Although I'm disappointed I didn't listen to some of the CD's that probably belong on this list, I've certainly heard enough good ones to make a list, anyway.
First, there are a few CD's that are outstanding but don't qualify for one reason or another. Can't make a list without mentioning them, though:
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche, Songs for Christmas
Mr. Stevens released not 1, but 2 non-qualifying CD's this year. First, there is The Avalanche, a set of outtakes from the Illinois CD (my #2 CD of 2005), that includes some unnecessary filler, but also contains some songs equal to those on Illinois, as well as alternate versions of great Illinois songs. Second was his re-release box set of Christmas music, which, even including some classic carols, remains as original as everything else Stevens releases.
What It Is: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves
I put it on my wish list, but couldn't wait and bought it myself right away, and it is as good as I expected. All old songs, but released in an exceptional new collection, packaged nicely with great liner notes.
This was going to be my #1 CD of 2006. However, it turns out it was released in 2005. Nonetheless, most of you probably haven't heard of it, so think of it as 2006 and go get it. It is stripped-down acoustic guitar and vocals. Gonzalez plays great fingerstyle guitar and he's got a terrific smooth voice to go along with it. He gets compared to Nick Drake a lot (which is a nice compliment), but I think he's much more modern. Crosses is probably my favorite song of the year, but they're all good.
Also let me mention some CD's I know are great even without listening to them. This list might be a lot different if I'd ever gotten around to buying these:
Badly Drawn Boy - Born in the UK
And now the list...
10. Say Hi To Your Mom - Impeccable Blahs
Say Hi To Your Mom is a 1-man production and the result is what you'd expect from a guy who writes & records music all by himself and goes by the name Say Hi To Your Mom. It's quirky minimalist pop, and while it has a few toes over the edge of too quirky and too minimalist, it manages to stay firmly planted on the side that's accessible and fun to listen to. Yes, the songs are all about vampires and the lyrics are forced, but the hooks are catchy and there are some clever turns of phrase.
9. Mates of State - Bring It Back
This was nothing too new for Mates of State. Same sound as previous albums. Just good synth-pop -- catchy & upbeat. Their insistent vocal style is so weird, I love it. And their sound, just drums and old Casiotone-style keyboards, is unique and instantly recognizable.
8. Ray Lamontagne - Until the Sun Turns Black
Lamontagne's first album, Trouble, was a sensation. A cross of folk and soul music bound up in late 60's, early 70's sensibilities, it earned him an instant cult following. His follow-up arrived this year and I think he did just what you should do on a 2nd album -- he maintained his overall sound, while expanding a bit to fuller productions and varied themes. Spare acoustic songs like Can I Stay and faster, bluesier numbers like Three More Days matched up nicely. Tyler Hicks covered one of his songs on American Idol last year. Hicks has a voice like a sledgehammer -- Ray Lamontagne's is like a velvet glove, and it brings all his songs up a level.
7. Alexi Murdoch - Time Without Consequence
If I can't have Jose Gonzalez in my top ten, at least I have Alexi Murdoch. Like Gonzalez, he plays mostly fingerstyle acoustic guitar, midtempo ballads, with minimal backing. Also like Gonzalez, he gets compared often to Nick Drake, though the comparison fits better on Murdoch. He gets a little repetitive (like Drake did), but this is a great album.
Modern Times seems to be the synthesis of the blues-filled 1997 Dylan album Time Out of Mind and the Tin Pan Alley / vaudeville sound of 2001's Love and Theft. It is more refined than either of those albums and I think the writing is best on this new album. Which really ought to put it in the top spot (like on the Rolling Stone magazine list). The only problem is, Dylan's voice just can't carry slow-and-sweet ballads anymore. (Yes, I think it used to be able to -- listen to the song Visions of Johanna if you don't believe me.) As a result, the exceptionally crafted slow songs don't work for me. But the blues numbers are better than ever, and the closer Ain't Talkin' is a masterpiece.
5. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
It's hard to listen to this CD these days, in the midst of a dark cold winter, but when I bought it, it was sunny and warm (and I lived in Santa Monica, so it was that way always). And this music is the perfect soundtrack for a sunny day. It's bouncy rhythms and male-female harmonies will have you dancing down the street. It's very British (or Scottish, or whatever they are) and yes, it's twee. That's OK - there's a place for that.
4. Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls
Hooray for Shawn Colvin. Chewed up and spit out by the starmaker machinery, she came out even better on the other side. This CD gets away (mostly) from the generic 'rock' arrangements of her radio days and back to the base she built her career on: skilled acoustic guitar-playing, a great voice, and strong lyrics. And after a couple of bitter-seeming albums, this one comes off very optimistic and happy.
Josh Rouse music is warm and comforting. You can't help but feel good listening to it. There is nothing exceptional to mention about it, except for the fact that it's so consistently good. This album doesn't try to do more than it needs to -- it doesn't have a big concept or stylistic conceit -- it really does seem to be just the result of moving to Spain and absorbing some musical influence from the area, while maintaining his own style.
2. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
The Decemberists keep growing. 3rd album, major label debut, new instruments like bouzouki's, and some expansive prog-rock song cycles. But they stay rooted in the same things that have made all their music so great: A uniquely twisted literary sensibility, with songs covering murderous gangs (the beautiful lullaby Shankhill Butchers), Civil War widows (the upbeat duet Yankee Bayonet), and Romeo & Juliet-style starcrossed lovers (the flawless pop single O Valencia!) Although, to be honest, the prog-rock jams go a little too far and I wish the album had a couple more 3-minute pop tunes like O Valencia, the album is, like their others, stunningly original, and the closer Sons And Daughters brings it home perfectly.
1. Los Lobos - The Town and the City
The boys from East L.A. pulled off the double this year -- best CD and best live performance. After playing together for 30 years, most of which was spent experimenting to evolve their sound, this is an exceedingly self-confident and mature band. And The Town and The City is an exceedingly self-confident, mature album. Los Lobos have turned down the experimental sounds a bit (but clearly maintained a certain amount of jazz and electronic influence) and written an amazing set of songs about real people, struggling to work, love, and just get by in America. This isn't the most upbeat album - in fact, it's a bit of a downer - but its songs have a strong message and they carry real emotion. Hold On is almost a modern-day spiritual, repeating "killing myself to survive", if only for one more day. If You Were Only Here Tonight expresses the frustration of a man who seems to have lost his way, in losing his partner. And Little Things is a lament steeped in regret. However, life is not all bad, and the CD has its positive songs, too. Chuco's Cumbia is another brilliant Cesar Rosas spanglish-inflected dance tune, The City paints a vibrant picture of urban life, and Free Up brings a laid-back, easygoing vibe near the close of the album. Although there's no reason to expect any less of Los Lobos by now, this is an incredibly rewarding CD listen after listen after listen.
pictures/movies from hanukkah...
I get a lot of email from my loyal blog readers, with lots of questions. The question I get more than any other, interestingly, is "Hey Josh, what do you look like with a mustache or a beard?"
Well, friends, here to answer your questions -- just in time for the holidays:
The Josh Hornik Facial Hair Game
Enjoy!
I think I can safely name my top concerts of the year -- nothing coming up in the next week that I know of.
It was a good year for live music, especially this fall, and it's hard to choose the best, but here goes...
5. Devo at the Canyon Club in the San Fernando Valley somewhere
This was 80's nostalgia at its very best. They're old and out of shape, but they still rock (yes, they did rock in the 80's). Read my review here.
4. Sufjan Stevens at Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley
Musically, the most impressive show of the year, if only for the number of musicians. Also the only show of the year that involved inflatable Superman dolls and inflatable Santa Clauses. Read my review here.
