Esteemed musicologists / wheezebag experts / fine retailers and habitual discnappers from all over Virginia were asked what they thought was the best music released in the year 1996. Here's a partial regurgitation:
Don Harrison (Grip)
Stereolab-- Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) A steady groove goes a long long way. The icy-cool popsters in Stereolab put a little meat in their Mellotrons and a little muscle in their Moogs and come up with a '90's space funk masterpiece. Beck-- Odelay (DGC) When he's good-- check out the exquisite "Jackass"-- this boy is very, very good. When he's bad-- dig "The Devil's Haircut"-- he and the Dust Brothers top the great Paul's Boutique for hybrid rock-hop. That's bad as in b-a-a-a-d-d. Baby Bird-- Fatherhood (BB / Almostereo) Stephen Jones' third in a series of home demo compilations as Baby Bird is a paean to parents and their brood, and remains one of the year's masterpieces: a dark and bittersweet journey, livened by humor and buoyed by honest revelation. Johnny Cash-- Unchained (American Recordings) The Icon in Black can even make Beck and Soundgarden songs his own, but he also re-vamps some classic Sun hits, throws in a hymn or two, even a nod to the late Dean Martin. Somehow it gels because the man's brand of show biz just doesn't age. That booming moan and incredible, irreplaceable chunka-chunka charge through like a big ol' train and this is the way I like my Cash-- with a hot band and a great set of songs. Wilco-- Begin Here (Reprise) An embarrassment of riches. Jeff Tweedy's songwriting spree traverses a wide spectrum of American rock and doesn't falter once.
The Second 6: Tricky-- The Pre-Millennium Tension (Island) Spring weather in Winter music-- beautiful and unsettling; Chris Isaak-- The Baja Sessions (Warner Brothers) This narcotic, island-breeze set got the critical bum rush. But I dig mellow.; Mark Eitzel-- "60 Watt Silver Lining" (Warner Brothers) Ditto this. Revives the whole idea of the "singer-songwriter"; Prince-- Chaos & Disorder / Emancipation (Paisley Park / WB) Strangely enough, my favorite overworked Twin Cities Napolean ended up making Warner Brothers' case for them. He was holding back. A busy year for him; September '67-- Lucky Shoe (EMI-Enclave) Gorgeous pop, homegrown.
Honorable mentions: The Beatles-- Anthology Vol. 2 / Anthology Vol. 3 (Capitol); Bowery Electric-- Beat (Kranky); R.L. Burnside-- Ass Pocket of Whiskey (Matador); Drunk-- A Derby Spiritual (Jagjaguwar); Grifters-- Ain't My Lookout (SubPop); Guided By Voices-- Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (Matador); Jack Frost-- "Snow Job" (Beggars Banquet); LaBradford-- LaBradford (Kranky); Low-- The Curtain Hits the Cast (Vernon Yard); Luna-- Luna (No. 6 EP); Luscious Jackson-- Fever In Fever Out (Grand Royal); The Make-Up-- Destination Love, Live at Cold Rice (Dischord); Neutral Milk Hotel-- On Avery Island (Merge); Olympic Death Squad-- Blue (TeenBeat); Olivia Tremor Control-- Dusk at Cubist Castle (Flydaddy); OutKast-- ATLiens (LaFace); Pavement-- Pacifica Trim (Matador EP); Martin Phillipps & the Chills-- Sunburnt (Flying Nun); Rollerskate Skinny-- Horsedrawn Wishes (Warner Brothers); Sparklehorse-- Heart of Darkness (Capitol EP); Jon Spencer Blues Explosion-- Now I Got Worry (Matador); Tortoise-- Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Thrill Jockey); Various Artists-- I Shot Andy Warhol (Tag / Atlantic); Various Artists-- Red, Hot & Rio (Verve); Gillian Welch-- Revival (Almo)
Best CD Reissues of 1996: The Byrds-- Mr. Tambourine Man / Turn Turn Turn / Fifth Dimension / Younger Than Yesterday (Columbia); Bootsy Collins-- Ultra Wave / Ah...The Name is Bootsy, Baby (WB); Faust-- The Faust Tapes (Cuneiform); Flipper-- Sex Bomb Baby (Infinite Zero); Go-Betweens-- Before Hollywood / 16 Lovers Lane (Beggars Banquet); Antonio Carlos Jobim-- The Man From Ipanema (Verve); Louvin Brothers-- Satan is Real (Cema); Original Soundtrack: Vampyros Lesbos (Motel); Jean Jacques Perry-- Moog Indigo (BGP); Paul Revere & the Raiders-- Revolution / Spirit of '67 (Sundazed); Beau Brummels-- The San Fran Sessions (Sundazed); Miles Davis & Gil Evans-- The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (Sony); Galaxie 500-- Complete (Rykodisc box set); Curtis Mayfield-- People Get Ready (Rhino); Pere Ubu-- Datapanik in the Year Zero (DGC); Various Artists-- Cowabunga: The Surf Box (Rhino); Various Artists-- The Doo Wop Box II (Rhino); Various Artists-- The Ultra Lounge Series Vol. 1-3 (Capitol);
Stephen Head (Grip)
