here is part 2 of the top 10 listings submitted by various hipster music afficianados... many of whom are musicians, artists or involved in the alabama / birmingham music scene. this listing was started by brian t. murphy, who writes a blog here.
SCOTT CARLISLE'S TOP 9ish-
I probably can't get to 10, so here's the short list in no particular order:
1. The National - Boxer
2. Menomena - Friend and Foe
3. Josh Rouse - Country Mouse City House
4. Feist - Reminder (even though it was "cool" and over-exposed and shit)
5. Beirut - Pompeii + Long Island + Elephant Gun EP's (Together they equal one album and sound like a gypsy funeral band exploded.)
6. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (I like Volkswagens)
7. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
8. Iron and Wine - Shepherds Dog
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows
A few random cuts: The Kings of Leon "Knocked Up", Modest Mouse "Dashboard" (the rest kind of gives me a headache), Arcade Fire "Intervention"
For the rest, I was still catching up on 2006 which had a lot of good stuff I slowly discovered over this year, not to mention all the other suff I heard for the first this year that was older then that, like Band of Bees "Sunshine Hit Me" from 2003, some Ben Folds stuff, Sun Kil Moon, etc. There's just too much good stuff out there waiting for someone to find it.
CLINT WELLS' TOP 10-
guitarist, songwriter, producer - currently working with red mountain music, the spots, wiseblood, and loose stone. touring in 2008 with matthew smith among others...
1. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
2. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
3. Josh Ritter - Historical Conquests of Josh ritter
4. The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens!
5. Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
6. Norah Jones - Not Too Late
7. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
8. Radiohead - In Rainbows
9. Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell
10. Ryan Adams - Follow The Lights
AILEEN LAUGHLIIN'S TOP 5-
1. In Rainbows : Radiohead
-i once loved radiohead. then they traded in that great dirty guitar sound for electechnotronic madness. oh killer cars! however, maybe i just needed to grow up a little bit. because i put this album on and it's so sexy i have to put myself on lock down. if this is where they are going...i'm following
2. Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha
-professional violinist wants to rock? i salute you. not a note from that violin is lost. he also literally "chops" and "distrubutes" sound from these crazy phonograph cylinders that look like beetlejuice man-handled them. andrew's vocabulary is amazing, composition is ridiculous. did i mention he's gorgeous?
3. Iron and Wine: Shepherd's Dog
-Sam has a tried and true recipe for great, and I mean GREAT folk rock. This go, he mixed things up a bit to the dismay of many. However, he added a little sumthin' sumthin' that makes me want to reserve my womb for him.
4. Once: Original Soundtrack from Movie
-It's the guy from the Frames with some Eastern European girl who is sheepishly adorable and has mastered the art of a piti-eautiful voice. Everyone has had a "once" relationship...the songs and sentiments are universal.
5. Wilco : Sky Blue Sky
-My Jay says, "smooth, great guitar sounds, good lyrics, good instrumentation, good flow, good playing, straighforward" (he plays music, believe him)
The rest aren't worth a mention.
JON BLACK'S TOP 10-
singer-songwriter currently based in birmingham, al.
It's been a good year for music... unfortunately Clint's list was exactly what I purchased and loved this year so I'll give you my top 10 side B list... of course, he forgot Fergie (wait, did she put some other crap out this year?) Here's my list. Changes may come as I'm planning to get two albums tomorrow (The National and Band of Horses) while my wife naps... dont' tell!
1. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
2. Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers
3. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
4. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
(All emo jokes aside, this album is incredible and his live show is great too)
5. Josh Ritter - Historical Conquests (of Josh Ritter)
6. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
(Best live show I caught this year)
7. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
(I'm surprised at how much I like this band)
8. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
9. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
(Even after his fit, I still like this album)
10. Iron & Wine - Shepherd Dog
Honorable Mentions:
Tim O'Regan - Self-Titled
(drummer from the Jayhawks... well crafted american music)
Son Volt - The Search
Lyle Lovett - It's Not Big, It's Large
(if you don't like Lyle then you either hate Country or you're not American)
Ryan Shaw - This Is Ryan Shaw
(the closest this era is going to get to Motown without actually listening to old motown records)
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
This Breaks My Heart of Stone - RMC... amazing.
Albums from this year I haven't gotten around to checking out:
1. The National - I saw them with Arcade Fire and I wasn't blown away. I still want to hear their album since everyone is going crazy about it.
2. Band of Horses - Cease to Being
3. Springsteen - Magic
ASHBY PATE'S TOP 10-
singer-songwriter for wiseblood / attorney
recently featured in the birmingham news city scene - "what's on your i-pod?"
In No Particular Order and With No Clever Explanation as to Why and No Assurances that Said Album Was Even Released this Calendar Year.
Brett Dennen - So Much More
AA Bondy - American Heart
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Through the Sparks - Lazarus Beach
Kanye West - Graduation
White Stripes - Icky Thump
Spoon - Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga
The Spots - The Spots
John Mayer - Continuum (yeah, I said it, it sounds great)
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
honorable mention:
Band of Horses - Cease to Exist
HUNTER BELL'S TOP 10-
90.3 / wbhm's assistant development director - membership and producer of the local arts program tapestry. member of the experimental group, dias.
