The past 350+ days have been a fine year for new music releases, but its also been a pretty solid year for music releases that aren't new music per se. This would be the catch-all category that includes compilations, live albums, reissues and the like. Since these sorts of releases are very plentiful each year, this list isn't believed to necessary be exhaustive, but each of these listed are pretty great.

Bruce Springsteen - The Promise

Its not terribly hard to imagine a collection of unreleased material originally written and mostly recorded around 1978 during Darkness on the Edge of Town being great. The opening track, an alternate version of "Racing in the Street", unfolds over 6 minutes and makes the listener completely ready for the remaining 20 tracks over two discs. Across this many songs, there are plenty of opportunities to hear Springsteen's varying styles that have revealed themselves over the years. As good as his last few studio albums with the E Street Band have been, its nice to hear that older sound return to the forefront on this release, including the interesting cover of Patti Smith's "Because the Night".

John Prine - Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows

This is undoubtedly the best tribute compilation of the year. It's John Prine songs, which are already great, performed by a range of musicians that mostly reside in the indie folk/alt-country/bluegrass realm. This includes My Morning Jacket, Josh Ritter, Justin Vernon, Conor Oberst, Avett Brothers and others. This compilation accomplishes what most compilations does not, it actually lends itself to listening start-to-finish. The Lambchop contribution, "Six O'Clock News" kinda plods and Those Darlins' "Lets Talk Dirty in Hawaiian" is almost too kitschy, but these are minor issues with an otherwise excellent release.

The Weakerthans - Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre

The Weakerthans are not the sort of band that seems to necessitate a live album and, honestly, this one might not actually be necessary. Thing is, it sounds warm and fresh, giving that feeling that you might have even been there. The on-stage banter and witty anecdotes are included sparingly and the audience noise isn't distracting or disruptive. The recording was made in Winnipeg (Manitoba, that is), the band's hometown, so there's a certain added effect of reverence and pride, even when the entire room sings aloud in agreement that "The Guess Who Sucked", "The Jets were lousy anyway" and "I hate Winnipeg". It just wouldn't have been right for these sentiments to be immortalized if it were recorded anyplace else.

Weezer - Pinkerton

Do you know where you were on Tuesday, September 24, 1996? If you were laying in the backseat of your mom's car riding home from Magic Platter record store listening to the mysterious follow-up to Weezer's debut breakthrough, you do. There's always something special about buying an album the day it is released, or at least there used to be, before the days of leaks and iTunes (face it, the idea of rushing to your laptop to download an album on Tuesday isn't quite the same as making a special trip to the record store). Tuesdays were almost like a holiday each week and some Monday nights turned into an opportunity to sit in a parking lot until midnight waiting for the next big release. This big release ultimately tanked in sales and reviews, but now, 14 years later, it has been remastered, repackaged and rereleased. Not to worry, though, it is just as brutally honest and brutally uncomfortable as ever.

Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

This was probably the most-publicized reissue of the year. There's not a ton to say here other than its always been a great album and now its sound has been brought forward about 40 years. For a great commentary on this release, check out NPR's episode of All Songs Considered featuring Don Was.

Pavement - Quarantine the Past

In the indie rock universe, 2010 was the year of Pavement, despite the band not releasing any new music, be it an album or even a single song. They did, however, tour across the country and the globe playing songs that were all at least 10 years old to legions of fans, old and new. Twenty-three such songs were compiled on this "Best of" album that rolls the songs out in no particular order or theme. That's probably an apt sequence for the band, who somewhat unceremoniously wrapped up their reunion tour (not counting a couple of subsequent South American shows in November) at Matador 21 in Las Vegas on October 1 with sound problems and annoyance. Regardless of the inconsistencies of the record and the band, even 23 old songs were a welcome addition to 2010.

Addendum:

Nada Surf - If I Had A Hi-Fi

It's hard to decide if it is harder to believe that Nada Surf are still releasing albums in a relevant manner or that Nada Surf were once MTV darlings complete with rock-solid "one hit wonder" cred. Regardless, they have managed to navigate past the latter and put together several great albums. That said, they are entitled to put out something like an album of covers. One of the highlights is a rendition of "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode in full blown Nada Surf mode, but there's also covers of songs by Spoon, Kate Bush, The Moody Blues and a great track by Mercromina sung in Spanish. Maybe there should be an album of other bands covering "Popular" just to take it full circle?

Addendum 2:

Girl Talk - All Day

Simply put, this is good for listening to at the gym. It's interesting and makes for fun while picking out all the different songs mashed up within. That's about as far as it goes since all components of the songs are songs that have already been written, performed and released. It can't really be judged by the same standards as new music, hence its presence here.

Girls - Broken Dreams Club EP

EPs are not usually significant relative to their full-length counterparts, but this is another great effort by San Francisco band that released Album in 2009. The mood of this EP is noticeably restrained and morose, even employing a slide guitar on the title track.

As you may already know, Sporcle has to be the best time waster on the internet these days. Even their tagline, "Mentally Stimulating Diversions", indicates such. That probably does not go far enough, though. There is seriously a quiz for almost everything you can think of. Most of them are actually fairly interesting and challenging in an enjoyable way, to boot. Well, one of this week's new entries has to be one of the most interesting yet. It deals with naming countries that are the world-leader in fairly random categories on a per-capita basis.

Some of the most interesting results:

-Luxembourg has the highest per capita alcohol consumption rate in the world, 15.6 liters per person per year. That doesn't seem like an extreme amount, but bear in mind, this isn't referring to alcoholic beverages. This is the actual alcohol in those drinks itself. So if an average drink (adjusted for differences between regular beer, liquor and wine) has 10% alcohol by volume, that would be 156 liters of alcohol-containing beverages per person per year. That's over 41 gallons, or 5200 ounces. So yeah, 5200 ounces would be 433 12-ounce beers per person per year, or about 1.2 per day. It definitely adds up.

-If you only consider beer, the Czech Republic is the leader of the world with 158.6 liters per person per year. The math works out roughly similar to the calculations above, except most Czech beer does not come near to 10% ABV. It's closer to half of that, 5-6% (think pilsner, pale lager, etc). That means that an average Czech has about 2.5 beers per day. When you adjust for demographics to exclude children and those adults that don't drink (if such thing exists), the actual average is probably more like 4+ per day. That's pretty strong, especially since most people would probably assume the English, Irish or Germans to drink more beer in the first place.

-If various forms of alcohol are particularly appealing to the Luxembourgers and Czechs, coffee is particularly appealing to...the Fins. The average person in Finland consumes 12kg, or about 24.5 pounds. This is kinda hard to put into practical terms since nobody really quantifies their coffee consumption by weight, but by volume, or number of cups. According to one (of many, many, many) estimations, one pound of coffee can make 2.25 gallons. So, that would seem to indicate that Fins drink over 55 gallons of coffee a year. This number isn't vastly different than Czech Republic's beer consumption, but it stands to reason that, despite Starbucks' best efforts, a cup of coffee is typically smaller than a serving of beer. If an average cup of coffee is defined as 6 ounces, the Fins have 1,173 cups of coffee a year, or over 3 a day. Again, this number doesn't seem too extreme, but not everyone drinks coffee, so among coffee-drinkers, the number is probably at least 4 or 5. That starts to get pretty intense.

-Just for a quick comparison's sake, the leading tea drinkers are the Turks, who consume an average of 2.1 kg (4.4 lb) a year. Apparently 2.5 grams of tea makes a 6 oz. cup, so an average Turk has just shy of 800 cups per year, or about 2.2 a day.

