My Favorite Things 2013

This year, more so than any other in recent memory, I found myself playing catch-up with last year's "best-of" that I didn't take in much from this calendar year. Basically, I haven't read, listened to or watched enough of anything to make separate lists for each ... so, here's my Top Ten Favorite Things from 2013.

1 & 2. While everyone is talking about AMC, HBO and Showtime and their popular programming, I'm interested in BBC America, which produced two of my favorite television shows this year: Orphan Black and the third season of Luther. One could not find better acting, nor more complicated and well-drawn characters. Bonus: the female characters are strong. Tatiana Maslany (playing 7 characters on Orphan Black) should have been nominated and won an Emmy, and Ruth Wilson (from Luther) is so on point as psychopath Alice Morgan, it actually makes me giddy when she shows up on screen.

3 & 4. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell and Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. I wrote reviews of both a while back, so I won't get into it again. Simply, both are books that stay with you.

5 & 6. I have slacked the most this year in the movie department. I have seen only one movie in the theater and about a handful on DVD. My two favorite films of the year are The Way Way Back and the German film Lore. It was theatrically released in 2012, but out on DVD in 2013, so I'm counting it. Lore takes place at the end of World War II and focuses on siblings who've been abandoned by their Nazi-sympathizing parents and now must confront the harsh reality of losing a war and the propaganda they've been fed. Superb performances from a very young cast and a WWII perspective not often told. The Way Way Back also features a younger actor with potential: Liam James (in the role of Duncan). His interactions with Sam Rockwell made this movie.

7. The album that sticks out to me this year is Tomorrow's Harvest by Boards of Canada. I enjoyed many others (from artists Daft Punk, Phoenix, Local Natives, The National, Quadron, Thundercat, and Cut Copy), but this one I enjoyed the whole way through. And I got sucked in. It's ambient, but not boring.

8-11. Even though I enjoyed the above album as a whole, my favorite songs of the year were Trying to Be Cool by Phoenix, Holy by Frightened Rabbit, Diane Young by Vampire Weekend (love, love, love the ending), and Heartbreaks + Setbacks by Thundercat.

Time Capsule Album Obsessions: College

Somehow when I had dreamed of going way to college, I didn't imagine that I'd be escaping to Appleton, WI-a city almost more culturally devoid than the tiny, far-north Chicago suburb that I grew up in. I had more exotic locales like Chicago or New York City in mind. But a scholarship, parental pressure, and a campus that reminded me of Rushmore Academy won out in the end and I went to Lawrence University in Appleton.  Lawrence University is one of the premier colleges for music in the United States, which is great if you like classical music or the opera. However, for rock music you pretty much have to drive to Milwaukee (a little over an hour away) or Madison (about an hour and a half away) to see anyone decent live.  Unsurprisingly, I didn't go to a lot of shows during this period.  However, I did discover a bunch of new bands thanks to being surrounded by a bunch of music geeks.  Below are my five most listened to albums from college (check out the whole list here):

Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie (2003).
Find it in the catalog!
This is one of the few early Death Cab albums that I can still listen to without cringing too much at my former, college-aged self.  I related to these songs immensely then, so listening to them is sort of like looking at pictures of yourself with a bad haircut that you thought was awesome at the time.  That's no diss to Death Cab.  I actually like their recent stuff quite a bit (especially Codes and Keys).  And Chris Walla's guitar work has always been superb. But Ben Gibbard's lyrics seem a little too angst ridden and confessional in hindsight.  Maybe I've just grown to hate earnestness.  In spite of this, Transatlanticism still holds up pretty well for me, possibly because Gibbard's lyrics aren't as intensely personally as on some of Death Cab's other albums from the early aughts.  I'm not a huge fan of "Tiny Vessels" or "Death of an Interior Decorator."  But the rest of the album is pretty solid. 

