Words of Wisdom

The Best of 2011 … So Far, Top Ten June 30, 2011

As I said in Tuesday’s honorable mention post, this year has been a great one for music. So, my list of the best in the first six months of this year continues today with the top ten. Enjoy.

10. Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts
While I have listened to Sonic Youth for many years, I had never quite felt the urge in indulge in side projects from the band. And though was no particular reason behind this bit of negligence, I pretty much ignored those works amid the glut of releases each year. Then my friend Lynn posted a tweet in which he called it the “best album of the year,” and I knew I had to check it out. Once again, I found that he and I were on the same page. If, like me, you are accustomed to the chaotic noise of Moore’s work with Sonic Youth, this Beck-produced collection of acoustic numbers by the elder statesman of alt-rock guitarists is a wonderful surprise. With strings a-plenty and lyrics bending to the abstract, this is a truly wonderful work. From his first words, “With benediction in her eyes / Our dearest gods are not surprised,” over a strummed guitar, it becomes clear that this is another stellar work from an amazing talent. Whether or not you like the experimental noise of Sonic Youth, this is something you should hear.

9. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
The Thoreaun legend behind Justin Vernon’s debut as Bon Iver, For Emma, Long Ago, was perhaps as intriguing as the simplistic and beautiful music contained therein, but it also left questions regarding his future as an artist and whether or not he would be able to duplicate the spellbinding efforts of his initial work. The simple, lone acoustic guitar has mostly been replaced by a talented band and a virtual cornucopia of sound and warm textures, yet Vernon’s remarkable and unmistakable falsetto, still aching, remains intact. Incredibly, despite adding so many pieces to the puzzle, Bon Iver is still a very intimate album, one that will hold your attention and stretch your emotions. “Holocene” (And at once I knew I was not magnificent / strayed above the highway aisle / jagged vacance, thick with ice / I could see for miles, miles, miles) is a stunning achievement in and of itself This is an album that will stick with you, even haunt you, long after you finish it and, really, what else can you ask from an artist?

8. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
At the risk of sounding like someone far beyond my years or mindset, they just don’t make music like they used to when it comes to soul and R&B, so there has long been a gap existing in the music community, waiting for some eager people full of that special, heart-wrenching spirit to fill. Last year hip-hop artist Cee-Lo stepped up, producing an album of incredibly fun tunes with a sound akin to a potty-mouthed Stevie Wonder. This year another artist who has been around for some time, Raphael Saadiq, is picking up the soulful baton and taking his own turn. Saadiq first came to prominence in the late 80’s-early 90’s R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone! (“Feels Good,” “If I Had No Loot”) and since then he has worked as a producer for other top-selling artists as well as creating his own acclaimed music, but this is the first solo work of his I have acquired. Needless to say, I’m hooked. Listening to Saadiq, I hear a huge Sly and the Family Stone influence, particularly on the opener “Heart Attack,” while other tracks seem to draw from the likes of Ray Charles and other greats of times past. Make sure and check out songs like “Over You” and the title track and I’m sure you’ll agree: this is old school soul at its best.

7. Yuck – Yuck
Having come of age in the 1990’s, it’s only natural that I would be a bit nostalgic for the music of that era, so it is refreshing to find artists whose vision of the past is similar to mine. Over the years, the results of this endeavor have varied wildly, but occasionally a band breaks through the ever-thickening shroud of time and channels the energy of that fondly recalled time with such flair that you feel as though you’ve stepped into a flannel-covered time machine. Yuck, despite their name, is one of those wonderful memory-laden bands, their loud and fuzzy guitars eliciting a sense of euphoria rarely felt any longer. If Thurston Moore and Stephen Malkmus had a child who was then raised by J Mascis, it would sound like Yuck. It opens with “Get Away,” and a guitar that sounds as though it’s being played through a wall of white noise and the repeated intonation to “Tell me when the pain kicks in.” From that point on, the band rolls through a grunge litany long thought extinct, from the lovely “Georgia” to the distortion-filled “Operation,” making us believe again that stalwart indifference may be the answer to all of life’s questions.

6. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2
The Beasties have been doing this a long time and, after listening to their latest release, it’s obvious that there is still plenty of gas left in the proverbial tank. Originally set to be a two part album, Hot Sauce Committee, Part 1 was to be released two years ago, but after Ad-Rock’s cancer diagnosis, his bandmates (Mike D and MCA) put the project on hold until his treatment was complete. With a joking nod, they kept with the original release schedule and entitled their latest Part 2. Hot Sauce is full of the old school jams you would expect from the band, with record scratching, loads of samples, and those long familiar voices belting out song after song of danceable fun. Album opener “Make Some Noise” is a joyful blast from the past, with both the best music video in years and a great nod to their 25 year old hit, “Fight for Your Right to Party.” Their collaboration with rapper Nas on “Too Many Rappers” shines as well, and even though they acknowledge their veteran status, “Grandpa been rappin’ since ’83,” they more than hold their own and show once again that they are and have always been a force to be reckoned with in the rap community. With another eye on their pre-Party, punk rock past, the Boys blast through “Lee Majors Come Around” with a ferocity that belies their age. The Beasties are just pure, rocking fun. Turn up the volume and, as they would say, it’s time to get ill!

5. Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)
I had never heard of Hayes Carll before I caught him opening for the Drive-By Truckers a couple of years ago and, though I enjoyed his short set of country-tinged rock, particularly the irreverent fun of “She Left Me For Jesus,” it wasn’t until this album that I purchased any of his work and I was instantly hooked. Carll is a smart songwriter who reminds me at more serious times of a young Steve Earle and at more playful times of Todd Snider. His boozy vocals complement the bar band music perfectly, creating a sound that would be at home in a smoky honkytonk, but infused with originality and intelligence that belie that sort of lowly presentation. His one liners (I’m like James Brown, only white and taller / And all I wanna do is stomp and holler) will make you chuckle out loud while unconsciously moving to the catchy brand of southern rock. “Grand Parade” is a bit of light, summer fun, while the rocking title track tells a story of the Afghanistan war and drugs, but it is the funny back-and-forth wordplay of Carll and Cary Ann Hearst in, “Another Like You,” that takes the prize as the most memorable song. The two meet in a bar and begin an insult-laden conversation that runs from politics (Her: Well, you’re probably a Democrat / Him: What the hell is wrong with that? / Her: Nothing if you’re Taliban) to personal barbs (Him: I bet you slept with half the South / Her: Don’t you ever shut your mouth? / Him: How much did you pay for that tan?), before they finally leave together. Overall the album is a lot of fun and one of the most played ones on my iPod from this year.

4. My Morning Jacket – Circuitous
Over the past ten years, there have been a number of bands that have entered and become fully planted in my consciousness, so much so that I wait with great anticipation for every release and passionately yearn for them to visit our city. There are those like the Drive-By Truckers who I have seen numerous times and then there is a band like My Morning Jacket, who I follow religiously but have somehow has never made their way to Memphis. Their latest release, Circuitous, is another stellar release, complete with their trademark hazy, reverb-drenched sound and a bunch of excellent songs from Jim James and the boys. Following the incredible Z and the psychotropic freak out of Evil Urges, which I loved even more, MMJ fans wondered about the direction in which the band was headed. Would they return to their earlier sound or continue down the rainbow hued path to the always-elusive hallucinatory nirvana? Well, the answer is somewhere in the middle and this may be just as good, if not better, than either of those releases. The trippy seven minute “Circuital” (Circuits / Connect the Earth to the moon / And link our heavenly bodies / Not a moment too soon) is a must hear, as is the wonderfully weird “Holdin’ on to Black Metal” (Oh black metal, so misunderstood / Don’t turn yourself into Lucifer’s fool), but it is the carefree joy over somber tones of “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” (I’m going where there ain’t no fear / I’m going where the spirit is near / I’m going where the living is easy / And the people are kind / A new state of mind), that for the moment is my favorite cut on the album. It’s really a great work all around and I wholeheartedly endorse it.