Polvo-- Exploded Drawing (Touch & Go 162) Some artists run too far ahead of themselves, others never put one foot in front of the other. Chapel Hill's Polvo always ambitiously forward, taking listeners half-way around the globe and back, with hypnotic sitar plucks, hardcore rants and melodic epic requiems. Creating distinct, moody textures without the overdramatic flair that most art-rockers apply to their craft, Polvo's so out-of-tune guitars could tame a cobra and confuse a snake-charmer. New Radiant Storm King-- Hurricane Necklace (Grass) Always building up for that ultimate confrontation they know they'll walk away from, these Northhampton lads are the best manipulators of the Rat pedal since, er, Pavement. From self-deprecating lyrics that could make Morrissey weep to the humorous paean to a Branch Davidian romance gone awry, Necklace isn't so much an album as it is twelve near-perfect songs laid out in just the right order. Lambchop-- Hank (Merge) It's a rather bold gesture to proclaim yourself the new Nashville sound, but this ten-piece country ensemble manages to fit the billing, putting out the most soothing, relaxing EP of the year. Horns and strings climax and swing behind Kurt Wagner's soft-spoken voice, which perpetually sounds dizzy from a nicotine buzz. Even my grandmother likes to prop her feet up in the La-Z-Boy and swig bourbon to this one. Gastr Del Sol-- Upgrade and Afterlife (Drag City) Gastr Del Sol's sculpted, sublime tunes float somewhere between the troposphere and mesosphere, transporting you to places far better than wherever you are. But just when you think you're in another realm altogether, a whistling tea-kettle or haunting piano queue takes you right back to your boring-ass bedroom, reminding you that destinations aren't nearly as important journeys themselves. Girls Against Boys-- House of GVSB (Touch & Go) Cranking out cocksure rock that's always explicitly yours, GVSB are waiting for the day when stadiums sell Martinis instead of just watery domestics. Guitarist / vocalist Scott McCloud always manages to sound like your bad conscious goading you on, while the rest of the band lays down grooves thick enough to crack the sidewalk outside of the club. This band's future is so bright, they've got to wear goggles.
Rickey Wright (Washington City Paper, CD Review, Miami New Times, etc.) Pulp-- Different Class (Island) Jarvis Cocker can sustain his brilliant lyrical gift for more than a line or two at a time, and he proves it all over this British million-seller. The build-up of "Common People" makes it a "Born to Run" for the '90's-- and not just for people who grew up in Sheffield. Howlin' Maggie-- Honeysuckle Strange (Columbia) "Why couldn't I ever get kicked out of school?" R.E.M.-- New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Warner Brothers) A transitional record, even a retrenchment, sure. But also one of the best, most assured stack of tracks (and songs) these guys have put down since Reckoning. "So Fast, So Numb" rules. Sammy-- Tales of Great Neck Glory (DGC) Another year-end poll asked for the name of my favorite "Record Nobody Heard." This set of bubblegum Velvets homages-- kind of like what Loaded might have sounded like if Lou had stayed with Pickwick, or joined the Jaggerz-- was it. You can buy it for $7.99 new and you should. Tony Tony Tone-- House of Music (Mercury) A masterful followup to Sons of Soul, the best R&B album of the '90's. This one takes longer to get under your skin, but once there, it'll stay.
Reissues: James Brown-- Foundations of Funk: A Brand New Bag 1964-1969 (Polydor) For novitiates, the JB reissue series must present a problem like going to buy a Lou Reed record and not knowing which version of "Sweet Jane" to start with. But the newly unearthed Funhouse-style concert take of "Mother Popcorn" here makes the case that James deserves his own Anthology series of outtakes.
Elliot Easton-- Change No Change (Rhino/Elektra) The sampler I got from Merle Haggard's Down Every Road boxed set (on Capitol) was a great one, but with all my money going toward maintaining the glamorous life of a freelance writer, I never got around to buying the package it advanced. So I'll instead give props to the reissue of Change No Change, proof that the Cars' whiz-bang lead guitarist did indeed make a better solo album than Ric Ocasek ever could.
Great Singles of 1996: Mary J. Blige-- "Not Goin' Cry" (Arista); Cast-- "Alright" (Polydor promo); Busta Rhymes-- "Woo-Hah! (Got You All in Check)" (Elektra); Quad City DJs-- "Come On and Ride It (The Train)" (Big Beat)
Great Video Moments: Pulp's Common People," in which Jarvis busts a move and gives Radiohead two fingers; Sebadoh's pair for "Ocean" (Lou Barlow gets his hair combed-- hey, what are roadies for?) and "Willing to Wait"; Green Day's "Walking Contradiction," a neat meditation on stardom with neat car crashes; and Busta Rhymes' Monkees-like "Woo-Hah!"