-From a technology standpoint, there are some pretty impressive numbers. Residents of Switzerland, Malta and United Arab Emirates have an average of 0.86 computers, 0.77 televisions and 1.7 cellphones per citizen, respectively. That means an average person in UAE is more likely to have two cellphones than one and a family of 4 in Switzerland has at least 3, but more likely 4 computers among them. Does this mean a poor Swiss family only has 2 computers at home? Of course, these numbers include computers in the workplace and such, but obviously not everyone has a computer at work, so the difference has to come from somewhere. The UAE cellphone numbers seem quite bizarre, though. Based on personal experience, it seems like pretty much everyone has a cellphone and probably some kind of phone number associated with their job, even if they share it with others. However, this is talking only about cellphones, which are largely used by only one person each and not shared among groups. With the average in UAE being 1.7 and there having to be a few people without even one, that means it is not uncommon to see people there with 3 or more each. The Malta television numbers don't really jump out since even the idea of one person having 2 TVs isn't that crazy (right???) this day in age. A television almost seems like standard equipment in a house, like a sink or toilet. The necessary distinction is that Malta has 0.77 TVs per person, not per home.

For the sake of brevity (ha!), here's a quick rundown of some others:

-An average Greek smokes over 3,000 cigarettes a year, or about 8.25 a day.
-The Republic of Georgia has 16.335 library books per resident.
-One in every 690 Argentinians are psychologists.
-One is every 86.2 Norwegians are millionaires (in US dollars).

Hmmph.

So, apparently only one kind soul got the memo about writing in your picks for the best album of 2010. This either indicates that:

(a) You thought 2010 was an awful year for music
(b) Nobody actually reads this
(c) You're scared
(d) All of the above

Even after all that, its funny how things just have a way of working themselves out sometimes...

Tonight, a contender for the national championship of college football is playing a game. The game is being played on Friday night in Moscow in a college basketball arena. All of this is true...strange, but true.

Say hello to the Kibbie Dome, home of the University of Idaho Vandals in Moscow, Idaho.



Sorta cute, ain't it? Or maybe "quaint" is a better word. A Division I football stadium that seats 16,000 is definitely quaint. Either way, the University of Idaho is so proud of this place that it is home to their football team...and basketball team...and tennis team...and track & field team. Quite quaint and versatile, no?

Ok, this post isn't about the shortcomings of the athletic facilities at the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest university. It's a swell place and has been for 120+ years, which is fine. It is, however, a post that further demonstrates why a team cannot be given equal credence when it plays in a conference where a late-season intra-conference & intrastate rivalry road game can be played in a place such as the Kibbie Dome.

A season-opening victory over Virginia Tech is a nice win. So is an early season win over Oregon State. A late season win over Nevada will also be an accomplishment. Problem is, nobody would consider these to be great wins if they didn't show up on the schedule with opponents such as Wyoming, New Mexico State, Toledo, San Jose State, Louisiana Tech and Utah State. By beating VaTech, Oregon State and, presumably, Nevada, Boise State will be no better than the following teams, based solely on head-to-head wins: James Madison, Washington, UCLA and Hawaii. In a major conference, Boise's three "biggest" victories would be considered "getting the job done" and "having a solid season", or maybe nothing more than "halfway to being bowl eligible".

It is a simple fact that Boise State is better than those 4 teams. Look no further than the game last weekend when Boise beat Hawaii by 35. The argument is not if Boise is a good team. They are. The argument is, regardless of who they're willing to play, does Boise deserve a spot in the championship game when they've played such inferior opponents on a weekly basis that their starters don't even have to play (or play hard) beyond 10 minutes into the game? Again, it is not Boise's fault that they are able to jump out to giant leads in many of their games, but it is also not an SEC (or Pac Ten/Big Ten/Big 12) team's fault that they just so happen to be in a conference where almost every game is an absolute battle that requires maximum utilization for a full 60 minutes (or more).

Boise has proven they are capable of beating good teams from major conferences (VT, Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl) and other small conference powerhouses (TCU in last year's Fiesta Bowl). They would also have a very good chance of beating whoever they might play in this year's BCS Championship, be it Oregon (who they swept in a home-and-home series in 2008-09, as Byron Hout will remind you), TCU (see above), Ohio State (does anyone really think they're that good?) or Auburn (with or without the blameless one). However, don't let it be forgotten that TCU beat Boise to end the 2008 season and Boise lost back-to-back to Hawaii and East Carolina to end the 2007 season. Just for good measure, the only time in recent history that Boise played a game in an SEC stadium was at the start of the 2005 season and they left Athens, Georgia with a 48-13 loss. That same season, that same Georgia team that was 35 points better than Boise, lost two SEC conference games and narrowly escaped with wins in two more.

So, while their blue turf and blue jerseys can be fun to look at, these Tuesday, Thursday and Friday night games are excruciating to watch because its just further reminders of why Boise is what it is. Even ESPN, who does a LOT to promote Boise, will only give them primetime TV slots on nights that people don't even realize football is on. Football on Thursday nights has started to become more of a common thing and yet still, ESPN put the Pitt/UCONN game on last night and relegated the Potato State showdown to Friday night, when the only football people care about is being played by high schoolers, albeit often in stadiums larger than the one Boise is playing in tonight.

Bus.

Thankfully, as of 85 minutes ago (as this is typed), Conan O'Brien is back on television. It was a sad and uncomfortable past few months and this period of time will be remembered more for what Conan did off of television than what Jay Leno did on it. His tour, his musical forays, his Twitter and his entire persona transcended a late-night talk show slot, proving that there is more to life than who hosts which show and what time it airs.

Tonight's debut on TBS felt very natural and did not really seem like anything had changed. The show felt like it was truly his own, which makes sense since there's no standard to live up to. No Jay Leno, no Johnny Carson, no Steve Allen, no precedent. The comedy bits seemed to work pretty well, the guests seemed to be receptive to their roles and, perhaps most importantly, Conan seemed OK with what was transpiring. (It's amazing what millions of dollars can make you seem OK with).

Of course, as nice as it was to see Conan on the airwaves again, there always has to be a negative and that negative is George Lopez. George Lopez is painful. Painfully not funny. Painfully awful. Of course George Lopez had to name drop his predecessor and his time slot within the first 30 seconds of tonight's show, as if that would make him somehow funny by association. So far, the most substantive thing out of his mouth on this show has been that he likes Antoine Dodson's hair straight. Yep, G-Lo likes Antoine Dodson's hair straight. Sadly, Antoine Dodson is a more legitimate entertainer than George Lopez. Even sadder, a better night of television would include Antoine Dodson hosting a talk show and George Lopez being a guest that only gets a few brief minutes to be unwatchable.

A small saving grace for what TBS is doing once Conan's show ends each night is that they're repeating that night's episode again after George Lopez's thing goes off. That means two hours of Conan for one hour of G-Lo, which is a step in the right direction. At least this gives people an hour to brush teeth, have a snack and update blogs in between opportunities to see that night's episode of Conan. The only problem is, Glopez comes on again after Conan goes off again. As if you needed any more reminders of exactly how wide the gap between the haves and have nots is in late night talk shows. Mercifully, there is absolutely no reason to be awake at 1am CST, so maybe George's show will go the same route as Arsenio Hall's, Tom Snyder's (RIP), Jon Stewart's, Chevy Chase's, John McEnroe's and (cringe) Magic Johnson's. It really needs to.

Fingers crossed...

Just a reminder, this is not a football blog or a blog dedicated to any other sport, either. Most of you would probably rather read about something else, so now's your chance to be a part of the magic. Heck, your involvement could actually help create a more informative experience for your fellow readers. With that in mind, your mission is as such:

As the year 2010 draws to a close, the holidays draw near and sunlight past 5pm ceases to be a reality, there are important preparations being made. No, contrary to popular belief, an annual "BEST OF" music list does not just appear out of thin air. That said, your input is welcome here, so leave comments on this post with your suggestions for the Best of 2010. It's been a pretty solid year for new music so far and there are plenty of worthy candidates, but it'd be a shame to leave out a deserving act. Feel free to put in a few supporting words as well.

Just to get the ball rolling, here are a few appetizers...

-The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
-The National - High Violet
-Beach House - Teen Dream

Your turn!

