This Is What We Do Now

So I finally gave in

2009-06-03T10:35:00.002-04:00

Not that I ever post anything on this blog anymore as it is, but on the off chance anyone still periodically comes by, I have grudgingly decided to join what appears to be the entire population of the world over at Twitter.

Now you can keep up with my daily thoughts in real time here.

New Music Recommendations | March 2009

2009-03-03T09:03:00.001-05:00

One caveat with this latest batch of new music recommendations -- these are actually all late 2008 releases, and likely would have been contenders for the top ten of 2008 (although I'm not sure what I'd remove from that list, given how strong it is) had I heard them prior to creating it. In any event, these are now all eligible for the top albums of '09 list, release date be damned:

Owen Sartori: Another Beautiful Day in the Cube - Here's an early frontrunner for album of the year. I gave it an initial listen in late 2008, but for whatever reason found myself writing it off pretty quickly, despite glowing reviews from several of the more influential power pop websites I read. I've never been a lyrics guy, but some of Sartori's lyrics in the first few tracks struck me as pretty sophomoric and I never really bothered to give the album a proper chance. I'm glad I came back to it, because I now love every track on the entire album straight through -- it's a mini-masterpiece of power-pop songwriting, and Sartori's got a gift for dropping memorable melodies in all the right places. It goes to show you that not every amazing album is going to barnstorm you right out of the gate, and some albums require multiple listens before you start to fully appreciate their greatness. If you've really enjoyed any of my recommendations in the past, I wouldn't hesitate to get this album.

Andrew Bird: Armchair Apochrypha - Andrew Bird is immensely talented, and also a very different type of artist than I usually find myself listening to and recommending. "Armchair Apochrypha" is actually his 2007 album -- he just released his latest, "Noble Beast," in January 2009 -- but I simply can't get "Armchair's" songs out of my head, as it's the first effort of his I was introduced to. That being said, if you find yourself enjoying Bird, I would also pick up "Noble Beast," but "Armchair" strikes me as a lot more immediately accessible. Bird basically sounds like indie rock's answer to Pete Yorn, but with violins and whistling. I know Yorn ends up being a frame of reference of mine for a lot of singer-songwriter types, but it's really a pretty apt comparison when discussing a solo performer with a great voice who is adept at writing some great tunes. As mentioned, Bird definitely has more of an indie slant than Yorn does, and he's also a tad bit mellower (you won't find anything quite as energetic as, say, "Life on a Chain"), but he's nonetheless a very rewarding listen, and it's the kind of comforting record that sounds better and better every time you toss it on. Also, I dare you to get "Heretics" out of your head. Good luck with that.

Secret Powers: Explorers of the Polar Eclipse - This band has chosen a pretty silly name for their album, but that's fine because the record is very, very good. I'm not even sure how to begin to classify these guys. There are definitely a lot of classic modern power-pop checkpoints liberally sprinkled throughout the proceedings, but there's something fresh about their approach and arrangements that make it sound quite a bit different than a lot of these types of records. Their greatest asset is the lead singer's voice, as I've never heard anyone who possesses quiet the same fascinating mix of slight-raspyness and melodicism, save maybe Marty Gregori, the lead singer of Bracket, one of the most underappreciated bands of all time. Not Lame describes Secret Powers as "a mixture of the first Jellyfish, Bleu, Ben Folds Five (the good stuff), ELO, Billy Joel, Elton John and you have an idea of the Secret Powers. Fabulous, gripping pop that is just FUN but still substantial and far from the ephemeral. It is like Secret Powers landed from out of nowhere - a perfect pop universe heretofore undiscovered, unknown. Mark my words: the arrival of Secret Powers to the world of power pop fans is a date to mark for they are a band with great potential to grow into a powerfully influential one." High praise, but certainly well-deserved. If they actually stay together (a difficult feat for a band no one's ever heard of), we could be in for some special music down the line.

Q-Tip: The Renaissance - As the leader of the now-10-years-defunct A Tribe Called Quest, the greatest hip-hop group of all time, fans have been waiting for Q-Tip to emerge with a solo record that lives up to his group's back catalog. "The Renaissance" took a little while for me to warm up to, but once I did, I knew I had something special on my hands. If you've ever enjoyed any of Tribe's records, this is a must-have.

Fall Out Boy: Folie a Deux - As much as the media likes to paint Fall Out Boy as "emo," they've really been more of a power-pop band at heart than anything else on their last few records. Sure, the tempos might be a bit faster, but when you write songs this catchy and dynamic, who cares what label you fall under? I've been continually impressed with this band's ability to write excellent records in spite of being one of the more high-profile bands out there right now. It's highly satisfying that they clearly understand their place in the current music scene, and they seem to be on a mission to outdo their previous effort with every new album. "Folie a Deux" is probably their strongest effort yet, and it's just a fun record to listen to all the way through. It goes to show you that sometimes bands on major labels actually can make great records (speaking of which, I am flipping out in anticipation of the new Green Day album, "21st Century Breakdown," due in May).

Kanye West: 808s and Heartbreak - Chances are you've already heard several tracks off this album if not the record in its entirety. There's not much I can add to the discussion other than that this is a great, great album, and it's impressive to see Kanye try to croon his way through the entire CD (albeit with the assistance of auto-tune). The singing wouldn't matter though if he didn't have great tunes to back it up -- thankfully he does. These songs will be in your head for weeks, perhaps none more so than "Paranoid," which is just about the most awesome 1980s-est thing I've ever heard, and makes even a lousy dancer like me want to get up there and bust a freaking move.

One more time now: Please help save the New York Sun Crossword Puzzle

2009-02-01T12:29:00.002-05:00

As you may or may not know, prior to its demise last September, the New York Sun ran a daily crossword edited by Peter Gordon that was on par, if not better than, Will Shortz's gold-standard New York Times puzzle.

Despite the folding of that publication, Mr. Gordon had a backlog of crosswords that he has been kind enough to share with fans of the puzzle for a nominal fee during the last few months. However, that stash is going to run out as of February 28, 2009, leaving the crosswording world with a huge hole.

As you can see from the below e-mail, Mr. Gordon needs a good deal of help in keeping the puzzle going. He's estimating around 2,000 subscribers each willing to pay 20 cents a puzzle (which comes to $50 a year) for the continued publication of his crossword puzzle.

Now I realize most of you aren't as crossword-crazy as I am, and likely have no interest in paying to do a puzzle that's probably not even a part of your routine in the first place, but if, by any chance, you are a crossword fan looking for something to supplement your NY Times crossword fix, I strongly encourage you to e-mail Peter Gordon and let him know you'd like to sign up in the event that he is able to get his daily crossword plan off the ground.

I know we're all cutting costs, and for most people, spending money on crossword puzzles probably seems frivolous, but I wouldn't try to spread the word about this if I didn't think it was really important. Bottom line, if you're a fan of crosswords, you quite simply will not be disappointed by the Peter Gordon puzzle, and more than likely will wonder how you ever went through your daily existence without doing both his crossword and the NY Times.

Additionally, given the Times' financial uncertainty, who even knows how much longer we'll get to enjoy the Shortz puzzle? It would be a damn shame to lose the Peter Gordon puzzle as well as the Times'. In an ideal world, both puzzles would continue to be published forever.

Thanks for listening, and hopefully you'll join me in pledging yourself as a subscriber.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Subject: The setting of the Sun

Dear Sun Crossword subscriber,

I am writing to you to let you know that the Sun Crossword will cease publication after February 27.

All 108 puzzles from 10/1/08 to 2/27/09 are now available here (if that link doesn't work for you, you need to log on at http://www.cruciverb.com first). Puzzles will remain available until August 31, 2009.

With just over 600 subscribers, I wasn't even making enough money to cover the cost of the puzzle writers' fees. However, I will start up again if I can get enough people to pledge to pay 20 cents per puzzle (for example, that's $50 per year if I publish Monday to Friday and skip holidays, or $31.20 per year if I decide to do three days a week). I'd need somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 subscribers before I start up again, so spread the word! Coming soon, there will be a place to sign up at http://www.suncrossword.com if you're interested, or you can just reply to this email (include some sort of contact info besides your email, since it could be many, many months before I get enough subscribers).

I have enjoyed puzzling you for the past seven years.

--Peter Gordon

Top Ten Albums of 2008

2008-12-05T16:11:00.010-05:00

I've always loved doing my year-end top ten albums list, but I'm not sure I've ever been as excited to write my annual music wrap-up as I am for this year's edition.

Simply put, 2008 has been an absolutely monster year for power-pop fanatics. In years past it's been something of a struggle to determine which albums merit the 9th and 10th slots on the list; this year there was so much amazing music that the albums in slots 6 through 10 could have easily made the top 5 in a weaker year.

