The Sound of Sheep

Best Music of 2009. Period.

2009-12-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

It's the end of 2009 now... actually it's 2010 as I write this... and this year for the year end list I decided to keep it to the number I could fit on one disc for my brothers. Also, I had to have heard most, if not all of the album and either own it or desire it with more than a passing desire. One trend that I noticed that I'm sure you will too, is the presence of female singers. Other critics I have read this year are noting the same things in their lists. Women are taking a larger portion of their top whatever lists. Powerful and creative female singers are breaking further into the music world and, as you'll see from my list, are creating some of the most fascinating music out there. Without further ado...Happy New Year.

#1: The One with the Voices - Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest

I had only heard a couple songs off of Yellow House before I caught the mind blowing "Two Weeks," the first single off of the confusingly titled Veckatimest. It didn't take long for me to be hooked on the slippery lyrics and the harmonies. It took me longer to appreciate the rhythms. Intricate percussion throughout, compliments each song. Veckatimest is a warmer album than Yellow House, but in many cases has just as little to hold on to. I love this about it. Grizzly Bear have crafted an album that sounds, with the exception of a few strange detours, like something you might've heard before. It was my soundtrack for the ride to work through Whatcom Falls Park in the pitch dark. Slightly unnerving and memorable to race across the bridge and be sprayed by foam from the waterfall that is roaring somewhere in the dark and listen to Ed Droste croon "I'm cheerleading myself/I should have made it matter." My favorite and most returned to album of the year.

#2: The One that Doesn't Make Sense - Dirty Projector's Bitte Orca

I can't help but think that David Longstreth is totally mad. His vocals do nothing but encourage this line of thought. And the music, disjointed and crazy as it is, holds together by a fingernail. "Useful Chamber" was my introduction to their latest album and it grooves a little jazzy R&B ish at the beginning before exploding into rock chaos for the chorus. Though they are the indie hipster darlings for the moment... in fact, my top three seem to be the most talked about and hated/obsessed over bands of the year... they really have made an album filled with beautiful vocals, strange guitar lines, and explosive riffs. Plus, you add a video for what could be the best R&B track of the year "Stillness is the Move" and stage it with llamas and dancing girls in huge white cloaks up in the hills? Come on now.

#3: The One Like a Fine Wine - Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion

It took me a while to listen through the new Animal Collective. Sure I was familiar with Strawberry Jam and the Panda Bear side project, but Merriweather Post Pavilion was a tough initial sell. Sure "My Girls" was catchy and smart, if not a bit nonsensical, but I didn't know about the rest of the album. "Lion in a Coma" and "Also Frightened" were slow builds. I realized halfway through the year that I was continually going back to this album. It was rich in a way that I hadn't mined early on. One reviewer said that this album was the equivalent to our generation's Pet Sounds... if of course the Beach Boys had been taking even more drugs and had access to computers. I hear that, but with Brian Wilson still chugging out rehashed pop tunes, I don't think that even the Beach Boys would have pulled out something this crazy.

#4: The One with the Weather - Neko Case's Middle Cyclone

There are very few powerful voices in music these days. There are many that are pretty or interesting, but few that command attention. Neko Case may or should be at the top of the list. Her voice is epic. I can imagine her narrating some of the great tales of our time to great effect. With an album filled with natural imagery, both destructive and creative, but continually reverential, Case has staked her claim in the annals of grand songwriting. Middle Cyclone is expansive. I suppose that's the best way to put it. With each listen the songs seem to get bigger and deeper. Tracks like "Prison Girls" may initially echo in a solitary cell, but after the tenth listen, Case's voice is shattering and breaking off of the walls of the whole cell block. It's both beautiful and scary.

#5: The One with the All Stars - Various Artists' Dark Was the Night Benefit Comp.

There were no shortage of benefit compilations this year. Benefit comps for humanitarian organizations, for disease research, for the memory of someone who passed away. None matched the scope or brilliance of Dark Was the Night. The Dessner brothers of The National fame, along with the Red Hot organization for AIDS research, gathered some of their favorite artists and had them either write new tracks based on the album title or cover some classic tracks meant to invoke a certain mood. The result is splayed out over two discs which you could listen to on repeat for hours. It just doesn't get old. You can't argue with the Dirty Projectors teaming up with David Byrne or Antony covering Bob Dylan with Bryce Dessner. It's way too much fun.

#6: The One from Back In Time: Elvis Perkins' In Dearland

It just sounds like it might be about thirty years old... or more. Perkins' voice is smooth and the tracks shuffle along melding jazz, blues, and folk.

#7: The One that Fights - Dananananackroyd's Hey Everyone

After hearing "Song One Puzzle" and air guitaring while cleaning toilets at 6 in the morning, I knew I needed this album. I knew it even more when I described the band and said the name to the clerk at our local record store and he just laughed, patted me on the back, and said, "good luck son." They call themselves "fight pop." If that helps.

#8: The One that is Schizophrenic - The Low Anthem's OMG, Charlie Darwin

There are songs on this album I don't like, but the incredibleness of the others far outweigh the bad. I think the album would have made my list regardless with a song like "Charlie Darwin." It was worth the whole album.

#9: The One with the Ooooo's - Camera Obscura's My Maudlin Career

Hooked on the single "French Navy" and now slightly obsessed with the depressing love song "The Sweetest Thing," Camera Obscura is a scottish band that plays distinctly 70's sunny pop tunes. But like everything from the seventies, the silver lining was often just another raincloud.

#10: The One with the Alcohol - David Bazan's Curse Your Branches

I've been a fan of Pedro the Lion from the beginning. Having been introduced to David Bazan and his rotating cast of bandmates back when WWU hosted quality shows for super cheap in the crappy back concert halls on campus. (No complaints for the acts their bringing to town now though). Curse Your Branches is both a treatise of lack of faith and a terrifying confessional. His battle with alcoholism and falling out of faith are chronicled both beautifully and brutally.