3. The Who at HP Pavilion, San Jose
I have been desperate to see The Who live, ever since they came around on their first "farewell" tour about 10 years ago and I missed it. Although there are now only 2 of 4 members among us (RIP Keith & John), I finally made it to an official Who concert. And I was not disappointed. Their new songs sounded great, but of course the show was made by the classics. My Generation, Baba O'Reilly, Behind Blue Eyes, and the Tommy medley were all great. But it does not get any better than Roger Daltrey doing the scream and Pete Townshend doing the windmills on Won't Get Fooled Again. (Best song in any concert this year!)
2. The Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Pavilion, Mountain View
It's almost unfair to compare this show with any other, because it's really like 10 concerts in one. And the lineup this year was stellar. Death Cab for Cutie were ordinary and Gillian Welch was, as always, good but unexciting. Brian Wilson sounded more like a really cheesy Las Vegas Beach Boys Revue, but just hearing him singing God Only Knows (possibly the best song every written) was worth the price of admission. The Foo Fighters are always good, though I think I prefer them electric to acoustic. Trent Reznor sang with a string quartet in what was the real revelation of the night. His voice and his songs seemed very powerful with such minimal arrangements. Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band reminded me why I like them both so much and also how great they both are as live acts. (I should also note that Eddie Vedder sang a verse from a ridiculous song that I suspect he learned from listening to Bob Dylan's radio show, so even bigger props to him for that.) Then, of course, the show is closed by Neil Young, who I like more every time I hear him. He's a Hall-of-Famer, for sure, and he's aging very well. Long marathon of a concert, but so worth it.
1. Los Lobos at the Fillmore, San Francisco
I think Los Lobos must be the band I have seen live more times than any other, and I don't think I have ever seen a bad Los Lobos show. They're all good, but this one was great. First of all, Calexico is an outstanding band to have as an opener (and they were very good, especially when the mariachi trumpet duo got going). I actually thought there would be as many Calexico fans as Los Lobos fans, but I was very wrong about that. This was an extremely enthusiastic packed house to see Los Lobos. The band was enthusiastic, as always, and the set list was perfect. They played several songs from their outstanding new album The Town and the City, but, it being a generally mellow mid-tempo downer CD, they did a great job interspersing uptempo tunes from their entire catalog. Everything from oldies like The Breakdown and Don't Worry Baby to the classic Kiko & the Lavender Moon to the surprise newer song Good Morning Aztlan were all great choices. David Hidalgo wasn't singing his best for most of the night (though he sounded awesome on their closer, Cream's Sunshine of Your Love) but he played some mean guitar and accordion. Probably the best surprise was how frequently Steve Berlin got to shine on sax solos (and even one flute solo). The guy plays a great bari-sax and, having felt like he was getting pushed to the edges and onto keyboards instead of winds in the past, I was glad to hear him showing his real talent again. Of course, the band threw in a few Spanish-language songs, like the new Chuco's Cumbia and one of my favorites, Maricela. It's those songs, more than anything, that showcase the unique sound of Los Lobos and make their concerts such vibrant parties.
Just watching this show Class of 3000... Another of my favorite new shows of 2006, it has to be the most intriguing new backstory. What would make Andre Benjamin, AKA Andre 3000 of Outkast, want to make a weekly half-hour cartoon for the Cartoon Network? I can't imagine any reason for it, except just a passion project.
As a straight cartoon, it's not the best ever, but it definitely tries hard. The nominal story is this: an incredibly famous soul/jazz musician named Sunny (Andre 3000) needs a break from his fame and takes it as a music teacher in an Atlanta school for the arts. Each half hour episode includes some crazy hijinks by the multi-cultural students (a young drummer & Sunny-worshiper, a rich kid clarinetist, a bass-playing gadget-building genius, etc.), in which Sunny, the voice of reason, always seems to impart some philosophy or life lesson.
