Record Store Day Recap (only a month late)

As I jump back into the world of blogging (I promise, baby, this week I'll be different), I figure I need to address the biggest music event of the past few weeks...Record Store Day.  I've been going every year and when I used to get to the store about 30-minutes prior to opening, I was upset that I was 5th or 6th in line.  But every year the line has been getting longer, forcing me to get there earlier.  This year I arrived earlier than I had ever been there...almost 3-hours prior to opening and I was 20th in line.  As alarming as that was, by the time the store opened, there were over 250 people in line...which made me a little less bitter about my placement.  I got just about everything I wanted.  Of the three items I didn't get (The Civil Wars 7", the Brad 7", and the Flaming Lips - Heady Fwends) only CW and Brad were sold out. I was bummed about the CW...and less about the Brad.  Although I was most upset about the Flaming Lips, which never even got shipped.  Even stranger...in LA, the three stores I checked out didn't get copies.  What's even stranger is that the Flaming Lips was the widest release of any Record Store Day release...over 10,000 were made.  That's close to the actual sales figures of their last album...so why in the world was it so hard to find?

That said...the rest of the day and the following two weeks began a scavenger hunt of about a dozen stores...all in hopes of finding the one gem I overlooked.  And yes, I found a few.  Overall, the 7" dominated this year with the longer album being bigger let downs (Flaming Lips production included).

So here are my 11 favorite releases of the Day...and I've heard quite a few.

My 11 Favorite Releases of Record Store Day 2012:

1. Jeff the Brotherhood - Upstairs 10-inch - Strangely, it's probably one of the few albums that didn't even come close to selling out.  I've seen it at dozens of stores...yet it might be the most enjoyable and best vinyl capture of the day.  It's really just a great underrated band jamming the fuck out...but captured on vinyl it's like being in the room with them.  This is what exclusive releases should be all about...something that would never make it as a usual release because it's so up close and intimate it's unplayable except to the people who actually give a shit.

2.  Chris Robinson and the Brotherhood - Blue Suede Shoes 7" - I bought this two weeks after RSD as an impulse buy because it was half off.  The two new songs (not on the new album) are as rocking and raw as anything Chris has done in decades...a definite find.

3.  Feist & Mastodon 7" - A release that should have never happened.  But it's so weird, raw, unlistenable but unresistable...it's a collector's dream.  Can't listen to this one enough.

4.  Arctic Monkeys - R U Still Mine 7" - Where the fuck did this come from?  Maybe the best release by the Monkeys since their debut.  Hopefully this is a good sign that we should expect other great things by them.

5. The Electric Anthology Project of Dinosaur Jr. LP - It's going to be released normally in the coming weeks...but this has to be the most fun of any of the releases.  It's Dinosaur Jr. meets the Breakfast Club.  It's fucking odd...and great at the same time.

6.  Horrible Crowes - Live At Amoeba 7" - This was another album I bought a couple days after RSD.  I was not a huge fan of the actual HC album...it was tolerable.  But these live couple of songs capture the band ripping it up live that is fantastic and deserves many repeat listens.

7.  Ryan Adams - Heartbreak 7" - After last year's super boring album...Ryan at least shows he still has something still in the tank.

8.  Ra Ra Riot - Valerie 7" - Though their are two covers on this record...the Valerie cover is so exceptionally good...it's worth the price of admission all on it's own.

9.  The Flaming Lips - Heady Fwends LP - I never actual got a physical copy...but I have heard this release.  I can't say I'm blown away...or even that upset that I didn't get a copy.  But it's just that crazy that it's worth seeking out to listen to...just once.

10.  Jay Farrar - New Multitudes 10-inch - A companion to possibly one of the best actual albums of the year.  These four songs feature a couple of demos that rock as hard as anything on the album.

11.  Animal Collective - Traverse Temporal Gyrus LP - I don't know if I liked this...or love this...or hate this.  Again, this is what is great about RSD...they can feature album that should never be released in any other fashion except to hardcore fans.  Sure it's experimental bullshit...but I have a copy and you don't.

The ones that got away...

1.  Flaming Lips - Heady Fwends - I have it digitally...but sure wish I had a physical copy.

2.  Brad - Waters Deep 7" - had no idea this would sell out so fast.  Had no idea anyone knew who they were.

3.  Civil Wars - Covers 45 - I've heard the Billie Jean cover...but have sleepless nights dreaming about hearing that Portishead cover.