At this moment, what is going through the mind of the dude smoking a cigarette on the balcony across the breezeway from this hotel room? Ideas:

1. I love the beach, where visible buttcracks are much more generally accepted.

2. Tuesday is alright for fighting.

3. This cigarette is far more delicious than the one 5 minutes ago.

4. Would a Yosemite Sam or Tasmanian Devil tattoo better characterize my personality?

5. The music of Trapt and Disturbed really speaks to me.

6. I need to talk to my financial planner about a 401(k).

7. Is it still considered "domestic abuse" if your girlfriend is from another country?

8. I wonder what kind of cargo I could fill these cargo shorts with?

9. If anyone told me to put a shirt on, I'd be ready to tussle.

10. Who is this sicko that keeps glancing out his window at me?

Truer words have never come from the wall of a small barbershop from childhood:

"Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

On average, how many times could this be said in a given day?

-There is nothing better than hearing Brent Musberger call an Alabama football game. Ok, there are about 1.9 billion things better than that. In addition to those 1.9 billion another 737.9 billion things are better than hearing Musberger call a game involving any other team. All the more reason to go to games, not watch at home.

-Well, if going to the game isn't an option because you're traveling for work, it is only fair that said work travel take you to the beach. A good beach...and on the beach.

-It's a good thing this game finally started. Watching the soggy noodle fight that was the Michigan/Notre Dame game was a waste of time. Blah. A lot of these "games" on "Monster Saturday" have been blah to say the least. A quick recap:

Michigan = blah, but Denard Robinson is quite exciting...against Notre Dame.
Notre Dame = blah, but at least its exciting when they play Denard Robinson.
Ohio State = appears to be pretty good.
Miami = uh yeah, either not good or Ohio State is better than pretty good.
Oklahoma = good, so long as not playing a team from Utah.
Florida State = ha.

-#42 for Penn State just talked trash after a hit delivered on a punt returner that called fair catch.

-This isn't going to a live-blog of the Alabama/Penn State game or anything like that, although it easily could be. However, sharing with the world (OK, a VERY small percentage of the world) the first thoughts that might come to mind while watching an Alabama game might be offensive and potentially image-destroying.

-Alabama's offensive star so far is Kevin Norwood. Alabama's defensive star so far is Will Lowery. On a team with so many big names, it is always encouraging when a couple of relative unknowns can step up against a ranked opponent in the first quarter.

-Seeing Mark Ingram chasing Trent Richardson down the sideline on a long run, then insisting on getting every last blade of grass out of Richardson's facemask after the run, is great.

-As this is typed, Tennessee is leading Oregon 6-0. For the sake of the SEC and Southern football in general, its sorta nice to see this, but not if it means Tennessee is actually going to be pretty good this year. If that's the case, let the west coast hippies beat them by 50.

-Speaking of west coast hippies, Boise State had an impressive win on a neutral field against Virginia Tech last week. Today Virginia Tech lost to James Madison on their own field. Boise is a great team and among the best in the nation, but don't make too many excuses for them.

Ok, are you ready for the absolute stupidest article about football that you could ever read? Maybe it's the stupidest article about anything ever written, but that can be left up to you. Before going any further, feel free to read through the article in question.

Ok, a little prefacing. Tennessee's football program has been down for the past few years, both on and off the field. Just a quick summary:

-Franklin County, Tennessee native that led the school to the national championship was unceremoniously run out of his job after the 2008 season.

-The sting of running off a "local legend" was soothed by hiring the epitome of an "outsider", a young and brash California boy.

-The new guy proved to possess more gum-flapping and controversy-creating skills than coaching ones. His first season ends with mediocre results, to put it generously.

-A flurry of off-field problems plague the team. Problems with grades, guns and such become about as common as wins.

-New coach quickly jumps ship when given a chance to return to California and lead another dirty program.

-A new new coach is hired...from Louisiana Tech. At least he has a good name for SEC football.

-Throughout all of this, the SEC has gone from being probably the best conference in the nation for college football to clearly the best. Three different teams in the league have won the last 4 national championships and UT has not even been in the proximity of national championship discussions.

So, back to the present and this asinine article. The author blindly dives into the notion that fans of college football need to read the newspaper in order to form an emotional attachment to their teams. This might be an effective path if you're just trying to reach the least interested fans. However, those sort of people probably aren't the ones reading something like Go Vols Xtra on August 22.

One doesn't have to be a UT fan to acknowledge that UT has a passionate fan base that will gladly fill up Neyland Stadium every time the team takes the field. They already know where their program is and where they want it to be. Furthermore, they are probably football-savvy enough to know that simply hating your opponents, rivals and detractors does not really amount to very much anywhere, much less in the most competitive league in the nation.

At first, it seems like maybe the author is simply trying to remind the reader that things can change and its best to always look forward because, just as Alabama has proven over the past few years, just because a program is down doesn't mean it has to stay there. But then he starts dredging the river of past regrets and failures for whatever he can find. Lane Kiffin? Yes, absolutely hate him. Alabama? Sure. Florida? Them too.

Who else? Charles Woodson? Uh, yeah, go ahead and hate him too because he won an individual award over a UT player when most of the current UT players were barely old enough to hold a football. Kansas State? They must be hated because a player from the state of Kansas chose to transfer there from UT after the most recent coaching change.

And for the kicker...hate all of North Carolina's opponents this year. Not because one of those opponents is an SEC team (LSU), but because UT bought themselves out of a game against UNC each of the next two seasons. The hope is that UNC will turn out to be really great and UT can feel good about themselves for not having to play a tough team next season. Never mind the fact that they can't wiggle out of their usual conference games against the likes of Alabama, Florida and Georgia. But yeah, its better to wish success for North Carolina (by hating their opponents) than think about that other stuff.

Just in case you need a different team to hate for each day of the week, throw in Bowling Green and Duke. Seriously? The only reason a UT fan should even know these teams exist is if they're looking for an easy non-conference game. The reason for hating these teams is because their current head coaches' previous gigs were as UT assistants. How dare they? Don't they know that the pinnacle of coaching is to be an assistant at UT, where they can serve under 3 different head coaches in 3 years and have articles like this written by local newspaper guys? Poor Duke must really feel bad knowing that UT fans should hate them for two reasons now (they play UNC).

As difficult as it seems, this article almost makes you feel bad for UT. Much of what is said is true, but this article was written right in the middle of Fall practice. Surely there are better things that could have been researched and put into words. The fans deserve better. This team might be their biggest "escape" from "real" life and they shouldn't have their heads filled with ideas of who to hate. They need to support their team and look forward, even if all they have to look forward to is another season of SEC mediocrity. The comments at the bottom of article indicate that most of the UT fans that read the article weren't affected by it, at least not in the way it intended.

Maybe there's actually signs of life on ol' Rocky Top after all.

Some bands are just better than the others.

Breaking news!

A former member of the Cleveland Cavaliers will be joining the Miami Heat for the upcoming (in November, that is) NBA season! This easily recognizable NBA veteran couldn't quite reach the elusive goal of an NBA Championship during his years in Cleveland, but this guy is so good that he managed to be an NBA All-Star without even playing college basketball! Yes, that's right, Zydrunas Ilgauskas is now a Heat!

After all, what goes better with this...



...than this?

As that last one make a brief mention of, soccer (there's nothing wrong with calling it soccer in this country) has really grabbed the attention of the world lately. Well, it always has the attention of the world, but right now it has the attention of the world's "leading" country. As the most populous country in this year's World Cup, the US theoretically should have the most support. However, this seems to have only been the case very recently...since Wednesday morning to be exact.

Landon Donovan's goal was truly one of those watershed moments that makes sports so relevant. Yes, it is just a game and yes, it was being played literally around the globe from the US population, but people are looking for something to be happy and proud about these days. Even though oil still gushes into the Gulf of Mexico and generals are still being replaced in Afghanistan, the US has found a reason for this.

Just as ABC's Wild World of Sports extolled, with the thrill of victory comes the agony of defeat. The World Cup has provided striking examples of that as well. To whit:

-North Korean players potentially being sent to work in state-owned coal mines upon their return home after a terrible performance in South Africa?

-The French national team returning as a disgrace to their country and potentially subject to physical violence at the hands of their countrymen?

