R.I.P. Mark Linkous

Mark Linkous, the man behind Sparklehorse and one of the men behind the Dark Night Of The Soul record that this blog loves so much took his own life, Saturday, at the age of 47.  The New York Times has an informative obit here.

He will be missed.

In a bitter twist, we have also learned from this BBC article that the Dark Night Of The Soul album may finally be headed for record store shelves in June of this year. The unspecified problems with EMI have apparently been resolved. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUvuXXbMwq8[/youtube]

Update:

Great piece from Robin Hilton at NPR Music.

Rediscovering Oar

Chatting with a friend the other day, we stumbled onto the topic of ‘legendary’ or ‘landmark’ records. We made little distinction between those two labels and that of ‘infamous’ but a few titles tumbled out onto the table. “Pet Sounds” was one of the first and, when my friend noted that he hadn’t dug it for years after first listening until he learned more about its genesis, I expressed a bit of shock and countered with a confession of my own.

“A classic album stands up on its own whether you know its history or even like the music. Hell, you couldn’t have gotten me to like My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” back in the 90’s but I could tell that they were doing something powerful on there.”

(That’s true. In the mid-nineties, while I was expanding my musical vocabulary with older music across the boards of rock, pop, jazz, and folk, I neglected much of the contemporary material. I’ve been working to rectify this over the past ten years.)

As our discussion progressed, he asked me about Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence’s acclaimed solo record, “Oar”. Was it really a masterpiece as he’d often heard? Who was Skip Spence, anyway? Continue reading →

My Weekend : A Vinyl Playlist

At home, I pretty much only play records. Especially as I’m away from home so much for work/commuting/ etc. So, I thought I’d share my weekend’s record playlist with all of you…

Enjoy.

Saturday Morning

The Band - Music From Big Pink

The Band - Music From Big Pink

An all-time favorite.  Had to play each side twice.

King Britt Presents Sylk 130: When The Funk Hits The Fan

King Britt Presents Sylk 130: When The Funk Hits The Fan

This takes me back… Great stuff.

James Brown - Superbad

James Brown - Superbad

Funk for life.

Saturday Afternoon

Medeski Martin and Wood - The Dropper

Medeski Martin and Wood - The Dropper

Continue reading →

Top Albums Of The 2000s

This whole thing feels a little arbitrary now that I’ve assembled a “Best of the Decade” list but, what the hell, everyone else is doing it and they’re leaving off some of my favorite records. After combing all of the records that I’ve enjoyed over the past decade, I came up with a ‘long list‘ of sixty albums. Ranging from Boris to Bon Iver and all over the map I’ve re-listened to many but the best need no re-acquaintance. The final list, you’ll notice, leans heavily on songwriters but not entirely. The greatest merge the two tasks of a songwriter, lyrics and composition and do more than compile a bunch of songs; they’ve created albums that endure as a whole. Or at least I think that have. So, here we have it: a subjective listing of not ten or twenty but fifteen of my favorite albums from 2000-2009.

15. Elliott Smith – Figure 8

Appropriate that this list begins with a songwriter. Not only are the words heartbreaking, the melodies lift your spirit and dashes it back to the ground. Elliott’s life seems to have been an emotional roller coaster. This record picks you up and gives a ride through a piece of that ride.

14. Ryan Adams – Gold

This album hit with an energy and urgency that seems almost an illusion of clouded memory but it really did and I still burst with excitement when I hear the opening chords of “New York, New York”.

13. The Wrens – The Meadowlands

These guys sneaked onto my radar after a live performance on KEXP. I picked this up on vinyl and it blew me away. Still does. “Hopeless”, “She Sends Kisses”, “Boys, You Won’t” are such great songs and the guitars jangle in just the right way…

12. Elliott Smith – From A Basement On A Hill

Released posthumously but recorded fully by Elliott before his tragic death. This reminds me of XO. A little like Lennon in his melodic sensibilities but far more desperate, Smith pulls no punches but does it all so beautifully.

11. Radiohead – In Rainbows

Radiohead explores love, relationships, alienation (surprised?) and more on a gorgeous record.
Continue reading →