Not much there, but I like the fact that the show's are always based around music -- it's a music class & the lessons are usually around creativity or practicing or being true to your art -- and that the show doesn't try to put forward some vision of what's "cool". Really, it's a very positive show for any kid to watch.
The downside is the jokes, which tend toward the sight gags and puns, are hit-or-miss, usually miss. But the show's look is interesting, especially in the guaranteed music video in each episode (reminiscent of the old Jackson 5 cartoon), which features some obviously quickly-put-together but still cool Andre 3000 music together with some crazy psychedelic visuals.
Here's one of my favorites: Banana Zoo
If you have kids, Tivo it and turn them on to something funky.
(and here's a review from the Boston Globe, which by the way, I didn't read until after I'd written this...)
OK, here's a list I can make now: Best new TV shows of 2006.
Very short list:
#1. The Colbert Report. The funniest show on TV. Incredibly silly for such a smart, cutting satire. And I truly admire the show's ability to carry a joke for months, or call back to a joke made months earlier. Incredible writing. But most important, of course, is the genius of Stephen Colbert. Even in mostly ad-libbed interview segments, the guy stays in character hilariously. (Recent guest Doris Kearns Goodwin said Abraham Lincoln would admit to mistakes, which Colbert's guy Bush would never do. Without missing a beat, Colbert replied "when he makes a mistake, he'll admit it.")
I'm actually not sure if the show started in 2006 or 2005, but I just wanted to list it so I could say I knew it (and link to this post from June 2005).
#2. 30 Rock. I came into this season completely biased against this show, because I felt that Tina Fey had somehow tricked America into thinking she was funnier than she really was. First of all, she was the head writer for the HORRIBLY un-funny Saturday Night Live, and second, I hated the way she and Jimmy Fallon could just pretend something was funny by laughing themselves and somehow people went along with it. But I have to admit her new show is very funny -- and original. Of course, the true genius was hiring Alec Baldwin, who is easily the funniest character on TV (and just got nominated for a Golden Globe for it, too). But even Tina Fey is showing some good comic timing, and the writing is smart satire (hilarious Black Frasier joke on tonight's show) combined with absurd non-sequiturs and even some slapstick. I apologize to Ms. Fey.
Holy crap! I just saw this kid on Conan O'Brien. Unbelievable. Has anyone else heard of him? This is serious freak-level skills for a kid his age (only 12 in the video here). I like his playing style, the way he never touches the pedals -- oh wait, that's just because his feet don't reach.
Check out his bio at his Web site -- pretty interesting. And if you check the tour page, you'll see he's playing a gig in none other than my home town, Hollis, New Hampshire, on February 11. (Small world. Weird.)
What are your top 5 movies/DVDs of 2006?
Once again, I refuse to answer until all the movies have come out and I've had time to see them. But again, here's a preview of my list:
I love this time of year, because there are always great new box sets available. Just found out about an amazing new one from Rhino Records:
I am on record as saying 1960's and 70's soul music is the best music of all time. And as much as I would love to be a crazy completist and get every album ever done, that would be: 1) insane, and 2) probably impossible, as I think a lot of the music has fallen out of print or never made it to CD.
So I've gotten most of my great soul music from CD box sets like this one (and 3 other of my all-time favorite CD sets: Stax Singles, Didn't It Blow Your Mind, and Rhythm Revue). This is another great set of lesser-known songs by big names and (mostly) unknown songs by unheard-of artists. I've been listening to 30-second clips on Amazon, and it sounds like an incredible mix, and I only already own a couple of the songs.
You just know it's going to be outstanding, with songs named: Sexy Coffee Pot, Do You Dig It, Messie Bessie, Mr. Cool, and Wah Wah Man. And artists like: The Unemployed, Black Haze Express, The Mighty Hannibal, and Cold Grits. I wonder which version of Sookie Sookie came first -- the version here by Don Covay & the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band, or the one I'm familiar with (and love) by Steppenwolf? It even includes funky covers of Feelin' Alright, Jumpin' Jack Flash, and California Dreamin'.