#11: The One with the Percussion - Patrick Watson's Wooden Arms

All Songs Considered introduced me to Watson this year with the song "Beijing," another song that would qualify the album for year end status solely by being one of the best songs of the year or last few years. The whole album, though, is filled with creative, percussive energy. Remember, the piano is really a percussion instrument.

#12: The One with more Whistling - Andrew Bird's Noble Beast

I am fascinated by words regardless of their actual place in meaningful sentences. Some have criticized Bird for spouting Thesaurical nonsense here for the sake of sounding smart. I'm sure others did the same when Lewis Carroll wrote "The Jabberwocky." Humbug on them.

#13: The One with Death - The Antler's Hospice

I can thank Brian Rush for introducing me to these guys. Sure, Hospice has made it's way onto a great many Year End lists, but for very good reason. It's just a fantastic album, grandiose, depressing, anthemic, and almost nightmarish. "I'd happily take all those bullets inside you and put them inside of myself" from "Atrophy."

#14: The One with Disney - St. Vincent's Actor

They all sound like the start of another Disney showtune, but there's always something a little wrong. Like looking at a Kincaide painting where the lights of the little house are glowing with "love" and knowing that the family inside is all screaming at each other. Actor is filled with these moments. Poppy, electronic-y, and subversively fun.

#15: The One Out of Tune - Micachu and the Shapes' Jewellery

I didn't know what to do with the awkward breathing that introed "Golden Phone" and I still don't know what to do with the trainwreck that is "Lips, but I do know that I can't look away. It's just too much fun.

#16: The One with Only One Season: Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP

Justin Vernon, at this point, only lives in one season... Winter. When the title track was released critics and fans alike gasped... "he really can top what he already has done!" And then they came to the song "Woods." With a year of Billboard songs replete with Auto-tune, why would an emo-folker overlayer his own vocals in autotune! For shame! Ah, but a good musician is never done pushing the limit of his fans. Once you settle, you play casinos.

#17: The One with the Quick Speak - Mos Def's The Ecstatic

I lost my affinity for rap back when I was all about DC Talk and whatever christian rap I could get ahold of. It became so terrible I gave it up, vowing never to go back. So, when my musical tastes broadened, I'd moved on to Weezer, then Death Cab and now for the likes of the aforementioned bands. I totally missed the good Mos Def albums as well as Blackstarr. This album though... it didn't take much of a listen to get me hooked. Mos Def brought me back and who better.

#18: The One with Straight Up Pop - Harlem Shakes' Technicolor Health

It hasn't happened to me in quite some time that I come to a band after they've broken up. However, in the case of Harlem Shakes, they put out their debut album to mild acclaim and then called it quits. It may not be the most revolutionary album, but for certain, it is a fantastic pop album.

#19: The One with the Bob Dylan Vocals: The Tallest Man On Earth's Shallow Grave

He is our generation's Bob Dylan. Sure, we brand everyone with vocal delivery that is nasally and "sucks" with this. Conor Oberst outgrew his label. The Tallest Man On Earth sings from his nose and sits behind a guitar. That's it. It's Bob Dylan, in that it's hard to listen to, but ultimately rewarding folk music.

Christmas Music: A Scrooge or Not - A Christmas Rant

2009-12-23T13:28:00.001-08:00

First off... I'm a fan of Christmas music. During the year, when I put my ipod on shuffle, I will often get a litany of christmas songs. Louis Armstrong, Sufjan Stevens, Amy Grant, Nat King Cole, etc. I try to reserve Christmas music for just this time of year, but sometimes I can't help myself. However, in light of the 30 days of Christmas that is being played at our local Christian music station, I must comment on the state of current Christmas music.

Without sounding too much like the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge, current popular Christmas music - CCM or otherwise - sucks. When I hear "Christmas Shoes" or the horrifying "Christmas and You" by Go Fish (which is what I wish they would do) or perhaps the melodramatic strains of the ridiculous Josh Groban or perhaps the newest version of "Christmas Shoes" by Steven Curtis Chapman called "All I want for Christmas" or, maybe one of the worst - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choirs "Merry Christmas Jesus" - oh fine...now i'll just list them:

Faith Hill's "A Baby Changes Everything"

Anything by the Trans Siberian Orchestra (Silver Bells does not need a face melting solo!)

Any version of "Do You hear What I Hear"

I could go on, but it's not worth any of our time. These are the songs that I patiently put up with while I wait for the odd Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby track. I'll even clap when "I want a hippopotomus for Christmas" comes on, shattering the mind numbing monotony of banal Xmas music. I use "Xmas" dripping with sarcasm.

I have my own pantry of Christmas albums which I return to terribly often. Even throughout the year, just for a pleasant pick-me-up. Sufjan Stevens 5 disc set of Christmas tunes, both original and traditional is, beyond just good listening, an easy way to get me in the Christmas mood. Also, the Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi (or however it's spelled). It is Christmas the moment "O Tanenbaum" moves from the solo piano traditional to the jazzy shuffle half a minute in.

After talking with a friend and laughing at the silliness of some Christmas tunes, we came to the divisive statement of liking Christmas or not. He doesn't see the big deal, outside of Jesus and all that. I love the festivity of it all, the time with family, the presents, and of course Jesus. By proxy, he hates the music that comes with it. The traditional tunes he'll put up with, but outside of that.... geeeh. I've already stated my dislike for so much pop christmas music so I won't retread that, but, after listening part of the way through the Holiday Mix that NPR's All Songs Considered put together on a recent show, I have to say that Christmas music is great and creates fantastic conversation.

The Ravonettes "The Christmas Song" is a slippery pop gem. Snowden's melancholic version of "White Christmas," Laura Gibson's stripped down "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and the double entendre filled "Santa Lost a Ho" by the Christmas Jug Band... all great additions. Adding the entries of Sufjan's "Come Thou Fount" to the show only brought a bit more reverence to the gathering. It is interesting to hear radio hosts comment on sacred hymns. And this got me thinking. What the world calls Christmas music is, in large part, reworkings of the hymns of the Christian faith. Sure there's "Jingle Bell Rock" or "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," but "Little Drummer Boy," a delicate explanation of meaningful gift giving is still covered by bands ranging from Jars of Clay to the Scandinavian discotheque master Lindstrom. Josh Groban, who knows what he thinks of when he belts out in his overly dramatic vocals: "Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother." I can see him gargling the words out in the studio then turning to shout at his producers to get him an 80 degree cup of chamomile tea. A certain reverence is lost when I think like this, but at the same time, whenever "O Holy Night" comes on the radio I cannot help but think, "Wow, this has to impact someone. The lyrics can't be lost on all of us. Can they?"

Anyway. I'd been meaning to blog for a while and upcoming will be both my year end best of music list as well as a recap of what the decade meant for music for me.

If you can, and don't feel too overly flustered by the fact that "Christmas Shoes" is being played once an hour on the soft rock station, pick up one of Sufjan's Christmas albums and listen to it with only the lights on the tree. Or pour yourself some Eggnog and waltz in the living room to Guaraldi's "Skating." It's well worth it and transcends all of the glitz of the season, and can... can even remind us that there is something more important than putting bows on packages and making sure that we spent even amounts on everyone's gifts. From the old traditional "The Friendly Beasts" I leave you with this... "Jesus our brother, strong and good.

Merry Christmas.

Weezer: The Fire is Gone, but There's Still Some Love

2009-10-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

Weezer and I go way back. It took me till 8th grade to hear the Blue Album, though it came out when I was in 6th. This was the year when a host of other bands opened my eyes to rock music. All the typical responses apply here. Nirvana, Soundgarden, even... gasp... Collective Soul. Though I hesitate to admit it. But Weezer grabbed my attention first and with the slight obsession within the crowd I ran with, my love for catchy pop tunes was solidified. I heard the Blue Album first, but in my 8th Grade/9th Grade year, Pinkerton was released. For whatever reason, and seemingly against all popular sentiment at the time, I gravitated towards the emotional free for all of the newest album. Sure Rivers was pent up and singing about some provocative things, but I couldn't get enough of the music and his delivery. The guitars were rough, the drums were chaotic, and the vocals were near insane. What's a kid not to like. However, in recent years Weezer's name and reputation have been flushed down my musical toilet. Sure, I waited in line for the Green Album, but promptly realized that the guitar solos were simply the vocal lines redone. I bought Maladroit and listened to it once. Since then, no Weezer albums have passed through my ears in total. I thought the dubious Red Album might hold promise with the tongue in cheek single "Pork and Beans" which smacked of the epic pop guitar from their debut. It didn't. Now, as their new album Raditude comes out (The albums I didn't mention don't deserve to be), I don't laugh it off as a "stunt," but instead I casually comment, "well, that's Weezer for you." And who wouldn't with tracks titled "The Girl Got Hot" and "I'm Your Daddy" as well as a "duet" with Lil Wayne. What!?

Yet, through all of this, I can still derive a whole lot of fun out of those first two albums. "Only in Dreams" came on my I-Pod the other day and I marveled. It seems to be a subtle musical segue between the Blue Album and Pinkerton in spite of their differences. In the end breakdown, the guitars shred and devolve into madness and the drums get louder and louder. Though I can't stand the Weezer of today, the Weezer of yesteryear are still up there with the bands that make me smile.

Terrible Yellow Eyes

2009-10-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything about this. I might have mentioned it in passing a while back, but seriously... this needs to be seen and continually enjoyed. Cory Godbey, illustrator extraordinaire (Light Night Rains) has decided to create a blog dedicated to Where the Wild Things Are. I'm sure that this was done prior to the movie gaining such indie cred, but his idea allows fellow artists to go wild. Every Friday, the viewer can experience more illustrations. Each artist takes a page or a sentence and redraws it with his/her style. Sometimes the artwork turns out to have little to do with the book and more to do with creativity and imagination. As if that weren't already firmly in place.

Here are a few of my favorites.

What's Good the Last Three Months?

2009-10-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

Here's what I came up with for the last three months worth of music. It's all good in its own way, but some are more worthwhile all the way through than the others. Sometimes my love of music will force me into foolish first assumptions, therefore the inclusion of the now banal track "Roll on Babe" by Vetiver. I heard it and thought it catchy. Now it sounds like everything else out there. Also the inclusion of the cryptic or silly "Robots" by Dan Mangan. He's getting a lot of good press in Canada and the tune is a catchy one, but it seems a little hollow to me for no good reason. However, there is the odd inclusion of something that should be in a category all its own. Dirty Projectors or Bibio or even perhaps The Low Anthem could fit into a slot simply made for "feely" music. Sure Mastodon can come out and yell with the best of them, sometimes anger just doesn't come through fully. The intensity palpable from the Dirty Projectors, or the honest and mindless relaxation heard from Bibio, or the introspective mourning from The Low Anthem.... this is what music is made for. Enjoy. Again... all tracks were found on Hype Machine.

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

Dan Mangan - Robots

Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resource

Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail (live on BBC)

Laura Gibson - Spirited

Leif Vollebekk - Michael Robartes and the Dancer

Lisa Hannigan - Lille

Mastodon - Divinations

Megafaun - Kaufman's Ballad

Modest Mouse - Guilty Cocker Spaniels

Mos Def - Workers Comp.

Ramona Falls - Russia

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (though I like "Kickdrum Heart" better)

Dead Weather - I Cut Like a Buffalo

The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin

The Phenomenal Handclap Band - 15 to 20

Thom Yorke - All for the Best

Vetiver - Roll on Babe

Wye Oak - Take It In

Yacht - Summer Song

Zee Avi - Bitter Heart

Elvis Perkins - I Heard Your Voice in Dresden

Wilco - Deeper Down

Did I miss any? Let me know.

About time Sufjan

2009-09-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

This makes me very excited.

Andrew Peterson and North! Or Be Eaten: A Review

2009-09-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

After reading Andrew Peterson's increasingly intense Wingfeather Saga, North! Or Be Eaten one might be able to construct a general list of the books you might find on his own shelf. The Middle Earth Trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Prydain Chronicles to name a few. Peterson shares his own love of fantasy; imaginative creatures, perils, places; fierce battles between good and evil, both internal and external; and deep redemption, personal growth, and unconditional love; with all three aforementioned authors. North! or Be Eaten takes a much bleaker angle than Book 1. There are still moments of laughter: Tink's pickpocketing phenomenon, Tackleball, and false Toothy Cow warnings. But overall, the story must progress and the confrontation between the Igiby's and their own birthright, not to mention Gnag the Nameless, must near. In this, Book 2, we are dealt a heavy hand of betrayal, madness, kidnapping, and abuse. As in any novel with moments of these horrible truths, we are also given what we strive to see everyday, in the face of evil: grace, truth, love, hope. Through the reddening eyes of Peet the Sock Man's (Artham Wingfeather) madness, we are shown the lens of truth and forgiveness. Through the darkness and namelessness surrounding the kindly named Fork Factory, we are laden with hope and courage. Out of the pit of hopelessness a main character falls headlong into, we are shown Christ-like unconditional love.

While the book does pull on the greats (Peterson dipping his finger into the companionship shown by the group of friends in Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, or the adventurous trek into unknown lands filled with unknown beasts almost defining the Tolkien novels), it is a far more worthwhile attempt to see this Saga for what it is and will become. Peterson is a fine writer. Having several albums of brilliant music and story filled lyrics to his name, it seems only a short step to writing a novel. The writing is not needlessly difficult, nor is it baby-ish.

It is a good thing to be disappointed when a book is over. Bad books do not leave that flavor in your mouth. Andrew Peterson is off to a racing start in his novel writing career, and as I approach National Novel Writing Month (November), I can only hope to be able to put my own words down and tell a story as forceful and meaningful as he has.

Andrew Peterson's Website

Getting Punched

2009-08-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Can't say it's the funniest thing ever... But it may be close.

Confused?

2009-07-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is less a post on culture, music, books, etc... and more of a question. It is slightly rhetorical, but I mean it all the same.

How, when on a child, does this -

End up coming across like this -

Maggie could be decked out in pink. Pink sandals with flowers, a pink shirt with flowers, and pink stretch pants, and yet someone inevitably makes the comment, "It's a beautiful boy!" or a passing question: "Look at him run, how old is he?" Inwardly I call down all sorts of curses upon them for blaspheming the sex of my firstborn... outwardly I smile and say politely, "She's almost 15 months," or "She's a little girl, and she is certainly beautiful!" I think that we're beyond the stage when one could be befuddled by her lack of hair (She is wearing pink and carrying a dolly called Tana). So, what is this silliness? Why does this happen? If anyone has any tidbit of political correctness or cultural awareness that they'd like to bestow upon an overly indignant father, please do.

Oh, and the new Wilco album is summer. Not like summer or sounds like summer, but IS summer. Enjoy.

Wilco w/ Fiest - You and I

Quiet as an Avocado

2009-07-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Out of curiosity I picked up a kids book titled Mr. Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton. I hesitated because our library only has book 5 of the Mr. Gum series, which disappointed me (only days later did they add a book-on-CD version of You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum Book 1). However, with a cover like this, how could you not.

I was skeptical at first as the book seemed to be about a depressed bear who wanders into town and is taken advantage of by the scheming Mr. Gum and his sort-of sidekick Billy William the Third. However, I laughed my head off. Alan Taylor, the town's school's headmaster, is, in fact, a gingerbread man. Jonathan Ripples, the towns fat-man decides to go on a world tour of food in a hot air balloon. Sure, it was all nonsensical, but it made me laugh out loud and read passages to Talia. I can't help but use Mr. Gum's "curse phrase": "Shabba me whiskers!" Fantastic! Oh, did I mention that the character Captain Brazil is nuts... actually Stanton calls him a "crazer." And here's an exerpt from my favorite scene... or one of them... Polly and Padlock the bear are stranded on the ocean and are slowly going a bit nuts:

"Thirst and hunger.

Thirst and hunger.

Polly was starting to lose her mind.

Was Padlock really talking or had she only imagined it?

SWWWSSSSShhhhhhhh.

Hundreds of Crunchy Little Leopards floated by in a postman's hat, laughing and splashing each other for fun.

'Look at me,' said Padlock, taking off his head and playing football with it. 'Ha ha ha, hee hee hee!'"

... and it goes on. Here's another. Mr. Gum and Billy William the Third have just jumped in a boat in pursuit of Polly and Padlock:

"'They ain't gettin' away with this!' screamed Mr. Gum, jumping on to a rundown little fishing boat called The Dirty Oyster. Billy hopped in after him and started up the engine, sending billowing clouds of filthy black smoke into the night air, and off the set in hot pursuit.

But luckily the pursuit wasn't that hot after all, because The Dirty Oyster was absolutely loaded with cans of smuggled beer. In less than ten minutes the villains were completely drunk, completely lost, completely going round in circles, completely shouting at each other and completely and utterly useless. Polly and Padlock had escaped!"