So yes, the US is riding high right about now, so its important to get this posted before their next match tomorrow against Ghana. All those skeptics that thought soccer was nothing more than 90 minutes of pretty boys not scoring any goals have been trumped by a pretty boy scoring a goal after 90 minutes of play had already elapsed without a single goal. Everyone is OK with that right now and that itself is OK right now.

Finally, let it be known that while soccer might not be able to clean up the Gulf or find Osama, it is trying to start with domestic issues, although with somewhat mixed results.

Signs you're getting old:

1. True Blood comes on at 8pm, yet True Blood comes on too late because its a Sunday night.

2. Guilt causes you to go for a run in 95 degree weather, even though the guilt was brought on by something as mundane as almonds.

3. Sunday morning trips to the grocery store are quite fulfilling.

4. A perfectly good weekend night can be soured because you insist on checking work email.

5. Hanging out with your boss past midnight is an acceptable way to spend a Friday night.

6. You decide to spend a sunny afternoon watching exclusively German-language films on Netflix Instant.

7. The NBA Finals are over and you could care less, even though the world would be a better place if the Lakers didn't win and validate the celebrity groupies that make watching their games feel like an episode of Access Hollywood.

7b. You know, despite this year's strong ratings, the NBA Finals used to be amazing. It fits with the theme of this list/entry to say that things just aren't like they were back in the day. For pure excitement and showmanship, Kobe just isn't Jordan and Rajon Rondo is really the only guy on the Celtics that is remotely interesting. If only Pau Gasol played on a different team, he could be in the discussion for favorite NBA player.

8. The World Cup is incredibly interesting, but not necessarily because of your past or present interest in soccer, but the political and socio-economic dynamic at play. Not to mention the fact that you can wake up at 7am and watch it live.

9. You voluntarily go into work on a Saturday morning and actually think of the benefits more so than the negatives of doing so.

10. You blog about this sort of stuff.

You know, with such unfortunate events transpiring around the globe, such as the Gulf oil leak and the deaths of Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper, it is nice to get a nice deep breath of fresh air. Today's breath of fresh air came courtesy of the greatest baseball team in existence.

The odds were not looking good early on. The Indians have admittedly, yet not surprisingly, been struggling quite a bit this season. They were on the road for a 4-game series. At Yankee Stadium. Against the Yankees, obviously. The Yankees have by far the highest payroll in baseball and one of the best records in the league to boot. The Indians are far behind in both areas.

To add insult to injury (or whatever), the starting pitcher was the Yankees was none other than CC Sabathia, the former Indians ace that, after a half-season layover with Milwaukee, cashed in his excellent years in Cleveland with a ridiculous contract in New York. So, as it stood, the entire Indians' roster makes $60 million a year, while their former teammate, who they were facing, makes about $25 million a year by himself.

Anyway, matters got worse. Already trailing in the 3rd inning, Cleveland's young starting pitcher, David Huff, was struck in the left side of the head by a line drive off the bat of none other than Alex Rodriguez, whose salary of $33 million a year dwarfs even Sabathia's. Huff went straight to the ground, where he lay motionless for several minutes, before being taken off the field on a stretcher, then straight to the hospital.

Well, if you've read this far, surely you can expect what happened next, warranting this entry. Yep, the Yankees scored a couple of runs as a result of Huff's misfortune, then added 6 more runs the next inning and took control of the game...

But, even though the Yankees' lead held at 10-4 in the 6th inning, it was nothing that 9 consecutive runs couldn't overcome. And just as David Huff came out OK after a negative CT scan at the hospital, so did the Indians and their 13-11 victory.

And for just one day in just one ballpark, all was right with the world.

Here's the first installment of a song-by-song breakdown of a relatively new album. Call it a review if you like. First up is the debut from Southampton, England's Band of Skulls, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey.



1. Light of the Morning - this is the first song and probably the most well-known song on the album, if any of the songs could be classified as "well known". It's definitely a catchy song and does a good job of setting the table for the rest of the album. It sounds like it should be in a TV car commercial, which it is. Pontiac, maybe?

2. Death by Diamond and Pearls - So yeah, by this point, if you haven't picked up on a similarity between this band's sound and Jack White's various bands', you're not listening. It's not a blatant rip off or anything, but definitely present. Be it the vocal styles, the loose and gritty guitars or the prominent drum pounding, it's there.

3. I Know What I Am - Ok, a lot going on here. This song is sassy and while that's OK, this definitely sounds like a song that could get old fast. There's some female vocals entering the picture. None of these people sound British, but they are. The chorus has a very catchy hook and almost sounds disco-ish. Yeah, this song differs from the first two, but not necessarily in a good way.

4. Fires - Ah, so there's the album title in the first line of the song. Kinda strange name that might could have been improved upon. "If you bring the water, I'll bring the matches...'cause we are fires in the night." Not really sure what that means, but it sounds really great in that really great anthemic way. This song does that loud/soft juxtaposition more than any of the others so far and it works quite well. This is easily the best song on the album so far and will probably stay that way through the end.

5. Honest - Female lead vocals and a legitimate softer/slower song. This sorts sounds like a completely different band at this point. That is usually seen as a good thing, but it throws off cohesion a little. This song actually sounds like Marketa Irglova's songs with The Swell Season. That and somber singing girl songs in musicals...like Les Mis or something. It sounds like it's being sung by a girl alone in a garden (or maybe a fire escape), looking at the stars at night.

6. Patterns - More the sass. There's a weird counting thing going on that plays in the "pattern" theme of the song. The dance beats are automatically catchy, but it really does border on 1970s disco at times and that's just not very comforting.

7. Hollywood Bowl - Yeah, the disco-y thing is back and must just be a part of their sound. Since "Fires" has none of that and is easily the best song, maybe they could get away from that. This song has a lot of that "rock n roll lifestyle" element in it. Seems like a lot of innuendo and sleaziness going on. Those "hey"'s are surely quite a hit during a live performance. The end of the song takes on a sort of jazzy/bluesy sound and then rocks out, which is fairly redeeming. Might should have pulled that out sooner.

8. Bomb - A ticking clock starts this song because it's called "Bomb". Not very clever. The song isn't terribly clever either, but doesn't sound bad...except when the ticking clock returns. The album definitely has a lot of guitars in it, which is nice.

9. Impossible - Pretty unremarkable whining at the beginning, until it starts to sound like Queen, which is pretty fun. More nonsensical lyrics, though, like "I am a man 'cause you said I am...Yeah". Thankfully no disco beats on this one and some of those "textures" that seem to often be mentioned in album reviews.

10. Blood - Swampy blues that sounds like it should be on an episode of True Blood. The female vocals seem much more variant than the male vocals on this album. The male vocals just sound like a variation on Jack White all the way through, while the female mixes it up and can't quite be pegged as easily.

11. Dull Gold Heart - This sounds like it should be sung at the Ryman. The album is definitely all over the place, but the good moments outweigh the bad by far. If they can just stay away from the disco dance beat sass, they should be fine. If the whole album could sound like the conclusion of this song, this could be album of the year.

12. Cold Fame - Yes, the epic closer and it's quite epic, as debut albums go. Starts off with a smoky lounge singer thing, but then gets back to some of that "Fires" sound that works so well. More "clever" lyrics with "I know my place, but it don't know me". What does it actually mean for your place to not "know you"? It's a little disconcerting because of the repetition of what sounds like "Cocaine in my veins, it's OK because I know it's the best for me". Clearly, given the name of the song, "cocaine" and "cold fame" sounds too much alike. Regardless, the echoing harmonies work here quite well

Overall, a solid debut. Actually, more than solid. It's pretty good and shouldn't be something that grows stale quickly. That might be where the variety of the album comes in handy. If you like guitars, almost equal parts male/female vocals and almost a little too much sass, you could really like this album Even if you don't like the sass, there's more than enough to make this a worthwhile listen.

Ugh, you probably want a number to quantify this review, right? Well, you won't get tenth-of-a-point precision like on Pitchfork or a 100-point scale like on Paste. How about a 0-10 scale with half-point increments? Does that work?

Let's go with 8/10. Could have been higher.

