Fucking Great Albums

Best of 2014

So much music, so little time to listen. As always, I am sure I missed a handful of albums. Feel free to drop me a note and enlighten me. These are the albums that grabbed and held me in 2014. A little rock, a little roots, a little electronic... A little of everything.

Enjoy and as always, buy your music and support the hardworking musicians you listen to.

In particular order:

1) Elbow - The Taking Off An Landing Of Everything

2) The Afghan Whigs - Do To The Beast

3) Cracker - Berkeley To Bakesrfield

4) Interpol - El Pintor

5) Chuck Prophet - Night Surfer

6) King Creosote - From Scotland With Love

7) Joe Henry - Invisible Hour

8) Mogwai - Rave Tapes/Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1.

9) Sun Kil Moon - Benji

10) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Hypnotic Eye

11) Tindersticks - Ypres

12) Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams

13) Old 97's - Most Messed Up

14) Camper Van Beethoven - El Camino Real

15) Counting Crows Somewhere Under Wonderland

16) Damien Jurado - Brothers And Sisters of the Eternal Son

17) Desertshore - Migrations of Glass

18) Eels - The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett

19) Eno/Hyde - High Life/Someday World

20) Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else

New Albums of Importance. Buy Your Music.

What am I listening to this month? Some great recent releases I would recommend.

Calexico - Algiers

The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter

Neil Halstead - Palindrome Hunches

Dead Can Dance - Anastasis

The Sea and Cake - Runner

Joy Division & New Order

JD/NO Covered.

If you know me, you know how much of a Joy Division/New Order freak I have been for over thirty years. So, while in Boston the other night I found the CD A Means To An End: The Music Of Joy Division, cheap enough to finally purchase. Two weeks prior to this, I found the CD MOJO Presents: Power, Corrruption, & Lies Covered. Now this is pretty sacred ground, but I figured I would venture forth for the collected sum of $5.65 for the two discs.

As with any good cover, the artist interprets the song and creates their aural landscape. Of course it can be difficult to listen to songs from your favorite band(s), that you know well, that are drastically different in texture. But if you keep an open mind, you find some versions that are very unique.

Some of the artists/bands are well-known on the A Means To An End: The Music Of Joy Division compilation: Moby, Tortoise, Codeine and one of my favorites, Low. On the other hand, the other compilation, MOJO Presents: Power, Corrruption, & Lies Covered, offers many bands that I am less familiar with and have had to research.

Track Listings

A Means To An End: The Music Of Joy Division

"She's Lost Control" (performed by Girls Against Boys) (3:29)
"Day of the Lords" (performed by Honeymoon Stitch) (4:55)
"New Dawn Fades" (performed by Moby) (5:34)
"Transmission" (performed by Low) (6:13)
"Atmosphere" (performed by Codeine) (4:50)
"Insight" (performed by Further) (3:55)
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" (performed by Stanton Miranda) (3:58)
"Isolation" (performed by Starchildren) (3:48)
"Heart and Soul" (performed by Kendra Smith) (6:08)
"Twenty Four Hours" (performed by Versus) (4:26)
"Warsaw" (performed by Desert Storm) (4:05)
"They Walked In Line" (performed by GodheadSilo) (2:55)
"Interzone" (performed by Face to Face) (2:30)
"As You Said" (performed by Tortoise) (4:22)

MOJO Presents: Power, Corrruption, & Lies Covered

1. THE GOLDEN FILTER "Age Of Consent" (6:25)

2. TARWATER "We All Stand" (4:52)

3. ERRORS "The Village" (4:41)

4. S.C.U.M. "586" (5:56)

5. FUIYA & MIYAGI "Your Silent Face" (6:32)

6. SEEKAE "Ultraviolence" (3:41)

7. WALLS "Ecstacy" (4:33)

8. DESTROYER "Leave Me Alone" (4:30)

Blue Monday 12″ (BONUS)

9. BIOSHERE "Blue Monday" (5:28)

10. ZOMBIE ZOMBIE "The Beach" (4:25)

11. LONELADY "Cries And Whispers" (3:51) – Bonus Track

12. ANOTHER’S BLOOD "Lonesome Tonight" (4:32) – Bonus Track

13. K-X-P "Murder" (4:10) – Bonus Track

Here's one from each album to start the journey.

Another's Blood covering "Lonesome Tonight" by New Order.

Low covering "Transmission" by Joy Division.

Enjoy.

Best CDs of 2011

As requested. Plenty of albums I have not bought yet. Here is the Best of 2011.

Brian Eno - Drums Between The Bells
The Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps
Tim Booth - Love Life
Robyn Hitchcock - Tromso, Kaptein
Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire
David Sylvian - Died In The Wool
The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
Gang of Four - Content
Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow
Low - C’mon
Peter Gabriel - New Blood
Wire - Red Barked Tree/Strays
Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
Cowboy Junkies - The Nomad Series Volume 2: Demons
British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall
David Lowery - The Palace Guards

If you disagree and can name better compact discs; send them to me. I would love to hear them.
Email me for my address. Real cds only - no burns. Support your bands/artists.

New Music: My Best Of 2010 List

It is always a challenge to put together a "Best Of" list. My list is usually driven by money; albeit, no one sends me these discs free and I have to put out my hard earned cash for the tunes. Given the nature of working for my money, I am careful. I only buy albums that I know I will enjoy. Long gone are the days of random purchases and taking chances. Therefore, you will notice that many of my favorite artists show up on the list.

There are plenty of albums that I have not had the opportunity to purchase yet, and I look forward to reading other people's lists as the new year begins. If you care to suggest albums that I have overlooked and/or would like to send me copies, contact me at amcrhpfan@hotmail.com.

My List:

1) Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk