2010 Music Review
Album of the Year
Bman: The National, High Violet
David Ferris: Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me; Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer; Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma; Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
Rachel Brim: Lost in the Trees, All Alone in an Empty House--heavy on the orchestration, sucker for the harpsichord.
Travis Packer: Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest
TJ Lehman: Lusine's A Certain Distance was technically 2009, but I just got into it. If 2010 restricted, Beach House's Teen Dream.
Katie Jozwik: Janelle Monae, The ArchAndroid--"Tightrope," I dig a different sound on each track. Actually got to interview her, too so maybe I'm a bit biased.
James Bryant: The Black Keys, Brothers; Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Isaac Kerns: The Black Keys, Brothers
Fran: The Black Keys, Brothers; Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, I Learned the Hard Way
Song of the Year
TJ: Arcade Fire, "Ready to Start"
Travis: Cee Lo Green, "F*ck You"
Jozwik: Mumford and Sons, "Little Lion Man"
Rachel: The Head and the Heart, "Lost in my Mind"--simple, catchy folk-rock
Bman: Kanye West, "Power"
Ferris: Kanye West, Runaway
Isaac: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, "Money"
Fran: Screaming Females, “I Don't Mind It”
Blast from the Past (favorite older album or band that you discovered this year)
Jozwik: David Bowie, The Best of David Bowie 69-74. The man can rock a fur coat for Christ's sake.
Rachel: Last winter, I spent a lot of time revisiting Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane over the sea--- not sure how an album manages to sound both new, haunting, and totally comfortable every time you listen.
Bman: The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx
Ferris: Captain Beefheart
Travis: T. Rex
TJ: Roberta Flack, First Take
James: I really became enamored with The National this year. Been a fan for a few years but they just really took off for me this year. Both Alligator and Boxer were played were played quite a bit. I guess I should go ahead and get their new one now.
Isaac: Braver Newer World, Jimmie Dale Gilmore – especially the song "Headed for a Fall."
Fran: Danger Mouse, The Grey Album
Best concert
James: Definitely best concert I saw was the second night of Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden. Band of Horses opened.
Rachel: Sufjan Stevens-- shortly after the release of Age of Adz in Michigan
Bman: The Hold Steady
Ferris: Joanna Newsom in New Orleans
Travis: Andrew Bird at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
TJ: Pavement at The Gorge
Jozwik: Jay-Z and Co.--a bit too much hype but overall they nailed it.
Isaac: The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Tony Trishka, and Don Vappie (among others) at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, NC.
Fran: Westword Music Showcase, Denver
Best moment at a rock show
Isaac: Believe it or not it was during Family Night at MerleFest. The Zach Brown band was playing, and was hosting a bunch of guest performers. We came to learn that Zach Brown never really wanted to be a country star and he actually prefers some kind of reggae/country rock blend. He ostensibly decided MerleFest was the one and only chance he’d get in his lifetime to play a true rock show in front of a massive audience, and went mostly jam rock on us. That dynamic was amusing, but the real moment of Zen came when he had on this guest country duo named Joey & Rory (Joey is a girl) who were singing this song about a cheating boyfriend and ended with the modified line, “Cheater, cheater, where’d you meet that no good white trash whore.” The family night audience erupted into a massive roar of laughter, including this one really uptight Southern Baptist woman I know who was sitting in front of me with her young kids. Zach Brown then came on the mic and said, “I know this is supposed to be a family-friendly show and all, but there’s whores in the Bible.” I laughed for a good ten minutes at the whole scene. The band also did a great cover of the The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down not long after. I thought I was going to hate that show. Not sure if Joey & Rory will ever the get the invite back, but I hope they do.
Rachel: End of the National's set--acoustic Vanderlye crybaby geeks straight into Mr November, perfect contrast, perfect way to end a show.
Travis: New Pornographers playing a Testament to Youth in Verse
James: Oh, the best part about the Pearl Jam show was the when the floor was literally moving up and down. Crazy.
Jozwik: Wasn't at a show but ran into Dave Matthews before his concert and got to see him accidentally pour coffee all over a groupie.
Fran: Seeing Snake Rattle Rattle Snake from the third row at the Westword Music Showcase. Absolutely mesmerizing.
Favorite concert venue
Rachel: Saw most shows at Royal Oak Music Theater- everything you'd want in a small rock venue though could use a better sound system.
Bman: One-Eyed Jacks, New Orleans
Travis: Still Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill NC
Jozwik: Random venue, but the Civic Opera House in Chicago had amazing sound especially for Andrew Bird.