Best of London, April-May 2010:

Cadbury Cream Egg McFlurry. Note the sugary sweet deliciousness that is the "yolk":


The Hole in the Wall, 5 Mepham Street, Waterloo, London:



Unfortunately, dinner had already been eaten before this was discovered. Fortunately, dinner was great and cameras exist:



Without question, the absolute highlight of the trip:

The desire to finish something can lead a person to do strange things. Be it spent finishing the first season of a rather creepy TV show or making headway on some rather exciting job-related tasks, time can just slip away on a Wednesday night.

Once enough time slips by, Wednesday night becomes Thursday morning and Thursday morning becomes another day at work.

It's nice how life allows everyone to finish things on a regular basis. Everyone gets to finish a day, a week, a year, etc. Unfortunately, that is hardly enough to satisfy that urge that leads to Dexter nights and Phase I nights. People like to set out a course for themselves, then attempt to navigate it. If they're successful, it's very affirming. If not, regret and self-doubt take over.

So what will it be? Sleepiness, apparently.

It's April Fools Day. Sometimes fun things come about on this day, but usually it's annoying. A laugh is a good thing, but scaring/worrying the beegees out of someone is less noble. Regardless, Happy April Fools Day to all. Was that shred of friendliness an AFD trick? The world may never know.

Regardless, here's something fun from AFD2010.

And, just to balance that, here's something that is unfortunately not a part of AFD.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?, Afterword

Point...
Counterpoint...

All's fair.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?, Part II

Another recent release, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More, illustrates the shortcomings of a Pitchfork review. Personal preferences aside, it's hard to respect a review that seems more interested in crafting an elaborate allegory than actually exploring the merits of the music itself. Before anything else is mentioned, the review sets out to deride the name of the band. Sure, Mumford & Sons is not a great name, but Pitchfork never found it necessary to dissect the names of Hunx & His Punx, Dinowalrus, Let's Wrestle, New Young Pony Club, or Sunburned Hand of Man in reviews of those act's recent releases. What gives?

So yeah, back to the allegory. The fact that the frontman/songwriter of the band (whose last name is Mumford, by the way) decided to name his band Mumford & Sons, is clearly his way of trying to garner a sense of authenticity and compare himself/his music to family-owned businesses in real small towns run by real people for generations. Right? To be such a simple-minded rip-off artist, as the review suggests, Marcus Mumford sure does craft elaborate schemes when it comes to naming his band! Is it possible that a fairly lame, yet completely innocuous, name got stuck on his act, whether by his own doing or by someone else and he just went with it? Nevermind that Pitchfork calls its annual music festival in Chicago the, wait for it, Pitchfork Music Festival.

As for the music (the point, right?), by "providing value-added products at discount prices", Mumford & Sons have managed to poach material from Fleet Foxes...and Avett Brothers...and Kings of Leon...and Keane...and Gomez. Seriously? Can you really say a band is unoriginal when you cite that many different influences? It seems like the ability to pull together a hybrid of so many bands with so many different origins might actually be a good, diverse thing. Maybe?

The elements of those five bands cited include "group harmonies", "exaggerated earnestness", "rock 'real'-ness", "second-hand drama" and "insistent rusticisms". Since when did music with harmonies (a core musical element), earnestness (believability seems to be a good thing), "real"-ness (whatever that is, would "fake"-ness be better?), drama (it is songs about relationships, after all) and rusticisms (it is folk music, after all) become a bad thing? Couldn't these kind of ambiguous associations be made to any album? What it comes down to is that Mumford & Sons are British (sorta like Gomez) and play a new brand of folk music (see Avett Brothers). They're popular in England (but not as much as Kings of Leon) and seem to be generating some buzz in the U.S. (much like Keane). Then there are those harmonies, not to mention banjos (!), that could have only been written after listening to Fleet Foxes. Clearly both of these bands owe their entire existence to Ralph Stanley, or whoever invented the banjo/harmony combination.

Time for more influences. Don't forget Celtic melodies, Fairport Convention and Pentangle. Wait...did you say Fairport Convention and Pentangle? As in the Fairport Convention and the Pentangle? Midlake thinks they can sound like them too! The mission of Pitchfork has been identified: to protect and preserve the good names of Fairport Convention and Pentangle (both of made great music, by the way). Basically, Mumford & Sons, a British folk-rock band sound like British folk-rock bands. While they might not distance themselves drastically from recent upstarts like Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Frank Turner, or historical acts like Fairport Convention or Pentangle, it's not a particularly egregious offense. Great Britain is not a huge place and there's only so many different ways to sing a song.

Listening to the album, you might at times think something you hear is reminiscent of something else you've heard, but that's part of what makes music fun. It's hard to believe that anyone hears this album and can only think about what an abomination it is that a band could make money off such blatant unoriginality. Like it or leave it, innovation or lack thereof is not what got this album released or into the ears of listeners. On Paul's Boutique, the Beastie Boys said, "Only 24 hours in a day, only 12 notes a man can play." True on both counts. However, since that particular album is primarily composed of sampled music and many sampled lyrics, Pitchfork probably thinks it is a piece of trash. Right?

Back to Mumford & Sons, once the review actually gets around to talking about the songs on the album being reviewed, the contradictions start rolling in and the wheels start coming off. In one paragraph alone, Mumford is accused of being "anonymous", but then "self-absorbed" as well. By this point, the review is completely useless. With a numerical rating at the beginning of the review, you already know what is going to be said and few surprises or interesting insights can be expected. In this case, the review could have gone on for several more paragraphs, but eventually the reader would realize that listening to a bad album is still far more enjoyable than reading a bad review.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?, Part I

One of the overriding themes of Watchmen is "Who Watches the Watchmen?". This same idea can be applied in a vast range of instances, but today the focus is on one singular application: Who criticizes the critics?

Pitchfork Media has done much for the mainstream crossover appeal of indie music over the past several years. What started out as a website where people could go to actually find a review of an album that would never appear in Rolling Stone or Spin has developed into a leading opinion-maker, hype-generator and status-definer in popular music today. With this kind of influence and relevancy, though, come some unfortunate side effects. Has Pitchfork gotten away from its initial role of filling the void in coverage in independent music by creating a new standard that marginalizes and pigeonholes music just like previous generation of mainstream commercial media outlets did?

This is not a new concept and not really a terribly important one in the grand scheme of things. A very small percentage of people who buy music do so solely based on a review they read. If a teenage girl in Nebraska hears a K$sha song on the radio and likes it (somehow), she's going to buy or download it regardless of what some pale dude living in a commune in Williamsburg thinks of the song. If the president of the Bon Jovi fan club chapter in Great Falls, Montana hears that Jon and the boys are putting out a new album, he's not going to pick up the latest issue of a magazine to help decide whether or not he wants to buy it. The people that read reviews most and actually let the review influence their buying/listening decisions are those who buy and listen to the most music anyway: the obsessives.

Regardless, bands in the "indie scene" are inclined to align themselves with Pitchfork in any way possible. For example, the Texas band Midlake released a new album recently that hit store shelves with a sticker on the cover that advertised a couple of the songs featured on the album and some bonus multimedia material. However, on this same sticker, above the information about songs and content, there was a quote that really meant to grab potential buyers' attention:

"...lush, haunted." -Pitchfork

This is all fine, except that Pitchfork gave the album a rating of 3.6 out of 10 on their so-refined-it-needs-a-decimal-point-and-tenth-of-a-point-intervals scale. It is hard to believe that Pitchfork wrote their review with the hope that Midlake would be using this review to promote their new album. Thing is, the "...lush, haunted" reference did not even come from Pitchfork's review of the album. No, it came from the introduction to an interview with Midlake's frontman, Tim Smith, that Pitchfork published last November. In the interview, it was discovered that some of the lushness and haunted-ness was inspired by English folk bands like Fairport Convention and Pentangle, which aren't exactly common names on Pitchfork (or anywhere for that matter). Furthermore, the interview was conducted by one Pitchfork writer, while the review was written by another staff member. Maybe Mr. Breihan, the interviewer, LOVES Midlake's lush and haunting sound, while Mr. Thompson, the reviewer, believes it to be "languid" and "uninterested".