4.  Mike McCready/Star Ana - A co-worker got a copy and I have to say I'm quite jealous...heard it's pretty good too.

5.  Atmosphere & Aesop Rock - The album had a freaking C-side!  Yes, it had 3 sides!!  That's just epic.

6.  Shabazz Palaces - Live - Just wish I had it.

The 55 Best Albums of 2011 (23-33)

It was the year of the reunion/comeback.  So many big artists came back together to put out one more album.  Maybe I'm just getting older and there are more bands under my belt who have the potential to reunite...but this honestly has to be the most reunions I can remember in awhile.  The strongest outing by far was by The Cars...and they seemed to have the most stacked against them.  Missing their key bassist/songwriter/singer, Benjamin Orr, no one thought they could really regenerate the magic the group possessed in the 80s.  But of all the reunions, The Cars seemed to embody the most honest energy of all the bands.  It's like they acknowledge off the bat that they couldn't do it properly without Orr...so they did everything in their power to do as good and respectable of a job as possible.  And it worked.  There were some good reunions this year...but The Cars came in the most low key and finished by far on top.

ATTENTION: I'm still collecting your TOP 20 LISTS.  If you don't have 20 albums...that's okay.  You can send as many as you want.  If it's just 5 or even 1 that's fine, too.  Send them in now and I'll compile an uber monster list to kick off 2012.

Here are the 55 Best Songs of 2011 (23-33):

23.       Deer Tick - Divine Province

24.       Washed Out - Within and Without

25.       Acrylics - Lives and Treasures (Nightwatch)

26.       Radical Dads - Radical Dads (Walking Wires)

27.       Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys

28.       Feist - Metals

29.       The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

30.       Neon Indian - Era Extrana

31.       Justice - Audio, Video, Disco

32.   The Roots - undun

33.   The Cars - Move Like This

Buy these albums and many more best of 2011...now!!! (all for under $5)

The 11 Best Songs By Feist

At first I wasn't going to do a Feist post today with the new of Steve Jobs passing.  But then, considering how Feist's career is so closely tied to the success of one of Jobs' marketing campaigns, I found it's actually rather fitting.  I have always been a PC guy.  I've never liked working on Macs despite being pressed into using them by all my apple friends.  I have an ipod and appletv...so there's no denying that even though I prefer PCs, Jobs' influence is still completely present in my house.  Jobs changed the world more than most human beings ever will.  He re-invented communication on a world-wide scale.  He changed how we gathered information.  Most importantly in my world, he changed how I listened to music.  He single-handedly destroyed the compact disc market.  He took out Tower Records.  And through his apple ads, he made more stars than American Idol. His presence will leave a vacancy that will not be filled for a long time...maybe never.

Steve Jobs - RIP

Here are the 11 Best Songs by Feist:

1.  My Moon My Man (The Reminder)
2.  I Feel It All (The Reminder)
3.  Inside and Out (Let It Die)
4.  Mushaboom (Let It Die)
5.  1 2 3 4 (The Reminder)
6.  One Evening (Let It Die)
7.  Past In Present (The Reminder)
8.  Islands in the Stream (The Reminder Deluxe Edition)
9.  Flight #303 (Monarch)
10.  So Sorry (The Reminder)
11.  It's Cool to Love Your Family (Monarch)

Buy Feist's new album, Metals...now!!

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (34-44)

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (34-44):

34. TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (2006)
- No album felt as obscure as TV's sophomore release. And no obscure album ever rocked this hard. It was like the band knew that rock was growing stale and they were going to show us all how it was done...the right way.

35. Feist - Let It Die (2005)
- Feist's debut played like a classic album. With one half original work and one half covers, Feist followed in the footsteps of her vocal idols who commonly did this on their albums. The result was an emotionally rich tapestry that had as maturity as it did youth.

36. Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales (2000)
- Since JJ's break into commercial success, I think everyone has forgotten how much indie cred he scored on his debut. This was one of those albums that spread through word of mouth...in the way good music is supposed to succeed. Years after its release it was still gaining momentum. none of his other albums are as true as this one...and the reason why this one lands so high on this list.

37. Coldplay - Viva La Vida (2008)
- If the 80s had Joshua Tree...then the 00s get Viva La Vida. Yeah...that's right, I'm comparing the epic 80s U2 album to Coldplay. Like JT, VLV was a statement. It was Coldplay thinking big and not holding back. One million people logged into the website at 4 in the morning to grab the first song, "Violet Hill." If you get that much buzz doing anything, you're doing something right.

38. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006)
- There's no argument that Amy is a trainwreck and maybe she's one of those people who shouldn't be a star. That doesn't mean her album sucked. Quite the opposite. Most people were blown away after first hearing her...especially when they found she was a Jewish kid from England...and not some songstress from the Bronx. Her vocal range puts to shame anyone who has stepped on the American Idol stage. Folks...this is how it's done.

