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BEST OF 2010 (strictly
for fun É and heated argument) by
Peter Jesperson I
struggled putting together this yearÕs list. The first three albums kept
switching around on me, order-wise, until I finally realized I had a three-way
tie for #1. And IÕm just going to be straight with you from the git-go –
I think the 3 principals here are artistic geniuses. Albums 1 - a. Dan Kelly – Dan
KellyÕs Dream This
album has pretty much everything I love about rock nÕ roll É how do I love
thee? Let me count the ways! : - for the catchy songs with great
words (many
of which itÕs a gas to sing along with) - for the fantastic singing and
harmonies
(Dan himself is a terrific vocalist, more than ably assisted here by Augie
March drummer David Williams, new sidekick/bassist Indra Adams, The Ukeladies
– Amanda Roff and Maylise Dent - and his Uncle PaulÕs daughters,
Madeleine and Memphis Kelly) - for the kick-ass guitar playing (check out the solos on the
title song and ÒBindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam,Ó especially the latter when Dan
stomps on his fuzz box at 2:35 – file under ÒGreat Moments In Rock
2010Ó!) - for the
variety of styles (twee Kinks-ey pop, raunchy Pavement-esque rock, complex Beatle-ey
invention, thoughtful Beach Boys influenced ballads, slow-building jams that
grow to orgasmic proportions, even a Mothers-Of-Invention-esque 6/8 time
signature) - Ôcos
itÕs wonderfully odd (where else can you find a song about Jimi Hendrix and Ringo Starr
living in an underwater city getting hopped up on Jellyfish Tea?) - for its
considerable sense of humor (just
one of a myriad of examples: singing Òhow many times can I repeat myselfÓ twice
in a row on ÒGrown Up SolutionsÓ) - Ôcos it sounds great (particularly the detail in the mixing - for instance on ÒWest Coast
Fishing IncidentÓ the perfectly placed camera shutter ÔclickÕ right after the
line, ÒLike a pose for the cover of a Witness Magazine / we say Cheese.Ó The
whole thingÕs a real WOW on headphones, shockingly 3-dimensional!) - AND, of
course, Ôcos it rocks! Somehow,
seemingly thousands of ideas work miraculously together to create this brainy
pop-rock masterpiece. DanÕs 3rd and finest album to date. A family
favorite, Jennifer and Autry love it too! Addendum: I had only seen Dan live solo, here in LA (and
believe me, they were excellent shows). But in September I was lucky enough to
see him with his mighty band twice in Brisbane, Australia É his homeland, a
country where he may not have sold a shitload of records but he has had
significant radio play and been nominated for several Arias (the Aussie
equivalent of a Grammy) – it was a revelatory experience! And hey, one of
the shows took place in a Speigeltent! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiegeltent).
Talk about a spectacular setting! (http://www.myspace.com/dankellysongs) 1 - b. Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way Simply
put, I am madly in love with this, Angus and JuliaÕs second disarmingly
gorgeous folk-rock album. An impeccably produced, weighty work full of inspired
songs and some of the most beautiful string arrangements IÕve ever heard. 66
minutes long, 14 songs (including a hidden track), it never flags for an
instant. ThereÕs a perfect balance between what each of them contributes to the
whole. In my experience, rarely are groups so evenly matched in their abilities
to make records and in live performance. Both Angus & Julia are first rate
musicians É though onstage Julia upstages Angus a bit, moving
gracefully from acoustic guitar to piano, trumpet, mandolin and, quite
dramatically, to raunchy, electric lead guitar on AngusÕs new song, the lengthy
ÒYellow Brick Road.Ó Immensely gratifying to see them being recognized - Down
The Way
swept the 2010 ARIAs, taking top honors in 5 categories including Best Album,
Best Single (for ÒBig Jet PlaneÓ) and Best Production. Addendum: As performers, the ÔStonesÕ have consistently been
the best band IÕve seen over the last 3 or so years. I canÕt think of any other
way to accurately describe it – they regularly conjure real
magic onstage.
