Best of 2009 (10-1)

1) Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs

They've managed to retain their style for over 20 years, yet continue to sound fresh and adventurous. One of the best bands in existence.

Fun with fruit:


2) Superchunk - Leaves in the Gutter EP


This EP completely rocked my shit for like three months straight.

3) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone


I know of at least one contemporary female piano player that I like. And it doesn't hurt that she covers both Harry Nilsson and Sparks.

Horse whisperer:


4) Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest


This was the year in which we see Grizzly Bear become a household name, and for good reason.

Tripping balls:


5) Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle


Bill Callahan returns to his sparse, wry, and manically depressing songwriting. Because happy Smog just doesn't cut it.

6) Group Bombino - Guitars from Agadez Vol. 2


Unlike the first volume, this one is half acoustic, half electric. But it’s still completely raw and messy and awesome. What else would you expect from a Nigerien rebel group?

7) Piano Magic - Ovations


Girlfriend dump you? Take a bunch of ketamine? Paranoid that your heart is about to collapse into itself? Or just generally feel like offing yourself? Well, the good news is you’ve found your soundtrack.

8) Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family - My Ancestors


Technically a release from the early 70's, this album boasts simple melodies, fuzzed-out psych guitar solos, and heavy drums. This sounds a bit like Cream if they were Zambian and Clapton had any balls.

9) A.C. Newman - Get Guilty


Newman’s second solo album is more introspective than his first, but it’s still full of endless hooks and skillful songwriting. And it proves once again that he’s at his best when in total control.

10) Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy


It might not be Built to Spill's best album, but it's got everything they've come to be known for (namely, triple guitar beard attack). And props to them for including slide guitar again- "Hindsight" is a jam reminiscent of much of Doug Martsch's solo album.

New Bill Callahan

Here's a new song called "Eid Ma Clack Shaw." When Woke On a Whaleheart first came out, I remember thinking that a happy Smog just doesn't seem quite right. Eventually that album grew on me and I realized that I felt good to know that he felt good. But if this new track is any indication of the rest of the new album, he's back to the depressing nature of the bulk of his work. Although that makes for some great music, it's hard to see (or hear) your heroes in such pain.

In other news, there's a guy at my bridge club that looks exactly like Bill Callahan in 30 years.

Bill Callahan - Eid Ma Clack Shaw

Bill Callahan/Smog

Make no bones about it: I love Bill Callahan. He's hands-down my favorite solo artist and easily in my top five favorite musical entities. So the good news is that the forthcoming "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" is coming out in little over a month and today Stereogum has reported on the progress of said album.

For a couple weeks now I've been meaning to share the "Rock Bottom Riser EP" but am just getting to it now. It was the last release under the Smog moniker before he shed the shackles of Shmog-ery to become eponymous. The EP came out a year after "A River Ain't Too Much to Love" and features two album cuts ("Rock Bottom Riser" and "I Feel Like the Mother of the World") and two non-album cuts ("Bowery" and "Fool's Lament"). These latter two sewed the seeds for what was to become the country amblings of "Woke on a Whaleheart." The CD also contains videos for the album tracks, one of which features the big love of Chloe Sevigny and can be seen here:



EDIT: Link removed upon request- go out and buy it you filthy animals!
Rock Bottom Riser
1) Rock Bottom Riser
2) I Feel Like the Mother of the World
3) Bowery
4) Fool's Lament

Bill Callahan

The Smogdog himself, Bill Callahan, played in Sydney's Hyde Park tonight in the first of five shows for the Sydney Festival. The venue, the "Famous Spiegeltent," looked a bit like an auctioneer's showgrounds, but proved to be a very intimate setting for Bill and Co. This was no ordinary Co., though. The Dirty Three's Jim White and Mick Turner accompanied him on drums and guitar, respectively, in what turned out to be the loudest Smog show I've ever seen.

On first impression, Bill looked like an almost entirely different person that the last time I saw him. Previously trimmed and suited, tonight he was sporting a Canadian tuxedo, hair to his shoulders, and a patchy beard to boot. All this can be evidenced by a very blurry photo:

I was surprised that the first song turned out to be "River Guard," for one because I've just recently started re-listening to Knock Knock, and two because I've never heard him play that song before. The rest of the songs (with the exception of two new ones) were all usual live Smog fare, though with the complementing sounds of White and Turner they were given a bit of extracurricular muscle. It was pretty clear they hadn't played together much before, and though White's drumming was free-flowing and exceptional, Turner occasionally appeared lost and often referred to notes in front of him. Bill chose to play a decidedly rock version of "Our Anniversary," which I felt took away a little from the brilliant lyrics, and Mick's guitar seemed a bit out of place. Of course Mick's a great guitarist, and he nailed it at least half the time, especially on the driving "Bathysphere" as well as the climax of "Say Valley Maker." That song is the absolute jam.

Two new ones seem extremely promising, though I know nothing of their names. One was an upbeat single-worthy song akin to "Sycamore." The other was an actual break-up song about him and Joanna Newsom. I didn't know he had it in him. I'm really excited to hear the new album, with the soaring and cryptic name "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle."

The night ended with four "A River Ain't Too Much to Love" tracks- "Say Valley Maker," "In The Pines," "Rock Bottom Riser," and "Let Me See The Colts." He could play most anything off that album and I'd enjoy it, but as a last song "Let Me See the Colts" is perfect.

There's nothing like an excellent show from one of the best songwriters ever to end a good week.

-Cole