Red Record Box

Thanks to Lady Lazarus for pointing out this video. Tragic.

ALVIN

Are my tastes changing or just widening?

ALVIN

Last year, about a year ago, I started doing this thing because I was inspired by a music blog out of Dublin called “The Torture Garden” the curator, Shane, had put up a best of 2006 listing and I was just amazed at all the new bands and music that I found and/or rediscovered through another person’s eyes. I already had many of the albums in his suggestion list of 2006’s best but had set them aside without many listens. Thanks to Shane for the inspiration.

Yesterday, I found another source that has been right under my nose for at least the last 10 years. NPR. Bun and I listen to NPR and WPR every day and every night. It has become the background soundtrack to our lives. If the TV’s not on or the stereo isn’t playing, Public Radio is on somewhere in the house.

Several times a week there are music reviews by NPR writers like Stephen Thompson or John Schaefer from WNYC. Now that it’s the end of the year again, I’m coming across these gentlemen’s Best Of lists and am finding much of the same things I found last year. Check out Music at NPR. I’m finding for some reason I already own most of the albums that they are all talking about and I’ve already purchased a new one this morning from the band “Stars” on the advice of Mr. Thompson.

The one album I’m seeing on EVERYONES list this year is “Challengers” by The New Pornographers. I bought it a couple of months ago and have shared it with Bun and our 19 year old daughter but that’s it. How could everyone in the world already know about this album? I’m guessing the reason is because it’s so great. And different. And cool. (I never claimed to be a writer, I just do sometimes)

Here’s a couple: In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars - buy - and My Rights Versus Yours by The New Pornographers from Challengers - buy

I doubt if I’ll be so bold as to put out a best of 2007 (There’s so much that’s good and so many styles. I couldn’t do it) but just keep listening over the next year and you might hear the best of 2008.

Alvin

Where can I get more?

Florence and The Machine - ‘The Girl With One Eye’

Add to My Profile | More Videos

ALVIN

When I decided to get back into this after a couple month’s hiatus. I did a few things to try to make blogging easier and to make the posting and maintenance of words and music easier and less time consuming.

First I downgraded my theme to Kubrick and just changed the color scheme to match RRB. Second I began using PodPress which helps with posting music and provides those cool players at the bottom of each post. I gave up some flexibility in exchange for a little more simplicity.

However, since I’ve made these simplifications I’ve run into all kinds of little annoying permissions problems and I can’t get PodPress to recognize my media directory where I keep all the goodies.

I’m just writing this post as a test and to see what my current settings will do today. - NOW MY RICH TEXT EDITOR IS ALL MESSED UP!

I just found this new artist… “Pinch” who just put out his own album “Underwater Dancehall” but is better known for his minimalist production techniques on such gems as Burial’s most recent release; Untrue. Check this out but sample the rest of the album too at emusic. - Buy

Alvin

All of them?

Mona Elliott the voice behind Boston’s Victory at Sea gilds their melancholy sea shanties with elaborate grandeur and ruined majesty — like a castle covered in moss or a crumbling statue of David. On the album All Your Things Are Gone, Elliott, channels the loneliness of others in the song “Cecille”, with its wounded protagonist and thundering percussion, a mirror of Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control”, and the ominous “The Party” tracks the slow, painful collapse of an individual who’s hellbent on bridge-burning. There may not be a whole lot of joy on All Your Things Are Gone, but that doesn’t make it any less thrilling.

I stole all of these words but they sound good. So does Victory at Sea.

She’s lost Control by Joy Division…

Cecille by Victory At Sea - Buy

The Party by Victory At Sea - Buy

Hey! Remember Pat MacDonald from Timbuk 3? I’m listening to his new album, Troubadour Of Stomp, right now. It’s very cool. Low, dirty guitar with the clean kind of production that makes it sound like its supposed to sound low & dirty. I’d put up a sample but I asked him if I could and he never replied so I better not. Bun works with him and his sister every summer in promoting the Steel Bridge Songfest and I don’t want to cause trouble. I guess it’s better just not to ask. (Like Victory At Sea and Joy Division)