Primarily as a quartet, including the extraordinary rhythm section of Rob
Calder on bass/backing vocals and Matt Johnson on drums/backing vocals; late
this year addding multi-instrumentalist Eleanor Whitmore on violin, keyboards,
mandolin and backing vocals. IÕve seen them live a dozen times now, mostly in
front of adult audiences in the states where itÕs a mix of real fans, the
curious and others just there to see whoever A&J were opening up for. In
September I was fortunate to see them headline two nights in a row on their
home turf (Australia), in a tiny village (Meeniyan, population 425) Town Hall
(capacity 250). Admittedly an underplay for a platinum-selling act. Meeniyan is
about 2.5 hours SE of Melbourne so there were some folks that traveled from the
big city but, fortunately for the overall ambience, it was a mostly local
audience. It was especially cool to see dozens of teenagers crammed up front
who knew the words to every song. And the added bonus of Luluc opening both
shows made it an even greater experience! (http://www.myspace.com/angusandjuliastone)
1 - c. Julia Stone – The Memory Machine While
I was prepared for how incredible the Dan Kelly and Angus & Julia albums
were, I must confess I didnÕt see this one coming. I mean, I knew Julia would
make a strong solo record but this is so much more than that – to these
ears itÕs arguably the single greatest artistic achievement of the year É and
every bit as solid as the Angus & Julia albums. After an insanely busy
three years recording and touring, Angus & Julia took a holiday. Well, I
should say Angus took a holiday. Julia hunkered down in New York City and
birthed this, her first solo project, an intensely beautiful, romantic, often
sad collection of songs. Some perhaps the result of bad dreams, nightmares,
like little Poe stories. As it says in the liner notes, ÒAll songs written
& recorded whilst hunger was subdued & the fruits of fear & anger
were growing wildly in the New York summer sun.Ó Julia has always approached
her role as a vocalist in a very theatrical way but never more so than here,
the singing is wildly creative. And the words are out of this world. Two
examples: -
from ÒWinter On The Weekend,Ó - ÒDonÕt be scared, IÕm not here for your heart /
DonÕt be scared, IÕm not here for your reasons / DonÕt be scared, IÕm just here
for the radio / That plays in the background while youÕre asking me to goÓ -
from the title song, Òand we wandered round your streets / with sewn on button
eyesÓ The
whole albumÕs full of great songs but the capper for me is ÒCatastrophe,Ó a pop
song with an old-school reggae feel, a candidate for best song I heard all
year. Fascinating
to note that, reportedly, Julia removed two songs originally slated for this
album (ÒHold OnÓ and ÒAnd The BoysÓ) to put them on ÔDown The Way.Õ To think
she could subtract two songs of that caliber and still have an album this
mind-bendingly brilliant is almost beyond my comprehension. This woman is
unquestionably one of the greatest artists of our time. (http://www.myspace.com/juliastonemusic) 2. Robert Wyatt, Gilad Atzmon & Ros Stephen
– É
for the ghosts within Wyatt
continues his run of consistently strong releases in this collaboration with
violinist Ros Stephen and Gilad Atzmon on saxophone and clarinet. Jazz,
classical and avante garde overtones abound in versions of Thelonious MonkÕs
ÒRound MidnightÓ and Louis ArmstrongÕs ÒWhat A Wonderful WorldÓ as well as
strong reworkings of a couple of songs Wyatt has cut before – ChicÕs ÒAt
Last I Am FreeÓ and his own ÒMaryan.Ó I canÕt say enough about Robert Wyatt as
a vocalist – one of my all-time favorites! (http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Wyatt-Gilad-Atzmon-Ros-Stephen/e/B0045ZPY5C) 3. The Head And The Heart – self
titled I
first heard this album in August, liked it immediately, but it wasnÕt until I
saw them live in December that I really Ògot it.Ó Generally speaking I suppose,
it falls into the ÔAmericanaÕ category though ultimately I think it transcends
easy classification. The songwriting is accomplished and decidedly odd. The
singing is top-notch featuring two male lead voices, Josiah Johnson and Jon
Russell, splitting duties pretty evenly with harmonies and occasional female