Favorite Songs: Sound of Settling, Transatlanticism, Passenger Seat

Alligator by the National. 
Find it in the catalog!
The National were a band I had been hearing good things about for a while, but could never track down one of their records.  When  I saw Alligator on the shelves at Borders (in McHenry, of all places), I picked it up and fell in love with it instantly.  The National were different from a lot of the bands I had been listening to at the time.  The music was dark and well-crafted, and singer Matt Berninger had a deep, world-weary voice.  The National is still one of my favorite bands and I've loved both of their subsequent albums, but Alligator still probably has the most songs on it that I love (Boxer is my favorite overall).  Out of the albums that I loved in college, this is definitely the one that I revisit the most often. 

Favorite Songs: All the Wine, Geese of Beverly Road, Daughters of the Soho Riots, Mr. November

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot- Wilco (2002)
Find it in the catalog!
When I was in high school, "country" even of the alt variety, sounded like something that I just couldn't get into.  So it took me a really long time to listen to Wilco.  So long, in fact, that I did not check out Yankee Hotel Foxtrot until a year after it was released, in spite of its universal acclaim.  However, once I finally did get around to checking it out, I pretty much listened to it on repeat for about two years (it is part of my subconscious now). This is still one of my favorite albums of all time.

Favorite Songs:  I'm Trying to Break Your Heart, Ashes of American Flags, Jesus, Etc., Poor Places

Something Else- Kinks
Find it in the catalog!

The Kinks were probably my favorite band in college. Yet I don't remember how I started listening to them, I just remember suddenly being into the Kinks.  But it's pretty safe to blame the movie Blow-up, which made me want to check out anything that British and from the 60s.  The Kinks definitely had a gritter sound than other music from the 60s that I was used to (i.e. The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel), which made their music sound more modern to me.  Also, Ray Davies is probably one of my favorite songwriters ever.  His lyrics are funny, biting and have great social commentary.  Something Else was my introduction to the Kinks.  While I'd eventually love The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society and Lola Versus Powerman and the Money-go-round more, Something Else remained in heavy rotation until grad school, largely thanks to "Waterloo Sunset."

Favorite Songs:  Waterloo Sunset, Afternoon Tea, and Tin Solider Man

69 Love Songs- Magnetic Fields
Find it in the catalog!

I first got into the Magnetic Fields with the album The Charm of the Highway.  I liked how poppy and yet bleak Stephin Merritt's songs were, as well as how clever some of the lyrics were.  Pretty much all of the Magnetic Fields albums were played in heavy rotation in my dorm room, but 69 Love Songs is probably Merritt's masterpiece.  Also, the three disc set was the perfect length to drive home for breaks.

Favorite songs: I Don't Want to Get Over You, I Don't Believe in the Sun, No One Will Ever Love You,  The Sun Goes Down and The World Goes Dancing, Busby Berkeley Dream, I Can't Touch You Anymore

What We're Listening to: Tramp by Sharon Van Etten

Tramp by Sharon Van Etten
Find it in the catalog!


Tramp is the third album by New York City-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten.  I really enjoyed her last album, Epic (especially the closing track, "Love More").  However, Tramp sounded even more promising because it was produced by Aaron Dessner of The National (one of my favorite bands) and had a stellar guest list including Zach Condon of Beirut, Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak, and Matt Barrick of the Walkmen among others.

Van Etten could rival Adele for writing songs about love gone wrong.  On her last two albums, many songs revolved around a break up with a particularly nasty boyfriend.  While I'm a break-up song connoisseur, I was happy to see that she had mostly moved on from that on Tramp. There is still some romantic angst (including the awesome break-up anthem "Serpents"), but Van Etten seems more focused on personal growth and her own failings this time out.

Van Etten's lyrics really add a lot to the album.  She's good a conveying a lot simply.  For instance, one of my favorite lines on the album is from "Give Out:" "You're the reason why I'll move to the city/ Or why I'll need to leave."  Tramp has a somber and emotional vibe; it's a great album to listen to on a gloomy day.