3. Fleet Foxes – Hopelessness Blues
The 2008 debut album from Fleet Foxes was a pleasant surprise with its Crosby, Stills & Nash style folk harmonies over acoustic guitars, and songs that lent a natural feeling of forest-covered hills and bubbling brooks, of a quiet sunrise in a gentle meadow. But, despite the success of their first release, there were some questions over how the band would proceed with their career, and whether or not they would suffer that inevitable problem of popular music acts – the sophomore slump. After one listen, though, all doubts were put to rest. The music is hypnotic and beautiful with just enough tweaks to the formula of their first album to keep their creations interesting. “Montezuma” starts the work off with a melancholic fingerpicked guitar, followed by ___’s words, “So now I am older than my mother and father / When they had their daughter / Now what does that say about me,” his voice filled with yearning and feelings of youth lost as he continues the nostalgic and sad litany, “Oh man that I used to be / Oh man, oh my, oh me.” There is an interesting dichotomy at work in the Fleet Foxes, with their simplistic music against complex lyrical themes that I find fascinating and ultimately wonderful. In the title track, he offers up incredibly deep and penetrating stanzas like, “I was raised up believing I was somehow unique / Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see / And now after some thinking, I’d say I’d rather be / A functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me.” This is an album full of difficult themes, and one that certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but to those who do put forth the effort, it is a veritable treasure trove.

2. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light
First off, I must admit that I’m a bit of a late comer to TV on the Radio. Sure, I had heard some of their stuff in the past, but had never been moved enough to reach out and grab any of their albums. But the overwhelming positive reaction to the band was more than I could hold out on any longer and I grabbed a copy of Nine Types of Light soon after it came out. Needless to say, it was a great decision. This genre-hopping outfit is not easily defined, but that fluidity is perhaps their greatest asset as they effortlessly flit between soul to the sound of early 80’s post-punk to jazzy excursions, from electronic bleeps to distorted guitars, mixing it all together into a glorious whole, turning chaos into a sublime experience. You can feel the heartbreak in songs like “You,” where Tunde Adebimpe sings “You gave no reason for letting go / I just thought you might like to know / You’re the only one I ever loved,” and then the hopes for reconciliation in “Will Do,” (But I’ll be there to take care of you / If ever you should decide / That you don’t want to waste your life / In the middle of a lovesick lullaby). It’s a very personal work and one that requires several listens to fully appreciate, but once it reels you in there is no escape and that’s really the best thing you can ever hope for with an album.

1. Eddie Vedder – Ukelele Songs
I could easily cajole you once again with stories of my long-standing love for all things Pearl Jam, of the times I’ve seen them and frontman Eddie Vedder in concert and of the extensive collection of their releases I keep on file in my iPod, but perhaps the best thing I could do with this latest addition to one of rock music’s greatest catalogues is to tell you to leave your worries and cares at the door and just listen. Much like his solo work on the Into The Wild soundtrack or on recent Pearl Jam songs like the heart-wrenching “Just Breath,” Eddie strips away the noise and opens a door straight to his soul, using little but his unmistakable voice filled with yearning and loss and love and a lone, unlikely instrument – the ukulele. The simple beauty of each and every song will squeeze your heart, bring a smile to your face and maybe even a tear to your eye. Of all the iterations of Eddie Vedder that I’ve followed across the years – from his early days as a spokesman of the disaffected grunge rock youth, to his anti-corporate stands, to his political diatribes – today’s may be my favorite. There is something quite special about watching a man finally come into his own after years of fighting and discover contentedness, to find love and hope and beauty in life. The muted strums that open his version of Pearl Jam’s “Can’t Keep,” kickstart the album with a burst of energy that it rarely reaches again, and that’s a good thing. It’s the loveliness of “Without You” (For every wish I hold a star / That goes old and sets in the dark / There is a dream I’ve dreamt about you), the forlorn “Goodbye” (I’ve got our love to remember / That will never change / I have you in my head / And though I’ll never hold you / And I’m still asking why / I guess that this is goodbye), and the playful duet with Cat Power “Tonight You Belong to Me” (Yes, the song from The Jerk), that make this my favorite album so far this year. It’s an offbeat, moving, and utterly beautiful masterpiece from one of the greatest artists of our generation.

Thoughts?