My Mother's Comment on her own radio listening: "There's this song-- 'God is great, God is good.' If I hear it one more time, I'm going to throw up."
Ellie Goodman (Currently lounging in Spain) Duende: Passion-- Voices of Flamenco (Ellipsis) This is a great compilation of cante performers, past and present, with useful bios and very snappy packaging. Originally released in 1994 as part of a 3 CD box, the other discs are Magic (Flamenco guitar) and Exploration (crossover), also issued separately this year. Don Byron-- No-Vibe Zone (Knitting Factory Works) Recorded live at the Knitting Factory during that incredible January blizzard. Various Artists-- The Kansas City Soundtrack (Verve) Present masters meet past masters: David Murray, Don Byron, Geri Allen, James Carter, Craig Handy, Joshua Redman, Ron Carter et al. . . play the tunes of Ellington and Basie et al. Los Planetas-- Pop (BMG Ariola Spain) The title says a lot: very well-crafted songs with good lyrics. Catchy, but unpredictable. Hints at Yo La Tengo. Hard to acquire outside of Spain, but worth the effort. 1994's Super 8 is also good. Patti Smith-- Gone Again (Arista) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds-- Murder Ballads (Reprise) These two are perfect for enhancing what ails you.
Chuck Adcock (Grip man-about-town / photographer-at-arms)
DJ Cam-- Mad Blunted Jazz (Shadow) Beats, beats and more beats. Bowery Electric-- Beat (Kranky) Beautiful spaced-out rock that rivals any ambient work this decade or any other. Muslimgauze-- Arab Quarter (Soleilmoon) Bryn Jones manages to push his passion for the Palestinian struggle with music that raise the hair on the back of your neck. Babybird-- Fatherhood (BB Recordings / Almostereo) If you can find this elusive treasure, buy it. LaBradford-- LaBradford (Kranky) Scary, minimal and wonderful. Various Artists-- Ultra Lounge Leopard Skin Sampler (Capitol) Must see (hear) to believe Betty Page-- Burlesque Music (Pop Biz) Oh! There's music too?
Brian Greene (Dodobobo / Grip)
Baby Bird-- Fatherhood / The Happiest Man Alive (BB / Almostereo) Imagine a demented Harry Nilsson making five years' worth of home demos on a four track, then putting out four long albums over a six-month period, and you've got an idea of what this eccentric Brit is all about. Faraway ballads are sandwiched between sinister, drum machine-driven tracks and light but twisted rockers; each of Baby Bird's albums sound like they could have been made by five different artists. The Make-Up-- Destination: Love, Live at Cold Rice (Dischord) Cut the rent check, baby. Here's a real rave-up, combining the best snatches of '70's soul, 80's punk and something altogether new. See this outfit live, if it kills you (and it might). Tortoise-- Millions Living Now Will Never Die (Thrill Jockey) Scratchy, bumpy, textural, jazzy. . . there's a reason why Tortoise is standing at the top of the heap of the new wave of ambient space rockers. The inspired opener, "Djed," starts out good enough then gets even better in the tenth of its 20 minutes, and what follows becomes a real head experience. That song is an album in itself, and a couple of the following five tracks are dandies in their own right. Stereolab-- Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) Stereolab get points for going out on a limb and trying something new after developing a trademark sound-- a lesser band would have milked their established popularity by playing things safe. But Tim Gane stretched himself outside of his normal quirky space-pop to play some truly danceable grooves, as if Stereolab had shelved the Krautrock records in favor of "The Best of Soul Train." The High Llamas-- Hawaii (Alpaca Park U.K.) The 71 minute Hawaii is, like the band's excellent '93 LP Gideon Gaye, a tribute to the Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys. A little different, maybe-- the 12 vocal tracks are part country twang and part early-'70's lost pop. The 17 instruments, though, still sound like they could have been pulled from any of Brian Wilson's weird late'60's masterpieces.
Honorable Mentions: Olympic Death Squad-- Blue (TeenBeat); Trans-Am-- Trans-Am (Thrill Jockey); Flat Duo Jets-- Red Tango (Norton); The Coctails-- The Coctails (Carrot Top); Beck-- Odelay (DGC)
Serge Gainsbourg-- Comic Strip (Phillips / Mercury reissue) Mick Harvey, Luna, Luscious Jackson, et. al. have done their part to bring attention to this French bad boy media star from the '60's (he was still around and doing stuff in the '70's and '80's, but try to forget it), and it's high time someone called his name out. Ultra cool, swanky, sexy-- and dangerous enough to have his number one hit "Je T'aime. . . Moi Non Plus" banned by both the BBC and the Vatican, Serge knew how to work a theme (among his favorites: cars, motorcycles, guns, lost love and suicide) and this is an excellent collection from his golden period.