Stand out tracks:  I love "Serpents", which rocks surprisingly hard for an otherwise mellow album.  "Give Out" is a beautiful but bittersweet track about starting a new relationship after being hurt.  "I'm Wrong" is a builder and is oddly inspirational for a song pleading for self-delusion.  The closer "Joke or a Lie" is a lovely blend of vulnerability and melancholy.

Song Obsessions

 Below are six tracks I can't stop listening to.  This time around I seem to have a lot of messed up love songs in the roster (big surprise!):

"Thirteen" by Big Star from Keep an Eye on the Sky  (Find it in the catalog!).
The lyrics to this song are so simple and innocent, "Won't you let me take you home from school/ Won't you let me meet you at the pool/ Maybe Friday, I'll get tickets to the dance/ And I'll take you, ooh."  However, Alex Chilton's vulnerable and world-weary vocals suggest that he knows that this young love won't last very long. 

"All Dolled Up in Straps" by National from the Cherry Tree EP (Find it in the catalog!)
Since seeing them live, I've been revisiting the National's earlier, pre-Alligator albums which I really haven't listened to all that much.  And, man, have I been missing out!  They have some really great early albums.  "All Dolled Up in Straps" from their Cherry Tree EP really stood out for me.  The lyrics are pretty dark.  It seems to be about a guy accusing his girlfriend of cheating on him, or a guy worried that the girl he's stalking might be seeing someone else.  Somehow, the song still manages to be catchy.  I also adore Matt Berninger's voice on the song.  It sound rawer than his later work, like he's singing with a sore throat.   

"Under Your Spell" by Desire from the Drive soundtrack (Find it in the catalog!).  
I listened to a lot of 80s-inspired disco pop like Sally Shapiro, The Chromatics and College in grad school.  The late night vibe and bitter-sweetness really appealed to me. So naturally I fell in love with the Drive soundtrack as soon as I saw the film.  This song is my favorite though; it's a nice obsessive love song.

"One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)" and "Whole Love" by Wilco from Whole Love (Find it in the catalog!). 
I really enjoyed the last Wilco album.  If I had listened to it earlier in the year, it probably would have been in my top ten of the year.  These are my two favorite songs from the album.  "Whole Love" is a short, sweet love song that sets the stage for the epic and beautiful closer, "One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)". 

"Civilian" by Wye Oak from Civilian (Find it in the catalog!). 
I hadn't really listened this band too much before seeing them in concert, but I was blown away by their performance.  This song is full of anxiousness and builds slowly up until the crazy guitar work at the end.

Concert Review: The National, Wye Oak and Local Natives at the Aragon Ballroom, 12/6/2011

Last Tuesday night, Brooklyn based indie rockers, the National, played a sold out show at Uptown's Aragon Ballroom.

Even though the National has been one of my favorite bands for about six year now, I never quite got around to seeing them live.  At first, it was just pure laziness on my part, but for the last couple of years there have been some serious obstacles in my way: like only playing Chicago for Lollapalooza (port-a-potties and poor sound quality, I think not) or playing the exact same night AND time as my other favorite Ohio rock band- the Black Keys.  Excuses excuses, I know, but I was getting seriously worried I'd never see them live. So when the Aragon gig was announced, I was super excited that not only were the National playing Chicago again (and indoors!), but they had two bands I liked a lot opening for them! 

Baltimore duo Wye Oak started off the evening a little bit before seven.  Their album, Civilian, was one of my favorite albums of this year, but I was even more impressed with their live show. Jenn Wasner's vocals really popped in a live setting and her guitar playing was phenomenal. The band had incredible sound for a two person outfit, especially considering the Aragon's barn like acoustics and that poor Wasner spent most of the set being half- electrocuted by her mike.

