has anyone else noticed that it's unbearably cold outside?

favorites of 2007

1. radiohead "in rainbows"
2. the avett brothers "emotionalism"
3. okkervil river "the stage names"
4. low "drums and guns"
5. bon iver "for emma, forever ago"
6. the national "Boxer"

7. electrelane "no shouts no calls"
8. arcade fire, "Neon Bible""
9. spoon, "ga ga ga ga ga"

10. beirut "the flying cup club"
11. the shaky hands, self-titled
12. phosphorescent "pride"
13. bright eyes "cassadaga"
14. the rosebuds "night of the furies"
15. caribou "andorra"
16. grizzly bear "friend" ep
17. feist "the reminder"
18. augie march "moo, you bloody choir"
19. dan deacon "spiderman of the rings"
20 explosions in the sky "all of a sudden I miss everyone"

most disappointing: interpol
most over-rated: burial
most under-rated: the shaky hands

flecked

november notes and recommendations

honestly, kind of a disappointing month...if it weren't for the avett brothers I might not have bothered with a november post at all.

*the avett brothers, "emotionalism": really beautiful folky harmonized nostalgic melodies. hints of neutral milk hotel and augie march. one of the things I like about this album is the use of second vocal melodies that are actually different melody lines, not just harmonized lines. there's also something remarkably genuine about this album/this group.

bear in heaven "red bloom of the boom": some 70s confusion, kind of reminds me of earth opera with its randomness. after a few listens, it starts to make more sense, but I don't think you'll ever have an "aha" moment where you really get what's going on in this album.

burial, "untrue": I'm sort of confused by this album. I think the first 4 minutes of it are great, and then after that, there are no more surprises. can someone explain to me what is supposedly so great about this album?

*Efterklang "parades": this group reaches actual musical composition and with the horns and strings, reminds me of sufjan stevens. this one's a bit of a deviation from their last album - a bit more evolved, but I couldn't really explain in what way. think richard einhorn's voices of light - only more calm and melancholy.

georgie james "places": sort of going for a new pornographers "power pop" thing here (catchy, upbeat). but the only good songs are the female-sung ones, which remind me of camera obscura.

disappointed by this month: bonnie "prince" billy & the grizzly bear ep

D.C. is a very black and white kind of city

P.S.note: digitally enhanced.

hushed

does anyone else see an evil dancing dragon/squirrel in there?

goodbye quincy.

quincy: Feb. 18, 1998 - Nov. 22, 2007. (sorry, no photo). best dog ever. it's total crap that dogs don't live as long as humans.

october album notes and recommendations

beirut "the flying club cup": as always, beirut makes me feel like I should be wandering down a european brick road, overhearing street musicians and music from cafes.

* bon iver "for emma, forever ago": you've got to let this sink in a bit, it doesn't take on the first spin. but really, it's worth it to play it a few times. he may be using cliche chord progressions, but geeze, he does it well. best listened to when inexplicably depressed or missing someone.

chromatics "night drive": slow 80s dance music. the title of the album is actually amazingly appropriate.

* phosphorescent, "pride": if the music on this album assumed a tangible form, it would either be wind or a rocking chair. I just mean, the album exudes a kind of nuanced, calm, peaceful movement like wind. kind of reminds me of iron and wine.

**radiohead "in rainbows": ah, yes. and just in case you've forgotten, this is what professionals sound like. LOVE IT.

saturday looks good to me "fill up the room": review to come; I haven't gotten my hands on it yet.

scott walker "and who shall go to the ball? and what shall go to the ball?": so the question is, where do compositions that are a cross between contemporary-classical and indie-avante guarde-experimental fit in? I stuck down O'rourke's 52 minute work several months ago...and this 4 movement work seems to fit in the same non-category category...but, I actually enjoyed this one. is it because rather than one exasperatingly long piece, it's broken down into 4 movements? maybe.

sir richard bishop "polytheistic fragments": meditative. I wouldn't really be recommending this album, except for the spanish guitar/latin music influences, which are great. the pentatonic uses, I could do without (mainly because I admittedly just don't really understand them).

stereo total, "paris-berlin": this music is great fun, if a bit formulaic. no idea what they're saying, but who cares? images that come to mind: super mario brothers, french people in tokyo, and hello kitty. I think you need only listen to a few songs at a time, otherwise it's sort of like sensory overload (you know: seizure inducing)

sunset rubdown "random spirit lover": more of the same from Krug, but good nonetheless.

* the deadly syndrome "the ortolan": ballad type songs, good balance of instruments. nostalgic. this is a really really great first album - I can't wait to hear their next. and yes, ok, they do sound a bit like arcade fire at times, but they are good in their own right.

the mabuses "mabused": pop/rock/blues/70s music/lots of other stuff. layers of instrument lines, but without getting messy. and after a 13 year silence. really, an enjoyable album.

most disappointing this month: band of horses "cease to begin"

art auction at the bemis center, November 17

people 7

"what I mean to say is...."

hmm....

"for example..."

"well, have you considered...?"

"hm..I hadn' thought of...."

why are you taking pictures of me?

some AACMers at the velvet lounge, november 9th

P.S. rumor has it the jazz showcase will re-open in the spring in printers row.

halloween reflections

now that the halloween festivities are over, I wanted to announce my favorite costume for this year: the woodmen building. yes, someone showed up as the second tallest building in omaha - and claimed he got it at a mall in Florida...

recent recommendations

movies: I recommend the darjeeling limited, but rushmore is still THE BEST wes anderson film.

books: I recommend white noise by don delillo, but not manhattan transfer by dos passos (despite what greil marcus says).

life: I recommend reducing your spending significantly, unless purchasing ridiculous plastic halloween figures for your yard. especially figures of the decapitated sort. to be left up year-round.

bob dylan at the qwest center; 10/26

listening to bob dylan's music reminds me that 1) the harmonica is the best instrument ever and 2) I'm only skipping along the surface. (sorry about the blurriness - it was a hasty effort at the threat of being escorted out for having violated the "no camera" rule. boo)

new home; before and after images

it's amazing what a bit of paint and some furniture can do. not completely done unpacking and setting up, but I'm tired of hearing some of you people bug me for pictures (ahem, aubrey).