Al Hinton (Blues Undergrass)
Big Al's best of Bluegrass '96:
Tim O'Brien-- Red on Blonde (Sugar Hill) Del McCoury-- Cold Hard Facts (Rounder) Jerry Garcia / David Grisman-- Shady Grove (Acoustic Disc) Lonesome River Band-- One Step Forward (Sugar Hill) Dry Branch Fire Squad-- Live at Last (Rounder) Magraw Gap-- Magraw Gap (Independent) Old & In the Way-- That High Lonesome Sound (Acoustic Disc)
Steve Richmond (Grip vinyl man)
Bedhead-- Beheaded (Trance Syndicate) Guided By Voices-- Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (Matador) Drunk-- A Derby Spiritual (Jagjaguwar) Bardo Pond-- Amanita (Matador) Bowery Electric-- Beat (Kranky) Reissues: Cheap Trick-- Sex, America, Cheap Trick (Sony box set) Galaxie 500-- Complete (Rykodisc box set)
Shannon Worrell (September '67) Scud Mountain Boys-- Massachusetts (SubPop) I can't believe music so sweet can lie still long enough with words so sad-- long enough to make it onto a recording and, now, down deep into my heart. Guided by Voices-- Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (Matador) The melodies here are all rivaling McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed." Or something. Finally, with a finger towards medium-fi (?), I can understand (hear) the amazing words! Silver Jews-- The Natural Bridge (Drag City) I am so happy when clever boys put their clever brains aside and sing from somewhere deeper. These songs are so beautiful. Drunk-- A Derby Spiritual (Jagjaguwar) Nick Drake lives to tell of his secret life in East Tennessee? I can't describe this music. It's sad and pretty. More banjo. Bread-- Retrospective (Elektra) More Bread than I ever knew there was, plus all the terkjerkers that we still all know by heart. This is the collective consciousness (or unconsciousness) of undiscovered Atlantis.
Todd Ranson (Throttle, Richmond) Jaime Gartelos-- Y'la Orquesta Buena (Self released) This Austin, TX. outfit is hard to find but a must-listen. Their modern take on the rich history of the Texas psychedelic heritage is eerie, violent, shadowy and fun. Versus-- Secret Swingers (TeenBeat-Caroline) Archers of Loaf-- All the Nation's Airports (Alias-Elektra) Indie rock comes back with a vengeance. Oddly, they both can be taken as concept albums. Versus' tales of malevolent relationships falling apart, smashing together and tip-toeing around each other is engrossing. The Archers, on the other hand, are aiming for a song cycle that seems to deal with loss in all its varying forms. Everything But The Girl-- Walking Wounded (Atlantic) Who would have thought pairing the patented EBTG torch singing style with the "jungle" sound would have worked this wonderfully. Stereolab-- Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) A triumph, and excellent return to form for the original "Moog band," this is absolutely mesmerizing, as layer after layer of sound and tone wash over your brain. The Clean-- Unknown Country (Flying Nun) These New Zealand rockers have been making the best pop-rock around for years now. The Kilgore brothers represent their nation well in a country that is packed with great bands. This is charming, simple and, well, clean. LaBradford-- LaBradford (Kranky) The third full-lengther from this Richmond trio finds them improving upon, and consolidating, an outstanding approach to what is becoming known (somewhat erroneously) as "space rock." Meditative and provocative at the same time, LaBradford are at the top of their game here. The Technical Jed-- The Oswald Cup (SpinArt) Another Richmond group with some growing pains. This, their second disc, finds the Jed stretching out a bit with their dual guitar attack, odd tunings and steady backbeat. A solid effort. Neil Young & Crazy Horse-- Broken Arrow (Reprise) The band, the myth, the legend show why they are still the shit. Coupled with the incredible tour this year, many felt that this was a throwback to Neil's '70's days and they were right. Hey it's no coincidence that the guitar in Sheryl Crow's "If It Makes You Happy" is stolen right from "Barstool Blues." Fred Schneider-- Just Fred (Reprise) The B-52s' Fred Schneider gets the Albini treatment here to glorious and, yes, zany effect. Hearing Fred's double entendres in "Whip," "Bulldozer," and "Sugar in My Hog," while hired hands wail, is good therapy. The Pizzicato Five-- The Sound of Music (Matador) / Butter 08-- Butter (Grand Royal) I might as well put Cibo Matto and Buffalo Daughter in this slot too. All have the Japanese pop touch and make excellent party records that delight in their deconstruction of classic American R&B, funk and kitsch.
