My Favorite Acts at ATP

So I went to ATP Asbury Park a.k.a. All Tomorrow's Parties a.k.a. I'll Be Your Mirror a.k.a. whatever on Saturday. It was unbelievable. Best festival I've attended. I don't want to write much on account of I'm currently taking a break from an Iliad essay I'm writing, and I don't want to start, you know, like, typing "Geoff Barrow" instead of "Achilleus"... Okay, so here were my favorite acts. (You'll notice I saw a ton of people; this is because ATP makes it easy to at least see, like, twenty minutes of almost everyone, which is awesome. (Also, I'd like to state that everyone I saw was good, so the rankings are a little arbitrary.))

1. Portishead (pictured above)

I mean, it was their first East Coast show since 1998--their mere presence was going to make this the best set of the day. But they also sounded really freakin' great: heavy, dark, soulful, and with plenty of turntable breaks and a truly goosebump-inducing rendering of "Wandering Star." Beth Gibbons sounded great and looked like she was having a ball of a time, which was pleasant to see. The fact that they curated the amazing lineup earns the band another handful of bonus points.

2. Swans

Unfortunately I had to cut out after an hour of Swans to get ready for, well, Portishead--but an hour of Swans is an hour well spent. This is assuming your definition of "well spent" involves getting blasted with a wall of distortion and chimes by a band that looks as ugly as it sounds (seriously, the band members all look like escaped convicts, Gira (wearing a cowboy hat) included). Truly, though, they just sound so damn good.

3. The Pop Group

I had kind of forgotten how much I love The Pop Group until about ten minutes before their set. And then I was like, "The band that made Y is about to play their first show in thirty years..." Play a show, they did. They were manic and angry and fun and LOUD. Mark Stewart is one of the most imposing--he's humongous!--and awesome frontmen I've seen, and the band was able to recreate the dub-punk-jazz sound they helped pioneer very well live.

4. Battles

Battles is only this low because I'd seen them before. Even without Ty Braxton, though (who was present last time I saw them), the band was absolutely incredible. They're able to be more precise than everyone while still being heavier than everyone (except, well, Swans). The energy emanating from a Battles show could power my computer, which, coincidentally is in dire need of power right now...

5. Colin Stetson

Like I said, my computer's running low on battery, and I need to write at least a little more of this essay--so I'll keep it short. Colin Stetson plays a mean saxophone, but what struck me about his show was it felt more like a Steve Reich thing than a Peter Brotzmann thing.

6. Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog

Ribot is one of the best guitarists I've ever seen live, and Shazad Ismaily is in his band--and that dude just rules.

I also saw Beak>, The Horrors, Silver-Qluster, and Ultramagnetic MC's--all of whom were quite good. Mazel Tov, Portishead and the creators of ATP. I'll be back next year.

Oh yeah! I also met Jim Jarmusch on the train ride there. Damn!

My Favorite Things (9/30)

Hello, all. So, Spotify is still really cool--but in somewhat accordance to the Slow Listening Movement, I've vowed to stop downloading so much until I've actually, you know, listened to everything. This means I've been doing a lot of listening. A lot of this lot of listening has been directed, though, at finding songs for my new radio show--that's right: my radio show (well, my and my friend's). It's called That Thing, and it's on WBAR from six to eight EST every Friday morning. (The shows'll be archived in case you don't feel like waking up...) Anyways, the show essentially just plays soul from the mid-50s to mid-70s. You should listen one time.

Betty Davis - "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up"

Brian Eno - "Windows 95 Startup Sound (11 Minute Loop)"

David Bowie - Stage (Live, Boston 1978)

Disco Inferno - The 5 EPs

Hawkwind - Space Ritual

Ike & Tina Turner - "Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter"

Iron Butterfly - "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"

The Last Poets - The Last Poets

The Meatmen - We're The Meatmen... And You Suck

Mikal Cronin - "Apathy"

Twin Sister - In Heaven

Ty Segall - "Finger"

Ultra Vivid Scene - "It Happens Every Time"

Van Dyke Parks - Discover America

Various - Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation

My Favorite Things (9/18)

"Did she say there was other guys there? Did she say there was other guys there? Were there other guys there? Well, tell me this: how the fuck she know I was with them other girls then?"

I rediscovered R. Kelly's under-appreciated masterpiece, "Real Talk," this week--but my most important musical find is much more earth-shattering, believe it or not. It's Spotify. I got it a few days ago, and it's changed everything; all I have to do is click and drag to get all the free, legal music I want on my computer. It's overwhelming, but it's beautiful. Anyways, it's resulted in a lot of new Favorite Things for me, so this edition of My Favorite Things will include not fifteen, but thirty selections. Enjoy.

The Angels of Light - Everything Is Good Here/Please Come Home

Curtis Mayfield - "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below, We're All Going To Go"

Cybotron - Clear

Dalek - From Filthy Tongues of Gods and Griots

Danny Brown - "Monopoly"

Deerhoof - "Goin' Up The Country (Live)"

Depeche Mode - Ultra

Don Cherry - "Brown Rice"

Essential Logic - Fanfare In The Garden

The Fire Show - Saint The Fire Show

Fire! with Jim O'Rourke - "Are You Both Still Unreleased?"

The Flirtations - "Nothing But A Heartache"

Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Henry Cow - "Guider Tells of Silent Airborne Machine"

Jackie Wilson - "Higher and Higher"

The Jesters - "Love No One But You"

Jocy de Oliveira - A Musica do Secolo

Kevin Drumm - Sheer Hellish Miasma

Lightnin' Rod - Hustlers Convention

Minutemen - Paranoid Time EP

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tender Prey

R. Kelly - "Real Talk"

Slim Harpo - Raining In My Heart

Thee Oh Sees - Castlemania

Tom Ze - Estudando A Bossa

UGK - "Underground"

Vandermark 5 - "Further From The Truth (For Walker Evans)"

Willis Earl Beal - "Blue Escape"

The Wonders - "That Thing You Do!"