39. The Frames - The Cost/The Once Soundtrack (2007)
- This is the only true cheat on the list. It was hard to choose between the two since The Once Soundtrack is really just a recreation of The Cost. And without the strength of the Cost...the movie Once would have never been as good or as successful...they would have never won an Oscar...making the Soundtrack more notable, which in turn helped the original album. Get it? (People Get Ready)

40. Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (2004)
- A true landmark album. Was it proof that the Beatles were the greatest rock band of all time...or that Jay-Z was the best rapper? Or was it a combination of a brutal one-two musical punch? It took balls for Danger Mouse to be so confindent to use the Beatles...and it took a lawyer to keep him from getting his pants sued off. It was one of those albums that everyone had to hear...and there was no way to hear it. But if you were lucky enough to find a friend of a friend who could burn it for you...you were not disappointed. (Encore)

41. Kings of Leon - Because The Times (2007)
- The Kings third album feels like a wild party. It starts off mild enough...but with every track, it escalates to a new level of rowdiness. There's a definitely drunken stupor that permeates through the tracks...and an uncertainity of which song will be coming up behind the next corner. This isn't just an album...it's an experience...and one that leaves you with a great feeling just like a wild party worth remembering.

42. Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001)
- Though the brainchild of Damon Albarn of Blur...the truth is the band doesn't really exist. In fact, they are a purely virtual band...and the best selling virtual band of all time. (19-2000)

43. Weezer - The Green Album (2001)
- Very few bands are ever able to come back from the dead. But no one did it with more style and more pure kick ass lightning in a bottle than this Harvard alum. The whole album clocks in at a mere 28 minutes...shorter than most Timo Maas remixes. But it's not the size that matters...it's how you use it. (Photograph)

44. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight (2002)
- Spoon really became indie rock's little brother over the decade. Though they came out of the underground...more than anyone. They've spent most of the deceade flirting with big time commercial success...but staying just under the surface. All the while, Britt Daniel continued writing rock solid songs. This second album on Merge exhibits the evolution of their style...that wouldn't stop here.

Buy these albums now...yes...right now!!

The 111 Best Albums of the 2000s (45-55)

The 111 Best Albums of the 2000s (45-55):

45. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Sank (2007)
- Add one of the 80s greatest guitar forces (Johnny Marr) to one of the most exciting alternative rock bands of the decade...and what do you get? Pure rock brilliance. (Invisible)

46. The National - Boxer (2007)
- Like a 2000-ton steel train slowly rolling down the tracks. It may not move at record-breaking speeds...but it's a force to be reckoned with. (Start A War)

47. My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves (2003)
- A mammoth album when it comes to alternative country. I assume that this album so good, the band knew they would never top it...and decided to move in other directions. (Golden)

48. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (2007)
- Tweedy & a bunch of other guys put together a record that sounds like someone created a radio that allows you to hear music from the 1970s. One of the perfect lazy afternoon records.

49. Girl Talk - Night Ripper (2006)
- If you don't think you can create your own music...just take all the best music of the past 30 years and mash them all together in one big remix. Greg Gillis takes mash-ups to a whole other level with this epic tour through the history of commercial radio. It takes talent to steal something this good.

50. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy (2008)
- I'm crazy to include this, right? And not just to include this in my list...but to make the top 50. Just say it. Say I'm crazy. Well...here's my reasoning: During this decade, no album has been talked about, written about, discussed, downloaded, leaked, speculated, even rumored more than this album. It was a tour de force before it even came out. And when it did come out...it had no chance. As many people who wanted to hear...just as many wanted to hate it. And many hadn't even listened to the record. But now, almost a year after its release, the record remains unique but solid effort. The album plays more like a movie score than a rock record. It challenges the concept that every song on a rock album should sound the same. It takes some gutsy chances, it pushes boundaries...sometimes with enormous payoff...sometimes not. But isn't that what great rock is supposed to be about? About challenging the norm? I honestly wish more albums sounded like this...I think rock would be alive and well if they did.

51. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2008)
- If GNR set the stage for the future, MGMT is that future. With an album that had more nooks and crannies than your grandmother's house, they rocketed on the scene with the uber catchy "Kids" even though the rest of the album sounded like something that might be featured on the next Nuggets box set.

52. Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank the Cradle (2002)
- If freak folk defined the indie scene this decade...I&W is the grandpappy. With the ultimate lo-fi production, it was like being transported back into time to a more peaceful era...where sitting on the porch drinking lemonade actually meant something.

53. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)
- If you're looking for albums that weren't just great but helped shaped the decade...DP's album was the album that set the standard for club music. From the likes of Kanye West to Justice to Beck...this was the album that influenced anyone and everyone to bust a move.

54. Feist - The Reminder (2007)
- With a voice like Feist's...she could sing TV jingles and still be captivating. And with 1,2,3,4 as the perfect indie pop song...she had everyone...including pre-schoolers...singing along with her.

55. Hot Chip - The Missing (2006)
- It wasn't dance record...but it had more moves than most club albums could have dreamed for. Like the bastard offspring of Thom Yorke and Beck, it was tantilizing good time. (Colours)

Buy these albums now...right here!