Tim Lee (Grip Tidewater bureau) Prince-- Chaos & Disorder (Warner Brothers) / Emancipation (NPG ) I wish some of my ex-wives had given out such serendipitous kiss-offs as the Diminutive One gave Warner Brothers to complete his contract. He changed his name back, reclaimed his musical identity-- flash whiplash guitar ala Purple Rain-- and proved that he still had the best horn arrangements around. Magnapop-- Rubbing Doesn't Help (Priority) "Everything is good these days but all my friends are dying"-- I never heard anything more bittersweet, or hit home like "This family's going to heaven / This family's going to Hell" either. "This Family" opens the record with fat and nasty distorted chords. I think they're saying get over it. Joan Osborne-- Early Recordings (Mercury) Rock and roll (nice to find use for that term nowadays) has two mothers, Ms. Blues and Ms. Soul, and its heartbeat is in clubs. The hot-blooded gospel undercurrent here didn't sway my horny recollections as a young boy who played Dusty Springfield's "Son of A Preacher Man" over and over. Joan's version gets even steamier. Tori Amos-- Boys For Pele (Atlantic) No one else dances so spritely in the stratosphere. I love her because she's edgy and elegant, and can even make a piano rock onstage. Who else ("Caught a Lite Sneeze") could whip a harpsichord into a groove?
Honorable Mentions: Cowboy Junkies-- Lay It Down (DGC); Pearl Jam-- No Code (Epic); REM-- New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Warner Brothers); Susanna Hoffs (London); Veruca Salt-- Blow it Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt (DGC maxi-single)
Worst of 1996: Cranberries-- To the Faithful Departed (Island) Smug and boring; Fiona Apple-- Tidal (Work) Why does forlornness keep getting mistaken for style?; Counting Crows-- Recovering the Satellites (DGC) Their debut was one of my guilty pleasures, but I don't have a big enough bucket to bail out all the crap these wordy bores sink into here; Suzanne Vega-- Nine Objects of Desire (A&M) Deeper and deeper; Luscious Jackson-- Fever In Fever Out (Grand Royal / Capitol) Did you see Perry Como's Christmas special? Less lame than this.
"See Lists, p. 2" for more Best of 1996 summations and accusations.
(This article was originally published in Grip Monthly #5, Dec./Jan. '97)
Fred Boyce (Prism Coffeehouse) Gillian Welch-- Revival (Almo Sounds) Tim O' Brien-- Red on Blonde (Sugar Hill) Del McCoury -- Cold Hard Facts (Rounder)
Charles Olver (Grip's resident absentee) Trailer Bride-- Trailer Bride (Wait) I'll start with a cheat. I only found out that their album was out a couple of days ago, via the Internet-- and since I don't live in Chapel Hill I haven't been able to actually get my hands and ears on a copy. But my third-or-fourth-generation cassette of Trailer Bride demos, combined with their "Crossing Jordan" / "Louise" 7-inch (on Friction Media), saw far more play than ANYTHING else I encountered in '96. Melissa Swingle's talents as a singer, guitar player, and (especially) songwriter are nothing short of scary, and the only way this album could be anything less than incredible is if they turned her down in the mix. I'll let you know as soon as I do. The Cardigans-- First Band on the Moon (Mercury) As post-modern pop continues to eat (and shit) itself, these Swedes show how it SHOULD (bold) be done. Of course, they do rely more than a little on pre-modernist verities-- melody, chord changes, singing, playing, song structure, old school stuff like that. But their references (even, if not especially, the Black Sabbath ones) are, like their lyrics, genuinely funny/smart/warm/insightful, rather than cheap, ironic. Beck could learn from them (and I do like him). Patti Smith-- Gone Again (Arista) I suppose I could complain that there are a few too many songs in 6/8 time, that the album could use at least a couple more hard rockers, that the benediction to Kurt Cobain seems philosophically and musically half-baked, that not even Patti Smith can do a Dylan cover that doesn't compare unfavorably with the original version-- but I just don't have it in me, especially after witnessing her recent D.C. performances. Frankly, Patti Smith is God, and she can do whatever she wants to. I just pray she doesn't go back into hiding anytime soon. The Picketts-- Euphonium (Rounder) The rarest of birds: a country-rock band that knows what's what. Their honky-tonk cover of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a promising idea that doesn't quite work, but the cozy folk-rock version of "Baba O'Riley" works better than it has any right to, and the band's originals are knockouts. As is Christy McWilson's voice-- grainier than is the genre's norm, alternately warm and nervy. Johnny Cash-- Unchained (American) I don't really have anything to say about this except that I didn't think there was any way an album with backing from Tom Petty and company could be as powerful as the unaccompanied American Recordings, and I was happy to be proven wrong. Frank Zappa-- The Lost Episodes (Rykodisc) Basically, it's his post-1968 product that keeps me from considering myself a Zappa fan. This lovingly compiled treasure hunt concentrates on his golden period (and before!), and it's almost entirely wonderful. Even the small quantity of '70's recordings sounds jake to me. (Captain Beefheart fans need this-- there are several collaborations, including one from 1958!) Reissue: Paul Revere & the Raiders-- Revolution! (Sundazed) This is quite possibly the great lost classic album of 1967, which is ironic considering how well it sold at the time. But then it's also ironic that at a time when even the Rolling Stones were trying to do a Sergeant Pepper, these teenybop faves were laying down some sleazy Exile-style gutbucket, replete with teenage session guy Ry Cooder's loose-goosey slide work, actual-Raider Joe Correro's awesome drumming (worth the price of admission), Mark Lindsay's testosterone-damaged soul testifying, Terry Melcher's ingenious production work and choirboy harmonies (unnerving in this context), and somebody-or-other's exquisite bass guitar lines. Even the novelty number, "Ain't Nobody Who Can Do It Like Leslie Can" (a tribute to Melcher's housekeeper) has a rhythmic undertow that's hard to resist. The new stereo remix of "Him or Me" is a godawful mess, but the previously unreleased "Try Some of Mine" (which could and should have been on the original LP) is exactly what bonus tracks were invented for. Reissue: The Congoes-- Heart of the Congoes (Blood and Fire U.K.) The great lost classic album of 1977? Well, I'D (ital) never heard it before. But then, I'm not a reggae aficionado-- I just know what I like. I LOVE (ital) this.