Last note on this book: the similes are fantastic and confusing. "as quiet as an avocado," "his chest thrust out like a vainglorious acorn," "fit as a unicorn and twice as real," or "like the world's furriest gymnastics guy." I have a new category of silly turn of phrase. Hilarious.

Change of Pace

I heard a track off the new Dirty Projectors album a couple weeks ago and couldn't believe it. I have only heard of this band in conjunction with art rock and "best album you wish you could like."

They're a hard band to get into because they create intricate and abrasive and sometimes freakish songs. However, Bitte Orca is being hailed as the most accessible of their albums to date. From my end, it's another album to vie for the top of the year end list. Variated harmonies, slippery guitar lines, morphing time signatures, but under it all is a dedication to song-craft and an almost epic sense of the new. The Dirty Projectors have always been at the forefront of new sounds, but it seems that, here, they have the potential to remind/wake up others to the vast array of sounds out there.

Moving is tiring

2009-06-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

We just moved and an update is in the works. Until then, go listen to the new Dirty Projectors album, then sip some lemonade and curl up with a good book.

Fletch = Junk

2009-06-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Just gave up on my mystery book. Anyone know of a good one? One where the characters aren't all hideous... even the "good guy."

The Genre Challenge

2009-06-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

I have mentioned before that my challenge to myself this year, literaturally (word?)... bibliophilically?... was to read books from all different genres and to try not to overlap nor to break away from my goal. I have only once with the release of the last book in the Percy Jackson series from Rick Riordan. However, as of this writing I have read through 13 different genres and am in the middle of two more.

Genres are an interesting thing too. As I've researched lists of genres to build my reading plan, I've noticed that people are completely subjective in their classifications. One person calls genres as fiction, non-fiction... which seems more like broad classification. Another goes on for pages listing everything from political horror to "food and history"... these seem more like subgenres and nitpicking. However, in an attempt to vary my reading, I've had to call upon subgenres to fill out my list and allow me to read more fiction. Also, one of the books I'm reading now I have classified, willfully, completely wrong. It is a history book involving animals, but because I have another history book on my list, it has been labeled as my "animal" book.

The list of what Jake's reading on the sidebar will be updated to reflect genre very soon. But below is a list of what I've read so far and what category, genre, subgenre I've put it in. Comments? Suggestions? I hope so.

Graphic Novel - The Watchmen - by Alan Moore (Gave up on this one and flipped through to get the basic storyline. Visual reading is disturbing because I can't edit what I want to, mentally. Plus it's a downer. I might try another graphic novel later, but with more discernment.)

Juvenile Fairy Tales - The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K. Rowling (I know this isn't true fairy tale, but I was interested in reading it and would rather read a few light morality tales about wizards and stuff than dabble in Aesop. At least this go around)

Autobiography - My Boyhood and Youth - John Muir (Brilliant outdoorsman, on par with John J. Audoban)

Greek Myth - Random House Book of Greek Myths - by Vinge and Sherman (They're just too fun. Rick Riordan got me all interested with them and goodness, they're great stories. I need to find out more about the titans though. Interesting bunch.)

Sports - Moneyball - Michael Lewis (One of the best books I've read so far this year. Oakland A's, stats, and a new form of baseball)

Money - The Treasure Principle - Randy Alcorn (Read this one for a church study. A little too Christianese for me, but good "principles." God's money, not mine.)

Classic - Treasure Island - R.L. Stevenson (Never read it before. I'd only seen the Disney movie and the Muppets version. The book is much more dark and disturbing. The Cap'n is brilliant, evil, and so much more devious than Tim Curry ever could have made him. But when your co-stars are puppets, how evil can you get?)

Food - How to Pick a Peach - Russ Parsons (It walks you through the seasons. Not only do you get a partial list of seasonal fruits and veggies, but also some history and recipes. It was a timely read, since we've joined a CSA for the first time this year.)

Christian Fantasy - On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness - Andrew Peterson (I know... one of my favorite Christian musicians wrote a book. It's silly and wants to be like a mix between Tolkien, Lewis, and some of the slapstick humor of Douglas Adams. Part of a series that will be continued with North! Or Be Eaten. Can't wait.)

Music - Songbook - by Nick Hornby (Talented writer opining on his own taste in music. Some of it funny, some slightly touching, some wrong (my own opining), and some brilliant.)

Juvenile Adventure - The Maze of Bones - Rick Riordan (Part of the series "The 39 Clues." You can't go wrong with an international mystery surrounding all of the famous families of history, 39 clues, a race, and 2 kids who have to outwit all the others to win.)

Christian Living - Enter the Worship Circle - by Ben Pasley (I forgot how much I loved this book. It's a little on the mystical side, but a telling reminder of the breadth of worship and how vital it is for spiritual development.)

Microfiction - Microfiction: An Anthology of Really Short Stories - edited by Jerome Stern (I wasn't so sure about this one when my brother handed it to me. It seems plausible, but perhaps not possible to write 250 words or less and accomplish a legitimate story. I was wrong.)

READING:
Animals - The Zookeeper's Wife - by Diane Ackerman (Here's the controversial category. I want to read Guns, Germs, and Steel as my history book and Ackerman's book does have animals in it, so why not call it the animal book. I don't want to subdivide even further and call it WWII history. It's a brilliant read so far and fascinating. Terrible... but fascinating.)

Mystery - Fletch - Gregory McDonald (I only can place Chevy Chase on the movie poster for this book. I assumed Chevy Chase would be all about comedy and so the book must be a funny little caper. So far, the main character is a jerk, it's all dialogue and very little setting, and about a man who wants to be murdered and a reporter who agrees to do it. Weird)

TO READ NEXT:
Conspiracy - The Men Who Stare At Goats - by Jon Ronson (One of my favorite contributors from This American Life)

Nonfiction Adventure - The Lost City of Z - by David Grann (If he really inspired Indiana Jones, why would I not read about him?)

