A quick hit of some of the awesomer stuff I've run across the past year or so, zipped for your pleasure.
Cat Power : Living Proof
One of my favorite vocal performances ever. I can't even put my finger on why it's so great...pure magic.
Broken Social Scene : Cause = Time
They have a lot of great stuff on both their albums, but this one is my favorite. It changes direction several times without losing you, flashing supernatural control over pace and tone, building up layers and taking them away like a delighted child playing with the world's coolest set of legos, then shocking you with a sudden outburst, everything coalescing for a moment before darting apart.
A wonderful tune, and a freakishly brilliant experience on the dance floor...the louder you play it, the better it gets.
Sleater-Kinney : What's Mine is Yours
From the hardest-rocking album of last year, The Woods. No, your speakers aren't blown out- it's suppose to sound that way. A group I never really liked until this last LP.
Blood on the Wall: Mary Susan
The best Pixies song the Pixies never recorded.
And just for the record, I don't mind derivative..as long as it's done passionately and well.
Neko Case : Lady Pilot
With Calexico riding shotgun. This tune wraps up her noir country appeal in a tidy 2:26. If you like it, buy her catalog.
Spoon : The Beast and the Dragon, Adored
These cats seem to work by starting with a block of marble and carving away everything that isn't absolutely essential to the final shape of the song. They get a lot of play out of the tension between the elements of a tune...if I was a director I'd have these guys in heavy soundtrack rotation on my projects.
TV on the Radio : Young Liars
My second favorite tune of the past few years. Reaches inspired heights of musical purity and delivers a mind-blowing mix of incredible organic vocals and clicking, buzzing, nearly robotic music.
Wolf Parade: I'll Believe in Anything
known in the digital age as "wolf parade number nine".
True story:
I made a mix cd for my friends James n' Courtney's going away party packed with excellent tunes. Everyone wanted to know what song I'd picked for the closer, so I gave what I thought was a cryptic answer- "the best song of the year" (at the time, 2005).
James, with a happy serenity few non-buddhists can muster (let alone maintain after a night of heavy drinking) replied "oh....wolf parade number nine." as if I'd asked him the time.
So, here's the best song of 2005 and my favorite in many, many a year...it's merely brilliant until about midway, then someone flips the switch and they tear off into a rarified stratosphere of rock divinity few tunes ever dream of, let alone reach.
You can't follow it up with anything, so that's all for now.
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