For anyone who wants to dance like he's got ants in his pants (and isn't that everyone?), buy this box set!
Just back from a long weekend in Las Vegas. They claimed it was an annual thing, but I would swear every time I go to Vegas, the rodeo is in town. Once again, I was forced to share the city with a bunch of cowboys and their wives and families. OK, I have nothing against rodeo or cowboys. I am sure that it's important to have a hat that blocks the sun when you're out with the dogies. But walking around wearing giant cowboy hats inside, at the casino, at dinner, etc. -- it's just dumb.
Christmas in Las Vegas is actually relatively low-key. Considering the light shows and decorations the place has year-round, it's strange that only a couple casinos go all out with the holiday decorations. The best has to be the killer Christmas tree in front of Caesar's Palace. It's a perfect cone shape (I guess it's not a real tree) and it's 100% covered with Christmas lights in red, blue, and white. And the tree changes colors, becomes striped, twinkles, sweeps on and off from red to dark to blue, etc. It's very, very cool. Of course, the Bellagio had some ridiculously over-the-top decorations in its lobby. They change the decorations for every season and they're rarely attractive, but they're always big.
And I stayed at the Imperial Palace. A touch of downtown Las Vegas on the strip (meaning it feels old and crappy), I like staying there because, besides the great location near Caesar's and the Mirage, to me it will always be the home of Alotta Fagina. ("Sake it to me, baby! Yeah!") The Imperial Palace went with the Charlie Brown school of Christmas decorations. I heard a pit boss griping that new owners Harrah's were stingy with IP, so I guess a 4-foot tree was all they could afford. However, I have to give props to the "Dealertainers" who deal the games in the back of the casino. They are celebrity impersonator dealers, and they even perform songs every so often in the middle of the pit. Of course, the most entertaining part is trying to figure out who each one is supposed to be. I think I recognized Stevie Wonder and Elvis was easy, but the rest were anybody's guess. Could have been Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love, Charo?!?
If you're thinking that my weekend in Vegas was nothing but fun and games, you are half right. Lots of games (blackjack, to be specific) but not much fun. The reason? I lost big, I lost early. Suddenly, my dreams of taking it easy, checking out the Bodies exhibit at the Trop, seeing the Bellagio fountains, maybe catching the new Beatles Cirque du Soleil show with my winnings, all went down the toilet in the first few hours. I found myself down $750 by noon of day 1. I wasn't worried, though. With 2-1/2 days to go, I had plenty of time to win my money back. I count cards, and I know, the more I play, the more the luck evens out and the more I win. Period. It was pretty rough going for most of Saturday, as I searched for a casino with multiple shoe games with low enough stakes and decent rules. Treasure Island? Too small. Wynn, Venetian? Too rich for my blood. (Couldn't afford to play the $25 tables after losing so much of my bankroll.) Bally's? Too crowded. I was pretty frustrated with the lack of good tables, and not being able to get any good counts to win money. I took a break and watched Stanford put up a valiant fight vs. Cal in the Big Game (on which I won $20). Continued to go from casino to casino, playing where I could find tables and games, and sure enough, by the end of the night I had almost won back all my money.
Started Sunday feeling good. 2 days left and basically even. Time to start winning. Headed to the south end of the Strip to go to the New York, New York, because every Sunday they open up their theater with big screens showing every NFL game at the same time. I was able to watch the Patriots win (just barely, but I was smart enough not to put money on them) and 5 other games at once. And play some blackjack at halftime. The other benefit of being at that end of the Strip was the location of the MGM, definitely my favorite casino to play at, and also the Monte Carlo. After the football game, I was back in business. Unfortunately, back at the big stakes, I almost instantly had another huge losing shoe and suddenly found myself down $800 again. When I lose big, it's particularly bad, because I look like such a chump. Knowing that the count is still high, I can't just leave the table and cut my losses. I have to stay and keep trying to win. So I find myself pulling money out of my pocket, 1 or 2 hundred at a time, losing it, and pulling out more money. The dealers just look at you like you're the biggest asshole in the world. (Although they're probably just thinking, this guy'll never tip me.) Card counting requires a lot of faith, sometimes.