Has anything really been accomplished by using the Pitchfork name when it does not represent a particular sentiment? After all, most people that might actually respect the Pitchfork reference are the same people that likely read the disparaging review on the website back in February. What about the bands themselves? Do they really care? Probably not, as evident by the multiple on-stage references to Pitchfork's ratings by performers at, of all places, the Pitchfork Music Festival. Irony aside, it does make you wonder if there is minimum score required in order for a band to be invited to play that festival. If not, maybe Pitchfork realizes, just like some bands, that (segue) it's all just a business.

So, it's come to this. A service that plays matchmaker for people who seek to commit adultery. Pretty lame. Pretty sick, actually. It does, however, show that business can motivate seemingly impossible levels of greed and selfishness. It's also lazy. If you insist on cheating, then you should at least have to work for it. That seemed to be a reasonable approach while serving as a graduate teaching assistant at a fine academic institution several years back.

Finding happiness these days is supposedly being made easier and easier by technology. There's Facebook, there's eHarmony, there's Match.Com, there's a million more. You can break the ice with an email or text message, instead of sweaty palms and stuttering. This is great, except that the same technology that helps people find a relationship now helps them destroy it. The same way many people use alcohol as "liquid courage", people can use the internet as "eCourage".

Not only are there "services" such as AshleyMadison, but the amount of information provided on internet websites and profiles has removed the necessary effort in relationship building. Normally it would be seen as good thing that you can find out a lot about someone just by reading their Facebook page. Most would argue that this can be used to make a decision of whether you might be interested in someone before getting the guts to ask them out, but is this a good thing? A Facebook profile is not an accurate reflection of someone, regardless of how much detail is given. You never know when something was put on there or in what context. You might find the answer to these uncertainties by actually meeting the person and talking to them about their favorite music, movies, books, etc. Crazy. After all, even if you do decide you want to go out with someone based on their Facebook page, do you really want to start a conversation with, "So, I was just browsing your Facebook page..."?

The owners of AshleyMadison will surely insist that they are just providing a service to those looking for a service to be provided. They'll say they don't encourage or support infidelity, yet their company slogan is "Life is short. Have an affair." Sounds like a winner. They'd even like to put their company name on a major airport as a corporate sponsorship. If there's one thing a major airport does not need, it's another means by which for road-weary business travelers to consider cheating on their spouses back at home.

Seeing things like this makes a TV show like Millionaire Matchmaker seem almost quaint and charming. At least on the show, the queen matchmaker refuses to help millionaire egomaniacs get exactly what they want if exactly what they want is a trophy bride that will be just another "flavor of the week". The show actually attempts to unravel the complex and sometimes not-so-complex personalities that carry all that money around. All at once the show is enjoyable and disgusting, but at least there is a thread of decency running through most of the episodes. The same cannot be said for other outlets of relationships doomed to be dysfunctional from the start.

As most of you know, it is often quite amusing to see what Google predicts you are typing in the search box before you type it. Today's example comes from an innocent search at work for the answer to an innocent question, "Is lead a carcinogen?".



It is so good to know that while kids are munching on lead paint chips at the playground and drinking lead-tainted water from old pipes, there is such overwhelming concern and awareness regarding Lady Gaga's anatomy and exactly how illegal it is to participate in illegal file sharing online. At least people have some kind of heart since they want to know if Lil' Wayne being dead is the reason he keeps avoiding going to jail.

Stay classy society.

Today Tiger Woods' caddy spoke to the media in his native New Zealand today. That's news, but not because of what he knew, but what he didn't. Apparently the media thinks that his adviser on the course is also his adviser off the course. People have even suggested that he is partially to blame for Tiger's transgressions since he could have guided him out this situation just like he might guide him out of a bad lie (the golf kind).

The simple response to this is, where do you see Tiger Woods with your own eyes? Unless this blog reaches farther than ever imaginable, the only answer to that question is "on TV playing golf" or maybe "in person playing golf". Well, that's where the caddy sees him also. Even if he knew some of what was going on, Tiger is his boss. Would you tell your boss he was really letting you down by being a serial adulterer?

Why is it such a problem that Tiger Woods is completely 100% to blame for all of this? Does this mean you have to feel guilty watching him play golf? No. Tiger probably did nothing worse than the majority of professional athletes, famous musicians, hotshot attorneys or business tycoons do. Is cheating with ten (or more) women really worse than cheating with one woman from a moral standpoint? From the very first time, he had betrayed the trust of his wife and kids.

He also set a bad example for other kids, but those kids can now cheer for Phil Mickelson or Sergio Garcia. Tiger's wife and kids don't get to trade their version of Tiger in. Same goes for John Daly's family. While the pubic can watch and be amused, some people are forced to watch and shutter.

In the wake of all of this, every move Tiger makes has become headline news. He spent six weeks at a rehab clinic in Mississippi. He was seen jogging. Then there was that awful press conference. Basically, by furthering his media appeal, the amount of newsworthy developments has to sustain the increased interest. Therefore, stuff that was never interesting is all of a sudden front page material. Nobody really cares, but it feels like you should since it leads the evening news, Sportscenter and every website from Drudge to Gawker. Once everyone is talking about it, the news outlets can feel validated by covering every move incessantly. The machine feeds itself.

What is going on at Starbucks? The place is already a normal part of a large percentage of the country's population's lives, but it has crossed that line into the realm of celebrities, reality TV personalities and Tiger Woods. Every move they make is news all of a sudden. Not only are people are beginning to use Starbucks as an outlet to express their political beliefs, it has developed the same bad habits as American institutions like McDonalds and GM. You'd think companies might learn that bigger is not always better.

It will be interesting to see how some of this stuff settles out. Across the country there are people bringing their loaded guns to Starbucks, where now they can order almost a liter of coffee at a time. Obviously, the last thing the world needs are some gun owners that are not only proud, but also jittery from their bucket of coffee. The question is, what happens when a teabagger becomes such a fan of a coffee shop? Irony aside, the hipness of Starbucks is likely to suffer.

Part of the benefit of Starbucks is that customers typically come in, order a drink and leave with it. Since each drink can cost up to $5, most people limit themselves to just one. This is a far preferable situation than people sitting at work all day guzzling cup after cup after cup. Now that 3 or 4 normal cups of coffee can come in one serving, the addicts will feel better about getting "one" drink at Starbucks. The challenge is going to be drinking the thing before it gets cold or hot, whichever you don't want it to do.

At least people might now learn that "Trenta" is Italian for "thirty". Since the drink is actually 31 ounces, Starbucks must have thought trentuno wasn't as marketable.

So, let it be known that Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is far more entertaining than Up.

Up jumps the shark a few hundred too many times. Ok, so an old man flies his house to South America with thousands of balloons? That's fine...it is an animated movie and all. But then he inadvertently takes a very annoying little boy with him? Well, it's a good thing that boy has family issues or else someone might actually notice he's gone. Ok, so there's this crazy bird in the jungle? Good thing there's a crazy old man chasing the bird or else it might have been completely pointless. Then, of course, there are the dogs that have GPS collars that verbalize the dogs' thoughts. Good thing the old man and annoying kid befriend one of the dogs that is apparently too nice and dog-like to be a part of the pack. The zeppelin blimp hasn't even been discussed yet, but this is obviously to bring the whole Nazi element into the picture. Yes, Nazis are still bad, even in 21st century animated movies about flying houses.

As for Meatballs, its just about weather that comes in the form of food. Pure genius. There's even the heartwarming story of a charismatic inventor and his dad, the bait shop-owning widower. Does anything else really need to be said?

Humility is, well, humbling. Everyone has such a high self-opinion and that's generally ok. There's nothing wrong with having a high self-opinion if you're honest with it. If you actually hold yourself to a standard, then living up to that standard could be considered a good thing.

So, this week's life lesson...