If you want to suggest something leave a post, but make sure to classify your suggestion and leave the author's name.

2009 2nd Quarter: Best in Music

2009-05-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

I hate the formatting junk that is Blogger. It just makes me mad. I work all hard and this is what I get... You'll just have to use your brains to attach the right song with the right album art. Ddddddang!

Alright everyone. Here is the much sought after 2nd Quarter list of best music. I've been working on this one a lot more thoroughly than the last and am really digging each of these tracks and bands. I hope you enjoy. All or most can be found on Hype Machine as free/legal downloads. I can't vouch for each album, but if the rest of the album is this good you should buy all 23. I have only 4 so far, but my wishlist is growing. I'm going to compile a .zip folder with each track in it and if you are so inclined... let me know and I'll send one over to you via yousendit.com or somesuch thing. Sorry the layout's all funkdified... it's not my fault. Blame the codewriters at Blogger.

Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele - "Meet Me in the Garden" from The Good Feeling Music of...

Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire" from Post-Nothing

Metric - "Help, I'm Alive" from Fantasies

St. Vincent - "The Strangers" from Actor

The Tallest Man On Earth - "The Sparrow and the Medicine" from Shallow Grave

Camera Obscura - "French Navy" from My Maudlin Career

Cursive - "From the Hips" from Mama, I'm Swollen

Death Cab For Cutie - "My Mirror Speaks" from The Open Door EP

The Antlers - "Bear" from Hospice (Thanks Brian... thought I Dan Deacon....ummm)

Fleet Foxes - "False Knight on the Road" from Mykonos (Single)

Flight of the Conchords - "Friends" from The Second Season (No release date or tracklist yet)

Heartless Bastards - "The Mountain" from The Mountain

Papercuts - "Future Primitive" from You Can Have What You Want

Royksopp - "Happy Up Here" from Junior

The Boxer Rebellion - "Soviets" from Union (Thanks Marc)

Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait for the Others" from Veckatimest

Iron and Wine - "God Made the Automobile" from Around the Well

Bishop Allen - "The Ancient Commonsense of Things" from Grrr...

Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights" from Upper Air

White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun" from It's Frightening

Say Hi - "Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh" from Ohs and Ahs

Fanfarlo - "The Walls are Coming Down" from Reservoir

Patrick Watson - "Beijing" from Wooden Arms

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

2009-05-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Please buy this. I'm no salesman, but this is the album of the year in my mind. Nothing comes close.

A Word Hunt

2009-05-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

A while back I started putting together a list of words that I loved. Sometimes based on their meaning (i.e. redemption), sometimes simply because they sound smooth/pretty/relaxing (i.e. cellar - rumored to be the prettiest word in the English language... ref.? anyone?)... something like that. My list ballooned to hold words like autumn and a homophonic permutation having nothing to do with the former except perhaps trees: ottoman. Others? Breeze, latte, wheat (think the Paloose), busking, ascetic, and it may sound cheesy or lovey-dovey, but I love the sound of my wife's name: Talia. Not Taa-leah, but Tuh-leah. Beautiful.

I started thinking about my fascination with beautiful words again the other day when I was listening to the new B-Sides/"Lost Songs"/Covers album by Iron and Wine called Around the Well. I kind of sort of have come to this conclusion that many of my favorite words have come from Sam Beam's pronunciation of them. This is a new category since I myself am not pronouncing them. When a word like "belated" enters my brain I think about shirked responsibility and apologies, however, when Mr. Beam croons "belated" in on of his songs (the unreleased B-Side "Belated Promise Ring") it becomes a musical word, losing all of its guilty edge. So I did some research into some of the words I like and which come from Iron and Wine songs. This isn't a comprehensive list, but it's close.

Sam Beam of Iron and Wine

Thornbush

Seaside
Body

Pantry

Wooden

Carousel

Communion

Barnyard

Tomorrow

Magazine

Freedom

Automobile

Bothered

Reins

Tuckered

Yarrow

Fallen

Brother

Dogwood

Bougainvillea

Unimaginative

Copse

Baling

Resurrection

Edith

Rebecca

Bucket

Midnight

Thoughts? Additions? Deletions?

Songs for Summer

2009-05-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

So the other day... when it was nice like tonight was and not like this morning when I was riding my bike to work... I was thinking about music as I often do and was humming "French Navy" by Camera Obscura (check them out). It was sunny and all of a sudden I had a brilliant idea. I already have a playlist on my i-pod for Fall, but not one for Summer. So, over the next couple of days I compiled 40 tracks from what I have on my i-pod based on their feel, sometimes the lyrics, and the melody. I think each one of these reminds me of summer. I chose to limit each band to one track otherwise I'd be playing out Josh Ritter, Wilco and The Shins all day. I also, with great intent, thought to organize them by when during a great summer day I would like to hear them. This got tiresome and I gave up. So here is my list of 40 great summer tracks. Let me know what tracks I missed and what I should add to my playlist!