With less time left, I cut my stakes and kept plugging. And kept losing. A horrible feeling when you wait and wait for the count to go up so you can bet higher and expect to win and you slowly lose money while waiting. Then, when the count finally does go up, you still lose. Hey, it happens sometimes, and there's nothing you can do but get really pissed and hope you have enough play left to win your money back. My only bright spot came yet again from Stanford athletics, as I won another $20 on the basketball team, who easily beat Texas Tech. (FYI - there's going to be a lot of money to be had on Stanford basketball early this year. They're a lot better than people think.) I ended day 2 down $1250. No sleeping late on Monday. No strolls down the Strip or leisurely meals, and no leaving early for the airport. I was going to need every possible minute of playing time on Monday to try to win back at least some of my losses and not feel like a total dope.
And so I started out early Monday morning, with a deadline of 5PM to be back at the hotel and catch a cab for the airport. I hit the Mirage first, happy to see some $5 tables. (For risk-averse players, I recommend sleeping from 6pm to 2am, then getting up and hitting the tables from 3am to noon, to find those low-stakes tables.) And I actually won a little bit, maybe $200. A glimmer of hope. I thought, if I can only do that 5 more times in the next 6 hours, I'll break even. Not too likely. I headed back up to MGM, where I'd have a better chance. At MGM, I was able to jump around from table to table -- every time the count got low, I'd move to a new table that was shuffling and try there. There were plenty of open tables, because the MGM was expecting a lot of traffic, as they were hosting the Billboard Music Awards that afternoon. The crowd there was pretty odd -- a mix of rodeo cowboys and stupid rockstar types. Anyway, I would go up and down, winning a little, then losing, but slowly getting higher. Made it back to down only $500 around 3PM. 1 hour to go, but having won $750 on the day, I was feeling OK with my position. Of course I played on, even though I knew I'd be devastated if I had a bad shoe and lost it all back right before getting on the plane. But sure enough, a couple more good shoes, one just before time to head out of there, and I had miraculously won back all my money but $150. I walked back to the Imperial Palace and felt pretty good. Even had time to stop at the Bellagio and watch the fountains -- amazing show set to a horrible Shania Twain song. Ugh.
I got back to the Imperial Palace at 4:45. Down $150. Still have cash in pocket. Open seat at a $10 table right in front of the casino. Yes, of course, I sat down. At 5:00, I had won about $30 more dollars and we were halfway through an 8-deck shoe. The count was neutral. Well, I couldn't leave in the middle of the shoe -- who knows, it might be about to go super high? So I kept playing. Have I built up the tension enough, yet? OK, so indeed the count went way up and before long, I was betting $50, $100 per hand. And... winning! And when the shuffle came and ended the shoe, and I colored up my chips, I was up another $500!
That's right, card counting works! I had a winning weekend in Vegas -- again. I had won a miracle $1600 in one day, at $10 tables. (Commercial break: You can do this to -- just buy my book.)
Speaking of my book, there is a lot of talk at blackjack tables about "the book". "Should I hit this? What does the book say to do?" and "I know the book says stand, but I'm going to hit" and "I know the book says hit, but I didn't write the book. I'll stand." It's always very amusing, especially when you have written "the book". I heard a great one this trip. A guy at my table said "I know the book says to hit, but the guy who wrote the book did it because he couldn't win money playing blackjack." (I should have said "Maybe he just has better things to do with his time", but since I was down a grand at the time, instead I quietly enjoyed the irony.)