Next up were L.A. based indie poppers Local Natives. Out of the bands, they were probably the one I was least excited to see. I enjoyed their album, Gorilla Manor. But they are a little too upbeat and accessible for me to listen to on a regular basis.  But in concert, they were adorable and the audience really enjoyed their set.   Local Natives singer Taylor Rice had an easy going and affable stage presence (and looked vaguely like James Franco with a mustache).  It was probably smart to have them sandwiched in between two more lugubrious acts.  They were the only band that you could dance to and not look weird (though many tried and failed to prove otherwise). 

Before the National set, they had a live video of the band hanging out backstage.  It had a strange effect on the audience.  At first we calmly watched the video, then slowly started cheering louder and louder to cajole the band out of their dressing room- like a pre-concert encore. The band took the stage around nine and played for a solid hour and a half.  Singer Matt Berninger looked sharp in a suit coat, vest, tie, jeans and oxfords.  Casually holding a wine glass in his hand through the evening, he looked like the dapperest man in indie rock (Hamilton Leithauser better up his game).  The band opened with "Runaway" from their most recent album, High Violet.  But their set drew from throughout their career, including tracks from their more obscure early records like "Murder Me Rachael" from Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers and "Son" from their self-titled debut. 

My Music Year: Trapped in 2007

Following in the footsteps of fellow Media Corner Blogger Jason and the AV Club before him, I highlight one of my favorite years in music.

There is a certain type of people who seem trapped in a period of their life—for instance, people who relieve their high school glory days well into adulthood.  Similarly, I think some people have a musical peak; they get fixated on a particular period in music and never quite move on.  Their musical taste slowly atrophies into unhipness.  I had a neighbor in college who seemingly only listened to music which was popular circa 1996.  This would have been less annoying, if say he was really into Weezer’s Pinkerton or Belle and Sebastian’s If Your Feeling Sinister.  Instead, I had to wake up every morning to sounds of the Cranberries’ “Salvation” and Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta” blaring from his dorm room.  The kid must have musically peaked at the age of 12.  How sad, I thought, be in your very early 20s and already nostalgic.

However, when I was attempting to compile my best of the 00's album list (a task I still haven't finished), I realized a disconcerting trend.  Save for Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001) and Neko Case’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006), all of my favorite albums were from 2007.  I wondered if this was my own musical heyday…soon I’d be the annoying neighbor blaring LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends” and saying stuff like, “2007, that was when music was music!  Not like the rubbish kids listen to these days.”

Thankfully, my music geekery is insatiable, so it's hard for me to get stuck in one year for too long.  Even if I’m still really obsessed with Person Pitch and Jens Lekman. 

My Top Five of 2007:

5).  Cryptograms- Deerhunter
Find it in the catalog!
It took me a while to discover this album.  Deerhunter had kind of a notorious reputation at the time, thanks in part to front man Bradford Cox's sometimes erratic behavior and provocative blog posting.  The first time I heard most of the songs off of Cryptograms was when I saw the band live in 2008.  The eerie moodiness of the album, as well as the spare psychedelia make Cryptograms a classic.

Stand-Out Tracks: Spring Hall Convert, Strange Lights, Heatherwood

4).  Night Falls Over Kortedala- Jens Lekman
Find it in the catalog!
Though he had garnered some fame for his singles "You are the Light" and "Maple Leaves," I somehow missed Lekman until 2007. I saw him described on a music blog as being a combination of Jonathan Richman and Frank Sinatra.  As a big Jonathan Richman, I immediately checked out his single "Postcard to Nina" and I was hooked.  Night Falls Over Kortedala is a funny, quirky, but sincere effort.

Stand-Out Tracks: Opposite of Hallelujah, A Postcard to Nina, Into Eternity, Kanske Ar Jag Kar i Dig

3).  Sound of Silver- LCD Soundsystem
Find it in the catalog!
Having spent much of 2006 listening to the Talking Heads, New Order, and Gang of Four (thanks Marie Antoinette), meaning I was in the perfect frame of mind to love this album. While all of James Murphy and Co.'s albums are great, Sound of Silver is probably the most consistently awesome.  Best three song stretch of the Aughts?: "North American Scum," "Someone Great" and "All My Friends."

