Vikings & Beekeepers

“Adore” by Prince (from Sign O’ The Times)

This is just classic slow jam Prince. When different artists decide to do a song that sounds like Prince (Beck’s “Debra,” Ween’s “Freedom Of ’76.” My Morning Jacket’s “Evil Urges”), this is always the track that is most easily aped. My guess for why they do these kinds of tracks is that they can be so totally ridiculous, but totally awesome at the same time. Even on this track, listen to Prince take this Marvin Gaye style groove and start squealing all over it. It’s totally hilarious, but like most things Prince did on Sign O’ The Times, it’s holds up in spite of itself.

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I was away, so I’m a little late with this, but better late than never.

Those late spring/early summer months are probably my favorite music listening times, where I just find myself devouring music at a rapid pace and discovering new classic albums in the process. These last three months were no exception. In just a short time frame, I was discovering albums that feel like they will last forever as all time favorites. In recent years, I’ve occasionally felt like I was liking a lot of new music less, but these last few months have proven that I’m not losing my mojo at all. There are still some dynamite sounds being produced.

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I wasn’t going to write on this. Or at least I didn’t think I was, but Tyson’s comment on my post on the Band (way to stay on topic, Tyson!) made me kind sit up and think ‘Hey, if this stupid band was so supposedly important to me, why wouldn’t I write something?’

So yes, the new Weezer album is out on Tuesday. It’s self-titled and will henceforth be referred to as, sigh, The Red Album. I’ve heard the whole thing and it’s…it’s…well, let’s talk about that.

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There’s a reason why I keep writing about the Band. Once discovering them, once delving, say, three songs deep into their catalogue, The Band simply stays with you. Their body of work is stunning and far out-reaches the confines of a Greatest Hits album (although newbies should, by all means, pick up a Greatest Hits as a primer). What’s especially impressive is that as vast as their music seems to be, the Band was only good for five proper albums of new material (I exclude their 1977 odds and sods label requirement, Islands, and subsequent reunion albums, although they are worthy of pursuing). From their breakthrough, 1968’s Music From Big Pink, to 1971’s oft-maligned, but deserving of no less praise, Cahoots, the Band released four unique and excellent albums.

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Since starting My Alphabetical iPod Diary, I’ve had one thought consistently run through my head – “Shit, Carson, if you keep going at this pace you’re going to die before you get to the “Ps.” That’s why I have decided to, only occasionally, go for a quantity over quality approach. This is the “I’m in over my high-concept concocting head” version of the diary. It’s almost like when Sufjan Stevens inevitably craps several marginal Delaware and North Dakota EPs. Enjoy the brevity.

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I did a little experiment this year. Instead of dishing out a padded, half-informed year end list, I would sit on it, let that baby incubate, and crack several months later fully thought out and ready to fly. I don’t get too many free albums sent my way, so I have to do a late December mad scramble for new albums like the rest of the world (downloads and torrents are only intermittently available to me).

I wish I had done this for 2006. Instead of including great-for-a-month-only albums like I’m From Barcelona’s Let Me Introduce You To My Friends or Earl Greyhound’s Soft Targets on my list, I could have included amazing albums by the likes of Oxford Collapse, Sonic Youth, Brightblack Morning Light, Fujiya & Miyagi or Man Man (among others) – all albums I finally got around to hearing months after I rushed out my list.

So I’m finally unleashing the list now, but I still feel like it’s only half-cocked. While I stand by my selections, I would be remised if I didn’t at least mention bands who put out great albums this year that a) weren’t quite as good or b) I haven’t absorbed nearly enough. So hear goes: Radiohead, Kevin Drew, No Age, Black Lips, Freeway, Caribou, Devendra Banhart, Travis Morrison, Enon, Menomena, Levon Helm, The Tough Alliance, Grizzly Bear, Health, Joel Plaskett, Liars, Justice, John Vanderslice, Okkervil River, Pig Destroyer, UGK and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Whew, now that that’s done, here are my top 25 (okay, 32) albums of 2007.

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Village Voice blogger Tom Breihan does this little quarterly review at the end of every third month of the year. I like this idea. I’m going to steal it. Am I original? No. Do I give a shit? Do I ever?

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The late 60s and early 70s boasted a long string of talented folk singer-songwriters. Of course, the tri-fecta of Dylan, Simon and Young springs to mind most immediately (not to mention some of the fine folky ladies: Joni Mitchell, Carole King and the amazing, underheard Judee Sill). Boomers may also remember the likes of John Prine and Louden Wainwright III, while the cool kids love to cite Nick Drake and Donovon among their favorites. Probably the most woefully undermentioned singer-songwriter of this time would be the late Gene Clark.

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“Accidentally Like A Martyr” by Warren Zevon (from Excitable Boy)

“Accidents Will Happen” by Elvis Costello (from Armed Forces)

“Achin’ To Be” by The Replacements aka Paul Westerberg (from All For Nothing / Nothing For All)

“Acorns & Orioles” by Guided By Voices aka Robert Pollard (from Under The Bushes Under The Stars)

“Acoustic Guitar” by The Magnetic Fields aka Stephin Merritt (from 69 Love Songs, Vol. 3)

“Across The Antheap” by XTC aka Andy Partridge (from Oranges & Lemons)

Six different singer–songwriters, six totally different types of music. These guys really have nothing in common except that their songs magically appeared in alphabetical order on my iPod. My familiarity with each individual varies, but my enjoyment of them is consistent.

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