First we'll start with the disappointments, of which there are surprisingly few. Butch Walker once again got my hopes up with a new solo release, and while the first half of the album showed some promise, the second half is misguidedly bogged down with Butch's awful "just me, my guitar and no other accompaniment" mind-numbingly insipid ballads, all of which made me contemplate self-defenestration.

There weren't too many other releases from this year that immediately come to mind that significantly disappointed me. Phantom Planet's "Raise the Dead" wasn't anything to write home about, essentially confirming that they have no desire to return to that magical power-pop sound that shone ever so brilliantly on the band's first two records and that made them my favorite band a decade ago. Although moreso than either of these albums, the biggest disappointments of 2008 had to be the lack of new albums from almost all of the acts that I have been dying for new releases from, namely Second Saturday, the Like, Millicent Friendly, Checkpoint Charley and the Waking Hours, to name a few. Also, the one-off reunion show played by Yellow Second in Denver back in May briefly fueled hopes of a reunion, but apparently it was not to be.

Anyway, now that we've gotten the negative out of the way, it's on to the good stuff. The following albums are worthy of special mention, including Nicole Atkins' wonderful debut, "Neptune City;" Sweden's Private Jets' over-the-top Swedish pop of "Jet Sounds;" Two Hours Traffic's feisty and inventive "Little Jabs;" Jim Boggia's "Misadventures in Stereo" which would have been much better if Boggia didn't decide to kill the wonderful pace of the album with three straight boring-as-hell slow songs smack dab in the middle of the record; and We Are Scientists' "Brain Thrust Mastery," an extremely catchy synth-pop record with flashes of both the Killers and Jimmy Eat World (bizarre comps, I know, but I hear a lot of both bands on that record).

As I mentioned previously, there were so many very good albums this year, that the following almost certainly would have made the top ten in a lesser year:

The Major Labels: Aquavia - Bleu and Mike Viola are at it again, although this time instead of an ELO tribute, they've come up with more of a straight-ahead rock album, with flashes of the Beatles as well as several other rock and roll stalwarts. As much as I love what these guys are doing, and as talented as they are, nothing on this album felt as immediately catchy as the material from the LEO record, and as a result "Aquavia" never sucked me in quite as much as I had hoped. Still, as long as these guys want to keep collaborating on solid pop-rock albums (and for free, to boot!), I won't say no, although what I'd really like to see (and I'm sure my fellow power-pop devotees feel the same way) is a proper solo follow-up from Bleu on 2003's seminal "Redhead."

Paul Steel: April & I - A short but sweet concept album chronicling the adventures of a boy and his imaginary friend, April. Some of the songs are a bit out of left field, but chances are more than a handful of the tracks will keep you humming days later, most notably "Worst Day."

Albert Hammond, Jr.: ?Com o te Llama? - This is already the Strokes' guitarist's second solo album, and he's wasted no time in establishing himself as a top-notch songwriter. I've never been particularly into the Strokes to begin with, so I may be a bit biased in this opinion, but I think Hammond's material is far more interesting than the shoe-gazing pap we've come to expect from one of the most overhyped bands of the decade. From start to finish, this album makes you want to get up and bust a Goddamn move, and that's saying a lot coming from this white boy who has very little rhythm. "Bargain of a Century," "In My Room," "GFC" and "Victory in Monterrey" are all big-time standouts, and really make you appreciate Hammond's unique ability to expand the idea of what we've come to expect from contemporary power-pop.

April's Rain: Stellar Transmi ssion - A very atmospheric, moody, ethereal record, it's a bit of a departure from the kind of pop I usually seek out, but it's very rewarding nonetheless. The dreamy mood of the record was overseen by Chris Manning, brother of Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (who also played on this record), and their involvement generally means you know you're getting the goods, and it's certainly true in this record's case. The opening track, "Left Alone," was one of my favorite songs this year and if iTunes could differentiate one's "Top Played Songs" by year, this one would probably be near the top for 2008.

Panic at the D isco: Pretty.Odd. - My feelings on this record from earlier this year haven't changed much; if anything I'm mostly surprised that it didn't end up in the top ten. Anyway, to save you the time of going back to my original review, here is what I said in April: "This is definitely the surprise of the year so far. If the Beatles were still recording albums in 2008, this might be a reasonable approximation of what they would sound like. There's a lot of interesting stuff going on here, between acoustic guitars, horns, string sections and creative arrangements. Panic has pretty much shed its entire emo sound but maintained its inherent catchiness, and the result is song after song of melodic goodness. This album's also been pretty well-received critically, but I'm not sure what the fan reaction has been so it'll be interesting to see if they keep up with this new, more mature pop sound, or feel forced to go back to what made them stars in the first place. Obviously the former would be ideal, as they've really taken a giant leap forward between their first two albums. A lot of bands fall back into pigeonholing themselves after releasing a successful debut album, so to really shift gears stylistically and come out sounding even better is truly impressive."

Sparkwood: Kaleidoscopis m - Technically a 2007 release, but I wasn't able to get my hands on it until this year, so it counts as 2008 for me. The poppy-as-hell Sparkwood have crafted a highly worthy follow-up to 2005 's "Jalopy Pop," with nary a bad song in the batch. The album would have ranked higher if it didn't have the misfortune of finding its way to me at the very beginning of the year, and as a result its bouyantly poppy songs took something of a back seat to a lot of the newer albums I discovered over the course of the year. Still, this is a great record and a must-have for any power-popper's collection.

John Davis: Arigato! - I don't have too much to add from my review from this past summer, so I'll just copy and paste it here: "Incredible solo record from former Superdrag lead singer. This thing rocks balls-to-the-wall straight through, all with Davis' trademark knack for huge hooks and big choruses. He actually recorded this at Dave Grohl's studio, and damned if this thing doesn't sound like a lost Foo Fighters record. In fact, it's way better than anything the Foos have issued since 1999's 'There Is Nothing Left to Lose.' Don't believe me? Check out 'Lamentation vs. Laughter,' the best song Dave Grohl never wrote. The slow verse, loud-as-hell pounding chorus thing sounds like such a relic from the early 90s world of grunge, but Davis makes it sound fresh all over again. Fortunately he's no one-trick pony, and the rest of the tunes in Davis' bag of catchy-as-hell tricks will make you pine for the days of Superdrag - just listen to 'Watch Me Walk Away' and 'Tell Me I'm not Free,' which sound like outtakes from 2002's amazing 'Last Call for Vitriol.' This album shows that John Davis still has that magic songwriting touch."

McFly: Motion in the Ocean - Apparently this disc came out all the way back in 2006, but I had never heard of it until it popped up on Not Lame's website this past August. Despite their absolutely horrendous moniker (hey, I love "Back to the Future" as much as if not more than most people, but calling your band "McFly" just seems so silly and uncreative. There are certainly a lot of bad band names out of there, but I think a good barometer of a reasonable band name is how embarrassed you are to tell people the name of a band you like. In this case, I don't think I could bring myself to boast about the prowess of a band called "McFly" to anyone without apologizing for the stupid name about 1,000 times. OK, I promise I'm done making fun of the band's name), these guys have actually pulled together one of the most Jellyfish-like albums of the last few years. A lot of power-pop fanatics (ahem, Not Lame, ahem), myself included, like to compare supposedly-Jellyfish-sounding bands to Jellyfish themselves, and while the compliment is usually appropriate more often than not, these guys really do sound like Jellyfish, right down to the font and artistic direction the band used o n the album cover, which is why I'm actually very surprised that neither Absolute Powerpop or Powerpopaholic have ever mentioned this record. Not that every song is a track-by-track homage to the band, but there are definitely a fair number of "Spilt Milk"-like flourishes sprinkled throughout, and I couldn't help but get sucked into this album the more I listened to it. There are a couple of missteps, particularly near the end where the band tried to write their own version of Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" with laughable results, but the good stuff really outshines the bad. The opener sets the stage perfectly for "Star Girl," arguably the highlight of the album (as well as kindred spirit to Drake Bell's eerily similar-sounding "Do What You Want" from 2007's "It's Only Time"), and other choice cuts include "Sorry's Not Good Enough," "Transylvania" and "Little Joanna."

And (finally) on to the list proper:

10) Wisely (self-titled) - This is just a wonderful, happy, warm and free album with a mellow yet glowing vibe throughout its duration. Once again, my thoughts from my original review back in August still hold more than true: "Willie Wisely released an album called 'Parador' two years ago which was hailed by many in the power-pop community as a classic, given Wisely's status as something of an elder statesman of the genre. I didn't quite see at the time, but this self-titled follow-up has made me a believer. Talk about a beautiful, nuanced, mature record of blissful power pop. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I definitely found myself shining up to this record a lot more than I may have a few years ago. Wisely has such an easy way about his voice, and the songs are powerful and moody yet still sunny and irreverent. While their voices sound nothing alike, I would almost equate Wisely to a slightly more grown-up Pete Yorn, as far as songwriting sensibilities go. This is a really easy record to listen to, and I highly recommend it for anyone more interested in the singer-songwriter end of the power-pop spectrum."

