6. Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings - I've always liked the Counting Crows. Adam Duritz somehow always was able to express what I wanted to say when I was a youth. Now I'm a little older, but I still have a fondness for the band. I'll admit that is pretty much the reason I dig this split release from the group, but I'm not ashamed of that.

Stand-out tracks: When I Dream of Michelangelo, 1492



7. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont - After Microcastle leaked, Deerhunter decided to go ahead and release a second album for fans that patiently waited for Microcastle (that being Weird Era Cont). From lo-fi garage stuff to the occasional psychedilc freak out, it's on Microcastle and it's companion album Weird Era Cont.

Stand-out tracks: Operations, Cavalry Scars, Nothing Ever Happened



8. Metallica - Death Magnetic - I was priveleged enough to see Metallica break out some of the materail for Death Magnetic pre-release at the final Ozzfest in Dallas last year. The album took a good deal of growing on me, but it's pretty rocking and a nice return to form for the group. Obviously they won't ever be able to reach back and give us another Ride the Lightning, but this is an acceptible substitute.

Stand-out tracks: Cyanide, The Day That Never Comes, All Nightmare Long



9. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - Not the band's strongest effort, but a relatively good album and good enough to be the penultimate album on my list. The best tracks on it are the singles (which there are four of), and the rest is good filler.

Stand-out tracks: Viva La Vida, Violet Hill




10. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III - I'm not a huge Lil Wayne fan, but I found myself able to get into this album pretty easily. Weezy has a good flow, and he's a talented rapper, but I could do without all the synthesizing on his voice. Overall though, That Carter III is a very solid rap album.

Stand-out tracks - A Milli, Mrs. Officer



This list was pretty tough for me, as I came to the realization I didn't listen to a lot of new music last year. I still haven't heard the Portishead record. Anyway, that's all I got. To be honest with you, I doubt that the bottom four or so listings would've made it if I had listened to more music.

- Jordan M.
Sulphur Springs, TX