Stand-Out Tracks: The aforementioned three, "Get Innocuous!"  and "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down." 

2).  Boxer- The National
Find it in the catalog!
Alligator, the 2005 release by the National, had been in heavy rotation in my stereo for about two years when Boxer came out.  It was one of my most hotly anticipated albums of the year and it exceeded my expectations.  Most National albums have to grow on you, but my love for Boxer was immediate.  They just do melancholy so well.  This is an album full of slowly building tension and brooding.  Lyrically, the album focuses on the theme of reluctantly growing up.  Being 23 at the time, I could definitely relate to the early adulthood ambivalence.

Stand-Out Tracks:  Fake Empire, Mistaken for Strangers, Slow Show, Apartment Story, Start a War

1).  Person Pitch- Panda Bear
Find it in the catalog!
If there was one album that was the zeitgeist of 2007, it was probably the solo album of Animal Collective member Noah Lennox aka. Panda Bear.  Person Pitch was named the best album of the year by Tiny Mix Tapes, Gorilla Vs. Bear, and Pitchfork. It has an upbeat sound and is unabashedly Beach Boys-esque. It definitely is a pick-me up record.  When I listen to it, my mood usually improves and I feel more relaxed.  Person Pitch is like a trip to Portugal for your ears!  This album is definitely recommended for fans of the Animal Collective album Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009). 

Stand-Out Tracks: Comfy in Nautica, Bros, Good Girl/ Carrots, Ponytail. 

Take My Breath Away: Love Songs

I generally prefer my music to be sad, with the occasional twist of bitter, but that doesn't mean I don't occasionally fall for a nice love song. In honor of St. Valentine's Day, below is a list of some of my favorite romantic songs.  This is not a list of the greatest love songs of all time, so don't be offended that I didn't include "Take My Breath Away" or "In Your Eyes."  Also, the author is not responsible for the repercussions of putting any of these songs on a mix tape for your lady friend.

That Teenage Feeling- Neko Case
From: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006).
Find it in the catalog!

This song nicely contrasts a skeptical, but mature outlook on love with a naive, but romantic teenage one:

Now that we've met, we can only laugh at these regrets
Common as a cold, They are telephone poles
They follow each other, one after another,
After another...
But now my heart is green, like weeds
Grown to outlive the season
And nothing comforts me the same
As my brave friend who says:
"I don't care if forever never comes,
Because I'm holding out for that teenage feeling."

Slow Show- The National
From: Boxer (2007). 
Find it in the catalog!

Like any song from the National, it's hard to tell exactly what it's about.  However, there definitely some angst in this song.  I couldn't help myself though, because there is a lot of sweetness in the song too:

I want to hurry home to you
Put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
So you can put a blue ribbon around my brain
God, I'm very very frightened
I'll over do it
You know I dreamed about you
For 29 years before I saw you
You know I dreamed about you
I missed you for, for 29 years

Johnsburg, Illinois/ Shore Leave- Tom Waits
From: Swordfishtrombones (1983). 
Find it in the catalog!

This is kind of a toss up for me.  Both songs are about his wife and from the same album.  But I'm leaning more towards "Johnsburg, Illinois," because I grew up in the next town over.  And that song is definitely the coolest thing about Johnsburg. 

She's my true love 
She's all that I think of
Look here is my wallet 
That's her 
She grew up on a farm there 
There is a place on my arm
Where I've written her name
Next to mine
(from "Johnsburg, Illinois")

And I wondered how the same moon outside
Over this Chinatown fair
Could look down on Illinois
And find you there
And you know I love you, baby
And I'm so far away from home
And I miss my baby so
And I can't make it by myself
I love you so
(from "Shore Leave")

Higher Power- Jonathan Richman.
From: I, Jonathan (1992). 
Find it in the catalog!

