« Boy, I guess I really am old... | Main | Ho Ho Ho »
December 07, 2005
The Josh Sampler 2005
OK, we're coming to the close of another year. Now is the time to look back at all the great music I bought this year, and share the best tracks with the world.
For those of you who received a Sampler CD from me, here are your liner notes. If you didn't get one, but you want one, email me.
The CD focuses mostly on music released this year, but there were a few classic tracks that I purchased this year and just had to include.
1. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
If this song were 10 seconds long and only consisted of the opening riff, it would still be one of the greatest songs ever. That riff is so excellent, it makes me happy every time the song starts.
2. The Magic Numbers - Mornings Eleven
The Magic Numbers are a new sensation out of England. They're at their best on their upbeat tunes -- happy songs with great boy-girl harmonies. This one's my favorite on a pretty good album (The Magic Numbers). I had a ticket to see them live, which I'm sure would have been great, but my stupid back was hurting too much to drive over and stand for 3 hours.
3. Joy Zipper - Thought's a Waste of Time
Joy Zipper is my super-secret music find of '05. Popular in England, despite being 2 Americans, they make great mellow tunes for late nights. I bought 2 Joy Zipper CD's this year (both released this year, I think) and this is from the 2nd (The Heartlight Set), which is much more straightforward (less psychedelic) but still good. I tried to see them live, too, but got there late and only heard the last note (literally).
4. Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Bright Eyes (aka Conor Oberst) lived up to all the hype (and there's lots) this year with 2 incredible CD's. This is the first of 2 tracks off the acoustic CD (I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning). Saw him play this at the Newport Folk Festival. Nice lyrics, and a really good, clean melody that seems so obvious, it's weird it was never done before.
5. The Decemberists - The Sporting Life
The Decemberists are definitely getting short-changed on this Sampler. For the first 6 months of the year, they ruled my iPod. I bought all 3 of their albums (after Tony turned me on to them on his 2004 sampler). This is one off their 2005 release Picaresque, but all their albums are awesome, and I recommend you buy them all. Managed to make it on time to their concert and it was one of the best I heard all year.
6. Ray Lamontagne - Trouble
Here's another pickup from the Newport Folk Festival. I admit he is entirely retro (this just feels like a Stephen Stills album from 1969), but in a good way. Incredible voice. I kept trying to figure out what it was about this track and I finally placed it. Electrify it and add a horn section and this could be a classic Otis Redding tune from the Stax collection. And that is incredibly high praise.
7. The Rolling Stones - Fool To Cry
I filled out my Rolling Stones collection this year, and here is one of the underrated classics from the (also greatly underrated) Stones late-70's catalog (Black and Blue). Not enough falsetto being used these days, and Mick is one of the all-time falsetto kings.
8. Devin Davis - Turtle and the Flightless Bird
My favorite song from my favorite album of the year (Lonely People of the World, Unite!) From the organ intro, to the triumphant chorus, to Davis' incredible barely-reaching vocals, to the poignant lyrics about loneliness and loss, this is an ALL-TIME CLASSIC.
9. Iron & Wine and Calexico - He Lays In the Reins
I got into Iron&Wine (1-man acoustic rainy-day music) this year, and one of the most interesting CD's of the year was his collaboration with Calexico for an EP (In The Reins). It's definitely a nice mix -- Calexico's layered instrumentation cozily sitting behind Iron&Wine's almost-too-mellow vocals. Also, my childhood friend Nick Luca engineered and played on the record.
10. Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day
I dare you to sit and listen to this song and think about the lyrics, and not cry. It's that powerful. It's a good example of the genius that was Stevens' album Illinois -- interesting lyrics and even more interesting music (though this is one of the most restrained songs on the album). The guitar lays down the chords. The banjo provides accents. The trumpet solo is perfect. And the focus is on the vocals, as it should be with lyrics this good.
11. Death Cab for Cutie - Your Heart is an Empty Room
I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed with the new Death Cab album (Plans). But this is a standout track.
12. Coldplay - Talk
OK, here's another good track from a disappointing album. Nothing too interesting in the new Coldplay album (X&Y), but it's all solid enough. I guess.
13. Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman
Back to the classics. It doesn't get any funkier than Curtis Mayfield's soundtrack to Superfly. This one didn't get the radio-play (I'm guessing due to the n-word in the chorus), but for my money, it's the best song on the album.
14. Joy Zipper - Dosed and Became Invisible
Clearly from the title, this is a song from the drug-influenced, psychedelic Joy Zipper record (American Whip). I was coming home from Hollywood late one foggy night. I turned this song on and made my way down through the lights of Hollywood Boulevard, and I think I got a taste of what it's like to drop acid. Anyway, don't be scared by the drug-influence. This album is full of great music that envelops you and makes you feel it.
15. The Walkmen - There Goes My Baby
One of the best albums of the year was the soundtrack to a video game (Stubbs the Zombie). It consisted of modern bands re-interpreting 1950's rock'n'roll songs. There are a bunch of great renditions on the CD, by bands like Cake, Oranger, Clem Snide, and Death Cab for Cutie, but The Walkmen have the winner.
16. Ray Lamontagne - Jolene
I pretty much could have chosen any song from Ray Lamontagne's album (Trouble). They're all consistently great. (They're also all very similar in tone, let's be honest.) I picked this one, because I like the line "a picture of you, holding a picture of me, in the pocket of my blue jeans".
17. Devin Davis - Deserted Eyeland
I'll say it again - Best Record of 2005! This is one of my favorite songs for a bunch of reasons, the biggest of which being the 4-second silence at 2:15, followed by a rousing horn-fueled finale.
18. Bright Eyes - Land Locked Blues
This is ostensibly an anti-war song, and though the concept that war could end if everyone just "walked away" is a little feeble, Bright Eyes uses repetition the best I've heard since Bob Dylan (think Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts, or Tangled Up In Blue). Something like 10 verses that all sound pretty much the same, but he keeps it interesting w/ lyrics, harmonies, and musical nuance.
Enjoy! And look for Joshcars 2006 coming soon!
Posted by JoshHornik at December 7, 2005 09:56 PM