Early morning, just beginning the commute. Stopped at a red light, which promptly changes. Traffic starts to move, except the next car up. They sit. They sit more, but with a slight idling roll-back. The only reasonable thing to do is move to the next lane and zip by the sitting car, all the while giving them a shrug of the shoulders and the look that clearly says, "Ugh". It was all going according to plan until the police lights in the intersection became visible. Oh yeah, then the paramedic screaming through the intersection. Brakes were applied immediately, just in time to be next to the object of scorn just a few seconds earlier. Once the paramedic had passed, the driver of the other car gave that exact same "Ugh" look, but instead of the confused shrug of disbelief, they give a highly mocking hand clap with nothing but smugness written all over it.

And it was totally deserved. The rest of the drive to work was a little different than usual. People were allowed to pass. Speed was not the primary concern. Teeth were not gnashed. But for that day at least, a lesson was learned.

Being wrong is such a pain.

The internet has already brought us such great things as Failblog and FML, but it never stops innovating.

Now there's this gem: Oddly Specific

Twelve pages in and its still quite entertaining. Yes, some are clearly fake or at least staged, but that's ok.

As everyone knows, Nashville is Music City. This name came about in a simpler time, when relatively few places were known for their musical output. Detroit had Motown, Memphis had the blues, New Orleans had jazz, but Nashville was simply where "music" came from. However, it has become painfully apparent that the days of Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff and Chet Atkins are gone. Nashville can't even claim its hipper transplants, like Jack White and David Berman (Silver Jews), as its own. However, Nashville has become something different, something new: Terrible Music City.

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:


Exhibit C:


So yeah, if you're a young female singer with major ego baggage, could you find another city's good name to tarnish? Stay out of Birmingham too. The American Idol connections are hard enough to live down.

You have not lived until you have scoured your local Kroger grocery store looking for wasabi mayonnaise, which you've never been able to find in previous attempts, only to find it, buy it, then have it poorly bagged, causing it to inadvertently roll out of the bag on the counter at home, hit the floor, cracking the sealed lid, which splatters a green glob of nasal-tingling deliciousness across the floor, but mercifully does not crack the jar, allowing the remainder of the product, that cost $4 in the first place, to be salvaged for future use.

Upcoming nearby tour dates for the Best of 09 inclusions:

We Were Promised Jetpacks
2/18 Atlanta Masquerade
2/19 Nashville The End

The Big Pink
4/3 Atlanta Masquerade

Girls
2/4 Birmingham Bottletree
2/5 Atlanta The Earl
2/6 Nashville Exit In

Wilco
3/26 Atlanta Fox Theater

Lucero
2/5 Memphis Minglewood Hall
2/13 Lexington Buster's
2/27 Auburn The Strutting Duck
3/11 Chattanooga Rhythm N Brews
3/12 Nashville Mercy Lounge
3/13 Nashville Mercy Lounge

If you live somewhere else, check for more dates for these bands by clicking their name above. They'll surely be playing near you if they're playing near here. That goes for all of you in Seattle, Portland, Houston, New York, California, etc.

Just for the sake of it, how about some honorable mentions?

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

If given more listens, it might have forced its way into the list. It's just really good, but it doesn't demand you listen to it.

The Dimes - The King Can Drink the Harbour Dry

The premise of historical indie rock might be hokey, but it sounds pretty good here. This one is all about Boston during the American Revolution. Its like the indie rock companion to the HBO miniseries John Adams...or something.

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

Not bad, but just didn't quite take flight as hoped for. The louder songs just seem out of place. There's nothing wrong with making a full album of quiet songs.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why Are There Mountains?

That first song is great and then the rest of album sorta just happens and you're left thinking about that first song while the others come and go.

St. Vincent - Actor

If given a proper amount of listening, it would probably have easily made the list. That's not to say it won't be listened to in the future just as much as if it made the list. So yeah, go ahead and pretend it was on the list. If you need a number, consider it number 13.5.

Phosphorescent - To Willie

Maybe if there were a shortage of deserving albums of original material, an album of covers could make the cut, but such was not the case in 2009.

The Decemberists - Hazards of Love

Not a bad album, but not really significant given the band's prolific output previously. This album is one of those that is a victim of the band being so good to start with that almost anything will seem to fall short of expectations.

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

Very good, but painfully reminds the world that it needs The Delgados to reunite.

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

It just didn't have that "something" that made Armchair Apocrypha so great. Short of covering Ke$ha, nothing Andrew Bird makes would be bad, though.

The Thermals - Now We Can See

Simply put, not as good as The Body, The Blood, The Machine, which, simply put, was not as good as F***in' A.

Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed

A well-educated British guy singing folksy acoustic songs and doing so quite well.

David Bazan - Curse Your Branches

It was good, just not quite good enough. It probably deserves more listens, though. It was easy to get distracted by all the attention paid to the premise of the album and not the songs themselves. Maybe that's not fair.

Well, the list is out so now it's time for the second-guessing. It's time for each of you to say to yourself, "How could that idiot have forgotten about...?". As far as critically acclaimed indie rock, the most likely conclusion to that sentence might be one of the following:

Animal Collective - Ok, their 2 releases in 2009 were both great, but hardly life-altering or something that might make you redefine your taste. They definitely make interesting and creative music that is actually pretty fun to listen to, but from a personal perspective, it just doesn't make that strong of a connection. As an earlier post mentioned, "My Girls" is great and some other songs are very good. Honestly, though, it just didn't seem like Animal Collective needed to be on another list and if they had shown up around #17, it might have sparked more attention than just leaving them off all together.

Grizzly Bear - Again, a good album, but just not foolproof. Grizzly Bear just has such a unique sound that if it doesn't grab you, then it probably won't even really make an impact. That seems to be the reason they don't make the list. The album has a good sound, per se, but it just doesn't seem like something you'd want to listen to very often. Furthermore, Grizzly Bear just doesn't seem like it would be anyone's "favorite band". It may seem hypocritical since the Grizzly Bear side project Department of Eagles made the cut last year, but it just seemed better for all these reasons.

Dirty Projectors - Here's where things get interesting. Is it possible this album just wasn't very good? Sure, it's listenable, but even after multiple listens, not a single song sticks out. This might be the most overrated album of the year, which isn't the band's fault, so no ill will is intended toward them. Their music just isn't very remarkable, or at least not to every ear it comes in contact with.

Phoenix - This one was a challenge. This album is very easy to listen to and several songs linger after just one listen. A far cry from Dirty Projectors for sure. Anyway, it may be a victim of its own quality. If the idea is to write insanely catchy songs that make people feel good and make them hum/tap along, then this is easily album of the year. It just doesn't have any teeth and that makes it expendable.

The Flaming Lips - While they've never been bad at all, is it heresy to suggest that they might not be THAT great? Given the choice, The Soft Bulletin seems to be better than anything after it. They're obviously fun to see live and sometimes fun to listen to and even fun for reminiscing about listening to "She Don't Use Jelly" in 8th grade, but that seems to be about it.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - That "Heads Will Roll" song is really catchy, but so was The Macarena. Maybe if Karen O wasn't so annoying looking?

The Dead Weather - Jack White's third best band. No matter how good it is, if one of the members is already in two better bands, it just ain't happening.

As for mainstream albums, nobody really needs to be reminded that some bands put out strong albums this year. Even if the albums were among the 20 best of the year, it just doesn't flow right to list a great album by Dave Matthews Band or Pearl Jam with stuff like The Silent Years or Fanfarlo. A difficult decision was made on Muse's The Resistance. While they are not mainstream like DMB or PJ, they have made the crossover to the world of being bumper music for ESPN and other such outlets. You don't need to hear "Uprising" in this arena, even though it would sound great in an arena (Atlanta, 2/27; Nashville, 3/15). Muse is one of those bands that needs to be listened to for what they are, not for what list they appear on.

The final group of notable exclusions are albums by metal bands. Again, much like previously discussed, its hard to rank a Converge album alongside an Orenda Fink album. Let the record show that bands like Converge, along with Baroness, Mastodon and Isis made really great albums that could easily be among the 20 best of the year. However, the idea was to have a 20 song CD with 20 songs that people would actually want to listen to. Maybe there should be a companion disc that has only metal on it. If you're interested, make your interest known. Deal?