Youth Lagoon - "July"

My Favorite Things (8/20)

I haven't been blogging. That's okay; there's more to life. But I still like music, don't you worry--and this, listed below, is the music I've liked most recently. Some of it has just come out, some of it is old but I'm hearing it for the first time, and some of it is music I've liked in the past and am now revisiting. It's just fifteen pieces of good stuff.

Perhaps this is a feature that will pop up with some frequency on Il Buono, but I don't want to make any promises, because broken promises are disappointing, and I don't want to disappoint my legions of faithful readers... Anyways, here's some great music (listed in alphabetical order).

Autechre - Tri Repetae

Bob Dylan - "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright"

Bobby Beausoleil & The Freedom Orchestra - Lucifer Rising OST

The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World

Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings

Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings

Eminem - "White America"

Eternal Tapestry & Sun Araw - Night Gallery

The Germs - G.I.

Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain

Missy Elliott - "Work It"

Mu - "Let's Get Sick"

Ricky Nelson - "Fools Rush In"

Rip Rig & Panic - God

White Mystery - "Overwhelmed"

My Favorite Acts at Lollapalooza 2011

The picture above is of Sebastien Grainger, bleached out drummer of Death From Above 1979--but more on that later...

Low expectations going into this year's Lolla; there just weren't many good artists playing. I'd like to say that my expectations were wrong, but--and I think you know where this going--they weren't. I made through all of Friday without seeing a great performance. Saturday and Sunday were better, but only in spurts. In a festival increasingly smitten with its own corporate ego (and humongous DJ tent), great live music has seem to fall a little by the wayside.

Yes, Lollapalooza as a festival has grown to be somewhat miserable. Between the giant logos above the stages, the bro-tastic (a.k.a. nauseating) football-field-sized Perry's tent, the near-unwalkable length of the park (I'm lazy...), and the crowd, which has far too high a contingency of lax bros and broettes, as well as people who've actually been tricked into thinking that Eminem is the greatest rapper ever. The only things that tend to make all this stuff tolerable are the food (Bonsoiree, Kuma's, Franks n Dawgs, etc.), the presence of my friends, and the presence of (usually) several truly great musical performances.

Well, as I've already mentioned, that last part--the musical aspect--was in shorter supply than ever this year, and, as a result, I'm only listing my six favorite acts of the festival whereas I usually do my top twelve. (Granted, there were some people I missed that I probably would've liked due to scheduling conflict or just oversight--and those regrets will also be listed below.) Anyways, these six shows were indeed quite good and helped mix up the monotony of lugging myself across the park to see forgettable indie bands and, uh, Cee Lo Green (terrible). They helped make 2011's Lollapalooza, as much a clusterfuck as it was (on several levels), actually a very fun weekend. Yes: fun.

But, alas, it wasn't the music, really, that made Lolla so enjoyable. Spending a weekend in Grant Park with all your friends is an undeniable recipe for happiness. While walking past Buckingham Fountain on Friday, my friend and I noticed that we hadn't seen any good music--but look at that freakin' skyline and this freakin' fountain and who we're with--how could you not be having an amazing time? This was a sentiment we spoke aloud, and a man walking next to us chimed in with fervent agreement. Look past the corporate vomit and you realize that there is no other place you'd rather be on a weekend in August.

And, before we count down the music, an anecdote: Sunday at around 5:30, it began to pour. Yes, excessive rain when there's no shelter may be looked upon as a bad thing (and it certainly was for both my phone and my newly-autographed Titus Andronicus LP), but a few of my buddies and I chose to soak (ha! pun) it in. We took off our shirts and shoes, climbed to the top of a small hill near the stage where Explosions In The Sky were set to play in about an hour, and began to slide down the hill--feet first, head first, somersaulting, rolling, etc. Before we knew it, an army of shirtless men (and some shirted women) followed suit. At least fifty people were talking advantage of this wet, grassy hill. A group of (intoxicated) guys rounded up the festival's trash cans and stacked them like vertical bowling pins as the group of hill sliders crashed into them and knocked them down. It was very communal, very in the spirit of what a music festival should offer. (Because we weren't dirty enough, my friend and I then proceeded to dance around in straight-up mud for a bit.) And then came the music--Explosions In The Sky--and it was beautiful, even if I'm not really a fan.

Anyhow, now it's time to actually look at the six best acts of the fest, and everybody knows what number one is...

My Favorite Paul McCartney Songs

I saw Paul McCartney perform at Wrigley Field on Monday, and it was amazing. Now, I'm a sucker for reunion/old-person rock concerts (largely because I mostly listen to old music), but McCartney's show was even better than most. The man brought it for nearly three hours without stopping. His voice sounded good, the band sounded good, and, though the sound was a little muddy as it rang through Wrigley Field at the beginning, the best ballpark in the world turned out to be a pretty solid music venue.

Granted, it's a little easier to put on a good show when you're working with the material McCartney was. Few people can play a three hour set during which everyone in the crowd knows just about every word to every song. Sir Paul's catalogue is completely stacked--from his dozens of Beatles hits to handful of actually-good solo/Wings/Fireman tunes--and he showed that off in fine form (and with fireworks!). Post-show adrenaline forced me to prove how stacked his catalogue really is by compiling a list of my forty-five favorite Macca-penned songs.

Yes, all forty-five of the songs below are Beatles songs. McCartney's solo career has definitely had some high points, and I know and enjoy several of his hits--"Live and Let Die," "Jet," "Band On The Run," "Wonderful Christmastime," some others--but I don't have even close to as good a connection with any of his post-Beatles output as I do with this batch of Fab Four tracks.

