• Ickmix

    IckMix 6: Move

    I put this together for my brother a few months ago as a running/exercise companion. Since then, I’ve listened to it quite a few times on my runs, and quite simply, it pretty much kicks ass.

    So download, throw it on your iPod/iPhone/SmartPhone of choice, and move! (Or, sit back in a La-Z-Boy with a strong cocktail. You do what you want, I’m not your daddy).

    IckMix 6: Move (mp3)

    1. “Month of May” – Arcade Fire (3:51) | The Suburbs
    2. “Bushwick Blues” – Delta Spirit (3:44) | History from Below
    3. “Seaside Bar Song” – Bruce Springsteen (3:35) | Tracks
    4. “Run Runaway” – Slade (5:01) | The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome
    5. “Now It’s On+ – Grandaddy (4:08)  | Sumday
    6. “When My Time Comes” – Dawes (5:08) | North Hills
    7. “A More Perfect Union” – Titus Andronicus (7:10) | The Monitor
    8. “The Leader” – The Clash (1:42) | Sandinista!
    9. “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)” – Pat Travers Band (5:06) | Pat Travers Band…Live! Go For What You Know
    10. “Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)” – Prince (7:37) | Ultimate
    11. “Freedom Park” – Marah (4:35) | 20,000 Streets Under The Sky
    12. “I Do (LP Version)” – J. Geils Band (3:08) | Monkey Island

  • Rock

    The Month of May – New Arcade Fire

    Oh, how sweet it is to a hear a new song from Arcade Fire – an energetic tune called “The Month of May” that instantly grabs hold and takes flight. I frigga-dickin’ LOVE this band and I cannot wait to see them again… Listen!!

    This Band and its new song by c20917

    You can also hear another new one, “The Suburbs”, over at Bravely Done. I think we should file these under Enjoy While We Can, as I’m not sure they have the blessing of the band. But “Month of May” is very hard to keep to yourself.

  • Best of Lists

    Pete’s Favorite Albums of the 00’s

    Quick Note: I didn’t want to bombard my Top 10 with Springsteen and Prince albums, so I chose my favorites of theirs from the 00’s. Did I spend more time with  M.I.A.’s Arular than with Bruce’s Magic or Prince’s Musicology?  No way.  Just so you know, I limited my picks to one album per artist.

    And now, on to the completely subjective look at 10 of my favorite albums of the decade!

    10. Prince – The Rainbow Children (2001)

    Jazzy, funky, and dipping deeply into P’s then new-found life as a Jehovah’s Witness, this album connected with me more than any Prince album of the 00’s (and nope, no JW am I). As much as the 54 second “Wedding Feast” makes me cringe, the album makes up for it with great tracks like “Digital Garden”, “The Work, Pt. 1”, and “The Sensual Everafter”.

    Favorite tune: “1+1+1 is 3” (mp3) – to me, easily the funkiest Prince song of the 00’s.

    9. M.I.A. – Arular (2005)

    I couldn’t leave the girls out! M.I.A. came out of nowhere halfway through the decade with her brand of world-influenced electronic hip-hop. I love her attitude, her style, her accent, and she ain’t so bad lookin’ either. I think this is one of those love it or hate it albums. My wife can’t stand it. But for me, songs like “Pull Up The People”, “Fire Fire”, and “Amazon” just, er, do it for me, okay?

    Favorite tune: “Bucky Done Gun” – super sexy militant rappin’ time:

    8. Steve Earle – Jerusalem (2002)

    Steve had a lot to say about the state of our country after 9/11 and the ensuing conflicts overseas. Of course he was his controversial self with “John Walker’s Blues”. He was fierce as hell on “Ashes to Ashes” and “Amerika V. 6.0 (The Best We Can Do)”. And he looked for a world of peace in the gentle album closer, “Jerusalem”. A great album top to bottom.

    Favorite tune: “What’s a Simple Man To Do?” (mp3) – an organ-driven barnburner of a tune about a Mexican drug smuggler’s letter to his madre.

    7. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

    Sure, some people think this is the obligatory best of the decade album – even if they think it doesn’t merit it. But guess what, it’s completely subjective, and certain albums connect with certain people. YHF was on constant rotation early in the decade. Wilco’s creativity and originality were through the roof in the late 90’s to early 00’s. The changes in direction between Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and A Ghost is Born are startling.

    Favorite tune: The “War on War” and “Jesus, Etc.” combo special.

    6. Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump (2000)

    The brainchild of Jason Lytle, this futuristic, tech-themed album – with its gorgeous, sweeping electronic-based melodies – blew me away. Who would’ve guess I’d have such strong feelings about songs like “”Broken Household Appliance National Forest” and “Miner at the Dial-a-View”?