Isaac: The Orange Peel Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Asheville, NC
Fran: The Bluebird, Denver, Colorado
Bman: The National, High Violet
David Ferris: Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me; Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer; Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma; Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
Rachel Brim: Lost in the Trees, All Alone in an Empty House--heavy on the orchestration, sucker for the harpsichord.
Travis Packer: Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest
TJ Lehman: Lusine's A Certain Distance was technically 2009, but I just got into it. If 2010 restricted, Beach House's Teen Dream.
Katie Jozwik: Janelle Monae, The ArchAndroid--"Tightrope," I dig a different sound on each track. Actually got to interview her, too so maybe I'm a bit biased.
James Bryant: The Black Keys, Brothers; Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Isaac Kerns: The Black Keys, Brothers
Fran: The Black Keys, Brothers; Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, I Learned the Hard Way
Song of the Year
TJ: Arcade Fire, "Ready to Start"
Travis: Cee Lo Green, "F*ck You"
Jozwik: Mumford and Sons, "Little Lion Man"
Rachel: The Head and the Heart, "Lost in my Mind"--simple, catchy folk-rock
Bman: Kanye West, "Power"
Ferris: Kanye West, Runaway
Isaac: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, "Money"
Fran: Screaming Females, “I Don't Mind It”
Blast from the Past (favorite older album or band that you discovered this year)
Jozwik: David Bowie, The Best of David Bowie 69-74. The man can rock a fur coat for Christ's sake.
Rachel: Last winter, I spent a lot of time revisiting Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane over the sea--- not sure how an album manages to sound both new, haunting, and totally comfortable every time you listen.
Bman: The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx
Ferris: Captain Beefheart
Travis: T. Rex
TJ: Roberta Flack, First Take
James: I really became enamored with The National this year. Been a fan for a few years but they just really took off for me this year. Both Alligator and Boxer were played were played quite a bit. I guess I should go ahead and get their new one now.
Isaac: Braver Newer World, Jimmie Dale Gilmore – especially the song "Headed for a Fall."
Fran: Danger Mouse, The Grey Album
Best concert
James: Definitely best concert I saw was the second night of Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden. Band of Horses opened.
Rachel: Sufjan Stevens-- shortly after the release of Age of Adz in Michigan
Bman: The Hold Steady
Ferris: Joanna Newsom in New Orleans
Travis: Andrew Bird at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
TJ: Pavement at The Gorge
Jozwik: Jay-Z and Co.--a bit too much hype but overall they nailed it.
Isaac: The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Tony Trishka, and Don Vappie (among others) at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, NC.
Fran: Westword Music Showcase, Denver
Best moment at a rock show
Isaac: Believe it or not it was during Family Night at MerleFest. The Zach Brown band was playing, and was hosting a bunch of guest performers. We came to learn that Zach Brown never really wanted to be a country star and he actually prefers some kind of reggae/country rock blend. He ostensibly decided MerleFest was the one and only chance he’d get in his lifetime to play a true rock show in front of a massive audience, and went mostly jam rock on us. That dynamic was amusing, but the real moment of Zen came when he had on this guest country duo named Joey & Rory (Joey is a girl) who were singing this song about a cheating boyfriend and ended with the modified line, “Cheater, cheater, where’d you meet that no good white trash whore.” The family night audience erupted into a massive roar of laughter, including this one really uptight Southern Baptist woman I know who was sitting in front of me with her young kids. Zach Brown then came on the mic and said, “I know this is supposed to be a family-friendly show and all, but there’s whores in the Bible.” I laughed for a good ten minutes at the whole scene. The band also did a great cover of the The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down not long after. I thought I was going to hate that show. Not sure if Joey & Rory will ever the get the invite back, but I hope they do.
Rachel: End of the National's set--acoustic Vanderlye crybaby geeks straight into Mr November, perfect contrast, perfect way to end a show.
Travis: New Pornographers playing a Testament to Youth in Verse
James: Oh, the best part about the Pearl Jam show was the when the floor was literally moving up and down. Crazy.
Jozwik: Wasn't at a show but ran into Dave Matthews before his concert and got to see him accidentally pour coffee all over a groupie.
Fran: Seeing Snake Rattle Rattle Snake from the third row at the Westword Music Showcase. Absolutely mesmerizing.
Favorite concert venue
Rachel: Saw most shows at Royal Oak Music Theater- everything you'd want in a small rock venue though could use a better sound system.
Bman: One-Eyed Jacks, New Orleans
Travis: Still Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill NC
Jozwik: Random venue, but the Civic Opera House in Chicago had amazing sound especially for Andrew Bird.
Isaac: The Orange Peel Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Asheville, NC
Fran: The Bluebird, Denver, Colorado
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