WTJU (Local all-purpose Charlottesville radio station) Curious Digit-- Bombay Aloo (Jagjaguwar) This would have gotten even more play, but modest DJ's / band members Adam, Josh and Jimmy wouldn't play their own songs on their WTJU shows. Isn't that cute? That having been said, this is great music to listen to on your porch while a storm is rolling in. Sleater Kinney-- Call the Doctor (Chainsaw) Sounds like your little sister having the king, queen and jack of all tantrums and for once, she's right. An angry record that makes you feel good about living. That doesn't happen often, y'know?? Stereolab-- Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) There isn't anything I could tell you that literally everyone else hasn't. Funky like several monkeys. Beck-- Odelay! Ditto. How about that secret track where he tells you that the whole secret to life is "oatmeal"? Changed out lives. Solo / Carry / Trust-- Not Like That (Ripsnorter) Actually, this is just something that WTJU Rock Programming director Tyler Magill and his friend Eric are working on. No sound, no buzz, no product whatsoever, but Tyler charted it for a month anyway. Why? Because he can. Look for a single, "Verbal Unconsciousness," about the same time Hell gets a Frigidaire. Palace-- Arise, Therefore (Drag City) On the basis of one live interview on our humble little station, the Backwoods Bard decides to move to town. That's what one would like to think, anyway. His record is beautiful, too. Reissue: Pere Ubu-- Datapanik in the Year Zero (DGC) Pere Ubu made rock safe for geeks everywhere. Since no one anywhere has the balls or ability to cover them (not since Mission of Burma and Julian Cope anyway), this compilation will satisfy anyone's yen to hear the old stuff. Reissue: Various Artists-- Robots, Monsters and Bugmen (Virgin U.K.) Great overview of the current space-rock phenomenon that's sweeping college radio stations across the nation this month. Next month, it'll be bossanova. Really good, even though all of this really is the whitest music on the face of the earth.
Mark Nelson (LaBradford) Best 12-inches of 1996. Five-way tie for first: Photek-- "UFO" b/w "Rings Around Saturn" (Photek Records) Ed Rush-- "What's Up?" (No U Turn) Source Direct-- "Secret Liaison" (Good Looking) Tortoise-- "Taut and Tame" (the Bundy Brown remix) (Thrill Jockey) Designer-- "Brown Rice" (Soul Static)
Spencer Lathrop (Spencer's 206, Charlottesville's independent music store) Carlos Vives-- La Tierra Del Olvido (Mercury) Madredeus-- Ainda (Musicrama) Paul Delay-- Take It From the Turnaround (Evidence) The Renegades-- I Need to Find (Carry On) Graham Parker-- 12 Haunted Episodes (Razor & Tie) The Catholics-- The Catholics (Terra Nova)
Josh Krahn (Curious Digit) Fuck-- Baby Loves a Funny Bunny (Walt / Rhesus / Lamplighter) Housed in a 3:1 scale exaggeration of a matchbook, with a complimentary sticker to boot, this is packaging to die for. But no matter, if this one had come in a greasy blister pack it wouldn't diminish the beauty of the 16 gems within. Classics, start to finish. If Dazed and Confused were really a movie about my ideal fantasy senior year in high school, this would be the soundtrack. Mostly concerned with love, I guess, but who knows? Sons of the Fagen/Becker school, these guys know that what you leave out is just as crucial as what you put in. Check 'em out before they change their name to F**k and go giga-Platinum. It's be cooler if you did. Tortoise-- Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Thrill Jockey) Highbrow stuff for a Lowenbrau audience. Producer / drummer John McEntire is MVP of the year. Put the headphones on, friend, it will blow your mind. Drunk-- A Derby Spiritual (Jagjaguwar) Startlingly beautiful debut from this Richmond supergroup. They take their quiet storm personally. Bonus: I hear you can get this one free by redeeming your AA tokens (or your Camel Cash). Smog-- Kicking a Couple Around (Drag City) Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill. This EP preceded the fully-orchestrated Doctor Came at Dawn by a few months and totally blow it away. Perfect I-know-what-ya-mean-man sentiments from Mr. Sad. Neutral Milk Hotel-- On Avery Island (Merge) This guy sings for, like, five minutes straight without taking a breath. Then he gives you a lyric sheet so you can try it at home. You will.