Each of these songs was solely or primarily written by McCartney--and just about every one also features him on vocals. I think you'll notice as you look (and hopefully listen) to the songs listed below that McCartney not only wrote many of The Beatles' best songs, but he also has a very musicaly diverse canon. Many people think Lennon was the creative one, the visionary--but these songs (and many, many others) help illustrate McCartney's dedication to pushing the boundaries of pop music. That said, no matter how somber or druggy or psychedelic, there's a sweetness that runs through each song, a sincere quality that only McCartney really possessed among Beatles--and, really, a strength unique to him among almost all songwriters ever.

Many people think John to be by far the better songwriter of the two. I agree that he's better--his superior solo output and "Tomorrow Never Knows" prove that case--but not by far. Not at all. He and Paul wrote such amazing stuff--and evolved so much--because they were more or less equals, the two best songwriters in the world, each trying to figure out how to top the other. There's really no need to compare (everyone knows George is the best anyways). Just listen to these songs. Bask in the glow of (possibly) the greatest living pop songwriter--and, if possible, see him on his next tour.

My Favorite Acts at the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival

I switched from brown line to pink again this year--my fifth year, I believe--to get to Union Park for Pitchfork's annual music festival. The festival, as always, was plenty o' fun and had a better vibe, less crowds, and, of course, better music than a certain other, much larger festival held in Chicago. Granted, the rise in corporate sponsorship at Pitchfork was a little disappointing, as was the heat on Sunday, but neither of those things can truly put a damper on seeing some of modern music's greatest acts back to back to back to back.

The lineup this year was overwhelming; there were too many people I wanted to see. As a result I was moving around a lot, catching half a set here, a song or two there. Because of this, in my rundown below, any set that I saw and paid close attention to for over half the time is eligible to be listed. Anyhow, have a look at my twelve favorite acts this year, listed in order. While some acts certainly disappointed, I think these folks below really brought it and made Pitchfork once again the best weekend of the month--and probably the summer.

2011 Mid-Year Report

Hey. How are you? I'm good. I graduated a couple weeks ago, and then I went to Italy, and now I'm home and catching up on all the music I've missed; unfortunately, people do in fact release good music while you're on vacation. Go figure. Anyhow, seeing as it's currently June 25 in the Central time zone, which in my estimation is right around the middle of the year, I thought I'd publish a semi-brief mid-year report recounting my favorite albums, tracks, and other stuff of 2011 so far--and also say what I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year. Below you'll find twenty albums; forty songs; four EPs, reissues, and "other"s; and assorted other musical, er, things. Everything is listed in alphabetical order. So, without further ado, here is the best music of the first half of 2011--or at least what I think the best music is...

Morrissey's Favorite Songs

Since we all love Morrissey, we must all care what Morrissey's thirteen favorite songs ever are, right? Right. Seriously, though, I do always find it interesting to see what amazing artists listen to. Kurt Cobain turned me on to Beat Happening, and it was Irmin Schmidt who first informed me about Stockhausen. Morrissey's selections make decent sense in the context of his own artistic output, and I like the songs on the list that I've heard--especially #2. That's a classic. The list is as follows:

13. Mr. Bloe--Groovin' With Mr. Bloe

12. Roxy Music--Do The Strand

11. The Supremes--I'm Livin' In Shame

10. Paul Jones--I've Been A Bad, Bad Boy

9. The Crystals--All Grown Up

8. Shocking Blue--Mighty Joe

7. Al Martino--Granada

6. Buffy Sainte-Marie--Soldier Blue

5. The Tams--Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy

4. Bob & Marcia--Young, Gifted & Black

3. The Sundown Playboys--Saturday Night Special

2. Sparks--This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us

1. New York Dolls--Jet Boy

Interesting choices. Can't say my list would be at all similar, but, then again, I can't say I've written anything fit for Morrissey to wipe his ass with. So who am I to criticize?

VH1's Greatest Artists Ever (Plus My Favorites)

So I just finished watching the fifth hour of VH1's special on the 100 greatest musical artists of ALL TIME (a.k.a. since the 1950s). Yes, I'm a loser, and no, I don't have anything better to do with my time than watch five hours of pointless commentary from stupid people about bands I--for the most part--don't even like all that much. Regardless, I watched it, and, seeing as it's a list, I wanted to share some of my thoughts...

It's a dumb idea for a list in the first place. I mean, best artists ever? Well to be fair, in VH1 terms, "best artists ever" means "best rock/pop/soul/hip-hop artists since 1950"--which is still a stupid idea for a list. In addition to it being a bad idea (way too broad), it was poorly curated. VH1 asked over two hundred musicians (many of them bad) to make half-assed ballots of their favorite artists and then compiled them into a largely nonsensical list. I could go through all 100 and state my beefs with each, but I'd rather watch another VH1 special.

All that said, the top ten, though safe, is hard to argue with. It, along with some of my favorite artists, is posted below and the whole VH1 list is, uh, on VH1. So watch it!

My Favorite Acts at Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza! It's a fun word to say at first, but after you hear it shouted multiple times by every band you watch and you see it plastered everywhere from your bus card to your wrist, it gets a little tiresome, annoying even. The festival itself can also get a little tiresome, annoying even. With its massive size--which was even bigger this year--massive heat, massive throngs of douchebags, massive ticket price, and massive corporate marketing, the festival takes a mental and physical toll on you. It really does.

But it's all worth it. As terrible as Lollapalooza can be, it's always been worth it and, I think, it always will be. There are always plenty of great shows to see, great people to be with, great food to eat (especially this year--all I can say is "pork belly tostadas from Big Star"). Obviously, though, it's a music festival. One goes to see music. Especially for someone that until recently was under 18 and could hardly go to any shows, Lollapalooza is always worth it for the music; even if a lot of the bands truly suck (this year's batch was definitely one of the worst), enough of them are great.