leads beautifully handled by the unique-voiced Charity Thielen, who also plays
violin and percussion. Instrumentally, itÕs piano-driven for the most
part. Both main singers play rhythm
guitar, nary a solo in sight. And frequently in TH&THÕs singular musical
stew I am reminded of Rufus Wainwright. IÕm dying to know if theyÕd count him
as an influence. (http://www.myspace.com/theheadandtheheart) 4. Rumer – Seasons Of My Soul Classic,
timeless, poetic girl pop with a voice that falls somewhere between Dusty
Springfield, Jackie DeShannon and Karen Carpenter. Like the latter two, the
British Rumer (given name: Sarah Joyce) is also a formidable songwriter. I
listened to the song ÒTake Me As I AmÓ uncountable times, surely one of the
best songs/performances of 2010! (http://www.myspace.com/rumerlovesyou) 5. Paul Kelly – The
A To Z Recordings (8 CD live box set) For
the uninitiated, Paul Kelly, now in his 4th decade as a recording
and performing artist, is considered a National Treasure in his homeland. Often
referred to as The Bob Dylan of Australia. When Leonard Cohen toured Oz in
2009, Paul was invited to share the bill. HeÕs that good. You really oughtta
own all his albums. The
A to Z concerts began as a one-off idea for a special show in 2004 –
doing songs from his voluminous catalog in alphabetical order. It was so
successful for both audiences and PK himself that it became an ongoing thing,
hence this sprawling live box set - the deluxe edition of which includes an
absorbing, informative, delightful and incredibly well-written 568 page memoir!
Most of the performances are as a duo with PaulÕs gifted nephew, Dan Kelly,
ably handling lead guitar and harmonies. 8
CDs. 105 songs. I know it sounds crazy but you really can spend days listening
to and marveling at the vastness of this manÕs work. (http://www.myspace.com/paulkellymusic) 6. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Mojo ÒJefferson
Jericho BluesÓ comes roaring outta the gate - a blues-ey rocker that sounds
like something off side three of Blonde On Blonde - and from there the album
proceeds gloriously and unselfconsciously through a variety of styles over the
course of an hour. ThereÕs an old-fashioned quality to this record that I find
particularly appealing and itÕs a nice feeling somehow to think Tom and I
probably listened to a lot of the same stuff. We all hear things through the
prism of our own previous audio experiences and on this record, besides Dylan,
I hear shades of Peter GreenÕs Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown, The Allman Brothers,
the original Steve Miller Band É at one point thereÕs a tinkling electric piano
ala ÒRiders Of The StormÓ; thereÕs a terrific reggae number; and even what has
to be an actual homage to Led Zepplin. One of the things I find most
irresistible about this album is the air of the band doing whatever they felt
like with no one breathing down their necks to have current, radio-friendly
songs or sound. Which is no mean feat for a Hit Machine like these guys have
been over the years. And I found myself constantly thinking, ÒHas Mike Campbell
ever
played something that wasnÕt totally cool?!Ó (http://www.myspace.com/tompetty) 7. The Walkmen – Lisbon One
of the most consistent recording outfits of the 2000s, The Walkmen deliver yet
another fantastic record. (http://www.myspace.com/thewalkmen) 8. The Whigs – In
The Dark The
best, flat-out rock nÕ roll record I heard all year. This was in my play pile
all year long and remains there now. Why arenÕt these guys all over the
radio??!! (http://www.myspace.com/thewhigs) 9. Hot Rats – Turn
Ons Two-thirds
of Supergrass – singer/guitarist Gaz Coombes and drummer Danny Goffey
- doing an album of covers (their Pin
Ups if you
will) including slamminÕ takes on Lou Reed, David Bowie, The Sex Pistols and
Pink Floyd among others. They were killer live too! (http://www.myspace.com/thehotrats) 10. Midlake – The
Courage of Others A
carefully constructed blend of British folk and prog performed by musicians of
the highest caliber. (http://www.myspace.com/midlake) 11. John Grant – Queen
Of Denmark Soft,
piano based pop-rock with introspective lyrics that go unexpected places.