My psychic prediction for 1997: The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle
Stephen Graziano (Grip trouble man) Faust-- Rein (Table of Elements) Sun Ra-- The Singles (Evidence) Raincoats-- Looking in the Shadows (Geffen) Various Artists-- Crooning on Venus (Virgin U.K.) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds-- Murder Ballads (Mute)
Tyler Magill (Tenor for Laurie Anderson, the Grip International Singers) Melt Banana-- Scratch or Stitch (Skin Graft) Japanese language poetry blipverts with incendiary guitar noise. Will stain furniture. Do not try to sing or play air guitar along with this, you'll only hurt yourself. Alec Empire-- "The Peak" Shizuo-- "Sweat / Stop It" (Digital Hardcore) Take a monstrous breakbeat, speed it up 300%, crank up the distortion and then transmit over a bad radio. Repeat. A giant middle finger to the coming techno ice age. Gastr Del Sol-- Upgrade and Afterlife (Drag City) As a show of frightening virtuosity, it's the sound of chess geniuses on parade. . . classical music that will be studied in a hundred years. A friend of mine says that it all sounds like the first 20 seconds of "Roundabout." It does, but it's better. Dammit! Handsome Family-- Milk & Scissors (Carrot Top) Lovely low-key country with absurdly touching lyrics and brother-sister harmonies. Actually, let's go ahead and include Lambchop's Hank in this slot too. Lungfish-- Sound in Time (Dischord) Simple and powerful. The riff sounds, the bass carries, the vocalist speaks his sermon, and that's it. As artsy as Dischord gets now that Circus Lupus is history.
Needs to be mentioned: Los Del Rio (featuring the Bayside Boys) You've gotta admit it. . . the first 50 times you heard it, it sounded like a Pagan chant.
Also: Food TV: I know I'll never cook with andomille sausage, but I'm a lot closer to anything on this channel than I am to the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Also, Emeril Lagasse is an avenging archangel of some type. While we're talking about TV: the best line of the year was spoken on Fox' "Ned and Stacy," and it was "YOU WRONG, BISCUIT-BUYING SLUT!" I need that to be recorded somewhere.
Daniel Poarch (A.K.A. "Front") Bahamadia-- Kollage (EMI-Chrysalis) Yo Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown listen up: "Can't believe you goin' out on that Adina Howard shit." Though this album predates Kim and Foxy's albums my girl speaks to the necessity for putting a leash on "Dat Freak Shit." Having been an MC Lyte fan for years, I was taken by this talented female rapper from the Illadelph who was first heard on the Roots' "Proceed" 12-inch. She's got a sexy mellow flow that hypnotizes you the first second you hear it. Goodie Mob-- Soul Food (La Face) P.E.-style political awareness, street feel, smoove laid-out Atlanta grooves, and an in your face NO FRONTIN' delivery. Go to your record store and get your Soul Food. They have an enjoyable stage show with live back up, but they do suffer from the 4-emcees-walking-around monotony syndrome. Tribe Called Quest-- Beats, Rhymes and Life (Jive) Didn't like it. . . listened some more. . . started to like it. . . caught their show at JMU and haven't taken the disc out of my car yet. Boomin' straight up beats, solid rhymin', and some stout reminders that it ain't all about playing and bangin'. The Roots-- Illadelphia Halflife Pt. III (DGC) These guys are out-of-hand good. While this album is a bit more sampled and looped than the last and not quite as amusing in the interludes, it stands as one of the most original discs of the year. These guys back up any hype you've heard. InI, featuring Pete Rock-- "Fakin' Jax" (Soul Brother 12") More Beats from the man who knows them backwards and forwards. Pete Rock has a very recognizable style, yet he rarely recycles samples. This is a promising preview of their upcoming album, and I'd like to tell you to buy it, but it's out of print already. Damn! Reissues: Eric B. & Rakim-- Paid in Full (4th & Broadway); MC Lyte-- Eyes on This (First Priority); Ultramagnetic MC's-- Critical Beatdown (Next Plateau)
Darius Van Arman (Uriel=Lightbringer) (also Jagjaguwar, Tokyo Rose booking) Catpower-- What Would the Community Think (Matador) Chan Marshall does a convincing exegesis on human self-loathing. Record of the year. Sea and Cake-- The Biz (Thrill Jockey) Technically, this came out in '95, but I didn't get around to it until just a few months ago. Phish for the cool kids. Palace-- Arise, Therefore (Drag City) Silver Jews-- Natural Bridge (Drag City) Further testament to Drag City's expert team of quality control technicians. Rap and music-- whether its Will Oldham's rich, make believe world or David Berman's "true crime stories." Sarah White-- Hot Damn! (Independent release) By far, Charlottesville's most talented songwriter. This cassette is an amalgamation of Sarah's work over the last couple of years. Not a dull moment. Unfortunately, she now resides in San Francisco. Bedhead-- The Dark Ages (Trance Syndicate EP) Viva sentimentality. . .