    Favorite tune: “The Crystal Lake” and the beautiful “So You’ll Aim Toward the Sky” (YouTube).

    5. Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)

    Win Butler and his merry troupe of noisemakers got my attention with “Old Flame” from their self-titled EP. And when I heard this album, I was hooked.

    Favorite tune: “Wake Up” (YouTube) – especially after seeing them live at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. A sea of people singing “Whoooa-ooooa Whoooa-oooo-oooo-ooo”.

    4. Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)

    When Bruce takes a break from the E Street Band, you never know what you’re gonna get. And with the Sessions record, it was a return to the roots of American folk music, and he brought along about 15-20 of his friends for the ride. This album provided countless hours of joy around our house. And the tour stop through Phoenix was an absolute thrill for me and my wife. Hey Bruce, bring back the Sessions Band!!

    Favorite tune: “Pay Me My Money Down”. A family favorite. The kids still sing it.

    3. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin (2008)

    2. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time (2006)

    Thank God these guys came along. Led by the gentle voice of Ben Bridwell, the first two Band of Horses albums are folk/indie masterpieces. There isn’t a bit of filler in either of these, and I look forward to following these guys for the rest of my lifetime.

    Favorite tune: “Monsters” [mp3] (from EATT) and “Windows Blues” [mp3] (from CTB) – surprise, the slower tunes.

    1. Marah – Kids in Philly (2000)

    In 2000, when I was going through some “woe is me” / “whaddya mean I can’t get this girl back”-type stuff, this album picked me up, punched me in the nuts, and knocked me back over. I was living down by the new Tempe Town Lake, and I’d run around it a few nights a week – I’d start running as the opening banjo riff of “Faraway You” ignited the album, and I wouldn’t stop ’til the closing street harmonies of “This Town”. The album was super cathartic, and every time I listen to it, I think of that summer of 2000. August 2000 also included one of the best rock ‘n roll shows I’ve ever seen: Marah at Tempe’s now defunct Long Wong’s – a small, sweat-soaked bar. I’ll never forget the energy of Dave, Serge and the boys that night. The album and band encapsulate what stripped down rock ‘n roll is all about.

    Favorite Tune: “Round Eye Blues” – capturing the spirit of Motown and Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, this is a vivid and beautiful song, sung in the perspective of a young man in Vietnam:

    Fables tell of men who fell
    With swords dangling from their chest
    The old guys down at the taproom swear
    The Japs could kill you best
    But late at night I could still hear the cries
    Of three black guys I seen take it in the face
    I think about them sweet Motown girls they left behind
    And the assholes that took their place

    Goosebumps every time.

    When all is said and done, this is the album that affected me most personally, and therefore must be crowned: Pete’s Album of the 00’s!

  • Nudges

    A Nudge in the Right Direction

    Get out of the car long hair!

    Editor’s Note: It’s been a busy ‘music news’ day, here is what has my attention…

    U2 is following this weeks “No Horizon on the Line” with what Bono describes as a “sister release” titled “Songs of Ascent” later this year. Here’s hoping it’s the pretty sister. [stereogum]

    Phish kicks off their reunion tour on Friday and is giving away free high quality downloads of the first three shows. [livephish.com]

    Wayne Coyme of The Flaming Lips is not a fan of Arcade Fire. [Rolling Stone]

    From the ‘no duh’ file, Daft Punk will be providing the soundtrack to Tron 2.0. [The Yellow Stereo]

    Looks like Prince is recycling a few old tracks for his upcoming “LotusFlow3r”, peep the full track list at Prince.org (as it’s already been pulled from Amazon by the Purple Police) [Prince.org]

    Finally, our friends at Popdose open the crates and pull out the brilliant remixes of Peter Gabriel‘s “Steam” for White Label Wednesday. [Popdose]

    Bonus! I happened to have the underrated “Quiet Steam” version in my collection (which was available on the “Digging in the Dirt” single), now you can add it to your collection…

    Quiet Steam” (mp3) by Peter Gabriel
    [audio:03 Quiet Steam.mp3]

  • Best of Lists

    Pete’s Year in (Ick)Music: 2007

    I know you’re probably all sick of the obligatory year end list mania sweeping the interwebs, but indulge me, if you will, as I throw in a few favorites myself. I give you….

    Pete’s Year in (Ick)Music: 2007

    Songs of the Year:

    1. “Intervention”, by Arcade Fire – Win Butler and his band of gypsy maniacs known as Arcade Fire rocked my soul with this song. I had the heard the song in earlier incarnations, specifically on one of AF’s Morning Becomes Eclectic appearances. But it was after Neon Bible was released, when I was on a run with the iPod, when this song raised the hairs on my arms, brought tears to my eyes, and zapped me with an extra dose of adrenaline. In my opinion, “Intervention” is an epic masterpiece, joining songs like “Purple Rain”, “Thunder Road”, “London’s Burning”, and Steve Earle’s “Goodbye” on my mantle of all time favorites. The church organ, the lamenting lyrics that spotlight the brave and innocent soldier stuck in a unnecessary war:

    “I can taste the fear
    Lift me up and take me out of here
    Don’t wanna fight, don’t wanna die
    Just wanna hear you cry.”