Naturally some acts are better than others: some people surprise in a good way, others disappoint (cough, Lady GaGa, cough). I missed some acts due to scheduling conflicts that I regret missing (Strokes, Fuck Buttons, Jimmy Cliff, Jamie Lidell, Mavis Staples). But I did see a lot of good shows this weekend. These are my favorites, after the jump:

My Favorite Acts at The Pitchfork Music Festival

If you've read other Pitchfork 2010 recaps already, you may get the impression that the fest wasn't very good this year. And while, in terms of amount of quality acts, it may have been the worst one I've been to (I've been to four), I still enjoyed it very much. As I sit here reflecting and typing with my newly tanned fingers--it was very sunny all weekend--I find that the last three days were pretty awesome and three of the best days of my summer thus far. So suck it Jim DeRogatis.

It's hard to rank live acts; different artists take such vastly different approaches to performing. Also, what makes the best live act? Is it one that sounds exactly like the record? Is it one that has crazy visuals or lights or acrobatics? I don't know, but I'm gonna list my twelve favorite acts of the fest, in order, below. So join me in recounting this past weekend, one filled with shirtless hipsters, vegan curry, and oppressive sunlight. Oh, and great music, too.

1. LCD Soundsystem (Saturday, 8:30)

A giant disco ball, a near-perfect setlist, a beautiful Chicago evening, and an ever-sarcastic and ever-brilliant James Murphy made the fest's most anticipated (by me) set the best set as well.

2. Lightning Bolt (Sunday, 4:15)

Though a big, sunny stage may not be Lightning Bolt's ideal venue--I think a shit-covered stairwell would probably be better--the band was loud, exciting, and just what I needed to hear.

3. Pavement (Sunday, 8:30)

They're legends for a reason; their songs are amazing, and, though they didn't do anything super fancy during their performance, they played those songs well and with spirit.

4. Panda Bear (Saturday, 7:25)

The bloggers weren't so keen on Panda's set, but, well, I thought it was pretty enjoyable. He coupled ethereal droning with his usual detached vocals and a crazy accompanying video.

5. Cave (Sunday, 1:00)

Sunday openers Cave brought the psych, layering kraut-y grooves over organ drones. One of my favorite things about Pitchfork is how they always bring in awesome local bands--like Cave.

6. Beach House (Sunday, 3:20)

I've seen 'em before and they always sound the same. The thing is, I like how they sound. Their Pitchfork set was another bout of hazy, dreamy pop that was thoroughly relaxing.

7. Robyn (Friday, 6:25)

Friday was definitely a duller day, especially after Modest Mouse's disappointing finale, but Robyn was a bright spot--she danced and boogied her way to the day's only great set.

8. Dam-Funk (Saturday, 3:45)

Though he came on late and his music isn't entirely fresh or unique, he gave a very fun and charismatic performance. And I can't say anything bad about a guy with a huge keytar.

9. Free Energy (Saturday, 1:00)

Free Energy are as fun as they are unoriginal, but at a festival populated with plenty of artists who stand still and moan, their long hair and hyper dance moves were very welcome.

10. Liars (Friday, 5:30)

Friday's only other saving grace, Liars were manic and sweaty and drone-y. And while I was expecting to be a little more excited by them, they were still very worth seeing.

11. Wolf Parade (Saturday, 6:15)

I've hardly heard a single measure by Wolf Parade post-Apologies but Wolf Parade's set was pretty darn good regardless. Plus, few bands can pull off sprawling jam sessions in 9/4 time.

12. Girls (Sunday, 2:30)

I had moderately low expectations for Girls, but they played their throwback '60s pop quite well and included a couple energetic noise freakouts to break up the hooks.

So there's my top twelve, all of which were nice to see and made Pitchfork 2010 a very nice time.

Other things I liked at the festival: $1 water, vegan food, an abundance of Sriracha sauce, my new Washed Out T-shirt (even if I didn't see them play), not getting too sunburned, Rian Murphy's intro to Pavement (after I realized that it was a joke), getting a free LCD Soundsystem poster, and that guy selling water next to the L stop that was describing the act of drinking water as though it were something else (sex). Also: a special shoutout to Titus Andronicus, whose show at Subterranean after the fest on Friday was one of the best shows I've been to this year.

That's what I think. Only about a year until Pitchfork 2011.

My Favorite Miles Davis Albums and Pieces

Hello there. Today we honor Miles Davis, one of the greatest musicians of the modern era and the jazz musician who takes up the most space on my hard drive. You go, Miles Davis!

Davis' proficiency on the trumpet is well documented; between his unbelievably vast discography as both a frontman and a sideman and all that has been written in praise of him over the past 70 years, very few people don't know who Mr. Davis is, and very few people don't love his music. Besides being extremely technically gifted, he pushed boundaries unlike any other jazz musician--or musician in general--this side of Coltrane or Coleman and still managed to sell a shit ton of records.

He was restless in his ideas; as soon as he had mastered one new form of jazz, he had to go invent or push forward another. Davis went through bebop, hard-bop, post-bop, fusion, free jazz and more throughout his career, putting his stamp on each subgenre. His music ranges from extremely beautiful to extremely bizarre, but when you listen to any of his music, you always know it's Miles Davis blowing that horn (or, in some instances, playing that organ).

So here's to you Miles Davis, the greatest trumpet player there ever was. (Below are my ten favorite Miles albums and twenty-five favorite Miles pieces. Keep in mind that as much Miles Davis music as I've heard and love, there is way more I haven't ever heard and thus won't be on these lists.)

Albums

1. Kind of Blue

It's the highest selling jazz album of all time and the gold standard for pre-1960 jazz. It's one of the finest stretches of recorded music, and it belongs nowhere other than #1.