Jonathan may have a childlike outlook on romance and well, pretty much everything else, but he's awesome and this song will give you a case of the awwws...

They say that magic and the science world collide
But Einstein saw me looking at her and he joined my side
And I knew how it would be the way she hated me
And there must be a higher power somewhere

It's magic It's magic the way we got together
It's magic It's freedom, it's fair
It's magic It's magic no not at random
And there must be a higher power somewhere

Music Roundup: Best Tracks of 2010

 Song rankings are determined by the following (highly scientific) factors:

• Essential awesomeness
• Personal zealotry
• Number of repeat playings
• Perceived technical difficulty

1). Dance Yrself Clean- LCD Soundsystem

Found on: This is Happening (Find it in the catalog!) 

Comments:  Throw your little hands up!

2).  Bloodbuzz Ohio- The National

Found on:  High Violet (Find it in the catalog!) 

3).  O.N.E.- Yeasayer

Found on: Odd Blood (Find it in the catalog!) 

4). Everlasting Light- Black Keys

Found on: Brothers (Find it in the catalog!)

Comments: Dan Auerbach proves that he is finally man enough to sing like a girl .  

5).  Closet Astrologer- Ruby Suns

Found on: Fight Softly (Find it in the catalog!) 

6).  Wanderin’- Justin Townes Earle

Found on: Harlem River Blues (Find it in the catalog!)

7).  Dancing on My Own- Robyn

Found on: Body Talk, Part 1 (Find it in the catalog!) 

8). Take it Easy-Surfer Blood
Found on: Astro Coast (Find it in the catalog!)  

9).  Core of Nature- Midlake
Found on: Courage of Others (Find it in the catalog!) 

10).  Boyfriend- Best Coast
Found on: Crazy for You (Find it in the catalog!) 

Runners Up (unranked): 

Norway- Beach House
Found on: Teen Dream (Find it in the catalog!) 

F*** You- Cee-Lo 
Found on: The Lady Killer (Find it in the catalog!) 

Lark- Josh Ritter 

Found on: So Runs Away the World (Find it in the catalog!) 

Comment:  Best Paul Simon song not done by Paul Simon. 

Laughing Hieroglyphics- Avey Tare

Found on:  Down There (Find it in the catalog!)

Comment:  Recent discovery, otherwise would probably be in top 10.  

That's a dealbreaker: Songs inspired by babies and parenthood

Perhaps it's my Grinch-like disposition (before he went all soft), but babies don't really give me the warm and fuzzies.  I don't dislike babies, though they do cry a lot and aren't potty trained, but I'm not one to break out in "coochie coos" at the site of a diapered tot either.  So, unsurprisingly, listening to people (especially new parents) talk about their kids is about as interesting to me as watching paint dry.  I'll listen to it and pretend to nod interestedly (I'm so polite), but it's one of my least favorite conversation topics.*  Anyway, since I can barely tolerate hearing about friends' and family members' tykes, I really don't want to listen to some person I've never met sing about their kid.   Especially when they have to be all sentimental, smug and saccharine about it. 

I prefer music that is on the gloomier side.  So some of my aversion comes from the fact some of the songs are so irritatingly joyful. Perhaps this is why I am the most tolerant towards Paul Simon's songs about his children, which tend to be less cloyingly sweet.  For instance, "That Was Your Mother" from Graceland, which contains these lyrics:

That was your mother

And that was your father

Before you were born, dude

When life was great

You are the burden of my generation

I sure do love you

But let's get that straight

Wouldn't you just love to be Paul Simon's kid?

On the flip side, I really can't stand Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely?"  Yes, Songs in the Key of Life is mostly a good album (even though it's a double album), but did he really need to start the song with the sound of his baby cooing? And the lyrics are sweeter than a packet of sugar:

Isn't she lovely

Truly the angel's best

Boy, I'm so happy

We have been heaven blessed

Is it anyone wonder that someone like me, whose heart is two sizes too small, just can't stand that song? 

