Music
Section By Jeb D.
2010 Catch-Up Edition
I started this gig in March of 2010, so there’s some worthwhile music that came out in the early months, before I had the chance to review it; there’s also the odd album that I just flat missed when it was released. Here’s a rundown of a few of my favorite albums from 2010 that I didn’t review in the regular Special Edition column, with Amazon links:
Balkan Beat Box, Blue Eyed Black Boy. On their third album, the overt weirdness of their Israeli-Gypsy-Euro-Afro-beat electronica has settled into a kind of politically charged rocksteady, with the odd burst of… well, weirdness.
Biters, Biters and It’s OK To Like Biters. Their big brothers wondered who kept swiping all their Sweet and Cheap Trick records. These two EP’s point the finger.
V.V. Brown, Travelling Like the Light. More Brit retro-soul, poppier than Winehouse, sharper than Duffy.
Los Campesinos!, Romance Is Boring. Not the pop saviors I once thought they might be, but let’s face it: when they say “The Sea Is a Good Place to Think About the Future,” they’re probably right.
Johnny Cash, American VI: Ain’t No Grave. Granted, this posthumous collection is a bit on-the-nose, but Cash spent several years dying in public, and knew the score. His forthrightness redeems some sentimental touchstones of the pre-Dylan folk revival (“Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound,” “Four Strong Winds”). More to the point, I’d like to think he’d have approved the choice of “Aloha Oe” as his final farewell.
Cornershop, Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast. Sikh Pop For Now People.
Drive-By Truckers, The Big To Do. On the one hand, Shonna Tucker’s writing will never fit as smoothly between Hood and Cooley as her ex-hubby did. On the other hand, her “(It’s Gonna Be) I Told You So” and “You Got Another” get just as straight to the point as “This Fucking Job.” Toss in song after song of the quality of Hood’s scary “The Wig He Made Her Wear” and Cooley’s “Birthday Boy” and you’ve got another hour of riveting listening from the best rock and roll band working today.
Patty Griffin, Downtown Church. Back in January, I had no idea that this would be only the first of several excellent collections of country blues and gospel covers in 2010. I’d file this one behind Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson and Robert Plant, but I’d call it a tossup between her and Tom Jones. Which, by the way, is not an insult.
Dave Holland and Pepe Habichuela, Hands. Afrocubism was the cultural crossover of the year (hell, sometimes I think it was the album of the year), but this marriage of jazz and flamenco was right up there, too.
The Mynabirds, What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood. The Mynabirds are basically the insanely-talented Laura Burhenn, who pulled herself back from despair following the death of her former partner, and here delivers an amazingly rich and varied collection of thoughtful pop songcraft and stunning vocals. Another strong candidate for my favorite album of the year.
Youssou N’Dour, I Bring What I Love (Soundtrack). The remakes are fuller and tidier in sound than the original versions, but the vocals enlighten the originals with a lifetime’s refusal to abandon hope.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band, We Walk This Road. It’s highly unlikely that Randolph will ever top 2002’s Live At The Wetlands and its orgiastic celebration of revival-meeting fervor and slide guitar madness; I doubt anyone could, really. But he’s still out there slingin’.
The Soft Pack, The Soft Pack. They may now be called The Soft Pack (instead of The Muslims), but they rock harder. Nice. Plus: California secedes! “Don’t butt heads! / Cut out the Feds!“
Vampire Weekend, Contra. Not much left to say about these guys (one of the best second albums I’ve heard in years); this is what Sting might sound like if he was still fun.