2. Bitches Brew

His music hinted at insanity before, but Bitches Brew is where Miles completely let loose and began to fuse jazz with rock with funk with the avant-garde.

3. In A Silent Way

4. On The Corner

5. Get Up With It

6. Sketches of Spain

7. Live-Evil

8. A Tribute To Jack Johnson

9. Porgy and Bess

10. Seven Steps To Heaven

Pieces

1. He Loved Him Madly

A previous song of the day and a dedication to Duke Ellington, "He Loved Him Madly" may not be Miles' most famous or most influential piece, but there's something about it and how absolutely nuts it is that makes it my favorite.

2. So What

This is just one of the most iconic pieces of modern music period. Everyone's heard "So What" and just about everyone loves it. It epitomizes jazz, and it epitomizes cool.

3. Bitches Brew

4. On The Corner/New York Girl/Thinkin' Of One Thing and Doin' Another/Vote For Miles

5. Shhh/Peaceful

6. Sivad

7. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down

8. Summertime

9. Black Satin

10. Right Off

11. Mtume

12. Flamenco Sketches

13. Funky Tonk

14. Saeta

15. Pharaoh's Dance

16. Freddie Freeloader

17. In A Silent Way/It's About That Time

18. Yesternow

19. I Loves You, Porgy

20. Calypso Frelimo

21. John McLaughlin

22. Will O' The Wisp

23. Basin Street Blues

24. Motel (Diner Au Motel)

25. Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)

That's what I think. I'm certainly partial to his fusion stuff, but his entire discography deserves to be explored.

Mid-Year Report

Hey, folks! We're about half-way through 2010 now (it's flyin' by, isn't it?) which means it's time to recap the music that's come out in the year's first 50ish percent and also to look forward to the music that'll come out in the next half! Below you'll find lists of my 25 favorite albums, 50 favorite songs, 5 favorite new artists, and 10 most anticipated 2010 albums. So if you haven't heard of or heard some of this stuff, you'd better open up your internet browser and do some listenin'. Enjoy.

2010 has been quite a spectacular year for music so far. Though no significant trends, for me at least, have emerged in independent music, there have been a surprising number of excellent, groundbreaking-ish LPs. (One thing I've noticed is that I'm starting to get old-man taste in music. Most of my favorite releases are from established artists; very few of my 2010 favorites have been made by young, new groups.) Below, in alphabetical order by artist, are those favorites. (Bold indicates and album of the month.)

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti--Before Today

Beach House--Teen Dream

Bonnie "Prince" Billy & The Cairo Gang--The Wonder Show of The World

Caribou--Swim

Disappears--Lux

Emeralds--Does It Look Like I'm Here?

Erykah Badu--New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh

The Fall--Your Future Our Clutter

Flying Lotus--Cosmogramma

Gil Scott-Heron--I'm New Here

Gonjasufi--A Sufi and A Killer

Hot Chip--One Life Stand

Jack Rose--Luck In The Valley

Jamie Lidell--Compass

Janelle Monae--The ArchAndroid

Joanna Newsom--Have One On Me

LCD Soundsystem--This Is Happening

Liars--Sisterworld

Owen Pallett--Heartland

Pantha Du Prince--Black Noise

Sam Amidon--I See The Sign

Sun Araw--On Patrol

The Tallest Man On Earth--The Wild Hunt

These New Puritans--Hidden

Titus Andronicus--The Monitor

Now for my 50 favorite songs of 2010 so far (again in alphabetical order by artist, and again bold indicates a song of the month):

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti--Round and Round

Beach House--Walk In The Park

Beach House--Zebra

Big Boi--Shutterbugg

Bonnie "Prince" Billy & The Cairo Gang--That's What Our Love Is

C Joynes--Broad Church Traveling

Caribou--Odessa

Caribou--Bowls

ceo--come with me

Charlie Parr & Mike Gangloff--This World Is Not My Home

Chris Forsyth--(Now I'm A Pharmacist) Boogie

Crystal Castles--Celestica (Thurston Moore Rmx)

Cults--Go Outside

Cults--Most Wanted

Disappears--Gone Completely

Erykah Badu--Window Seat

Gil Scott-Heron--I'll Take Care of You

Gil Scott-Heron--New York Is Killing Me

Gonjasufi--Duet

Hot Chip--Slush

Hot Chip--Take It In

Jack Rose--Lick Mountain Ramble

James Blake--CMYK

Jamie Lidell--Compass

Janelle Monae--Cold War

Janelle Monae--Wondaland

Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi--Tightrope

Joanna Newsom--'81

Joanna Newsom--Good Intentions Paving Co.

Joy Orbison--The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow

Keepaway--Yellow Wings

Kelis--Acapella

The Knife--Colouring of Pigeons

LCD Soundsystem--Dance Yrself Clean

LCD Soundsystem--Home

LCD Soundsystem--I Can Change

Lindstrom & Christabelle--Lovesick

Michoacan--In The Dark of the Night

Nico Teen--Hungry For Love

Pantha Du Prince--Stick To My Side

Sade--Soldier of Love

Sam Amidon--How Come That Blood

Sam Amidon--Pretty Fair Damsel

Sam Amidon--You Better Mind

Shabazz Palaces--32 leaves dipped in blackness making clouds forming altered carbon

Soom T--Puff That Weed

These New Puritans--We Want War

Titus Andronicus--A More Perfect Union

Titus Andronicus--Four Score and Seven

World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation--Heavy Pop

And now for my five favorite new artists of 2010 (even though, as I said before, my taste is growing increasingly old man-esque and I'm not digging new artists as much):

Cults

Daniel Bjarnasson

James Blake

Janelle Monae

Michoacan

And, finally, the ten releases in 2010 that I'm most excited to hear. Some are already out and unheard by me, and some are coming out in the future.

