Great records are like old friends. As we move through life, we often drift apart due to geography, time limitations, other relationships that might have taken precedence, whatever. But, being friends, we reconnect periodically. Some you only see at a party; others for a quiet evening at home. Sometimes you get together and it’s a flurry of intense catching up- reliving details of the past and intervening years- other times history and time passed need not be rehashed and the present can simply be as if there were no time apart. All of this can be true with great albums and even ordinary albums that you love. With “Shame Shame”, Dr. Dog has blended the new with the familiar and crafted a new old friend for all of us.

Warm harmonies, plantive lead vocals, and savant-simple melodies infect this record. Opening with a ringing fanfare, the classic styling of “Station” sounds as if it could have come from Richard Manuel’s notebook but there’s a dose of something more there too.

On “Mirror Mirror”, the bridge is wildly up-tempo with a pounding rhythm and “Unbearable Why” shakes with a funky drum groove while an atmospheric synth waxes and wanes beneath the verses and chorus. “Later” opens with an eerie assorment of sounds as if from a prepared piano but quickly kicks in with a driving beat.  Perhaps I’m way too attached to this band but “Where’d All The Time Go?” strikes me as a nearly perfect song. (Check it out below.) Similarly, “I Only Wear Blue” absorbs me on each listen.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One thing I’m taken with, when I hear Dr. Dog, is that they are each terrific players. The bass lines are rarely straight-ahead throughout any song. Although they are always tastefully creative, they effortlessly revert to basics when the song asks it. “Someday” is the perfect example of this. Great guitar playing is prevalent throughout but this isn’t a guitar god record. While there are solos, they all serve the song and the greater good of the excellent arrangements.

So, like an old friend, I can’t set this down with anything but love. Fans of honest rock & roll with songs driving the record should seek this out. To miss it, would be a shame.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dr. Dog (Official Website)

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?

The latter I could answer without hesitation. Skip Spence was a guitar player in Moby Grape. Prior to that he’d been the drummer for Jefferson Airplane (he’s on “Jefferson Airplane Takes Off”.) Looking further into things (read: checking wikipedia), I learned that he also had a brief stint in earliest days of Quicksilver Messenger Service before Marty Balin poached him for the Airplane.

As for “Oar”, I didn’t own it. I had heard it but, I never got to take it home in my record store days. Therein lies a bit of a story. Slaving away in my dream job as a record store clerk in the mid-nineties, I was surrounded by albums that I’d never heard. It’s inevitable. How could anyone as young as I have heard all of that music? I tried like hell, though, to listen to as much as I could and I brought home a fair amount of it. Three days a week, the store was manned by myself and another guy who was older and had worked there longer. As such, he was often quicker to spot great finds in the collections of LPs that came into the store. Sometimes, he’d pull something that I’d want or needed and put it in my stack but, other times, he’d take it for himself. “Oar” was one of those.We listened to it in the store for two or three days and I recall going crazy for it and mourning that I couldn’t take this insanely good record home. Then I forgot all about it.

So, when it came up the other night, I told my friend that I’d check out “Oar” and report back. How would I react to it fifteen years later? Despite the wide critical favor given it, would my exuberance withstand the years and a set of more practiced ears?

Now, I’m not going to give you all of the history or do a song-by-song rundown. There are a number of excellent articles online that can tell you more than you ever wanted to know. Several are linked below. What I hope to give you is a set of completely subjective observations about this record and how (if) it applies today.

Moving from the wistful optimism (or sentimentality) of “Little Hands” to the darker corners of  “Cripple Creek”, one quickly finds that this record is going to cover a fair bit of ground.  Even his vocals vary greatly from song to song; ranging from high and joyful to deep and mournful (sounding a bit like Leonard Cohen or perhaps Beck in his “One Foot In The Grave” dirge voice.)  Off kilter guitars, shifting time signatures pepper the record and prevent the listener from getting too comfortable with any one mood other than, perhaps, that of a resolute spirit searching for a way home.

Check out “Weighted Down (The Prison Song)”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Isolation oozes through the speakers. Spence recorded this after spending five months in Bellvue for an incident involving a fire-axe, a hotel door, and a couple band members. Upon his release in November of 1968 he acquired a one thousand dollar advance to record a solo album, bought a motorcycle and drove it from New York City to Nashville where he spent one week recording songs he’d written in the hospital. He played every instrument and sang every note himself.