9) The Crash Moderns: Goodnight Glamour , Good Morning Disaster - Do you long for the halcyon days of alternative rock circa 1998/1999/2000, a time when Butch Walker still wrote great songs and performed with the now-legendary Marvelous3 and bands like Lit, Tsar, Stroke9 and Eve6 were churning out hyper-melodic kick-ass pop-rock records? If so, then your days of pining are over, as the Crash Moderns have crafted an album that sounds as if someone took all of the aforementioned bands, stuffed them in a blender, hit puree, and poured the results into a 200-CD Changer. Kicking things off as appropriately as possible with"This Time," the band races through catchy song after catchy song, never letting up, and ensuring that the album is eminently listenable the entire way through. Standouts include "Pimp My Life," "Everybody Hates Me," and in true late-90's alterna-rock fashion, the record culminates with "Closer is Better," a stereotypically slow-building closer that bursts into an anthemic, epic-sounding chorus that will have you repeating the title phrase on infinite loop.

8) The Crayons: What's Wrong With You - This was one of the first albums I heard in 2008, and it stayed with me for the entire year. That's some longevity right there. One thing I love about this album is that, despite some stylistic similarities to other acts here and there, there really isn't one band you could compare the Crayons' sound to. While they have the unmistakable hooks of a tried-and-true pop-rock act, the lead singer's unique voice really elevates the material to a new level. Here's what I said earlier this year: "'What's Wrong With You' is just a solid album of mostly mid-tempo power-pop, with great vocals and arrangements. Reminds me of the Tories in parts, and the Rosenbergs elsewhere. It starts off strongly, and then it surprisingly actually gets even better in the middle of the record (an area where, as we all know, a lot of records tend to sag), highlighted by the 1-2-3 punch of 'Well,' 'Maybe' and 'By the Way.' Seriously, try to get 'By the Way' out of your head, what with that little guitar lick throughout and then the sweet-ass lyrical shift and minor chord in the coda - that's great stuff."

7) Paper or Plastic: Don't Be Like That - In a year of outrageously strong debuts, this one ranks right up there with the best. At an all-too-short 9 tracks, Paper or Plastic deliver a knockout punch of piano-driven power-pop, doing their best to patch the hole that Scott Simons and the Argument left in our hearts post break-up. "Move It Away" starts the proceedings off on the right foot, giving way to the killer one-two of "For Christ's Sake" and the astonishingly good "Postcards and Technology." In fact, if I were doing a top 5 songs of the year, "Postcards and Technology" would probably be in the top 3 -- that's how damn good it is. What an astonishingly catchy chord progression, and the vocals are absolutely perfect. A fine, fine album.

6) Jack McManus: Either Side of Midnight - Basically take what I just wrote about Paper or Plastic and multiply it by another factor of awesome. This is piano-driven power-pop at its finest, and a worthy companion to our album of the year (you'll have to keep reading to find out who earned that most coveted of positions). I've read a handful of negative reviews of this album, but I can't fathom what record these idiots were listening to, as McManus' energy, clever arrangements, hooks by the bowlful and outright catchiness pervade every single song. There's just no getting away from it on this album - these songs are astounding and you can't possibly listen to this album and not smile. You just can't. If you like power pop, you will love this album. If you are a critic and hate this album, you are a miserable human being who should probably find another profession because you clearly don't know a damn thing about good music. "Bang on the Piano" is easily one of the highlights of the year, and can stand up to anything produced by any of the go-to top modern pop pianists, Elton John included.

5) The Wellingtons: Heading North for the Winter - I had initially slotted this album for around 9th or 10th on the list, but over the last few weeks it has made an aural charge into my brain that simply cannot be ignored. I've loved the Wellingtons for a few years now, ever since their debut made the top 10 back in 2005. My first few listens to "Heading North" seemed to confirm that they had once again put together another nice record, but it didn't immediately grab me. However, by the 4th or 5th listen the band's extra-large hooks started taking up residence inside my brain, and I could not stop hitting replay on my iPod for a solid two weeks. And then I began to realize just how incredible this band is at crafting the absolute sugariest, stickiest, flat-out extraordinarily catchy music -- I don't know that any band has crafted power-pop this cavity-inducing since Second Saturday. Lead singer Zac Anthony's voice pretty much IS the vocal embodiment of modern-day power-pop. Truly, as one listens to the first six amazing and outrageously sugary tracks of "Heading North for the Winter," from the bouncy infectiousness of "Song for Kim" to the slightly slower, wonderfully ebullient and background vocal-buoyed "Natalie" and the four hook-drenched power-pop gems in between, you almost can't help but feel as if you are being beaten to death with a giant, life-sized candy cane, and I of course mean that in the least-violent, nicest way possible.

4) Captain Wilberforce: Every one Loves a Villain - This record came out of left field for me, as I can't say I was expecting all that much from a band with another ridiculous moniker, and I still wasn't all that into after a couple of listens, but by the third go-round I realized that I had discovered something wonderful. The lead track "No Strings or Ties" propels the album with a pulsating energy that never wanes, and the entire record feels as if it's been comfortably nestled among the top power-pop albums of the decade for years, although this is not to say it sounds unoriginal or dated, in fact far from it. This brilliantly catchy, creative and inventive record teems with unexpected chord changes and melodies throughout, and even the more conventional-sounding stuff sounds fresh and incredibly engaging. This is exactly what I hope to hear when listening to a new album - songs that stick in my head and beg to be replayed, while also providing something new for the brain to digest and enjoy. The most appropriate comparison for this band would be Jackdaw4, which, seeing as how "Bipolar Diversions" was my top album of 2007, I think it's safe to say Captain Wilberforce delivers the goods.

3) Bryan Scary: Flight of the Knife - When I first listened to this album, I figured it was a lock for album of the year, no questions asked. Truth be told, you could probably reorder my top 3 albums any which way you please and I wouldn't complain, but the two albums I've ranked ahead of it really do deserve their rankings. Still, this is an utterly astonishing record, one that absolutely begs many, many repeated listens, and also the only album on this list I've managed to hear live. Unfortunately, as talented as the Shredding Tears are, I didn't actually love the band live, as they played every song about 4 times faster than they should have, but I guess it's hard to blame a band for being too keyed up. Anyway, here's what I had to say about the record earlier this year: "At this very moment, the album that has taken up full residence in my brain and refuses to let go is 'Flight of the Knife,' the new disc from Bryan Scary & the Shredding Tears. Some of you may recall Bryan Scary from last year's brilliant debut, and incredibly he's managed to outdo himself on this sophomore effort. It's almost impossible to describe everything that's going on here, as Scary literally runs the gamut through seemingly every possible musical genre imaginable - pop, rock, '50s doo-wop, glam, orchestral baroque pop, vaudeville, carnival whimsy, chamber pop, prog, post-punk, and probably several other genres that I can't think of right now - and somehow seamlessly melds everything together in an utterly brilliant hook-drenched pastiche of a concept record. Seriously, every single song tosses off about 8,000 hooks, and you could listen to each track several times and still catch new hooks that will quickly lodge themselves into your brain each time. The story has something to do with spacecrafts and other assorted flying vehicles, but as always for me, the lyrical content is secondary to the outstanding songwriting and musicianship. Scary manages to evoke the Beatles, Queen and Bowie to name a few points of reference, and as far as more recent bands, there's some Chris Brown (my #2 record of '07), Jackdaw4, a ton of Jellyfish and traces of just about every good power pop band I've ever name-checked. Even though we're only in April, it's going to take an absolute monster to surpass this album as #1 record of 2008." Well, it turns out not one but two absolute monsters came out.

2) Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: Catnip Dynamite - April 2008 will probably go down as one of the greatest months in power pop history, as that was the month that both "Flight of the Knife" and "Catnip Dynamite" came into my world, basically providing a nonstop soundtrack of incredible music for the next two straight months. As incredible as "Flight of the Knife" is, "Catnip Dynamite" might be even more amazing, demonstrating how ridiculously talented Roger Joseph Manning Jr. really is. I mean, every song on this album is just absurdly good. Well, except for "Drive-Thru Girl," but despite one clunker, I still feel this album merits second place. Here's my write-up from earlier this year: "A big-time contender for top album of 2008, I grabbed this record right around the time Bryan Scary's album came out, and was subsequently in pure power pop heaven for several weeks as a result. For those unfamiliar with his pedigree, RJM was one of the founding members of that most reverent of modern-day power-pop bands, Jellyfish, which means the expectations for him from fans of the genre are astronomically high, and probably super-unrealistic for him to ever reach. That being said, he comes awfully close. Track-for-track this album is a knockout, with hooks by the barrelful and intricate, interesting and unexpected arrangements sprinkled throughout, making repeated listens extra rewarding. It doesn't get much better than opener 'The Quickening,' and RJM doesn't waste any time after that firmly establishing his astounding ability to craft insanely catchy songs that will never leave your head. "Love's Never Half as Good" is an addictive-as-hell ballad, 'Down in Front' is a straight-ahead uptempo, energetic rocker and 'Imaginary Friend' is a fun 60s-style British invasion number. And it gets even better as it goes on. 'Haunted Henry' is flat-out awesome -- this beautiful, somber minor-key masterpiece literally sounds like a dirge that wouldn't be out of place on a ghost ship in the high seas somewhere, or at least that's what I can't help but envision. 'Tinsel Town' has a fun, easy hook in the chorus with a lot of pop-cultural reference points, which then gives way to the best track on the album 'The Turnstile at Heaven's Gate.' Wow. All I can say is, what a fucking chorus. I couldn't get this one out of my head for weeks. Not only are the hooks plentiful throughout, but there is an olde-timey-'Step right up and see if you can knock down the glass bottles'-carnival-music-style breakdown in the bridge. If that's not awesome, I don't know what is. The epic-length 'Survival Machine' is a bit on the gloomy side and very baroque (it basically sounds like a funeral procession being played at high mass), but also includes a carousel-style-music breakdown in the middle, which, again, just wow. Definitely one of the best albums of the year, if not the decade." Check, and check.

And if you're somehow still reading this disgustingly lenghthy top 10, here's my pick for album of the year:

1) Josh Fix: Free at Last - I pretty much knew it from the first moment I heard the astoundingly creative Queen-inspired kickoff track, "Don't Call Me in the Morning," that Josh Fix had written the album of the year. Talk about talent -- in any other year, I don't see how a complete newcomer bests two established power-pop behemoths in Bryan Scary and RJM, but Josh Fix not only hit the ball out of the park with "Free at Last," he somehow managed to sock an 8-run home run in the process. I could throw all the power-pop cliches and accolades in the world at this album, and they would be more than apt, but tossing away hyperbole for a second, moreso than anything this record flat-out makes me happy. It feels inspirational just listening to it. I love music, and I especially love catchy-as-hell music that I can sing along to, but when catchy-as-hell music also makes my soul feel good, well, you know you've found something special. Once again, I will defer to my gushingly praiseful write-up from earlier this year to expound on how much I love this album: "Holy motherfucking shit. Where did this guy come from? I had initially heard the lead single off this album, "Don't Call Me in the Morning," last year, and instantly loved it, but figured there'd be no way he could pull off the insane catchiness of this song across an entire album. Turns out I was dead wrong. 'Free At Last' is a stunning accomplishment. I read a review that called his style 'Queen meets Elton John,' which definitely isn't that far off, although it's probably closer to 'Queen meets a wide variety of awesome piano-based power-pop bands with a little bit of soul and R&B tossed in for good measure.' Fix arranges the songs primarily around his piano, but man, does this album fucking rock. If your blood pressure doesn't get going with the thumping and joyously soul-uplifting 'Jethro' (seriously, try listening to this song without a huge smile plastering itself across your face when the chorus comes on), rollicking and bombastic 'Whiskey & Speed' and 'Tiger on a Treadmill,' then I can't help you. Fix also does slow-burn ballads with equal dexterity, as evidenced by the title track, 'Rock and Roll Slut' and 'The Water in My Brain.' This guy is a huge talent and absolutely, criminally under-the-radar. This is a phenomenal album - not only 100% in the top ten of 2008, but a serious contender for album of the year. Oh yeah, and did I mention he plays every instrument on this record but drums? Sweet Jesus, just buy this already." If there's any negative to be drawn from all this, it's that Josh Fix has set the bar outrageously high, but if anyone can clear that hurdle, I have to figure it would be him.

Please support the New York Sun crossword

2008-10-16T13:56:00.003-04:00

Not that anyone comes to this site anymore, but I've been asked by a thoughtful reader to guide those of you who might be missing the New York Sun crossword to venture on over to Cruciverb, which is being gracious enough to host ex-Sun puzzle editor Peter Gordon's leftover crosswords.

Here's the important part: Peter's supply only runs through February. For the low, low price of only $12.50, you can continue to have access to the best daily puzzle in the land. However, if Peter doesn't sign up enough subscribers (he needs at least 2,000), the puzzles so many of us have come to know and cherish will end after February 2009.

So why are you still reading this? Head over to Cruciverb right now and pony up your measly $12.50. Peter's nowhere near the 2,000-subscriber level yet, and I KNOW there are way more than 2,000 people who enjoy the Peter Gordon crossword.

And if you're really desperate for more Sun crosswords, you should opt to pay $20, like I did. For any and all crossword fiends out there, it's money more than well spent.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: Starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings' tits

2008-10-01T08:47:00.002-04:00

Best unintentionally hilarious story I've seen in some time

2008-09-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

Here are the first few paragraphs from a cover story on Sarah Palin in today's New York Sun:

Palin Pick Puts Many Women on the Verge
Senator McCain's selection of Governor Palin of Alaska as his running mate, which was hailed in some quarters and met with skepticism in others, is sparking intense reactions from some New Yorkers, who report being driven to fits of rage and even all-consuming panic.

"All of my women friends, a week ago Monday, were on the verge of throwing themselves out windows," an author and political activist, Nancy Kricorian of Manhattan, said yesterday. "People were flipping out. ... Every woman I know was in high hysteria over this. Everyone was just beside themselves with terror that this woman could be our president — our potential next president."

I realize it's a Friday in August and all...

2008-08-22T13:34:00.002-04:00

...but how on earth is this the banner headline on CNN.com?

New Music Recommendations

2008-08-01T10:44:00.008-04:00

Here are some mini-reviews of what's been burning my ears up lately. These are all excellent, but if you only chase one down, do yourself a favor and get Josh Fix's "Free At Last" (see full review below). This guy just continues to blow me away on repeated listens. What an absurdly amazing record.

Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.: Catnip Dynamite - A big-time contender for top album of 2008, I grabbed this record right around the time Bryan Scary's album came out, and was subsequently in pure power pop heaven for several weeks as a result. For those unfamiliar with his pedigree, RJM was one of the founding members of that most reverent of modern-day power-pop bands, Jellyfish, which means the expectations for him from fans of the genre are astronomically high, and probably super-unrealistic for him to ever reach. That being said, he comes awfully close. Track-for-track this album is a knockout, with hooks by the barrelful and intricate, interesting and unexpected arrangements sprinkled throughout, making repeated listens extra rewarding. It doesn't get much better than opener "The Quickening," and RJM doesn't waste any time after that firmly establishing his astounding ability to craft insanely catchy songs that will never leave your head. "Love's Never Half as Good" is an addictive-as-hell ballad, "Down in Front" is a straight-ahead uptempo, energetic rocker and "Imaginary Friend" is a fun 60s-style British invasion number. And it gets even better as it goes on. "Haunted Henry" is flat-out awesome -- this beautiful, somber minor-key masterpiece literally sounds like a dirge that wouldn't be out of place on a ghost ship in the high seas somewhere, or at least that's what I can't help but envision. "Tinsel Town" has a fun, easy hook in the chorus with a lot of pop-cultural reference points, which then gives way to the best track on the album "The Turnstile at Heaven's Gate." Wow. All I can say is, what a fucking chorus. I couldn't get this one out of my head for weeks. Not only are the hooks plentiful throughout, but there is an olde-timey-"Step right up and see if you can knock down the glass bottles"-carnival-music-style breakdown in the bridge. If that's not awesome, I don't know what is. The epic-length "Survival Machine" is a bit on the gloomy side and very baroque (it basically sounds like a funeral procession being played at high mass), but also includes a carousel-style-music breakdown in the middle, which, again, just wow. The only slight misstep is "Drive-Thru Girl," which is pretty boring. But given everything else that Manning has served up on this masterpiece of a platter, you can easily overlook it. Definitely one of the best albums of the year, if not the decade.