Backed by the sublime Midlake. Another record that makes me think of Rufus
Wainwright. (http://www.myspace.com/johnwilliamgrant) 12. The Duke & The King – Long
Live The Duke & The King A
great 2nd album though very different from the first, where they
were essentially a two-piece – singer/guitarist/drummer Simone Felice,
formerly of The Felice Brothers, and singer/bassist Robert Burke. On this new
one theyÕve added singer/drummer Nowell Haskins and singer/violinist, Simi
Stone, expanded their sound and became decidedly democratic with regard to the
lead vocal seat. TheyÕve gone from folky Americana to something much more
soulful. As one of the British papers described it – somewhere between
James Taylor and Marvin Gaye. ÒShakeyÓ is another of the best songs I heard all
year. (http://www.myspace.com/dukeandtheking) 13. Jenny & Johnny
– IÕm Having Fun Now A
solid collection of songs on this first full album collaboration between Rilo
KileyÕs Jenny Lewis and her beau, Jonathan Rice. And certainly the best work
Jenny has done since RKÕs 2004 album ÔMore Adventurous.Õ 14. Bright-Littlefield – Treatment
Bound – A Ukelele Tribute To The Replacements Admittedly,
when I first heard about this project, I expected nothing but silliness.
Shocking then to hear it and have a completely unexpected reaction. This is a
GREAT record, done with reverence, excellent singing and smart, inspired
arrangements. A reminder of what phenomenal songs The Replacements had. (http://www.amazon.com/Treatment-ukulele-tribute-Replacements-Explicit/dp/B004FA0P9M) 15. The Barr Brothers – self
titled Taking
a break from their band, The Slip, brothers Brad and Andrew Barr made an
eclectic album full of great songs and superb musicianship. (http://www.myspace.com/superlittleband) 16. Richard In Your Mind – My
Volcano Really
out there pop. ÒI WillÓ is one of the best songs of 2010 for me. (http://www.myspace.com/richardinyourmind) 17. Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush
To Relax Punky
garage rock that, at times, reminds me of Wire. (http://www.myspace.com/eddycurrentsuppressionring)
18. Simone Felice – Live
From A Lonely Place A
heavy bunch of tracks recorded to sell on tour that totally stand up with his
previous work. He of The Duke & The King and Felice BrothersÕ fame, Simone
is one of our finest contemporary songwriters. (http://www.myspace.com/simonefelice) 19. The Slummers – Love
Of The Amateur Fabulous,
ramshackle, Stones-ey rock by Dan Suart, formerly of Green On Red, and J.D.
Foster (notable musician/producer) (http://www.myspace.com/theslummers/music) 20. Ben Weaver – Mirepox
And Smoke Dark,
poetic, singer-songwriter stuff, incredibly focused. (http://www.myspace.com/benweavermusic) 21. CeeLo Green – The
Lady Killer A
great vocalist doing fantastic R&B with a sense of humor. (http://jp.myspace.com/ceelogreen) 22. Robert Plant – Band
Of Joy Another
fine collection of Americana. http://www.myspace.com/robertplant 23. Macy Gray – The
Sellout One
of the most distinctive R&B singers of the last fifteen years. Her best in
eons. (http://www.myspace.com/macygray) 24. Tara Holloway – Sins
To Confess First
effort from this striking vocalist from eastern Canada. (http://www.myspace.com/tarahollowaymusic) 25. Kate Nash – My
Best Friend Is You Smart-ass
English rocker, somewhat reminiscent of Lily Allen. (http://www.myspace.com/katenashmusic) 26. Deer Tick – The
Black Dirt Sessions Raggedy
voiced alt-country. (http://www.myspace.com/deertick) 27. Bruno Mars – doo
wops and hooligans Modern
day pop-R&B. (http://www.myspace.com/brunomars) 28. Charlie Parr – When
The Devil Goes Blind Folk-blues
music and tremendous guitar playing from this northern Minnesota artist whoÕs
working it hard all over the world. (http://www.myspace.com/charlieparr) 29. Dr. Dog – Shame,
Shame Scruffy
but tight pop-rock. (http://www.myspace.com/drdog) 30. Peter Wolf – Midnight
Souvenirs A