Honorable Mentions: Sleater Kinney-- Call the Doctor (Chainsaw); Pere Ubu and Galaxie 500 box sets; Natalie Fairfax-- Don't Change Your Sex (Goldstein cassette)
Dave Harrison (The Meandering Surrealist) DJ Shadow-- Endtroducing (MoWax) Hip hop psychedelia High Llamas-- Hawaii (Alpaca Park U.K.) Hawaiian Beach Boys pastiche Olympic Death Squad-- Blue (TeenBeat) Speed pop. Beck-- Odelay! (DGC) Hip-hop rock Money Mark-- Mark's Keyboard Repair (MoWax) Fuckjams Ida-- I Know About You (Simple Machines) Harmonic pop Stereolab-- Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra) Space pop-rock New Kingdom-- Paradise Don't Come Cheap (Gee Street) Soul-rap-rock Flat Duo Jets-- Red Tango (Matador) Rockabilly Tortoise-- Millions Now Living Will Die (Thrill Jockey) Space thud Jon Spencer Blues Explosion-- Now I Got Worry (Matador) Punk blues Red House Painters-- Songs For A Blue Guitar (Supreme Island) Freedom rock The American Analogue Set-- The Fun of Watching Fireworks (Trance) Space pop-rock Guided By Voices-- Sunfish Holy Breakfast (Matador) Rock His Name is Alive-- Stars on ESP (4AD) Dance pop Chisel-- 8 am All Day (Blandsten) DC Boypop Jale-- So Wound (SubPop) Halifax Girlpop
Scott Meiggs (Rick Astley's biggest fan) Christie Front Drive / Boys Life (Split LP) Hellbender-- Footprint of the American Chicken (Reservoir) Kerosene 454-- Came By to Kill Me (Dischord) Bardo Pond-- Amanita (Matador) Ida-- I Know About You (Simple Machines) Sepultura-- Roots (Roadrunner)
Mike Friend (Head guy at WNRN) Cracker-- The Golden Age (Virgin) Sebadoh-- Harmacy (SubPop) Sheryl Crow-- Sheryl Crow (A&M) Spacemen 3-- Performance (Taang!) Social Distortion-- White Light, White Heat, White Trash (550 Music)
Craig Jones (Bedlam Sounds) Beck-- Odelay! (DGC) Polvo-- Exploded Drawings (Touch & Go) Grifters-- Ain't My Lookout (SubPop) Simple Ones-- Two Cups For A Tale (Shangrila) Olivia Tremor Control-- Dusk at Cubist Castle (Flydaddy) Reissues: The Byrds-- Fifth Dimension / Younger Than Yesterday (Columbia) Galaxie 500-- Complete (Rykodisc)
WNRN (91.9 on the FM dial) Top five on the WNRN playlist Ani DiFranco-- Dilate (Righteous Babe) Luscious Jackson-- Fever In Fever Out (Grand Royal) Jon Spencer Blues Explosion-- Now I Got Worry (Matador) Cardigans-- First Band on the Moon (Mercury) Sebadoh-- Harmacy (SubPop)
C.W. Hlad (Poet) R.L Burnside-- A Ass Pocket of Whiskey (Matador) Afghan Whigs-- Black Love (SubPop / Elektra) Butter 08 (Grand Royal) The Delta 72-- The R&B of Membership (Touch & Go) De La Soul-- Stakes is High (Tommy Boy) Silver Jews-- Natural Bridge (Drag City) Lynyrd Skynyrd-- Freebird, the Movie (MCA) Olivia Tremor Control-- Dusk at Cubist Castle (Flydaddy) Dirty Three-- Horse Stories (Touch and Go) Smog-- The Doctor Came at Dawn (Drag City)
Jim Schneider (Plan 9, Charlottesville) Africando-- Gombo Salsa ( ) Various-- Red, Hot & Rio (Verve) REM-- New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Warner Bros.) Chris Isaak-- Baja Sessions (Warner Bros.) Various-- Trainspotting soundtrack ( ) Rachid Taha-- Ole Ole ( )