The lyrics play out in clever twists of phrase; avoiding all-out sorrow but never quite finding full-blown joy. In “Broken Heart” he writes:

A broken heart would satisfy
Broken in a mess
A severed eye would gratify
My soul, I must confess
I’d rather have no eyes at all
Be blind upon the floor
Then to stand upon the receiving end
Of the right hand of the Lord

Whimsy and romance enter into the picture, too. In “Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For Yang)” he borders on bawdy but not without some degree of confession:

I bought me all them magazines
Print I could not read
I took every bit of stuff from A to Z
Now you hear me

I could use me some yin for my yang
That would make everything all right
I will stay by your side by the day
You’ll stay underneath me at night

Listening to the album’s closing track, “Grey/Afro”, it’s easy to fall into a trance as the bass and drums swirl around each other beneath the chanted vocal. When the words, “I’m just trying to get a message through you” wash over you, It’s probable that you will miss them completely. That’s okay. This isn’t an album of instant gratification; it’s a puzzle. It would be easy to dismiss this as the work of deranged genius akin to that of Syd Barrett. Many have done so but that perspective overlooks the thing that Spence has over Barrett. Barrett was the sad clown, lost in a maze of his own toys. Spence was an observer of the human heart and condition.

This was the only solo album released by Skip Spence. In its time it was Columbia’s worst seller and was quickly dropped from the catalog. Subsequent reissues have enhanced the record to twice its original length. Spence, himself, faded into an obscure but all too familiar life of drugs and decaying mental health, passing in 1999 just weeks before the release of a tribute album entitled “More Oar“. The collection was a full, sequential, rerecording of “Oar” by such artists as Robert Plant, Robyn Hitchcock, and Tom Waits. (No, I haven’t heard it. Yet.) It marked the 30th anniversary of the original release.

Now, as we have passed the 40th anniversary just last year, Beck has decided to pay tribute to Spence with a little help from Wilco and Feist. Check out this rendition of War In Peace. Nels Cline’s solos are intense.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Oar” is deservedly a legendary album and worthy of acclaim. It’s not for everyone and it’s not for parties. Spin this on a lonely night when it’s just you and your thoughts and the rattle of the heat pipes. Let it carry you out to sea so you can experience the distance between Spence and the world as he wrote these songs. Just an observer, looking back toward shore.

Additional Links:

Beck’s Record Club (covers of “Oar” with Wilco & Feist as well as other albums)

Andrew Laus’ Excellent November 2009 piece for Crawdaddy!

Richard Gehr’s 1999 piece for The Village Voice

Louis Black’s 1999 piece for The Austin Chronicle

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.

10. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker

After Gold blew me away I dug a bit and came up with this earlier release from Ryan Adams and it paid off in spades. This one cuts to the core of love and loss.

09. Akron/Family – Love Is Simple

Three words: modern psychedelic masterpiece.

08. The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love

This concept album is just too great to ignore. Certainly, this website has done its part to lavish the praise. If you are a regular reader and you haven’t checked it out yet, I guess you never will. Your loss.

07. Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul

If you had told me, in 2004, that the guy who made The Grey Album would make my album of the decade list, I’d have scoffed at the suggestion. And yet, here we are. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse (multi-instrumentalist, Mark Linkous) have created an astounding set of songs along with a some of the most distinct voices in rock today.

06. Jason Lytle – Yours Truly, The Commuter

Rowjimmy.com album of the year for 2009, this one makes a strong showing against the rest of the decade. Something about Lytle’s voice just reaches me. Blending folk, psyche, power pop, and more this record has it all.

05. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Love songs. Commentary about time and its passage. Meditations on mortality. Emphasis on the NOW. The Flaming Lips have long held the torch of psychedelic punk but here they expand upon the ruminations of The Soft Bulletin and deliver a timeless masterpiece. Oh, and did I mention the robots? Yeah. There’s robots, too.

04. Radiohead – Kid A

Speaking of robots, Kid A seems crafted by a band in hiding as the robots take over. Both utilizing and questioning technology and the isolationist structures that it builds around us, this record stands a a work of its time that has not grown old in the years since its release. Rock riffs, dissonant horns, stuttering beats, endless reverb all combine to paint a picture that is both cold and comforting; illustrative of a fear while providing a light to stave off the ghosts (or robots.)

03. Wilco – A Ghost Is Born

Naturally, we now come to speak of Ghosts. Writing a followup to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has to be daunting to even an ego-less saint. Jeff Tweedy is not that and yet, he wrote another record that some, not unreasonably, have rated even higher than YHF. The title is apt, not just for its presence as a lyric late in the record but due to the exploration of the myriad ways that ghosts are created. Relationships dissolve, addictions take hold, death encroaches; all creating a sense (or the actual states) of being irrelevant, absent, or lost. Some of Tweedy’s strongest guitar work is showcased here as well as his potent lyrics combining with dizzying effect.

02. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

Decemberists’ frontman, Colin Meloy can spin a yarn. He leans a bit on the English folk tradition and gives it a dire twist of shady characters and sardonic humor. While their earlier LPs focused on the shorter songs, often tales of murder and malice, even as far back as Castaways And Cutouts (which made the long-list to be considered for this final countdown) they stretched a bit and dabbled with the long-form song. Here on The Crane Wife we get the best of both with two prog-folk epics (the title cut as well as “The Island-Come And See/The Landlord’s Daughter/You’ll Not Feel The Drowning”) and a slew of masterfully crafted shorter songs telling of Romeos & Juliets, Civil War casualties, and killers that stalk the night. All making for an enrapturing listening experience.

01. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

What hasn’t been written about this album? From the saga of its almost shelving by Warners to the sometimes contentious recording process that led to the departure of the late Jay Bennett – all of which is documented so well in the film “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”- the story of “YHF” is no mystery. The songs speak for themselves. At times abstract in lyric or sound they reveal themselves upon multiple listenings and the sonic skin that ia so carefully placed upon some of the songs becomes, plainly, a part of the process; a veil that must be perceived and seen through for the manner in which it colors the songs makes them even more complete. Yes, “Radio Cure” could stand alone as a simple acoustic number. But that would deprive the listener of so much; including the sense of distance that makes the recording so brilliant.

I could go on all day and never do this record justice so I’ll close with this wildly unhinged declaration: if you don’t have this record, you’d best correct that before you waste another decade of your life.

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…

M.Ward – Hold Time

Maybe I’m just tired but, I’ve not a lot to say on this one. It’s a great blend of quality songwriting, straight ahead arrangements, and Ward’s guitar and voice. Good for Sunday morning or a late train home.

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

French Pop? Yep. This smart and hook-laden record is a must. You’ve heard some of it in commercials this year but don’t let that stop you from seeking it out and blowing up your New Year’s Eve party with this album. This record is a pure, danceable, pleasure- something that we all need sometimes.

Grizzly Bear – Veckitimest

Darlings of the music press, Grizzly Bear has turned in a record that is worthy of (at least a degree of) the praise. It is pure morning/late night/rainy afternoon music. If you can overlook the indie hype you will find a very enjoyable record.

Phish – Joy

You knew it had to come up, right? I’m a fan and no one pays me to be objective on this site so, when I tell you that Joy is a good album, I mean it. It’s Phish 2009- own it and love it. It’s not the same as Phish 1993 but to expect that would be unreasonable.

And that’s the year in albums as I see it… Sorta. I’ve decided not to go into the list of disappointing releases this year as it’s just so negative and, after all, we want you to be happy! Feel free to let me know what I missed in the comments!

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…

07 – Wilco – Wilco

Anyone who reads this site might have expected this record to appear a little closer to the number one slot but, let’s be honest; this is no “Sky Blue Sky” or “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”. This album shows a band that is comfortable in its skin and at the top of its craft. Check out this full review here.

06 – Atlas Sound – Logos

Was it just last year that Bradford Cox’s Deerhunter made a surprise entry on this list? Well, here we are in another year with another record. Atlas Sound, unlike Deerhunter, is a one man project and the result is a more controlled record that phases in and out of ordinary space into a wide, ethereal, aural expanse. Less derivative than Deerhunter as well, Cox’s musical intent rolls over you in waves. This one is ideal for late night listening.

05 – Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Darlings of the Pitchfork set, these guys broke through big in 2009 with this trippy, upbeat, collection of electronic rock. I had problems with their “Strawberry Jam” album but, after discovering Panda Bear’s records I came to “MPP” with eager ears and it paid off nicely.

04 – Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free

I reviewed this one earlier this year and, if anything it’s grown on me. Their reduction to a trio has only honed them into a leaner yet wilder collective. This may not be quite on par with “Love Is Simple” but it’s a bold statement and a hell of a ride.

03 – Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul

Top producer meets acclaimed psych-pop act for a guest laden journey into the night. This album (officially shelved by label EMI put mercifully leaked to the internets) is a rare treat. Brooding melodies and soaring pop combine with the talents of Black Francis, Iggy Pop, Gruff Rhys, The Flaming Lips, Vic Chesnutt, Jason Lytle, Suzanne Vega, Julian Casablancas, and David Lynch (who was behind the book that was to accompany the album.) It’d be a crime if the absence of an official, legal, release keeps this record from getting its due. It is truly a notable work.
(You can still stream the entire album here @ NPR Music.)

02 – The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love

Building on their powerful album, “The Crane Wife”, The Decemberists delivered a 2-LP concept album loaded with everything from folk, to prog, to hard rock. I’ve already reviewed this at length so I’ll simply add that this record does not disappoint. It has continued to grow on me throughout the year and I expect to return to it for many years to come.

01 – Jason Lytle – Yours Truly, The Commuter

This is the first solo record from Grandaddy frontman, Lytle, and the first album I’d ever heard from him. I picked it up after recommendations from a number of friends and after hearing his voice on this year’s number 3, “Dark Night Of The Soul”. Thoughtful, clever, lyrics; swirling, psychedelic, pop melodies; and Lytle’s plaintive vocals all make this a record that I’ve had a hard time being without since I first discovered it this Fall.

Have a listen…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So that’s the list… do yourself a favor and check these out but, if you don’t like what you hear, don’t blame me. This list is just one man’s opinion.