    “Intervention”s lyrics are a bitter reminder of our current leadership here in the U.S – an administration that continues to take a giant dump on a lot of the ideals of our forefathers. As of this writing, there are 390 days left of this god-awful president and his gang of deceivers. The door’s over there, fellas – don’t let it hit you in the ass.

    Cheers to Win Butler and Arcade Fire.

    2. “F.U.N.K.”, by Prince – Who knew? He still has it in him. All it took was a little passion and anger to get a great song out of him. Too bad his ire is directed at his most passionate fans – those who have carried him through his career. Finally, we get inspired, funky, creative Prince. Whatever it takes, I guess!

    3. “City of Immigrants”, by Steve Earle

    Though it’s still hard to adjust to the latest live incarnation of Mr. Earle (Steve, a guitar, two turntables and a DJ), he released a very solid album this year – Washington Square Serenade – and to me, this track stands out from the rest. NYC / Brazilian group Forro in the Dark back Steve up in this spirited homage to New York City’s immigrant roots. Steve’s delightfully upbeat mandolin playing, Forro’s Brazilian percussion, and the sweet backing vocals of Allison Moorer make this one of my favorites of the year.

    It’s worth watching the Letterman performance of it too…

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BayGOpfCA 336 278]

    Albums of the Year:

    1. Magic, by Bruce Springsteen

    Refreshing. Like opening the windows on a cool, sunny morning. The man just has it, doesn’t he? His talent at songwriting and tunesmithing (not to mention performing) leaves me in awe. Bruce’s tip o’ the hat to Brian Wilson and sixties pop, “Girls in Their Summer Clothes”, leads the charge for me. But there is no shortage of excellent songs on this one: “Gypsy Biker”, “Long Walk Home”, and “Livin’ in the Future” to name a few. Now if only Bruce would book a date in Phoenix on his early 2008 tour. Still nothing, and it’s killin’ me!

    2. Sky Blue Sky, by Wilco

    This album reached out to the mellow, country-rock side of me, and wrapped its arms around me. I’ve enjoyed all of Wilco’s albums (particularly from 1999’s Summerteeth on) for their spontaneity and originality. You just never know where they’re going to head next. When I threw on Sky Blue Sky, it immediately connected, right from the opening notes of “Either Way”. It’s the opening salvo of songs 1 through 4 that move me the most: “Either Way”, “You Are My Face” (can there be a cooler song title?), “Impossible Germany”, and the title track. I could listen to Jeff Tweedy sing the phone book. His scratchy, smoke & whiskey-soaked voice makes jeff one of my favorite vocalists around.

    Disappointment of the Year:

    Planet Earth, by Prince

    No one wants a great Prince album more than me. Every year I hope I’m going to hear it, but once again, Prince underwhelmed. Songs like “The One U Wanna C” and “Somewhere Here on Earth” were the highlights for me, and gave me some hope. But duds like “Mr. Goodnight”, “Lion of Judah”, “Resolution” and the title track pollute Planet Earth enough to make Al Gore pitch a huge hissy fit. And the song that had the highest funky Prince potential – “Chelsea Rogers” – is marred by Shelby J.’s mic-hogging, with Prince’s vocals just a footnote in the background.

    The Throwing It All Away Award of the Year:

    Amy Winehouse.
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    I discovered Amy’s music back in February when I heard the retro, soulful, yet still modern “Rehab” of hers. Then I picked up Back to Black. What a VOICE! Effortless and so rich with soul. Then it soon became apparent how troubled she was (and is). Her demons & addictions (and those ratty old ballerina slippers she insists on wearing) have been all over the tabloids and gossip web sites this year. Surrounding herself with folks like her hubby Blake Fielder Civil and chronic fuck-up Pete Doherty don’t bode well for her future. Of course Blake is locked up now for the foreseeable future, but it doesn’t look like she’s using it as an opportunity to straighten herself out.

    Back to Black was recently nominated for six Grammy awards. We’ll see if she even turns up for the ceremony (by the way – Year 2 of Ickmusic Live Blogging the Grammy’s, comin’ up!). You can’t help but pull for her, though. So much talent. Get it together, Amy!

