Monday, December 12th, 2005

This Year

So here we are, another year-end list in the cacaphony of December retrospectives. Still, if there’s one thing lists do, it allows writers to be lazy and rehash what they’ve already no doubt covered in the past although this has turned out to be one of the most time-consuming posts of the year for me, maybe ever. You’d think that writing short blurbs on the records that one enjoyed the most in the past year would be easy, but really, not so much. I can’t say that 2005 was a watershed year for music, but there was certainly enough great stuff to keep me happy as a pig in a blanket for the past twelve months.

I made a decision at the start of the year to actively seek out more new music outside of my usual comfort zone, and while I must confess I wasn’t as dilligent about that as I’d intended, the fact that four of my top ten albums came from acts I’d never heard (or in many cases even heard of) before this year ain’t too bad. I’ll be endeavouring to carry this trend forward into ’06, mainly by actually listening to more of the CDs, compilations and mp3s that I’m sent. While this will no doubt increase my exposure to bad music, no pain no gain, n’est pas? Though I have to say that looking at the release schedule for 2006, stacked as it is with many new albums from long-time favourites, I wonder if any dark horses will manage to eke their way onto next year’s edition? To do so, some very reliable veteran acts would have to drop the ball… Oh well, time will tell.

Curiously, the Top 5 of The First Half Of 2005 list I posted back in July just preceded my exposure to most of the albums that made the final cut, but a few managed to carry over and the others just barely got bumped down to honourable mention status. The final ten are listed alphabetically – I had considered actually ranking them this year, but after the clear-cut top three positions, things kind of just fell into a constantly-shifting mass that changed from moment to moment. I found it interesting that eight of the ten albums came from American acts, and two from Canadians. No British or European artists at all, though if I expanded the list out to twenty or so, the Old World would be quite well represented. What can I say? The colonies rocked the mic in ’05, yo.

And many thanks to Toronto illustrator Renée Nault for the beautiful frontispiece in this year-end retrospective. For a full-size version of the art (500K), click here – it looks even better biggie-sized. Do check her portfolio out.

So without further ado, my top 10 albums of 2005 (and ancillary lists and commentary)… after the jump.
(more…)

Tuesday, July 20th, 2004

Janitorial On Channel Fail

Centro-Matic frontman Will Johnson’s new solo record Vultures Await will be out September 7. You can preview a couple tracks from Misra Records’ artist page. The solo stuff is generally more stripped-down and starker than Centro-Matic’s plugged-in guitar assault. I’m still working out how South San Gabriel (another Centro-Matic offshoot) stands in relation – probably somewhere in-between.

I’ve been moderately obsessed with the Austin, Texas band since picking up last year’s Love You Just The Same on a lark, note unheard, last Boxing Day. Their combination of raw, skronky guitars and raspy, world-worn vocals just do it for me – they’ve obviously done time in the Neil Young school of rock, but they have their own thing going on as well – it’s hard to put my finger on it, but they’re definitely more than just your standard alt-country act. Some have used The Flaming Lips as a reference point, and while I don’t really hear that, there is something deeper and trippier going on under the surface. There’s a slew of sample mp3s and some videos on their website – give a look/listen. My only gripe about the band is that they don’t tour up here. The closest they came was Buffalo this Spring… Why didn’t I go? Come on. BUFFALO.

Mac McCaughan is making the rest of us slack motherfuckers look bad. Besides running Merge Records and its 15th anniversary celebrations, Superchunk will be putting out another Clambake-series live album. When We Were 10: Live at the Cats Cradle 1999 could be another limited edition like the first two Clambake live records, so pay attention to ‘Chunk land if you don’t want to miss out. Pitchfork has full details. Mac also says that fans’ll have to make do with the archival releases as there won’t be any new Superchunk material anytime soon – family commitments. But that’s not stopping him from starting work on another Portastatic album, working title of Every Generation Gets Bit in the Ass. And seeing as how Superchunk and Portastatic have gradually become almost the same band over the last few years, that’ll have to do.

A couple more concert bits – The Weakerthans will make up for their cancelled Bluesfest appearance with a show at the Mod Club this Friday, July 23 (doors at 7, show at 8), tickets $15 at the door only. They’ll be boasting an expanded lineup featuring Brian and Dave from The Fembots who will be contributing additional instrumental wackiness. This also applies to the shows in St Catherines and Hamilton on the 21st and 22nd respectively. Raising The Fawn open the Toronto show.

Scotland’s Trash Can Sinatras will be at Lee’s Palace on September 23. Their new album Weightlifting is out August 31.

Bryan Singer has signed on to direct the new Superman film. That’s right, no more McG behind the camera, no more J.J. Abrams script, no more Brendan Fraser in tights rumours, no more… X-Men 3? The powers-that-be want Supes on the screen for while the other powers-that-be want X3 in theatres by May 2006… Some are already writing off Singer from directing further mutant madness, others are saying that he’ll make the third X-Men film after Superman Returns (as the working title seems to now be). No official comments from Fox yet.

Just call him Shallow Hal Jordan – Jack Black has been confirmed to play the title role in a Green Lantern film. It’s going to played as a “zany comedy” in the spirit of The Mask. Oddly, my cousin and I were discussing just the other day how absurd a lot of DC heroes would play out on celluloid, and I guess the folks at Warner agree with us. And before the purists get any further up in arms, think for a minute – we’re talking about a guy who made giant green fists from a Cracker Jack prize and couldn’t affect anything yellow. That’s pretty silly.

Also silly – hit the snooze button twelve (12!) times this morning to get to work an hour late. I don’t remember a single one. I will blame the jet lag.

np – Loretta Lynn / Van Lear Rose