Marry Song -Band Of Horses -Cease To Begin

A Minor Incident -Badly Drawn Boy- The Official Bootleg Live @ Glastonbury

Make It Up -Ben Kweller- Sha Sha

Lua -Bright Eyes -I'm Wide Awake It's Morning

Table for Two- Caedmon's Call- 40 Acres

Mexico -Cake- Prolonging The Magic

Qué Onda Guero -Beck -Guero

House Of Valparaiso- Calexico -Carried To Dust

Prison On Route 41 -Calexico / Iron & Wine- In The Reins

Two Sitting Ducks -Danielson -Ships

Babylon -David Gray -Kink Live Four

Trashcan -Delta Spirit -Ode to Sunshine

Golly Sandra -Eisley -Room Noises

Brandy Alexander -Feist- The Reminder

Remain -Five O'Clock People- The Nothing Venture

Muddy Hymnal -Iron & Wine- The Creek Drank The Cradle

It's All Understood -Jack Johnson- Brushfire Fairytales

Get What You Need -JET -Get Born

In The Dark -Josh Ritter- The Animal Years

Saltbreakers -Laura Veirs- Saltbreakers

Magic Trick -M. Ward -Post-War

Lullaby Haze- Mates Of State- Re-Arrange Us

Inside of Love -Nada Surf- Let Go

Middle Cyclone -Neko Case -Middle Cyclone

Ode To A Butterfly -Nickel Creek- Nickel Creek

5 Years Time -Noah And The Whale -I Can't Believe

Feelin' The Same Way -Norah Jones -Come Away With Me

A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country- Randy Newman -Harps And Angels

My Winding Wheel -Ryan Adams -Heartbreaker

Oleander -Sarah Harmer- I'm A Mountain

You Really Gotta Hold On Me -She & Him- Volume One

Girl Inform Me -The Shins- Oh, Inverted World

Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur- Sigur Rós- Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)- Simon & Garfunkel -Simon & Garfunkel Greatest Hits

You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb -Spoon -Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Writing To Reach You -Travis- The Man Who

Not the Same -Ben Folds -Ben Folds Live

M79 -Vampire Weekend -Vampire Weekend

She's A Jar Wilco Summerteeth

Half Ell Belle Yellow Second June One

The music post

2009-05-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I was taken by my brothers to see the Shins live in Red Square up at WWU. In typical Bellingham style, we were poured upon. The wind kicked up and the rain came down in buckets. So Marc, Seth, and I stood on the edge of the fountain and watched Delta Spirit tear through their set, apologizing after mistaking Bellingham for Seattle, and proving that live shows are always better than albums... even great albums. The Shins came on when the rain really was coming down and the keyboard player at one point remarked that he was standing in a "pool of wadder." Even so, it was a brilliant concert and one I'll remember for a long time. Not only did they ruin a keyboard, but the ASB Pop staff had to hold up the soundboard tent, and I was soaked through my coat, sweatshirt, and shirt. But I was with two of my best pals and it was fabulous music. I hope they come out with a new album this year; their new stuff sounds awesome.

I bought the new Neko Case album, Middle Cyclone, this last week courtesy of income tax return and birthday money and it is also very impressive. All of the press it's gotten is middling, because "her" songs seem basic and she crowds the album with covers. Bah! I say. I loved Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, and this one is seemingly more radio friendly, but she has a way with words and phrasing and imagery and sound. One of my favorite lyrics come from the ominously titled song "Prison Girls": "I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes." Intense.

I've also been enjoying an AIDS benefit album called Dark Was the Night. It's jam packed with bands I love and though I've reviewed/enjoyed/hated comp albums before this one takes the cake. Iron and Wine, The National, Grizzly Bear, The Dirty Projectors, Antony Hegarty, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Gibbard and Feist. The thing about it is that there are no real filler tracks. It doesn't seem as though the organizers contacted any of these bands thinking that a "hip" comp album has to have a Death Cab for Cutie track, etc. Some of the songs are covers, some duets, and some originals. It's an amazing collection of artists playing their best all for a great cause.

Back in the beginning of April I got the hankering to divulge some of my musical finds over the past three months with my brothers. They are huge music fans and I love turning people on to good music. I do an annual "best of" album, but this year decided to give them a quarterly "good music" album. And so I show it off to you. For the sake of a shorter post, as this is already out of hand, I won't do any "sounds like" stuff. You'll have to take my word for it and either like it or not. Enjoy.

In Alphabetical Order:

Andrew Bird - "Fitz and Dizzyspells" - from Noble Beast

Animal Collective - "My Girls" - from Merriweather Post Pavilion

Bon Iver - "Blood Bank" - from Blood Bank EP

Antony and the Johnsons - "Aeon" - from The Crying Light

Dananananackroyd - "Pink Sabbath" - from Hey Everyone

Nat King Cole - "Day In, Day Out (Cut Chemist Remix)" - from Re:Generations

Harlem Shakes - "Strictly Game" - from Technicolor Health

K'naan - "ABCs (feat. Chubb Rock)" - from Troubadour

M. Ward - "One Hundred Million Years" - from Hold Time

Micachu and the Shapes - "Golden Phone" - from Jewellery

Mumford and Sons - "Little Lion Man" - from Demos

Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve" - from Middle Cyclone

Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead" - from Manners

Vijay Kishore - "Never Ends" - from Done it Again EP

Rick Riordan - The funmaster

2009-04-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

Master of the retold and reimagined Greek myth. Purveyor of Indiana Jones meets National Treasure meets brilliant reading marketing scheme. Rick Riordan is a children's author, though he also writes for adults, and is/has writing/written some of the most entertaining books I've crossed recently. Sure he's on the best sellers list, which, to those of us under the ambiguous label "indie," might find offensive. I don't and won't be boxed out of enjoying, wholeheartedly, books or music designed to entertain. I've made it through the backlog of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and now patiently await the finale. I'm also just starting the 39 Clues series which is already panning out to be just the book I was looking for, both back in elementary school and on most Saturdays. Check out the website, the books, and enjoy.

Rick Riordan's Site

Go Here - Watch This: Where the Wild Things Are

2009-04-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Having been a fan of this book since I was child, I was thrilled and terrified that they were turning it into a full length movie. It was a scary book to open for the first time since there were "wild things" and there was a distance from home that had been breached with, perhaps, no return. A nail biting thought as a single digit old boy. However, there was adventure, there was independance, and there was the pursuit of something that "I" liked - exploration. Maurice Sendak's book was and may still be on the frequently banned books list along with his In The Night Kitchen. I understand the uproar from parents as we see Max exhibiting an emotion we generally tie to bad behavior (anger) and willing himself to disappear from the situation. There is a brief resolution at the end as we see his meal on a table when he returns unharmed and exhausted and in need of his family. Whether you loved it or hated it for reasons stated above or because of others - it's scary, the monsters are weird, you don't like Sendak's art - in my book, it's a children's classic. Now to the movie.