Yikes, how to top that? Well, here's one guy who might:

Josh Fix: Free At Last - Holy motherfucking shit. Where did this guy come from? I had initially heard the lead single off this album, "Don't Call Me in the Morning," last year, and instantly loved it, but figured there'd be no way he could pull off the insane catchiness of this song across an entire album. Turns out I was dead wrong. "Free At Last" is a stunning accomplishment. I read a review that called his style "Queen meets Elton John," which definitely isn't that far off, although it's probably closer to "Queen meets a wide variety of awesome piano-based power-pop bands with a little bit of soul and R&B tossed in for good measure." Fix arranges the songs primarily around his piano, but man, does this album fucking rock. If your blood pressure doesn't get going with the thumping and joyously soul-uplifting "Jethro" (seriously, try listening to this song without a huge smile plastering itself across your face when the chorus comes on), rollicking and bombastic "Whiskey & Speed" and "Tiger on a Treadmill," then I can't help you. Fix also does slow-burn ballads with equal dexterity, as evidenced by the title track, "Rock and Roll Slut" and "The Water in My Brain." This guy is a huge talent and absolutely, criminally under-the-radar. This is a phenomenal album - not only 100% in the top ten of 2008, but a serious contender for album of the year. Oh yeah, and did I mention he plays every instrument on this record but drums? Sweet Jesus, just buy this already.

Wisely (self-titled) - Willie Wisely released an album called "Parador" two years ago which was hailed by many in the power-pop community as a classic, given Wisely's status as something of an elder statesman of the genre. I didn't quite see at the time, but this self-titled follow-up has made me a believer. Talk about a beautiful, nuanced, mature record of blissful power pop. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I definitely found myself shining up to this record a lot more than I may have a few years ago. Wisely has such an easy way about his voice, and the songs are powerful and moody yet still sunny and irreverent. While their voices sound nothing alike, I would almost equate Wisely to a slightly more grown-up Pete Yorn, as far as songwriting sensibilities go. This is a really easy record to listen to, and I highly recommend it for anyone more interested in the singer-songwriter end of the power-pop spectrum.

John Davis: Arigato! - Incredible solo record from former Superdrag lead singer. This thing rocks balls-to-the-wall straight through, all with Davis' trademark knack for huge hooks and big choruses. He actually recorded this at Dave Grohl's studio, and damned if this thing doesn't sound like a lost Foo Fighters record. In fact, it's way better than anything the Foos have issued since 1999's "There Is Nothing Left to Lose." Don't believe me? Check out "Lamentation vs. Laughter," the best song Dave Grohl never wrote. The slow verse, loud-as-hell pounding chorus thing sounds like such a relic from the early 90s world of grunge, but Davis makes it sound fresh all over again. Fortunately he's no one-trick pony, and the rest of the tunes in Davis' bag of catchy-as-hell tricks will make you pine for the days of Superdrag - just listen to "Watch Me Walk Away" and "Tell Me I'm not Free," which sound like outtakes from 2002's amazing "Last Call for Vitriol." This album shows that John Davis still has that magic songwriting touch.

The Audition: Champion - Solid power-pop-punk album with enough innovation and unexpected arrangements to keep things interesting. Great vocals and chord changes, to boot. I haven't listened to it quite as thoroughly as I'd have liked at this point, but I have enjoyed it several times through already, and the mere fact that the band has taken a stale genre like pop-punk and made it sound original is a feat unto itself. I highly recommend "What Gets You Through the Night," for its kick-ass minor chord vocal hook at the end of each chorus.

BREAKING: People love e-mail

2008-07-30T10:50:00.002-04:00

In a Pulitzer-worthy expose, Crain's uncovers an astonishing truth, the results of which will shake you to the very core of your being.

According to the magazine, until this very day, July 30, 2008, not one single person was previously aware of the fact that New Yorkers can't get enough of e-mail.

Good read

2008-05-29T14:30:00.002-04:00

I'll probably do my own write-up at some point, but for now, this Pop Matters review is dead-on as far as Phantom Planet's new record, "Raise the Dead," is concerned, even if the author doesn't have all his facts straight. For one thing, fans of the band know former drummer Jason Schwartzman departed after 2002's "The Guest," not 2004's eponymous disc.

Eat your heart out, Dave Grohl

2008-05-07T11:29:00.002-04:00

John Davis, former frontman of Superdrag, has a new solo album out, and it's quite excellent. If you like Superdrag, loud buzzsaw guitars and hooks by the boatload, "Arigato!" delivers in spades.

Additionally, it features "Lamentation vs. Laughter," arguably the best song Foo Fighters never wrote.

Top Albums of the 1990s

2008-04-24T16:03:00.011-04:00

As this has apparently turned into a music blog, here's a year-by-year rundown of my top ten albums for each year of the 1990s. As you can see, I clearly didn't start becoming obsessed with music until closer to the middle of the decade. I find it kind of incredible that I couldn't come up with 10 albums for the year 1998, but I guess I was so obsessed with "Phantom Planet is Missing" that I didn't bother to listen to too much else.

1999

10) Dr. Dre: The Chronic 2001
9) Muzzle: Actual Size
8) Fountains of Wayne: Utopia Parkway
7) Blink-182: Enema of the State
6) Stroke9: Nasty Little Thoughts
5) Lit: A Place in the Sun
4) Showoff
3) Eminem: The Slim Shady LP
2) Cherry Twister: At Home With Cherry Twister
1) Foo Fighters: There is Nothing Left to Lose

Definitely a strong year, highlighted by my personal favorite Foo Fighters album, "There Is Nothing Left to Lose." Yes, I know "The Colour and the Shape" is better, but that doesn't mean "Lose" can't be my favorite. Other highlights include Showoff's self-titled debut (of all the cookie-cutter pop-punk bands to emerge in the 1990s, these guys were actually quite good; it's a shame they didn't stick around longer. They actually recorded a never-officially-released second album, "Wish You Were Her," which is also excellent, and worth digging around for on the interwebs if you can find it), Eminem's debut, Lit's first record ("My Own Worst Enemy" was probably the best song of the year) and Stroke9's debut.

1998

8) Eve6
7) A Tribe Called Quest: The Love Movement
6) Home Grown: Act Your Age
5) Fastball: All the Pain Money Can Buy
4) Pernice Brothers: Overcome by Happiness
3) MxPx: Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
2) Marvelous3: Hey! Album
1) Phantom Planet: Phantom Planet is Missing

I listened the hell out of the top three on this list. As outrageously good as "Hey! Album" is, "Phantom Planet Is Missing" single-handedly turned me onto power-pop and I never looked back. It was basically the "Dookie" of 1998. Whereas Green Day's brilliant major label debut introduced me to a world of music I'd never known, "Is Missing" was essentially a graduation of sorts, having such a profound impact on me that it literally changed the way I listen to music.

I've written about it before, but I'll still never forget the first time I ever heard "So I Fall Again." I had never heard anything like it, and I still haven't to this day. Unfortunately it seems unlikely that Phantom Planet will ever go back to the pure, unadulterated pop goodness of their debut, but a boy can dream. Either way, were I to ever create a list of my top albums of all time, there's an excellent chance that "Is Missing" would be at the very top.

1997

10) NOFX: So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes
9) Apples in Stereo: Tone Soul Evolution
8) Everclear: So Much for the Afterglow
7) Green Day: Nimrod
6) Harvey Danger: Where Have all the Merrymakers Gone
5) Bracket: Novelty Forever
4) Goldfinger: Hang-Ups
3) Fig Dish: When Shoves Goes Back to Push
2) Kara’s Flowers: The Fourth World
1) Foo Fighters: The Colour and the Shape

Without doing any serious research, I would've guessed that 1998 or 1999 would've been the hardest top tens to pick, but '97 proved to be the most difficult. Surprisingly, a lot of quality music came out 11 years ago. In any other year, albums #2 and #3 could easily make cases for #1 status, but it's tough to edge out the Foo Fighters' seminal album. Still, the criminally underrated "The Fourth World" makes one wish Adam Levine & Co. would ditch Maroon 5's boring adult-contemporary and go back to the power-pop genius of Kara's Flowers.

1996

10) Reel Big Fish: Turn the Radio Off
9) A Tribe Called Quest: Beats, Rhymes & Life
8) Sublime
7) Muzzle: Betty Pick-Up
6) Fountains of Wayne
5) Nada Surf: High/Low
4) Stone Temple Pilots: Tiny Music
3) Goldfinger
2) MxPx: Life in General
1) Weezer: Pinkerton

An interesting mix of music on this list. Nothing really truly outstanding, although "Pinkerton" is obviously excellent. MxPx's classic "Life in General" really set the group apart from the pop-punk pack, especially since I was so heavily entrenched into the pop-punk scene at this point that I was practically buying everything that Fat Wreck Chords put out that year, not realizing that 99% of the bands were fucking terrible.