Anyway, lest you think I have no cockles on my heart to warm, I do like a couple baby-inspired songs.  Most have a slightly more nuanced take on parenthood, though some just have a pretty killer beat:

What We're Listening To: High Violet by the National

The National are a quintet of displaced Ohioans currently residing in Brooklyn.  They have an intimate, moody, tense sound, but they don't descend into lugubriousness.  Singer Matt Berninger's deep baritone has been compared to everyone from Leonard Cohen to Ian Curtis.  They have a little bit of a post-punk, Joy Division revival sound that was very cool in New York around the turn of the Millennium.  However, the National have a classic and refined approach to that sound.  They also know how to rock a good string arrangement.

I've been a big fan of the band since the their third album, Alligator, and their fourth album, Boxer, is one of my all time favorites.  Which is to say, that my expectations for this album were fairly high.  Because of their somewhat reserved rock sound, appreciation for their albums tend to build with repeated listenings.  I enjoyed High Violet the first time I listened to it, especially the single "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and catchy opener "Terrible Love."  But I liked the back half of the album more than the slower, restrained first half.  Songs like "Sorrow," Berninger's love song to the emotion, grow on you slowly.  That being said, High Violet has a bigger and more immediately accessible sound than Boxer, which is full of tension and mood with few hooks. 

Matt Berninger is an interesting lyricist.  Many of his songs tend to be about banal subjects: relationship tension, work troubles, money problems, etc.  He has a stream-of-consciousness flow which makes his lyrics sometimes very specific but also difficult to pinpoint exactly what he's talking about.  While Alligator and Boxer seemed more self-deprecating and inwardly focused, High Violet looks to the outside world more.   "Bloodbuzz Ohio" address the economy, "I still owe money to the money to the money I owe/ The floors are failing out from everybody I know."  Meanwhile, "Afraid of Everyone" appears to be about the increased polarization in politics, "Venom radio and venom televison/ I'm afraid of everybody, I'm afraid of everybody/ They're the young blue bodies/ With the old red bodies."  Berninger then goes on to describe how this increased political tension influences his role as a parent, "With my kid on my shoulders I try/ Not to hurt anybody I like/ But I don't have the drugs to sort/ I don't have the drugs to sort it out."  Throughout the album, Berninger plays with apocalyptic imagery including floods ("Little Faith"), swarms of bees ("Bloodbuzz Ohio"), and zombies (well, brain eating anyway, "Conversation 16"). 

High Violet is full of tense, anxious and somber moments, but it is not a drag. While talking about the track "Sorrow" in an interview with the Onion's A.V. Club, Berninger said, "Sadness is not always the worst feeling.  Sometimes it's a really pleasurable thing to be overwhelmed with sadness."  This statement could easily be about the album.  It's an enjoyable, catchy, and beautiful album filled with serious and dark moments.  You'll know if you're the kind of mopey person who likes this stuff.

Stand-out tracks:  I'm still head-over-heels for "Bloodbuzz Ohio."  Berninger is great at writing biting love songs, "Terrible Love" and "Sorrow" are certainly two good examples of that.  "Lemon World" oozes with middle class complacency and boredom.  Closing track "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" proves to be as awesome as the name and has beautiful orchestral work in it.

 Recommended for fans of: Midlake, Interpol, Joy Division, Tom Waits, Wilco, and Tindersticks.

Find it in the Catalog!

First Annual Beardys: For Excellence in Facial Hair in Rock Music

It seems that every rock band these days must have at least one bearded member.  I'm not sure what's behind this surge in hirsute rockers, but let's celebrate the best of the bewhiskered anyway.

Best Beard, Group Performance: Midlake.
Their touring band has seven bearded/ mustachioed members, giving them a sizable win over the Seattle's hairiest band, the Fleet Foxes (who have a mere four beards in their band).

Best Beard, Individual Performance: Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus.