Row Knows

Chatting with a friend the other day, we stumbled onto the topic of ‘legendary’ or ‘landmark’ records. We made little distinction between those two labels and that of ‘infamous’ but a few titles tumbled out onto the table. “Pet Sounds” was one of the first and, when my friend noted that he hadn’t dug it for years after first listening until he learned more about its genesis, I expressed a bit of shock and countered with a confession of my own.

“A classic album stands up on its own whether you know its history or even like the music. Hell, you couldn’t have gotten me to like My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” back in the 90’s but I could tell that they were doing something powerful on there.”

(That’s true. In the mid-nineties, while I was expanding my musical vocabulary with older music across the boards of rock, pop, jazz, and folk, I neglected much of the contemporary material. I’ve been working to rectify this over the past ten years.)

As our discussion progressed, he asked me about Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence’s acclaimed solo record, “Oar”. Was it really a masterpiece as he’d often heard? Who was Skip Spence, anyway? Read More »

This whole thing feels a little arbitrary now that I’ve assembled a “Best of the Decade” list but, what the hell, everyone else is doing it and they’re leaving off some of my favorite records. After combing all of the records that I’ve enjoyed over the past decade, I came up with a ‘long list‘ of sixty albums. Ranging from Boris to Bon Iver and all over the map I’ve re-listened to many but the best need no re-acquaintance. The final list, you’ll notice, leans heavily on songwriters but not entirely. The greatest merge the two tasks of a songwriter, lyrics and composition and do more than compile a bunch of songs; they’ve created albums that endure as a whole. Or at least I think that have. So, here we have it: a subjective listing of not ten or twenty but fifteen of my favorite albums from 2000-2009.

15. Elliott Smith – Figure 8

Appropriate that this list begins with a songwriter. Not only are the words heartbreaking, the melodies lift your spirit and dashes it back to the ground. Elliott’s life seems to have been an emotional roller coaster. This record picks you up and gives a ride through a piece of that ride.

14. Ryan Adams – Gold

This album hit with an energy and urgency that seems almost an illusion of clouded memory but it really did and I still burst with excitement when I hear the opening chords of “New York, New York”.

13. The Wrens – The Meadowlands

These guys sneaked onto my radar after a live performance on KEXP. I picked this up on vinyl and it blew me away. Still does. “Hopeless”, “She Sends Kisses”, “Boys, You Won’t” are such great songs and the guitars jangle in just the right way…

12. Elliott Smith – From A Basement On A Hill

Released posthumously but recorded fully by Elliott before his tragic death. This reminds me of XO. A little like Lennon in his melodic sensibilities but far more desperate, Smith pulls no punches but does it all so beautifully.

11. Radiohead – In Rainbows

Radiohead explores love, relationships, alienation (surprised?) and more on a gorgeous record.
Read More »

So many albums, so little motivation to blog ‘em all… We’ve been through my top ten albums but there were several that missed the cut for that list. Today we’ll run down a few of those (in no particular order.)

Dark Was The Night – Various Artists

This 2-LP compilation was assembled by  to benefit the Red Hot Organization and features a who’s who of the indie rock scene. David Byrne, Feist, Bon Iver, The National, The Decemberists, The Arcade Fire, Conor Oberst, Riceboy Sleeps, Iron & Wine, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and more contribute a wide ranging but cohesive collection of songs. Grab this and throw it on your iPod and whether you play it straight through or ride the shuffle this one is bound to please.

Jonsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps

Wordless and entrancing, this side venture from Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson features less of the Icelandic bombast and more subtle textures. Any fan of Sigur Rós or ambient music should check this out for a fascinating piece of middle ground.

More after the jump…

Read More »

It’s that time again where every music blogger on these here intertubes sorts his iTunes by year and selects their favorite albums of the year. Naturally, we at rowjimmy.com wouldn’t want to miss out on that so we’ve come out of hibernation to give you our obligatory list.

10 – Volcano Choir – Unmap

This dreamy collaboration between Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Collections of Colonies of Bees began several years ago but didn’t get recorded until late last year. Merge Vernon’s low key vocal style with a bit of quiet, electronic, math rock and you get a striking, contemplative record that is hard to ignore.

09 – Iron & Wine – Around The Well

Largely acoustic with occasional bouts of electric guitars, percussion and more, this record firmly cements the singer songwriter atop the heap of the current crop of folkies. Check this out on a snowbound Sunday morning.

08 – The Flaming Lips – Embryonic

Even before its release, I might have guessed that this record would make this year’s list but I had no idea that it would be such a dark throwback to the earlier bizarreness o the Lips. Instead of easing up the popular path laid by “Yoshimi” and “Mystics” the band re-explored its history and produced a record of marvelous cacophony, melody, and heart with less of the slick, overdriven, nonsense (“Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” anyone?) If you are a Flaming Lips fan that likes anything prior to “Yoshimi” you should dig into this record.

More after the jump…

Read More »

With Joy, Phish returns to the studio with producer Steve Lillywhite (Billy Breathes) and caps off their return from the indefinite dark time since they ‘broke up’ in 2004. They’re older, wiser, healthier, and more optimistic than on 2004s Undermind and it shows. Life hasn’t always been easy for the past five years but there are good things around us all and Phish has decided to show us the way.

“Backwards Down The number Line” is a perfect distillation of a jamband pop-rock song. Catchy melody merged with interwoven instruments and a solo that gives chills. Reminiscent of the ecstatic, melodies in a Summer ‘97 “Gin” jam with a touch of early 70s Dickey Betts, this solo is worth the price of admission. The lyric may be a tad syrupy but syrupy is not territory that Phish has mined heavily in the past so it’s not as if we should be sick of it, yet. They go there several times on this record and come out with some delightful gems. If “BDTNL” was too syrupy, “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” responds with a bit of a punch in the face. Opening with tension, driven by a pounding piano and ripping guitar riff (“machine-gun Trey” makes an appearance on the solo,) this song has a strong yet abstract lyric that is open to enough interpretation to keep the fans guessing.

The title track follows with a delicate introduction and a moving lyric. “Joy” is connected to Anastasio’s sister’s recent passing from cancer. Such a topic could leave a listener wrapped in grief but this tune turns sadness into inspiration. In life, if you encounter someone who is hurting, it can be a challenge to reach out with empathy and lift them up. Phish would not be my first guess of bands that could do so in song; until now. Read More »