1995

6) Rancid: …And Out Come the Wolves
5) Green Day: Insomniac
4) Zoinks: Bad Move Space Cadet
3) Foo Fighters
2) Bracket: 4-Wheel Vibe
1) Fig Dish: That’s What Love Songs Often Do

Fig Dish's debut is probably the most obscure #1 of all these lists, but for fans of straight-up melodic rock, it doesn't get much better than this. I discovered the band after hearing "Seeds" on the radio (in retrospect it's pretty amazing that such an under-the-radar band even scored radio play, but I'm pretty sure I heard this on Q104 back before the station switched formats to classic rock, and I seem to recall Q104 actually being a pretty good place to hear a lot of new, relatively unknown bands. Also see "Stars," by Hum), and to my utter joy, the entire album was filled with hook after hook. I also can't say enough great things about Bracket's "4-Wheel Vibe," a true gem of a pop-punk album. To this day, I still don't know of any other bands that can take a highly limiting genre like pop-punk and make it sound fresh and original on every new outing. Also, Dave Grohl's initial Foo Fighters offering is just as good as the two albums that succeeded it, making the band's continued inability to release anything worth listening to in the present decade extremely frustrating.

1994

5) Soundgarden: Superunknown
4) Stone Temple Pilots: Purple
3) The Offspring: Smash
2) Weezer
1) Green Day: Dookie

I already touched on the significance of "Dookie" to me, but I'll reiterate that this was probably the most important album of my life. In addition to just being flat-out amazing, it not only drove a full-on obsession with pop-punk for years to come but inspired me to learn how to play guitar. In fact, the first song I ever learned how to play was "Basket Case." Not only that, but I still wear my guitar with the strap on the lowest setting possible thanks to Billie Joe Armstrong, for Christ's sake.

1993

4) Snoop Doggy Dogg: Doggystyle
3) Nirvana: In Utero
2) Jellyfish: Spilt Milk
1) A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders

It's funny; I didn't even discover the top two albums on this tiny list until nearly 10 years after they each came out. For all the props and name-checking Jellyfish receives among power-pop die-hards ("fathers of modern-day power-pop" and all that), I don't even think "Spilt Milk" is really that great. I know, blasphemy and all that, and I should probably check my power-pop-lover's membership card at the door, but truthfully, I would put many of the power-pop records I've written about during the last several years ahead of this album. Not that it's a bad album by any stretch -- were one to look power-pop up in the dictionary, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more representative song than the incredible "Joining a Fan Club" -- but despite repeated listens, it's never quite sunk its claws as deep into me as I would have hoped. Fortunately it's alumni have gone on to do some pretty amazing things, including 2008-Album-of-the-Year contender "Catnip Dynamite" by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Seriously, the album is fucking ridiculous. First Bryan Scary, and now this. If you have any interest in power-pop whatsoever, please get yourself a copy of "Catnip Dynamite."

1992

2) Dr. Dre: The Chronic
1) Stone Temple Pilots: Core

1991

2) Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque
1) Nirvana: Nevermind

1990

1) They Might Be Giants: Flood

I didn't really start seriously listening to music until 1994, hence why the early years of this decade are significantly underrepresented.

Miscellaneous Unranked Albums from the Aughts that I either Liked a Lot But Didn't Quite Make Top Tens or Discovered After Establishing a Given Year's Top Ten

A: Hi-Fi Serious (2002)
American Hi-Fi (2001)
Ash: Free All Angels (2002)
Bleu: Redhead (2003)
The Davenports: Hi-Tech Lowlife (2004)
Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Handsome Devil: Love and Kisses from the Underground (2001)
Jackdaw4: Gramophone Logic (2004)
Motion City Soundtrack: I am the Movie (2003)
Steve Ward: See and Be Seen (2003)
Student Rick: Soundtrack for a Generation (2001)
Sugarcult: Start Static (2001)
The Tories: Upside of Down (2001)
Verve Pipe: Underneath (2001)
Weezer (2001)
Yellow Second: Still Small (2002)

Miscellaneous Unranked 1990s

Blink-182: Dude Ranch (1997)
Moby: Play (1999)
Smash Mouth: Astro Lounge (1999)
Stir: Holy Dogs (1999)
The Tories: Wonderful Life (1997)

Top Ten Albums of 2000 and 2001

2008-04-17T11:29:00.011-04:00

For whatever reason I've been in a hugely musical mood as of late. This, coupled with the fact that I recently realized that I never officially cataloged my Top Ten Albums for the first two years of the aughts, has compelled me to pull together two more top ten lists for your viewing pleasure. This way when the decade comes to a close, I'll have complete top ten lists from every year from which to cull my "Top 100 Albums of the Decade" post. Of course, that presumes that this blog will still be around in 2010, which seems unlikely, so depending on whether I continue to stay on this music kick, perhaps I'll do a premature "Best Albums of the Decade" list through the present day.

Anyway.

Top Ten Albums of 2000

10) Eve 6: Horrorscope - An album with a handful of excellent songs, although it has more than its share of weak spots. Unfortunately I don't have anything else to place in the tenth slot.

9) Mest: Wasting Time - A near carbon-copy of Showoff's outstanding also-produced-by-Goldfinger's-John-Feldmann eponymous debut from the year prior, Mest's debut was nevertheless a brillaint exercise in hyper-catchy pop-punk, filled with insanely addictive melodies and choruses. Sadly, everything they've released since has pretty much been pure garbage.

8) NOFX: Pump Up the Valuum - An outstanding effort following 1997's relatively weak "So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes," this record shows why NOFX is still one of the all-time greats at disgustingly catchy pop-punk.

7) Yellow Second: June One - The debut album from the band that released my favorite record of 2005 (and almost certainly one of the top five discs of the decade, I might add), "June One" finds Yellow Second honing their unique power-pop sound. It's a tad rough around the edges and not quite the masterpiece that "Altitude" is, but it's still a terrific debut that sets the stage for the band's excellent sophomore record, "Still Small." You know a band is special when you can toss their first three albums on shuffle and be outrageously happy song after song after song.

Interesting sidenote: According to Yellow Second's MySpace and Wikipedia pages, they are apparently playing a reunion show on May 9 in Denver, which is mind-blowingly awesome. If anyone can provide any further information, i.e. whether this means the band is officially getting back together and recording more music, and/or plans to attend the show and can somehow record it or at least provide a rundown of events, please let me know.

6) Caviar (self-titled) - This album was not on my radar in 2000, but came to my attention two years ago and very much deserves a spot on this list. See my mini-review here.

5) The Drowners: Is There Something on Your Mind - A huge find. For some reason this record was sitting in one of the listening stations in the Circuit City in Union Square, and something compelled me to give it a whirl. From the opening one-two punch of "Think of Me" and the title track, I was hooked almost instantly. Sadly the band's never really come close to this level of brilliance on its hard-to-find subsequent releases.

4) New Pornographers: Mass Romantic - It took a little while to fully appreciate, as I'd never really heard anyone who sounded quite like the New Pornographers before, but as anyone who's heard this brilliant power-pop tour-de-force can attest to, it's pretty fucking spectacular.

3) Tsar (self-titled) - Another amazing debut album, chock full of catchy-as-hell power-pop songs with an emphasis on the power. Lead singer Jeff Whalen's voice is amazing on this record, and the pop hooks are equally huge. I saw this band open for Marvelous 3 at Bowery Ballroom in September of 2000, and I can still say to this day that it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Sadly, the group's long-awaited 2005 follow-up was pretty awful, making Tsar's eponymous release yet another debut album on this list in which the band failed to follow through on its incredible promise.

2) Deathray (self-titled) - This was another record that took several spins to latch onto my brain, but once it did, it never let go. The entire album, spearheaded by Cake's Greg Brown, is outstanding all the way through, highlighted by album opener "My Lunatic Friends," the Beatlesque brilliance of "What Would You Do," the poppy pleasantness of "Now That I Am Blind" and awesome album closer "Happy New Year." Basically, if you're into power-pop in any way shape or form, this album needs to be in your collection.

1) Marvelous 3: ReadySexGo! - The final album from the quintessential late-90s power-pop band, Butch Walker & co. deliver a balls-to-the-wall power-pop manifesto, featuring some of the catchiest rock songs you'll ever find. While maybe not quite as hook-laden as predecessor "Hey! Album" (although really, the catchiness bar was set so damn high with that one that it's unlikely to ever be surpassed), "ReadySexGo!" is still astounding. Kicking off with the rollicking "Little Head" and culminating with one of the best album closers of all time, "Cigarette Lighter Love Song," the record is near-flawless, and makes one pine for the days when Butch Walker was actually good.

Top Ten Albums of 2001

10) Lit: Atomic - I don't think this album is quite as good as Lit's debut, but it's still an outlandishly hook-laden affair, and a great album to blast with the windows down on a beautiful sunny day.

9) Gwenmars: Driving a Million - This now-defunct band's last album; it's kind of tough to label, but you could probably call it power electro-synth pop. Hooky as hell, I've never really heard another record like it. As usual, AMG sums it up quite nicely: "Big choruses, big melodies, and big guitars -- nothing here is particularly discreet. To be sure, those looking for an unpretentious big rock sound will certainly not be disappointed."