Antony & The Johnsons--Swanlights (October 6)

The Arcade Fire--The Suburbs (August 3)

The Avalanches--TBA (TBA)

Battles--TBA (TBA)

Big Boi--Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Song of Chico Dusty (July 6)

The Books--The Way Out (July 20)

Devo--Something For Everybody (June 15)

Oneohtrix Point Never--Returnal (out)

Pocahaunted--Make It Real (out)

Rene Hell--Porcelain Opera (out)

There you have it. A hell of a first half for 2010, and here's to hoping the year isn't too top-heavy.

My Favorite Sly & The Family Stone Albums and Songs

The latest inductee into the makeshift Il Buono Rock n' Roll hall of fame, Sly & The Family Stone only existed as a coherent band for about a decade, but their prolific and consistent canon is one of the finest in the history of modern music. Starting as a fun-loving, optimistic bunch of black and white San Francisco hippies who played seriously funky stuff, the Family Stone evolved into one of the darkest, most relevant, and still most funky bands--soul or otherwise--ever. Obviously they're best remembered for the sinister, epochal There's A Riot Goin' On (which is maybe my favorite album of all time), but Sly & The Family Stone put out several great albums and an innumerable collection of great singles. Sly Stone, as messed up as he may be nowadays (see: this year's Coachella), belongs in a very select group of songwriters and musicians right alongside the John Lennons, David Bowies, and Bob Dylans of the world. Sly & The Family Stone are truly one of the most important, innovative, and amazing bands of all time. Here's to them.

My list of my six favorite Stone albums and thirty favorite Stone tunes is below.

Albums

1. There's A Riot Goin' On

2. Stand!

3. Fresh

4. Small Talk

5. Life

6. A Whole New Thing

Songs

1. If You Want Me To Stay

2. Africa Talks To You (The Asphalt Jungle)

3. Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa

4. Everyday People

5. Hot Fun In The Summertime

6. Family Affair

7. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

8. Luv 'n' Haight

9. Runnin' Away

10. I Want To Take You Higher

11. Just Like A Baby

12. Stand

13. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey

14. Dance To The Music

15. Let Me Have It all

16. (You Caught Me) Smilin'

17. Life

18. Loose Booty

19. You Can Make It If You Try

20. Spaced Cowboy

21. Sex Machine

22. Babies Makin' Babies

23. Everybody Is A Star

24. In Time

25. Sing A Simple Song

26. M'lady

27. Underdog

28. Skin I'm In

29. Fun

30. Mother Beautiful

That's what I think. Heck of a band, weren't they?

My Favorite Tom Waits Albums and Songs

It's been a while since my last real list, and, well, yeah. Anyways, with these kinds of lists, I've paid tribute to four of the greatest rock n' roll artists/bands in the history of the universe (Beatles, Kraftwerk, Bowie, Sonic Youth), and with this specific one that you are reading right this instant, I am adding a fifth member to Il Buono's pantheon of rock gods. That member is Tom Waits. Waits is one of the best, most prolific, and most consistent songwriters of the past century or two. He's able to change his style without ever sacrificing his identity while putting out albums every couple years--and he's done that for a good three and a half decades now. Obviously his calling card is his voice, which is certainly one of the most distinctly amazing voices in music, but his lyrics and arrangements match the power of his gravelly moan. From beautiful piano ballads to dirty blues romps, the man has covered a lot of musical territory; wherever he goes, though, he's sure to infuse the tunes with a hefty dose of experimenting and another hefty dose of bizarre, intricate storytelling. So here's to you Mr. Waits. You've earned your seat between Florian Schneider and George Harrison.

Oh, and here are my ten favorite Waits albums and thirty favorite Waits songs:

Albums

1. Rain Dogs

2. Swordfishtrombones

3. Bone Machine

4. Orphans

5. Mule Variations

6. Alice

7. Small Change

8. Blood Money

9. Night On Earth (Soundtrack)

10. Closing Time

Songs

1. Tango Till They're Sore

2. Jockey Full of Bourbon

3. Swordfishtrombone

4. Lie To Me

5. Gun Street Girl

6. 16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought-Six

7. Bottom Of The World

8. Goin' Out West

9. Lucinda

10. Big Black Mariah

11. Get Behind The Mule

12. Cemetery Polka

13. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)

14. Rains On Me

15. A Little Rain

16. Back In The Good Old World (Gypsy)

17. Frank's Wild Years

18. Big In Japan

19. Rain Dogs

20. God's Away On Business

21. Hoist That Rag

22. Reeperbahn

23. 2:19

24. Tom Traubert's Blues

25. Chocolate Jesus

26. Underground

27. Just The Right Bullets

28. The Earth Died Screaming

29. I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You

30. Table Top Joe

That's what I think. So there.

My Favorite Sonic Youth Albums and Songs

To honor some of the greatest musical geniuses in modern music (Beatles, Kraftwerk, Bowie thus far), I've put together these "Favorite Albums and Songs" list. It's all I can do to pay tribute to the prolific, classic artists that have truly inspired me/blown my mind. What these artists have in common is their ability to put out consistently innovative and brilliant music over a decently long period of time.

Sonic Youth fits the mold quite well. Since the dawn of the 1980s, the Youth (I really shouldn't call them that, should I?) have been putting out album after album after album of mind-bending rock music while inspiring tons upon tons of other, less talented people to hit their out of tune guitars with screwdrivers. The sound that Sonic Youth developed--a harmonious blend of harshness and hooks, dissonance and consonance--with their guitar-based post-punk is one of the most influential (and best) in the history of rock n' roll.

The band has released sixteen studio albums (I think--not including side projects) and several hundred songs, and few to none of those are duds. That said, some are better than others. So I'm going to rank my favorite albums of songs by this wonderful, crazy bunch of No Wavers.

