From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V7 #522 Reply-To: loud-fans@smoe.org Sender: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk loud-fans-digest Sunday, October 5 2008 Volume 07 : Number 522 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] Around the turn, heading for home... ["Brian Block" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Around the turn, heading for home... >Responses encouraged. Well, I haven't heard any of Andy's favorite albums this year (although I do intend to get my hands on 13th STAR), and the only 2008 movie I've seen is WALL-E, which I did love. But in terms of my own year's-favorites music list so far: 1. Cloud Cult, FEEL GOOD GHOSTS 2. Veda Hille, THIS RIOT LIFE 3. Dresden Dolls, NO VIRGINIA 4. Joe Jackson, RAIN 5. Mountain Goats, HERETIC PRIDE 6. Eric Matthews, THE IMAGINATION STAGE 7. R.E.M., ACCELERATE 8. Why?, ALOPECIA 9. Magnetic Fields, DISTORTION 10. Triclops!, OUT OF AFRICA Cloud Cult make sweet-tempered, melodic, diversely arranged indie rock. Veda Hille's new album is by her standards the most optimistic and outgoing of her career, and is to my mind her greatest as well, but it still qualifies as "quiet and haunting" by normal standards and should awe Christine Fellows fans for example. The Dresden Dolls self-define as a Weimar cabaret-punk piano/drums duo, and even on this record of leftover tracks Amanda Palmer writes some of the best story-and-character lyrics around. Joe Jackson's doing slightly jazzy piano songs this time. The Mountain Goats' folk has more energy to it this record than the last two, so I'm a fan again. Eric Matthews I described last time as like a talented Brian Wilson imitator being produced by Steely Dan, which still sounds right. R.E.M. are brief and rocking again, but Michael Stipe long since abandoned his man-of-mystery slurring, and I stay happy that he did. Why? does eloquent, morbid folk-rock informed by his years as a weirdo hip-hopper. I think Stephen Merritt tried to produce his new record to be unlistenable, but his songs guaranteed it wouldn't work. Triclops! make noisy, aggressive, complex punk rock. Still haven't heard or at least haven't evaluated: Amanda Palmer solo Ben Folds Bodies of Water Bryan Scary Fish Flobots Hold Steady Jesus H. Christ and the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse Jim's Big Ego Peter Moore of Count Zero and Think Tree Residents Spiralling Subtle TV on the Radio and that's just among artists whose track records prove I should be very interested, not counting several dozen newcomers on my search list. I've reached the point where it's hard to just keep up with new releases by the people I already care about. On the other hand, who am I to back away from a challenge?

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