8) Dashboard Confessional: The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most - As the years have passed I seldom listen to this album anymore, but when it came out I loved it, so I have to give it its due. A great collection of over-the-top emotionally sappy yet hooky-as-hell songs that - for a brief period of time - made it O.K. to sing along to some of the pussiest lyrics imaginable as loud as possible while you aimlessly drove around after being dumped.

7) Big in Japan: Destroy the New Rock - An extremely underrated pop-punk album from Zac Damon, former lead singer of seminal '90s pop-punk band Zoinks! Damon's surfer-dude voice always had a unique catchiness to it, and his ear for melody and pop songwriting chops have never been better than on this spectacular effort. Every song is a winner, and even though I barely listen to pop-punk anymore I can still toss this record on at any time. Listen to "New Dead Boyfriend" and "Everyone's a Scientist," and then try to get 'em out of your head. Don't say I didn't warn you.

6) Jimmy Eat World: Bleed American - This was my introduction to Jimmy Eat World, and they fucking blew the roof off with this album. I know a lot of JEW fans cite their first two albums as their best, but to me this is the quintessential Jimmy Eat World album - powerful, raw, emotional, and catchy-as-all-get-out. Super album all the way through, and as good as it is, follow-up "Futures" is arguably even better. Unfortunately last year's "Chase This Light" felt wholly uninspired, so it remains to be seen if the band can regain its former magic.

5) Steve Ward: Opening Night - Though I didn't discover Cherry Twister and the group's mastermind Steve Ward until 2004, this gem of a record is highly deserving of placement. This aurally beautiful power-pop feast is almost impossible to sum up succinctly, so I'll direct you to the fawning customer reviews page on Amazon - these folks say it just as well if not better than I could.

4) Actionslacks: The Scene's Outta Sight - Found these guys through Napster of all things, back when the site was providing free downloads of under-the-radar bands. Lead single "I Hope This Makes it Easier For You" was a nice pop-punky intro to the band, but the rest of the record revealed a far more mature and layered sound, and was dotted with introspective and emotional poppy tunes. Additionally, this was actually the first album I ever reviewed for The Brown & White at Lehigh, and the review is still up on the band's website (although you'll have to scroll nearly 3/4 of the way down the page to read it).

3) The Rosenbergs: Mission You - Another Napster special, I played the hell out of "Paper & Plastic" and the amazing Oasis-like "In Pursuit" back in 2001, but didn't get my hands on the full record until several years later. Still, this is top-notch power-pop of the highest order, and the only negative I can draw is that The Rosenbergs have shamefully only graced us with a mere two albums in their career, not including lead singer David Fagin's solo debut last year.

2) Pete Yorn: Musicforthemorningafter - This is where it gets hard. Having to choose between Pete Yorn's first album, almost certainly the best debut record in music history, and what I consider Pernice Brothers' - a band who musically can do no wrong - finest album, is essentially impossible. Though I've ranked them 2 and 1, respectively, you could easily flip them around and I wouldn't complain. Simply put, "Musicforthemorningafter" is a masterpiece. Every single song is utterly, jaw-droppingly incredible, and eminently re-listenable. I never get tired of hearing these songs, ever. I'm also not sure there's ever been a more apt record title, as "Musicforthemorningafter" sounds exactly like what it says it is.

1) Pernice Brothers: The World Won't End - Ah, "The World Won't End." This album came to my attention after a fawning review from The Onion AV Club (which sadly doesn't appear to have been archived), and from the moment I heard the opening strumming of "Working Girls," I knew I was in for a life-changing experience. Never had I heard a voice as heavenly as Joe Pernice's, all while singing some of the catchiest songs imaginable. The first four tunes on this album stack up against the best of anything ever recorded, and it's spectacularly solid throughout. I've often joked about how I could listen to Joe Pernice sing instruction manuals and it would sound great, but the man truly is a gift. And the fact that he uses his extraordinary talents to consistently arrange some of the flat-out best music being recorded today is a gift that is ceaseless.

Top albums of 2008 (so far)

2008-04-10T12:26:00.006-04:00

I've been listening to some great new albums lately and my ears are burning enough that I feel it's time to share.

At this very moment, the album that has taken up full residence in my brain and refuses to let go is "Flight of the Knife," the new disc from Bryan Scary & the Shredding Tears. Some of you may recall Bryan Scary from last year's brilliant debut, and incredibly he's managed to outdo himself on this sophomore effort. It's almost impossible to describe everything that's going on here, as Scary literally runs the gamut through seemingly every possible musical genre imaginable - pop, rock, '50s doo-wop, glam, orchestral baroque pop, vaudeville, carnival whimsy, chamber pop, prog, post-punk, and probably several other genres that I can't think of right now - and somehow seamlessly melds everything together in an utterly brilliant hook-drenched pastiche of a concept record. Seriously, every single song tosses off about 8,000 hooks, and you could listen to each track several times and still catch new hooks that will quickly lodge themselves into your brain each time. The story has something to do with spacecrafts and other assorted flying vehicles, but as always for me, the lyrical content is secondary to the outstanding songwriting and musicianship. Scary manages to evoke the Beatles, Queen and Bowie to name a few points of reference, and as far as more recent bands, there's some Chris Brown (my #2 record of '07), Jackdaw4, a ton of Jellyfish and traces of just about every good power pop band I've ever name-checked. Even though we're only in April, it's going to take an absolute monster to surpass this album as #1 record of 2008. On a random side note, apparently the band has a big fan in Perez Hilton of all people, so perhaps for once one of my extremely underground bands will actually pick up some mainstream appeal.

The Crayons: What's Wrong With You - "What's Wrong With You" is just a solid album of mostly mid-tempo power-pop, with great vocals and arrangements. Reminds me of the Tories in parts, and the Rosenbergs elsewhere. It starts off strongly, and then it surprisingly actually gets even better in the middle of the record (an area where, as we all know, a lot of records tend to sag), highlighted by the 1-2-3 punch of "Well," "Maybe" and "By the Way." Seriously, try to get "By the Way" out of your head, what with that little guitar lick throughout and then the sweet-ass lyrical shift and minor chord in the coda - that's great stuff.

Panic at the Disco: Pretty.Odd. - This is definitely the surprise of the year so far. If the Beatles were still recording albums in 2008, this might be a reasonable approximation of what they would sound like. There's a lot of interesting stuff going on here, between acoustic guitars, horns, string sections and creative arrangements. Panic has pretty much shed its entire emo sound but maintained its inherent catchiness, and the result is song after song of melodic goodness. This album's also been pretty well-received critically, but I'm not sure what the fan reaction has been so it'll be interesting to see if they keep up with this new, more mature pop sound, or feel forced to go back to what made them stars in the first place. Obviously the former would be ideal, as they've really taken a giant leap forward between their first two albums. A lot of bands fall back into pigeonholing themselves after releasing a successful debut album, so to really shift gears stylistically and come out sounding even better is truly impressive.

Previously: Top ten albums of 2007 (so far) [5.10.07]

Top Ten Albums of 2002

2008-04-01T12:42:00.006-04:00

Unfortunately the Brown & White appears to have divested itself of its archival material; as such, there's no longer an internet home for my "Top Ten Albums of 2002" column that I penned six years ago.

However, rather than maintain a dead link on my sidebar, I figured the least I could do was try to recreate the list as best as I could from memory, just in case the few of you stalwarts that occasionally come by here and have appreciated my past music recommendations want to go back and see what I was loving more than half a decade ago.

If I find some time, I'll track down the hard copy (I can say with 100% veracity that it's located somewhere in my parents' house - between my mom's inability to throw things away combined with both my brother and I no longer living there, our old rooms have literally become life-sized hamster cages, featuring endless streams of detritus dating back at least two decades), and transcribe it into this blog post, but for now all you get are the album names in the order I'm pretty sure I had them in minus pithy commentary.

Top Ten Albums of 2002
10) Superdrag: Last Call for Vitriol
9) Midtown: Living Well is the Best Revenge
8) Bad Astronaut: Houston We Have a Drinking Problem
7) The All-American Rejects (self-titled)
6) Ben Kweller: Sha Sha
5) Butch Walker: Left of Self-Centered
4) Rhett Miller: The Instigator
3) Phantom Planet: The Guest
2) OK Go (self-titled)
1) Eminem: The Eminem Show

The best bar in New York City

2008-03-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

Hooray!

2008-03-20T10:46:00.001-04:00

Only three months until summer!