treat of a record, soulful rock from the longtime lead vocalist of The J. Geils
Band. (http://www.myspace.com/peterwolf)
--------------------------- 45's & E.P.s Mr. F. (aka Paul Westerberg) – This Machine b/w Foolish Handshake In late October, with little advance fanfare, this two-song 7Ó 45 was released via the website Nimbit Music. Both songs are fantastic. Solo acoustic guitar and voice. Cryptic, clever and funny lyrics. Sort of early Dylan-style. The hookline of the top side refers to the hand-written phrase on Woody GuthrieÕs guitar, which read ÒThis machine kills fascistsÓ É PaulÕs lyric goes: ÒThis here machine it kills time.Ó The single comes with a free download card that gives you access to ÒGrandpa Boys Last Stand,Ó 37:00 of some pretty crazy dialog and snippets of music including pieces of a couple of great songs, the best of which is called ÒLove In Reverse.Ó One can only hope heÕll follow this up with an album soon. (http://www.nimbitmusic.com/mrf/) Jenny O. – Home Great,
slightly bent, folk-pop from Los Angeles. One of my most played records of the
year, these 5 songs are stunners, especially ÒWonÕt Let You LeaveÓ and ÒI Do I
Do.Ó. (http://www.myspace.com/jennyo) The Parson Red Heads – Early
Birds Some
older material, re-recorded to make an EP to sell on the road while they finish
their proper new album. As with all the Parsons recordings, great stuff worth
owning. (http://www.myspace.com/redheads) Christie DuPree – self
titled The
debut of the youngest DuPree sister. In a similar vein to her sisters in
Eisley. Smart, melodic pop-rock. (http://www.myspace.com/christiedupreemusic) ---------------------------------
REISSUES/ARCHIVAL Bob Dylan – The Whitmark Demos:
1962-1964 This
got as much airplay around my house in 2010 as just about anything. This is a
humbling listening experience, worth buying for the stupendous version of
ÒBoots Of Spanish LeatherÓ alone. (http://www.myspace.com/bobdylan)
Tommy Keene – Tommy
Keene You Hear Me – A Retrospective 1983-2009 Collected,
these songs almost become more powerful than they were in their original album
context. What a body of work this man has created! (http://www.myspace.com/tommykeeneband) Jefferson Airplane - Live At The Fillmore Auditorium 1966,
1968 (4 reissues) 3
with Grace Slick, 1 with Signe Anderson, these are amazing documents of the
legendary San Francisco band. (http://www.myspace.com/jeffersonairplane) Fleetwood Mac- Perfect In Every
Way Studio
outtakes, rehearsals and live tracks from the ÔKiln HouseÕ era Fleetwood Mac.
Not all tremendous performances but it fills in some blanks about the period
(1969-1971) after Peter Green, right as Christine Perfect (aka McVie) was
entering the picture and before the advent of Buckingham-Nicks É one the most
interesting periods of the bandÕs lengthy career. Live Shows (in L.A. except where noted) -
Blue Giant – Spaceland 1/14 -
Son Of The Velvet Rat – Hotel CafŽ 1/17 & 10/27 -
Hot Rats – Spaceland 1/19, Troubadour 1/21 -
The Parson Red Heads – The Echo 1/28 & 4/19 & 8/17, The
Troubadour 6/9 -
Leslie & The Badgers – The Troubadour 2/5, The Bootleg Theater 2/23, The
Echoplex 7/31 -
Jeff Bridges, T Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham, etc. – The Vibrato Grill 2/15 -
Vic Chesnutt Memorial – Silver Mount Zion, Liz Durrett, Jack Logan and
Kelly Keneipp, Todd McBride and Rob Veal formerly of The Dashboard Saviors and
Lambchop among many others - The 40 Watt – Athens, GA 2/19 & 20 -
Visqueen – Amoeba 2/24 -
Skybombers – The Viper Room 2/25 - SXSW 2010 – Eisley, The
Unthanks, The Uglysuit, John Hiatt, Smokey RobinsonÕs Keynote Speech, Ponderosa,
Buddy Miller, Leslie & The Badgers, The Low Anthem, Charlie Parr, The
Carolina Chocolate Drops -
Maxim Ludwig – Hotel CafŽ 3/24 -
Paul McCartney & Band – The Hollywood Bowl 3/31 -
Buddy Miller & Patty Griffin – The Wiltern Theater 4/10 -
The Fling – The Echo 4/13 -
The Uglysuit – Hotel CafŽ 5/24 -
Angus & Julia Stone – The Masonic Lodge 5/25 & 26, The Town Hall