Click on poster for preview website

I had heard rumors that there was going to be a movie and I groaned. I thought it might be the sort of digitally enhanced attempt like last year's Horton Hears a Who, which did well, I think. I also thought it might be just a short film to introduce another box office smash attempt like the latest Disney offering or something from Nickelodeon Studios or something. However, I stumbled across the full length movie preview on Apple's website and was blown away. Absolutely blown away. It's in real life and everything looks like it did in the book except with real people and brilliantly made up monsters (Jim Henson?). They're going to have to make up some lengthier plot lines and that worries me, but those at the writing helm are Spike Jonze (music video extraordinaire) and Dave Eggers (hipster, writer - What is the What, and creator of McSweeney's and all of the 826 writing clubs). I'm not terribly worried that they'll write in a lot of sap or silliness. The film itself looks gorgeous. Huge panoramas, that almost grainy, sun-dried camera lens. And the music on the preview... I couldn't help but think I knew it as soon as it came on. Arcade Fire's "Wake Up." If that didn't make me excited, nothing would.

In the end, who knows. It may be my new favorite movie. I love movies in general that deal with internal struggle and end with redemption and resolution. Maybe this isn't one of those and I'll hate it. Either way, I'm stoked.

Intentions

2009-04-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I had a grandiose idea to post the list of books I've completed thus far as well as a little snippet about them. I also thought that I would have time this weekend to post my list of best music for this quarter of 2009, complete with snippets. Though now, alas and alack, Sunday night has arrived and I have accomplished only two of three goals for the weekend: clean the bathrooms and bake orange whole-wheat bread. Posting the above listings was pushed aside as our homestead contracted the flu. We don't know what kind or how long it lasts, but everyone here except me is under the weather. In the place of the aforementioned lists I'll give you a link to an art blog that I think is fantastic. I'm a big fan of the Brothers Hildebrand who did art for Tolkein's books as well as Terry Brooks' fantasy series based around the Shannara family. That's a bit of a side note. I'm in the midst of reading Andrew Peterson's (yes, the Andrew Peterson of The Far Country, Love and Thunder, and Resurrection Letters II) kids fantasy novel On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and the illustrations are fantastic. On Peterson's blog, he passes a link to the artist who drew all of the illustrations, one Justin Gerard.

http://www.quickhidehere.blogspot.com/

Over the last year he went back and illustrated points in Tolkien's original masterpiece The Hobbit. His work began as an attempt to illustrate the Lord of the Rings but he found that Peter Jackson's Hollywood-ized version was too ingrained. So I leave you with the link to his gallery for The Hobbit, some other random bits of art, and some illustrations for Beowulf. Enjoy all.

http://www.justingerard.com/

The Reading Challenge

2009-03-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

So this year I've challenged myself to read from as many different genres as possible. Not necessarily a daunting feat, but certainly out of my range as I tend to stay pretty close to the novel/kids book realm. It's an exercise in information gathering and "doing what I thought I should have long ago." When I was in highschool and college classes always required you to read classics like Moby Dick or Lord of the Flies or one of the many Dickens novels. This was forced for me since I was rolling headlong through my spy novel excitement and had to tear my eyes away from the latest Clive Cussler novel so I could read a few sentences and make up some meaningless thesis about why Moby Dick is a treatis on Mid-Eastern spirituality. Needless to say, I trudged through some of the world's finest literature so that I could engulf myself in pulp fiction. Oh well. Now I get to sound and feel intellectual as I sit down with Treasure Island or The Watchmen. There are certainly genres that I'm not excited about tackling. Dickens for example. Though they are classics of literature and "everyone" should read them.... I don't have much excitement for poverty stricken Europe in the ol' days. It's just not that interesting. Plus, death, abandonment, and orphans are not high on my happy list. However, I will be reading one of them later on in the year. Maybe A Christmas Carol. I'll post soon what I have read and what genres I'm fitting them into, but currently I'm halfway into my "food" book. It's called How To Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons and it's fantastic. The subtitle is The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table and is an explanitory book on what certain kinds of fruits and vegetables are, how they are grown, where, why, why we like them, etc. It tosses in a few sections on the different kinds of farming and the trouble with mass market farming, as well as some recipes and a focus on taste rather than whether it's organic or not. It's a fascinating book and since I'm sort of into cooking right now, Parsons is convincing me to try some vegetables and fruits I would normally stay away from: eggplant, persimmons, fava beans, artichokes.

I'm always looking for book suggestions, so if anyone has an interesting addition to my list, shoot me a comment with the book title and genre and I'll debate it. I have quite a few picked out, but who knows, maybe next year I'll do it again. Though I already have an idea for what next year will be all about.

A new beginning

2009-03-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering the possibility of my own blog for a time now. A place where I'm able to divulge my musical interests along with some reviews perhaps, a place to "encourage" readers to read something I'm reading (abundant use of that word), and a place where I can toss out ideas, story concepts, recipes, etc. It's not going to be a family update site as I'm reserving that for the wemetatcamp.blogspot.com adventure. This'll be mine with probably an occasional guest spot from Talia with her picks for the week or month or something like that. I might even tap into some of my previous music industry contacts for some fun list type things or whatever... unless they don't return my emails. Either way, I think it'll just be a fun exercise in writing/promoting. I like both and one of my passions is finding new and exciting artsy things: art, books, music, movies, etc. I hope you all enjoy.

Jake