The funniest people in New York City

2008-03-11T09:21:00.001-04:00

If you're anything like me, you thought you were a clever little bastard and started a blog in the halcyon days right before blogs went big (spring of aught-four, to be exact) and dreamed of one day being paid to be funny. You subsequently lost interest right around the time the whole personal blogging backlash occurred, and now you post sporadically at best with the painful realization that your comedic golden days are behind you.

Having experienced the dizzying highs and perilous lows of trying to make people laugh on a daily basis, it's easy to become immune to almost any new attempt at humor and eventually reach the sad conclusion that most comedy sucks. Sure, every now and then something brilliant comes along (see "Development, Arrested"), but as a rule, most TV shows and/or people just aren't funny. Making people laugh is a tough business, especially in New York City, where everyone's heard it all before, and especially if you were born here, like me, and think you're better and funnier than everything that ever happened.

Which is why I'm pleased to report that, even for jaded New York chumps such as myself, there is still laughter to be found, and it's in the form of improv comedy troupe Reuben Williams, performing at 10:30pm on Saturday nights at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. I had the pleasure of catching the incredibly talented octet this past weekend, and I was astonished at how excellent they were. As someone who misguidedly fancied himself an actor way back in high school, I am painfully aware of not only how tough improv can be, but how hard it is to actually be funny doing improv.

Simply put, Reuben Williams knocked it out of the damn park. In the first half of the show they asked the audience for a piece of advice that they had received, and ran wild it with it for half an hour. The second half featured the group's "As Seen on TV" segment, in which they analyze the contents of an audience member's wallet and create several TV shows based on a 10-minute quiz with said individual regarding their wallet minutiae. My one gripe would be that the guy they chose ("Dustin") almost seemed like a plant, as the bizarre crap in his wallet and the stories he was telling were practically lubricated for Reuben Williams' comedy pleasure.

Regardless, every single member of the troupe was on point and there were almost no awkward pauses or unfunny moments. The group clearly has a comfort level with each other, and seemed to know exactly what each member was going to say or do and anticipated it perfectly.

I realize I'm describing exactly what it takes to run a successful improv group, but if you have any interest in laughing at all, please do yourself a favor and check out Reuben Williams. Additionally, it's only $8, which really can't be beat. What else can you do for eight bucks on a Saturday? Drink one beer. See three-quarters of a movie. Take a cab six blocks. And if that isn't sweet-ass enough for you, one of the troupe's members is Charlie Todd, the guy who created Improv Everywhere, and who, if I'm not mistaken, played "Rob" at that now-infamous Yankee game in September 2006.

The only surprising aspect of the show is that these eight talented performers aren't already household names. UCB owner Amy Poehler, herself often one of the only humorous aspects of Saturday Night Live, really oughta get Lorne Michaels' ass over to a Reuben Williams show and hire each one of the talented cast members on the spot. They'd almost certainly create a funnier program than the crap SNL's been diarrheaing out for years (though the last few post-strike episodes have actually been reasonably funny. Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, Amy Poehler and the always-outstanding Kristin Wiig can all stay. Everyone else: vomit).

#76 Authoring witty self-referential blog posts lampooning one's cultural group's stereotypes

2008-02-26T13:19:00.005-05:00

I know I'm way late to the party, but man, I wish I had thought of this.

Funniest thing I've seen on the web in a while, although painful to realize how easy it would have been to write that blog.

An excellent burger at Borough and an annoying New York Sun crossword puzzle

2008-02-22T08:56:00.004-05:00

Last night I decided to check out Borough for my birthday dinner with my family, primarily due to the fact that New York Magazine ranked it as one of their favorite new burger places of 2007. My goal is to hit every spot on that list, although it's going to be an uphill battle for the other burger joints, because Borough set the bar pretty fucking high.

That's right, Borough's bacon cheeseburger not only lived up to the hype; it surpassed it. In addition to being one of the best burgers I've eaten in quite some time, the entire restaurant was spectacular. The food aside from the burger was also outstanding (I had the matzoh ball soup, fried calamari and some fried pickles), the tap was made up exclusively of microbrews from New York State (I tried the Checker Cab Blonde Ale, which was delicious), the ambiance and decor were perfect, our waiter was impeccable and the entire staff was incredibly gracious, with the hostess and manager coming by several times to ensure we were enjoying our meal and also seeming genuinely excited that I had chosen to celebrate my birthday at their restaurant. In fact, they even brought out three separate dessert plates on the house at the very end.

Now that's how you treat your patrons. It baffles me that someone could have had such a negative experience here, as everyone in my party loved the restaurant. If anyone reading this is looking for a great recommendation, you simply can't go wrong with Borough.

As far as the second point of business of this blog post, I call bullshit on yesterday's New York Sun crossword puzzle. I expect my Thursday puzzles to be challenging, but not full of theme answers that I don't even have a prayer of hazarding guesses for. Who under the age of 50 not only knows anything about Katharine Hepburn's film career, but can recall the first and last names of several characters she played in movies that came out 800 years ago?? Sure, you could make the argument that I should have been able to deduce the long answers from the across fill, but even those clues were causing me fits. Altogether a frustrating puzzle for my birthday, and I generally expect more relevant content from Mr. Gordon. At least Shortz had my back yesterday and gave me something reasonable for a Thursday.

Well that was quick

2008-02-21T09:18:00.003-05:00

They still haven't invented a please time won't you slow the fuck down machine yet, have they?

Not entirely sure how it's my birthday again, but if you're eating out tonight, please have a burger in my honor, especially if you live near an In-N-Out.

As for me, in addition to chowing down on some sweet, sweet red meat, I'm going to bask in the moment while looking forward to the summer and all of the amazing things that are going to be happening during the next few months.

Previously:
On the C here I come [2.21.07]
25 [2.21.06]
Briefly [2.21.05]

Brain hurt

2008-02-07T14:24:00.000-05:00

I just discovered that Ken Tremendous of Fire Joe Morgan fame is actually Michael Schur, a writer for "The Office."

This caused my head to explode for a variety of reasons, primarily due to the fact that I recently raced through rewatching the first three seasons of "The Office," while FJM is one of the few remaining sites on the information superhighway that can still make me laugh out loud.

In conclusion, apparently Michael Schur is the funniest man on the planet.

Alright Writer's Guild, I think I've been pretty damn patient, but enough is enough

2008-02-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

I realize I'm not the target demographic here, but doesn't NBC's "Lipstick Jungle" just look fucktastically awful?

This opinion is based solely off the poster, but good God I can't walk more than four feet without seeing Kim Raver's pitiful excuse for cleavage shoved in my face. Don't get me wrong, I do find Ms. Audrey Raines decently attractive, but her top selling point was never her fucking rack. Of these three wenches, you're telling me Kim Raver's flat chest is supposedly more eye-catching than Brooke Shields' tits or that other dime-a-dozen actress's cans?

Would this show have even sniffed prime time if the writer's strike wasn't going on? Additionally, "Sex and the City" has been off the air for four years, and the twentysomething women who lived and died with it have all grown up and (hopefully) come to the realization that their miserable lives will never be as fabulous as the existences of their four strumpet heroines.

I guess if "Lipstick Jungle" has anything going for it, it's that the three leads would have to fall out of the ugly plane, hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down, land in the ugly pile of leaves and get shat on by the ugly squirrel to even begin to approach what Sarah Jessica Parker looks like.

TIWWDN proudly supports Barack Obama

2008-02-04T11:25:00.000-05:00

In the nearly four years of the blog's existence, I don't believe I've ever once talked politics (Editor's note: 100% false. See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.)

Despite being a subject that doesn't come within a 100-mile radius of my wheelhouse, I urge my readership to cast your vote for Barack Obama if you live in one of the states holding a primary tomorrow.

Now I'm an unabashed fan of Bill Clinton. Loved him as president. If ol' Bill were running again, he'd have my vote. But Hillary? Hillary just doesn't do it for me. I think she's boring, insanely egotistical and doesn't represent anything new or fresh. Additionally, she disparaged stay-at-home moms back in the early 90s; a remark that still stings my mother - a hardcore lifelong democrat - to this day.

Obama is incredibly charismatic, overwhelmingly intelligent and will get many things accomplished. Who cares if he's "inexperienced"? No one can know what it's like to sit in the big seat until you get there. Obama's just as qualified as anyone else, and he's shown through his stump speeches and other rhetoric that he's more than capable to lead our nation.

This country's been under Bush/Clinton rule for the last TWENTY years. Do we really need to make it 28?

Hell no. Hillary Clinton may be New York's state senator, but the hell with New York state. New York state has taken a dump on New York City for more than 100 years. Hillary Clinton doesn't represent me. Peter Vallone Jr.'s old secession plan was in the news again last week, and on the eve of the New York state primary, that wonderful idea sounds better than ever.

And tomorrow, this lifelong Manhattanite is pulling the lever for Barack Obama.