– Meenyiyan, Victoria, Australia 9/11 & 12, The El Rey Theater 10/5 -
The Whigs – The Troubadour 6/18 -
Luluc – The Bootleg Theater 7/20 & The Town Hall – Meeniyan,
Australia -
Carina Round – Hotel CafŽ 8/5 -
Simone Felice – The City Winery – New York City 8/7 -
Andy Clockwise – Hotel CafŽ 8/23 -
Buddy Miller – Country Music Hall Of Fame – Nashville, TN 8/24 -
The Bahamas – Spaceland 9/29 -
The Felice Brothers – The Echo 9/29 -
John Cale (performing Paris 1919) – Royce Hall @ UCLA 9/30 -
Leslie Stevens – Downtown Brewery – San Luis Obispo, CA 10/2 -
Jessie Baylin – The Bootleg Theater 10/11 & 10/25 -
Kate Miller-Heidke – Hotel CafŽ 11/17 -
The Head & The Heart – The Troubadour 12/13 One last thing IÕve gotta rave about In
September, I took my 2nd trip to Australia. I was invited down by
the kind folks from the music conference Big Sound in Brisbane. The conference
itself was one of the best IÕve ever been to. It reminded me of SXSW before it
got so huge. Very well organized, a slew of fantastic bands and industry
people. One of the things that made it so great was the close proximity of the
venues for the evening showcases. Big Sound took place in The Fortitude Valley
area of Brisbane, an actual licensed entertainment district, and no club was
more than five blocks away from the others and I saw more bands because of
that. The best of which were Dan Kelly (of course!), Halfway (who did a terrific
cover of The ReplacementsÕ ÒCanÕt Hardly WaitÓ!), The Gin Club, Oh Mercy, The
Eagle And The Worm and City Riots. During the days, we listened to Q&As,
panels and lectures by the likes of U.S. journalist/author Michael Azerrad,
Aussie music business legends John OÕDonnell and Michael Gudinski and
transplanted American musician Brian Ritchie, former bassist of The Violent
Femmes (now living in Tasmania). I did three panels and many one-on-one
mentoring sessions. As always at these music conferences, the things you canÕt
plan for were the most fun É like running into Cathy Oates, Angus & Julia
StoneÕs fabulous manager, having a nice catch-up chat and then her handing me
an advance promo of JuliaÕs solo album, good gawd, I about fainted! Or finding
myself on a fire escape in the back of a club called The Troubadour at 2 a.m
with Dan Kelly & his bassist, Indra Adams, talking till the wee hours. One
of the BIG highlights of Big Sound for me was the closing keynote, a Q&A
with former co-founder of The Go-Betweens, Robert Forster. Like a complete
geek, I got there early and nabbed a front row seat. It was a thrilling
hour-long discussion. After Big Sound, I did some traveling (special thanks to
my dear friend and tour guide, artist manager extraordinaire Bernadette Ryan);
south to Melbourne where, among other things, I had a lovely dinner with Dan
and Paul Kelly and PaulÕs significant other, Sian Prior; out into the
picturesque farm land of South Gippsland where we stayed on an actual sheep
farm that looked like the Scottish Highlands; a couple of days in the charming
old town of Daylesford; and back north to Byron Bay, an indescribably beautiful
beach town surrounded by rain forest and mountainous remnants of volcanos where
I did lots of hiking and biking and generally just chilled out. The finale of
the trip was back in Brisbane where I attended an amazing concert by Robert
Forster, held in a breathtaking outdoor amphitheater adjacent to the city's old
power station that has been redesigned as an art museum called The Powerhouse. The
program was billed as Ò15 Songs About BrisbaneÓ and the between song portions
were filled with stories about the origins of some of my favorite Go-Betweens
and Forster songs. The country of Australia and its music scene are an endless
source of fascination for me and I canÕt wait to go back! R.I.P.
– Alex Chilton, Don Smith, Bob Meide, Joey Stinson and Supergrass. –
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