with grace we will suffer, with grace we shall recover
NP: a mix CD that I made for a trade with Hinge. About halfway through making the thing, it sort of morphed into a "best of the year 2002" comp...the only thing I would say is that the year still has like two months to go. But hey, this'll get most everything. Anway, here's the tracklisting. I figure I talk enough about music in this diary, I may as well comment on my selections... (I'm sure you're all rejoicing as you read these words)
[1] Counting Crows "Hard Candy" (from Hard Candy) I've kind of accepted the fact that the Crows aren't one of those bands that will progress...however, they make up for their narrow focus by doing what they do so amazingly well. This is a track that conjures up the spirit of every country rock act ever and distills it down into one smooth shot of 12 string Rickenbacker and piano. Oh, and as Erin is always reminding me, Matthew Sweet guests on backing vocals, of which he does an excellent job.
[2] Porcupine Tree "Trains" (from In Absentia) Acoustic first half + banjo (!) solo + crunching metal guitar + harmony vocals + great lyrics = Steve Wilson sticking to his guns and producing one of the few major label debuts I've heard that don't sound in some way like a compromise.
[3] Josh Rouse "Miracle" (from Under Cold Blue Stars) Singer-songwriter surprise find of the year. Great songs about people and real emotions. This song feels like being on a journey.
[4] Doves "Pounding" (from The Last Broadcast) Sort of the 'bright' flipside of 2000's Lost Souls...the general mood is still epic, but this time out it's all flavored with both more concise, direct songs, as well as with optimistic lyrical themes. Ultimately, though, it all comes together in songs like this one, which is all Smiths-ian guitar heroics, and a propulsive, almost ecstatic beat.
[5] Bad Religion "Sorrow" (from The Process of Belief) 20+ years into the game, Bad Religion aren't going to surprise anyone much anymore. It's also easy to be cynical regarding the band's return to Epitaph, after a stint on Atlantic, not to mention the return of Mr. Brett. Though throwing all of those thoughts aside, The Process of Belief is best appreciated as a small victory...a solid, well-done album after two weak, unfocused records. So yes, (almost) nothing new under the sun, but with tracks like this, Bad Religion become something they haven't been since about 1996...a band worth paying attention to.
[6] Interpol "NYC" (from Turn on the Bright Lights) I've written about these guys before...like I said, it's easy (and lazy) to make the Joy Division/Ian Curtis comparison. This track is the sound of detached urban despair...for me the key lines are "the subway is a porno", and the somewhat tongue-in-cheek "New York cares". Lyrically and musically it conjures images of seedy, rain slicked city sidewalks.
[7] Idlewild "You Held the World in Your Arms" (from The Remote Part) An orchestra, an analogue synth, a thunderous rhythm section, and sneering, confident vocals (and lyrics) from Roddy Woomble...in the same way that The Joshua Tree heralded U2's coming of age, and Document did the same for R.E.M., The Remote Part finds Idlewild kicking it all up a notch (pardon the Emeril-ism). Great song, incredible album...at this point, my record of the year.
[8] Coldplay "Clocks" (from A Rush of Blood to the Head) Shimmering production, rolling piano lines, Chris Martin's voice weaving and soaring in and out of it all...this song is a prime example of the quantum leap forward Coldplay has taken with their new LP. It's confident where it once was scared and hesitant, full bodied where it once was weedy and thin. It's mature...and I say that in a meaningful way. This is the sound of a band growing into its skin.
[9] Manics "There By the Grace of God" (single...also appears on the new 'best of' Forever Delayed) After last year's erratic Know Your Enemy, I've become a bit gun shy regarding the Manics. So it's with great relief and surprise that I write with the news that the new single is resoundingly something to write home about. Hinting at the still-sharp skills residing somewhere within the sprawling mess of Enemy, the single is a slice of prime Manics postulating mixed with something not unlike mid-period Depeche Mode or New Order. In any case, it's strong evidence for the case that the band still has plenty of life left in 'em, assuming this isn't their swan song.
[10] Pet Shop Boys "Home and Dry" (from Release) Despite the fact that Release is a hit-and-miss offering (somewhat of a rarity there, a less than uniformly excllent Pet Shop Boys album), this song stands firmly in the "hit" category, what with its pulsing analogue synths, heartfelt vocals, and fluid, seemingly effortless Johnny Marr guitar licks. It's also one of the finest singles in a career full of a million bands' worth of fine singles.
[11] The Church "Numbers" (from After Everything Now This) If there's been a better single released this year, I'd like to hear it. "Numbers" is a fantastically strange, brooding piece of rock...it's weird in the sense that everything Steve Kilbey touches is weird, but it's also brilliant in the way the entire tune just builds up and up and up, without ever becoming bombastic.
[12] Mull Historical Society "Watching Xanadu" (from Loss) Freewheeling, odd, slightly Spector-ish, fun...a great out-of-the-way single from one of the year's best great out-of-the-way albums.
[13] Matt Good "Weapon" (single...supposedly to appear on next year's new LP) I had no idea what Mr. Good would do next after he dissolved his Band following last year's spectacular The Audio of Being. So far, this is a great start -- lamenting acoustics turning into smashing guitars, elastic bass, soaring strings, and Matt's powerful voice.
[14] Electric Soft Parade "Sleep Alone" (from Holes in the Wall) Two brothers making lo-fi indie/electronic music in a single room, and to such effect. The album is a bit impenetrable at first, but eventually it reveals gems like this song.
[15] Wilco "Heavy Metal Drummer" (from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) Perhaps I'm a bit biased (the "landing" and "river" referenced in the song are the Landing and Mississippi River in my city, St. Louis), but this is a hell of a song. Perfect combination of nostalgia and humor. The song doesn't quite convey the level of experimentation and use of gentle melody that the rest of the LP does, but it's an equally excellent slice of the pie.
[16] Peter Gabriel "More Than This" (from Up) A standout example of Mr. Gabriel's ability to combine beats and melody, as well as traditional and electronic instrumentation. Great circular guitar lines, wonderfully strong, gravelly vocals (not to mention crucial backup vocals by the Blind Boys of Alabama), and prime example of the passion, climax, and release that his music has the ability to deliver. It's also a reminder that more than 25 years after his solo debut, Gabriel is still making the best music of his career.
[17] Dashboard Confessional "Hands Down" (from the So Impossible EP) I'm still not particularly sold on Dashboard Confessional, but this song is simply gorgeous. Musically sparse, yet stillk profoundly moving. Should hit home for anyone who's ever known the feeling of loving or being loved.
I had to leave off David Bowie "Sunday", something from Marillion's "Anorak in the UK" live set, and use a different Wilco song (I'd originally wanted to use "Poor Places"), because my CD burner decided it doesn't want to use all 80 minutes on the blank disc, it'll only do up to 74 minutes. Grrr. But anyway, yeah...feel free to take me to task for the above pretentious indie rock writeups.
It's really cold out today. I was walking around at lunchtime, and my hands got all freezing and such. Felt good to come back inside, though. Today is really one of those days where it would be perfect to spend it in bed, with a cup of coffee, music, and a good book. What I really wanted this morning was to stay with Erin...
People in my office are so loud this afternoon. It's getting on my nerves in a major way.
I was all work-y this morning...I haven't much felt like doing anything this afternoon. Blah...wish I could just go home now, to be honest. Oh well, I'll tough it out.