Albums (Top Ten)

1. Daydream Nation

2. Sister

3. Evol

4. Murray Street

5. Goo

6. Bad Moon Rising

7. Washing Machine

8. Confusion Is Sex

9. Sonic Nurse

10. Rather Ripped

Songs (Top Thirty)

1. Teen Age Riot

2. Expressway To Yr. Skull (a.k.a. "The Crucifixion of Sean Penn" a.k.a. "Madonna, Sean and Me")

3. Silver Rocket

4. Death Valley '69 (feat. Lydia Lunch)

5. (I Got A) Catholic Block

6. Trilogy

7. Shadow Of A Doubt

8. Kool Thing

9. Cross The Breeze

10. Schizophrenia

11. Hey Joni

12. Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style

13. Superstar

14. The Diamond Sea

15. Brave Men Run (In My Family)

16. Tom Violence

17. Freezer Burn/I Wanna Be Your Dog

18. 100%

19. Sympathy For The Strawberry

20. Pacific Coast Highway

21. Pattern Recognition

22. My Friend Goo

23. Do You Believe In Rapture?

24. Bull In The Heather

25. Cotton Crown

26. Star Power

27. The Empty Page

28. Junkie's Promise

29. Disappearer

30. Touch Me I'm Sick

That's what I think. They're definitely a candidate for Joe's Favorite Band if there was such a band. Anyhow, because I like these tribute lists, I have ones planned for Miles Davis, Tom Waits, and Sly & The Family Stone. Stay tuned.

My Favorite Music That Starts With "R"

My post frequency has been somewhere between between very infrequent and pathetically infrequent since the start of the calendar year. Reasons: 1) I have had a lot of school work, and 2) I have trouble thinking up new lists sometimes. Well, I don't have much school work this week! But I also still don't exactly have great list ideas; this batch of lists isn't exactly creative, but it's fun to look at and think about nonetheless.

If you didn't glean the idea from the title, this post showcases my favorite albums, artists and songs that start with the letter "R". Why R? It seems rather arbitrary, you might think. And you might think correctly. It is completely arbitrary; I just picked a random letter that wasn't too obscure (it'd be considerably harder to make a "Q" list). So, while there isn't a time period or genre or theme of any sort uniting these selections, there is a letter--and that letter is the glorious R.

Top 30 Albums

30. PJ Harvey--Rid Of Me

29. Can--Rite Time

28. Four Tet--Rounds

27. Sonic Youth--Rather Ripped

26. Wire--Read & Burn

25. Lee "Scratch" Perry--Roast Fish Collie Weed & Cornbread

24. Unwound--Repetition

23. Kraftwerk--Radioactivity

22. The Notorious B.I.G.--Ready To Die

21. Basement Jaxx--Rooty

20. Fenn O'Berg--Return Of Fenn O'Berg, The

19. Robert Wyatt--Rock Bottom

18. Deerhoof--Runners Four, The

17. The Pogues--Rum, Sodomy & The Lash

16. John Fahey--Requia

15. Terry Riley--A Rainbow In Curved Air

14. David Bowie--Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, The

13. Dirty Projectors--Rise Above

12. John Fahey--Red Cross

11. Fugazi--Red Medicine

10. The Beatles--Rubber Soul

9. Aphex Twin--Richard D. James Album

8. The Ramones--Rocket To Russia

7. TV On The Radio--Return To Cookie Mountain

6. Devendra Banhart--Rejoicing In The Hands

5. Iggy & The Stooges--Raw Power

4. The Ramones--Ramones

3. Talking Heads--Remain In Light

2. Tom Waits--Rain Dogs

1. The Beatles--Revolver

A little bit of a no-brainer there. And Revolver is not only the greatest album ever to start with an R, but also the greatest one to end in an R.

Top 30 "R"tists

(For solo artists, last names and first names starting with R both count)

30. Rahsaan Roland Kirk

29. Rufus Thomas

28. Red Red Meat

27. Rivingtons, The

26. Richie Havens

25. Rapture, The

24. Raekwon

23. R. Kelly

22. Ry Cooder

21. Ronettes, The

20. Rakim

19. Richman, Jonathan

18. Rapeman

17. Residents, The

16. R.E.M.

15. Richard Hell & The Voidoids

14. Ride

13. Robert Wyatt

12. Replacements, The

11. Randy Newman

10. Rolling Stones, The

9. Roscoe Mitchell

8. Redding, Otis

7. Radiohead

6. Ray Charles

5. Riley, Terry

4. Ramones, The

3. Reich, Steve

2. Russell, Arthur

1. Reed, Lou

While his solo output isn't necessarily #1 "R"tist material, the fact that he was the principal member of The Velvet Underground puts Lou Reed at the top of this list.