    Underground Hip-Hop Double Blast of the Year:

    Ahead of the Curve, by Lateef & Z-Trip

    Rise Up, by Zeph & Azeem

    These two joints were a breath of old school fresh air to my hip-hop starved lungs. If you’re looking for something – anything – to prove to you that real hip-hop is alive & well, pick up these two albums now.

    Lateef & Z-Trip – “Get Down” (DJ Zeph Remix)

    Zeph & Azeem – “That Type of Music”

    Best Live Show of the Year: Arcade Fire at Austin City Limits Music Festival, September 15th. 90 minutes of adrenaline-filled bliss for me. They are one of a kind: inspiring, energetic, and grandiose. Like I’ve said before, there’s something powerful about Win Butler’s stage presence and charisma. The defining moment of this show was their encore finale, “Wake Up”… a sea of humanity singing along with the band, a collective of goosebump-filled arms raised in the air. To me, Arcade Fire are one of the defining bands of our generation. There’s something very special about these guys & gals.

    Best New (to me) Artists

    Music is all about discovery for me. Often times I don’t pick up on an artist until well into their career. Here are a few that I came across this year – some who have been around a while, others who haven’t.

    Aceyalone – Acey has been a fixture on the LA underground hip-hop scene for years. I was finally brought into his world through his reggae/hip-hop album Lightning Strikes.

    The Avett Brothers – These guys hail from Concord, North Carolina, and knocked me out with this year’s album, Emotionalism. Cool neo-bluegrass folksy sounds come out of this trio’s guitar, banjo and stand-up bass.

    Brett Dennen – Five words: “There Is So Much More”

    British Sea Power – This powerful foursome from Brighton, England pushed me on a recent 10k race. I look forward to hearing a lot more, and seeing them when they come to town.

    Cat Power – Thanks to an Austin City Limits TV performance, I have been turned on to Chan Marshall – aka Cat Power. Amazing singer, and completely and utterly unique. I’m loving this girl.

    “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” (from the soundtrack to I’m Not There)

    Look out in early ’08 for her latest album of covers, called Jukebox (click the cover to find out more)…

    Damien Rice – One song sucked me in: “The Blower’s Daughter”. It led me to his two great studio albums, O and 9. Irish singing / songwriting at its finest.

    The Felice Brothers – I first heard these guys on Vin Scelsa’s Sirius radio show. 21st century Dylan/Springsteen hybrids from the Catskills.

    Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts – Catchy hooks and melodies, a smoking hot bass player. What’s not to like?

    “Spacemen”

    ==========

    So what will 2008 bring? No idea, but I look forward to finding out. Don’t be shy about sharing your favorites with me. I’m always interested in quality tunes, wherever and whenever they may come from. Drop me a line, or join my new forum.

  • Bruce Springsteen

    How to Endear Yourself to a Canadian Crowd

    1. Be Bruce Springsteen.
    2. Bring the E Street Band.
    3. Bring up the core members of Arcade Fire for a couple of songs during the encore.

    As promised, here’s the encore from Ottawa the other night (Sunday, Oct. 14th).

    Great quality? Nope. A snapshot in time of a very cool moment in music? Yuh-huh.

    Girls in Their Summer Clothes [mp3]

    State Trooper (with Régine and Win from Arcade Fire) [mp3]

    Keep the Car Running (with Régine and Win, from Arcade Fire) [mp3]

    Born to Run [mp3]

    Dancing in the Dark [mp3]

    American Land [mp3]

    Buy Bruce’s latest, Magic.

    Buy Arcade Fire’s latest, Neon Bible.

  • Indie

    Accordion to Me

    Well I’m a little late to the party on this one, but I have to spread the good word of The Arcade Fire, a great band from Montreal. They’ve been all over the internet, all over the music blogs, and doggone it, they’re gettin’ to me. The song posted below was my first introduction to the band. Also, I found a page with several video links to a Lawrence, Kansas performance and interviews with the band.

    I’m always bad at categorizing / pigeonholing music, so I turn again to AMG, Arcade Fire is an “experimental indie rock quintet.” “Old Flame” is a great tune. Any tune that can kick it with an accordion is a-ok with me.

    The Arcade Fire – Old Flame (mp3) – from Arcade Fire Demo EP, self-released in 2003.

    Arcade Fire Official Site

    While we’re on an accordion kick, take a listen to Willy Deville‘s “Even While I Sleep”. Willy used to be in Mink Deville, a pioneering NY-based punk pand. I only have one of his solo albums, ‘Backstreets of Desire’, but need to get more. He’s heavily influenced by R&B and New Orleans stylings. “Even While I Sleep” features David Hidalgo of Los Lobos on the squeezebox. Dig it…

    Willy Deville – Even While I Sleep
    (mp3) – from ‘Backstreets of Desire’, 1994, Forward/Rhino – {Amazon}