Alright, there have already been 13 days to pass in 2010 and still no "Best of 2009" here. Ok, that's changing right now. There'll be a little different approach this year: an actual comparative ranking. Usually it's just too hard to rank one great album to another since different seasons bring different sounds and different genres, but everyone seems to like it that way, so here goes:

20. Orenda Fink - Ask The Night

Ok, so having a song about her home state simply titled "Alabama" made her a lock for this list. There are other good songs on the album, though, including "High Ground", which features Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. This is an improvement on her previous solo effort, but it would still be nice to see a new Azure Ray album at some point. With Maria Taylor, Azure Ray is greater than the sum of its parts.

19. Lightning Dust - Infinite Light

Another female lead vocalist. Thankfully its not Ke$ha. No, it's the girl from Black Mountain (Amber Webber is her name). She has a very unique voice that makes itself known pretty much anywhere (see #16). This is very sedate music that requires the right time and place for greatest enjoyment, so take heed.

18. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy

Ok, so this is not on par with Perfect From Now On, Ancient Melodies of the Future or Keep It Like A Secret, but that is hardly an insult. When you put on a new BTS album, you're automatically listening for something like those three albums, but it just can't happen. Once you listen a few times, you realize this is a really good album because the creativity is there, the variety is there and of course the guitars are there. If it weren't Built to Spill, there would have never been a problem in the first place.

17. Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love

Ok, this is only the fifth album on the list and already the second Black Mountain side project. That's not to say that Black Mountain is the best band on Earth, but they're pretty good, particularly on last year's In The Future. Anyway, Pink Mountaintops does that hazy psychadelic thing and does it well. It's the kind of stuff that sounds like it might not be that hard to write yourself, but if that were true, more people would be doing it.

16. Old Canes - Feral Harmonic

This seems to be the year of the side project. This one comes from the once-mothballed side project of The Appleseed Cast's Chris Crisci. TAC also released an album this year, Sagarmatha, but this simply sounded better. It does, however, sound almost identical to the first Old Canes album, 2004's Early Morning Hymns. At least its good.

15. White Rabbits - It's Frightening

Alright, a non-side project. This album was produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon and, appropriately, it sounds not unlike a Spoon album. It definitely falls short of their debut, which happened to be one of the best albums of the decade. There are some good songs on here, but it just doesn't have that extra "it" of Fort Nightly. So long as these guys stick around a while, they'll continue making good albums.

14. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park

The dreaded major label debut. But wait, it's good. Yes, there are horns and yes it sounds more polished, but it works here. Ben Nichols still sings about what a slacker he is and how much whiskey he drinks, so its not like any long-time Lucero fan will be lost. Lucero might never be what they were again, but its not like they're going on tour with Ke$ha or anything.

13. Elvis Perkins - In Dearland

This album kinda falls into the same category that White Rabbits' did. It's a really good sophomore effort, but it remains somewhat hidden in the very long shadow if its unbelievably good predecessor. As compared to Ash Wednesday, this album has more variety, more pop, but less emotion and resonance. That'll happen.

12. M. Ward - Hold Time

If you ever needed a reason why She & Him should be just Him, this is it. Matt Ward is a great songwriter, but his songs sound best when he is singing them, not playing second fiddle to a B-lister that appears to only be an actress because she brings mediocre singing skills to the table and a singer only because she brings mediocre acting skills to the same table. Maybe that's harsh, but this isn't about her anyway. At the very least it should be He & Her.

11. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing

This album was maybe the biggest surprise of the year. There was absolutely no reason to think that Manchester Orchestra would come back with a strong album, but they're really young and really talented, so maybe it shouldn't be a surprise. Hearing some of these songs for the first time last summer at Sloss Furnace, you would have definitely pictured the new album being much darker and harder to get into, but it ended up being only just as dark as I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child and very easy to get into. Overall, it rocks very heavy, but Black Sabbath-esque riffs will tend to do that. Some of the songs seem expressly radio-friendly, but who listens to the radio anyway?

10. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

Wilco gathered a fair amount of mainstream exposure this year, which is of course deserved, and went the somewhat hokey route of putting out a song called "Wilco (The Song)" on an album called Wilco (The Album). In spite of such distractions, this album is quite good. Granted, its not quite the revelation of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or even A Ghost Is Born, but it more than adequately legitimatizes itself with songs like "I Will Fight", "One Wing" and "You and I".

9. Girls - Album

This was somewhat of a late entrant that quickly found a spot among the best. This album effectively balances grittiness with melody, which can sometimes be tricky. It must be all the drugs that were apparently taken during recording. The guy behind Girls, Christopher Owens, has a pretty interesting life story, but you can look into that yourself if you wish. The opening track is called "Lust for Life", but its not an Iggy Pop cover. That might not have been so bad, though.

8. The Silent Years - Let Go E.P.

So it's just an EP and it shares the name of a Nada Surf album, so it doesn't take long to warm up to this record. It's probably the best thing to come out of Detroit in 2009 in all arenas, not just music, so that's got to count for something. There seems to be a nice little seam of midwestern indie rock coming out these days, including these guys, Envy Corps (Iowa) and The Uglysuit (Oklahoma). Hopefully there'll be more than 6 songs on future releases.

7. The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love

There isn't an immediate description of this band that comes to mind. They're British. They have a huge sound. They incorporate dance beats into some songs. They exude confidence in their music. Despite all of this, they somehow don't really sound like Muse. They did open for Muse in the UK, though.

6. The Kingsbury Manx - Ascenseur Ouvert!

This is the first of those albums which at some point was the clubhouse leader for "Album of the Year". It just sounds good. There's enough of a Wilco thing going on to suit that interest, but with more folk. While it did slip down to #6, that certainly isn't a slight. This album still has that start-to-finish listenability quality, which might cause it to possess more lasting power than the higher ranked albums.

5. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

Another album of the year place holder that faded a little bit. Paste Magazine didn't think it faded, though, as it was their clear-cut AotY. There isn't a bad song on this record and Rick Rubin's production makes the Avett Brothers sound like a full-scale professional band for maybe the first time in their career. Unfortunately some of the intensity that marks much of the Avetts' earlier stuff is lost in the crispness. The raucous foot-stomping is largely replaced with ballads, but the album does finish with 2 legitimate rocking songs to leave you on the upswing. All of this and not a single song title that starts with "Girl from...".

4. Fanfarlo - Reservoir

Yes, it sounds like Arcade Fire sometimes. Now that that is out of the way, it cannot go unnoticed how great this album is. Besides, even if you do end up sounding like someone else, isn't it better to sound like Arcade Fire than Ke$ha, for instance? It's not like it's a blatant ripoff or anything. Mixing somewhat operatic male vocals with female harmonies and indie rock flourishes will tend to make parallels easy to spot.

3. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

It's really nice to laud a band for their release in 2009 without mentioning how, as good as the new album is, it just can't compare to previous efforts. Dinosaur Jr. are old dudes and definitely to the point in their careers where you don't even really expect great albums anymore. They've already broken up for several years and slowly reconvened to make some of the best music of their career over past few years. This is beyond Beyond, though, and seemed like the de facto choice for album of the year a few months ago. J Mascis' moaning vocals and guitars are clearly the focal point, which is what could lead to many more age-defying great albums.

2. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls

If this list were being made a week or two later, this might be number one. It has kinda come out of nowhere to make the list and would probably surprise most to see it this high. Thing is, it's just that good. It rocks very hard and very Scottish, neither or which is a bad thing. It almost seems like the Scottish equivalent of a band like Small Brown Bike. So yeah, Glasgow meets Gainesville.

1. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer

It's only appropriate that this list end with what is technically a side project (of Wolf Parade). Its easy to see, though, why people think SR should be Spencer Krug's main gig. There is just so much creative randomness throughout this album that you don't really notice that it's only got eight songs. Each song is like a mini-album in itself, so you certainly don't end up feeling slighted. This album might simply be too odd for mass consumption, but if it clicks, it will click very much.