Top 60 Songs

60. Roni Size &Reprazent--Railing

59. The Germs--Richie Dagger's Crime

58. Devendra Banhart--Red Lagoon, The

57. Link Wray--Run Chicken Run

56. Snap!--Rhythm Is A Dancer

55. Scott Walker--Rawhide

54. Devendra Banhart--Rejoicing In The Hands

53. Death From Above 1979--Romantic Rights

52. Buddy Holly--Ready Teddy

51. Outkast--Roses

50. John Fahey--Red Cross, Disciple Of Today

49. YACHT--Ring The Bell

48. Edan--Rock And Roll

47. The Minutemen--Roars Of The Masses Could Be Farts, The

46. Matias Aguayo--Rollerskate

45. Elvis Costello--Radio, Radio

44. Sonic Youth--Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style

43. Love--Ride That Vibration

42. Big Boi--Royal Flush

41. Miles Davis--Right Off

40. Basement Jaxx--Romeo

39. Dr. John--Right Place, Wrong Time

38. Lady Sovereign--Random

37. Buddy Holly--Rave On!

36. Built To Spill--Randy Described Eternity

35. R.E.M.--Radio Free Europe

34. The Rolling Stones--Rocks Off

33. New Order--Round & Round

32. Patti Smith--Rock N Roll Nigger

31. T. Rex--Rock On

30. Van Halen--Runnin' With The Devil

29. Public Enemy--Rebel Without A Pause

28. Lee "Scratch" Perry--Roast Fish And Cornbread

27. John Fahey--Requiem For Molly

26. Iron Maiden--Run To The Hills

25. Digable Planets--Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)

24. Dirty Projectors--Rise Above

23. The Sugarhill Gang--Rapper's Delight

22. Ike & Tina Turner--River Deep, Mountain High

21. Herbie Hancock--Rain Dance

20. Frankie Goes To Hollywood--Relax

19. Nick Drake--River Man

18. Black Flag--Rise Above

17. Bob Dylan--Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

16. Hot Chip--Ready For The Floor

15. The Beatles--Revolution 9

14. Wire--Reuters

13. Boards Of Canada--Roygbiv

12. Serge Gainsbourg--Requiem Pour Un Con

11. The Velvet Underground--Rock And Roll

10. The Ramones--Rockaway Beach

9. Portishead--The Rip

8. Kate Bush--Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

7. Terry Riley--A Rainbow In Curved Air

6. Nick Drake--Road

5. Creedence Clearwater Revival--Run Through The Jungle

4. The Shangri-Las--Remember (Walking In The Sand)

3. Chuck Berry--Roll Over Beethoven

2. Del Shannon--Runaway

1. The Modern Lovers--Roadrunner

That's what I think. I realize this list is a little ridiculous (another R word), but it's kinda fun, too. The picture at the top is of Terry Riley: one of the letter R's greatest sons. Something to note: The Ramones were in the top ten of each R category. Neat!

My Favorite David Bowie Albums and Songs

David Bowie is one of the greatest musical artists in the history of the world. This is a fact. So to commemorate him and his new live album chronicling his last tour (maybe (but hopefully not) ever), I am counting down my favorite Bowie songs and albums, as I have done with The Beatles and Kraftwerk: two of the only other musical artists that are on Bowie's level.

From the late '60s through the early '80s, David Bowie not only put out a lot of music, but he put out a lot of amazing music. Whether it was with glam-rock, new wave, or cocaine-influenced electronic/krautrock/experimental pop, he was changing popular music with every subsequent release. His early glam records made him a star and introduced the world to his bizarrely singularly genius. Then he got weird, moved to Berlin, started doing drugs, became a fascist, etc. The music he made during this period (the mid to late '70s) is his best and most innovative--and that he released so many albums ("Heroes" and Low came out the same year!) just makes his sonic achievements all the more impressive. By the '80s he had switched his focus to pioneering new wave, which he did excellently. (He may have lost some of his muse as the '80s wore on, but I'll forgive him.) (Oh, and let's not forget the work he did with Iggy during the mid-70s!)

The bottom line is that David Bowie is both one of the most successful pop stars of the 20th century, and one of the most creative artistic minds--a rare (and essentially unparalleled) combination.

So here's a look at my 45 favorite Bowie songs and 10 favorite albums. (I'd do all his albums, but I really only have heard 10 sufficiently.)

Songs

1. "Heroes"

2. Sound And Vision

3. Station To Station

4. The Man Who Sold The World

5. Warszawa

6. Space Oddity

7. Queen Bitch

8. D.J.

9. Ashes To Ashes

10. Panic In Detroit

11. Be My Wife

12. Life On Mars?

13. Moonage Daydream

14. Golden Years

15. African Night Flight

16. What In The World

17. Suffragette City

18. Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

19. Beauty And The Beast

20. Under Pressure (with Queen)

21. Five Years

22. Absolute Beginners

23. Breaking Glass

24. Let's Dance

25. Fantastic Voyage

26. Teenage Wildlife

27. A New Career In A New Town

28. Fame

29. Scream Like A Baby

30. Oh! You Pretty Things

31. Ziggy Stardust

32. Joe The Lion

33. Rebel Rebel

34. Speed Of Life

35. Watch That Man

36. Lady Stardust

37. Changes

38. Modern Love

39. Art Decade

40. TVC 15

41. Repetition

42. The Secret life Of Arabia

43. Subterraneans

44. Up The Hill Backwards

45. Let's Spend The Night Together

Albums

1. Low

2. "Heroes"

3. Lodger

4. Station To Station

5. Hunky Dory

6. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

7. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

8. Aladdin Sane

9. The Man Who Sold The World

10. Let's Dance

That's what I think. That David Bowie: he's quite a guy.

My Favorite Love Songs

Well, it's Valentine's Day: the day that makes some people extremely happy and others extremely depressed (and leaves a few, like me, indifferent). That means it's time for Il Buono to look at its favorite love songs. But, rather than look at songs about love--which is probably over 80% of all songs ever written--we're going to count down our favorite songs by the band Love. One of the finest psychedelic rock groups of the '60s, Love made several really weird and beautiful albums, including the unbelievable classic Forever Changes, one of the better records ever made. So on this February 14, we're going to celebrate Love (albeit a little differently than most folks). (The song is in bold, and the corresponding album follows in parentheses.)

1. Alone Again Or (Forever Changes)

2. Seven And Seven Is (Da Capo)

3. A House Is Not A Motel (Forever Changes)

4. You Set The Scene (Forever Changes)

5. The Red Telephone (Forever Changes)

6. My Little Red Book (Love)

7. Andmoreagain (Forever Changes)

8. Stephanie Knows Who (Da Capo)

9. Live And Let Live (Forever Changes)

10. A Message To Pretty (Love)

11. Ride That Vibration (False Start) (no link. Sorry.)

12. The Daily Planet (Forever Changes)

That's what I think. Happy Valentine's Day.