1. Jesu - Conqueror
2. A.A. Bondy - American Hearts
3. Neurosis - Given To the Rising
4. Throbbing Gristle – Part Two The Endless Not
5. Holy Fuck - Holy Fuck
6. P.J. Harvey – White Chalk
7. Big Business – Here Come The Waterworks
8. Battles – Mirrored
9. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10.The Northern Rattle - Thousand Sun Broadcast
SCOTT CARLISLE'S TOP 9ish-
I probably can't get to 10, so here's the short list in no particular order:
1. The National - Boxer
2. Menomena - Friend and Foe
3. Josh Rouse - Country Mouse City House
4. Feist - Reminder (even though it was "cool" and over-exposed and shit)
5. Beirut - Pompeii + Long Island + Elephant Gun EP's (Together they equal one album and sound like a gypsy funeral band exploded.)
6. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (I like Volkswagens)
7. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
8. Iron and Wine - Shepherds Dog
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows
A few random cuts: The Kings of Leon "Knocked Up", Modest Mouse "Dashboard" (the rest kind of gives me a headache), Arcade Fire "Intervention"
For the rest, I was still catching up on 2006 which had a lot of good stuff I slowly discovered over this year, not to mention all the other suff I heard for the first this year that was older then that, like Band of Bees "Sunshine Hit Me" from 2003, some Ben Folds stuff, Sun Kil Moon, etc. There's just too much good stuff out there waiting for someone to find it.
CLINT WELLS' TOP 10-
guitarist, songwriter, producer - currently working with red mountain music, the spots, wiseblood, and loose stone. touring in 2008 with matthew smith among others...
1. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
2. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
3. Josh Ritter - Historical Conquests of Josh ritter
4. The Smithereens - Meet the Smithereens!
5. Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
6. Norah Jones - Not Too Late
7. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
8. Radiohead - In Rainbows
9. Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell
10. Ryan Adams - Follow The Lights
AILEEN LAUGHLIIN'S TOP 5-
1. In Rainbows : Radiohead
-i once loved radiohead. then they traded in that great dirty guitar sound for electechnotronic madness. oh killer cars! however, maybe i just needed to grow up a little bit. because i put this album on and it's so sexy i have to put myself on lock down. if this is where they are going...i'm following
2. Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha
-professional violinist wants to rock? i salute you. not a note from that violin is lost. he also literally "chops" and "distrubutes" sound from these crazy phonograph cylinders that look like beetlejuice man-handled them. andrew's vocabulary is amazing, composition is ridiculous. did i mention he's gorgeous?
3. Iron and Wine: Shepherd's Dog
-Sam has a tried and true recipe for great, and I mean GREAT folk rock. This go, he mixed things up a bit to the dismay of many. However, he added a little sumthin' sumthin' that makes me want to reserve my womb for him.
4. Once: Original Soundtrack from Movie
-It's the guy from the Frames with some Eastern European girl who is sheepishly adorable and has mastered the art of a piti-eautiful voice. Everyone has had a "once" relationship...the songs and sentiments are universal.
5. Wilco : Sky Blue Sky
-My Jay says, "smooth, great guitar sounds, good lyrics, good instrumentation, good flow, good playing, straighforward" (he plays music, believe him)
The rest aren't worth a mention.
JON BLACK'S TOP 10-
singer-songwriter currently based in birmingham, al.
It's been a good year for music... unfortunately Clint's list was exactly what I purchased and loved this year so I'll give you my top 10 side B list... of course, he forgot Fergie (wait, did she put some other crap out this year?) Here's my list. Changes may come as I'm planning to get two albums tomorrow (The National and Band of Horses) while my wife naps... dont' tell!
1. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
2. Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers
3. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
4. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
(All emo jokes aside, this album is incredible and his live show is great too)
5. Josh Ritter - Historical Conquests (of Josh Ritter)
6. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
(Best live show I caught this year)
7. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
(I'm surprised at how much I like this band)
8. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
9. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
(Even after his fit, I still like this album)
10. Iron & Wine - Shepherd Dog
Honorable Mentions:
Tim O'Regan - Self-Titled
(drummer from the Jayhawks... well crafted american music)
Son Volt - The Search
Lyle Lovett - It's Not Big, It's Large
(if you don't like Lyle then you either hate Country or you're not American)
Ryan Shaw - This Is Ryan Shaw
(the closest this era is going to get to Motown without actually listening to old motown records)
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
This Breaks My Heart of Stone - RMC... amazing.
Albums from this year I haven't gotten around to checking out:
1. The National - I saw them with Arcade Fire and I wasn't blown away. I still want to hear their album since everyone is going crazy about it.
2. Band of Horses - Cease to Being
3. Springsteen - Magic
ASHBY PATE'S TOP 10-
singer-songwriter for wiseblood / attorney
recently featured in the birmingham news city scene - "what's on your i-pod?"
In No Particular Order and With No Clever Explanation as to Why and No Assurances that Said Album Was Even Released this Calendar Year.
Brett Dennen - So Much More
AA Bondy - American Heart
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Through the Sparks - Lazarus Beach
Kanye West - Graduation
White Stripes - Icky Thump
Spoon - Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga
The Spots - The Spots
John Mayer - Continuum (yeah, I said it, it sounds great)
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
honorable mention:
Band of Horses - Cease to Exist
HUNTER BELL'S TOP 10-
90.3 / wbhm's assistant development director - membership and producer of the local arts program tapestry. member of the experimental group, dias.
1. Jesu - Conqueror
2. A.A. Bondy - American Hearts
3. Neurosis - Given To the Rising
4. Throbbing Gristle – Part Two The Endless Not
5. Holy Fuck - Holy Fuck
6. P.J. Harvey – White Chalk
7. Big Business – Here Come The Waterworks
8. Battles – Mirrored
9. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10.The Northern Rattle - Thousand Sun Broadcast