Herd Audio

Feelin' 2007

Well, I had a 24hr flu/stomach virus for new years eve/day… and the ensuing grumpiness has me a little more critical of the past year’s (2007) releases. Think I should open up my horizons a little more in 2008 and move beyond “indie”-pop/rock. Still love my vintage jazz (on vinyl of course)… and adding vintage rock, country and blues. Thinking of exploring more “world” music in ’08. Is this what happens when the music fan passes 40? Below you’ll find most of my purchases from ’07 appropriately categorized:

Smells like roses (and plays often):
- The National: Boxer* (*My favorite album of the year.)
- The Good, The Bad & The Queen
- Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
- Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha
- Sigur Ros: Hvarf-Heim
- Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals: Lifeline
- Robert Plant & Alison Kraus: Raising Sand
- The Black Keys: Magic Potion (2006)
- Patrick Watson: Close to Paradise** (**Highly recommended! Sounds like a new, fresh Jeff Buckley who might have recorded with Sufjan Stevens.)
- Radiohead: In Rainbows*** (***Moved them up from asparagus after watching this video.)

Asparagus (tastes good initially):
- White Stripes: Icky Thump
- Cold War Kids: Robbers & Cowards
- Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
- Feist: The Reminder
- Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
- Any Winehouse: Back to Black
- Peter, Bjorn & John: Writer's Block
- Interpol: Our Love to Admire
- Voxtrot: Voxtrot
- LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Some Loud Thunder
- Beastie Boys: The Mix-Up
- Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare
- The Besnard Lakes: … are the Dark Horse

Light a match (need I say more?):
- Pinback: Autumn Of The Seraphs
- The Ponys: Turn The Lights Out
- Manu Chao: La Radiolina
- Kings of Leon: Because of The Times
- Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather

Top 10 (Ok, 13) albums of 2006:

Top 10 (Ok, 13) albums of 2006:

1. Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
2. The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers
3. Built To Spill: You In Reverse
4. Film School: Film School
5. Beck: The Information
6. Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not
7. Band of Horses: Everything All The Time
8. Calexico: Garden Ruin
9. Sonic Youth: Rather Ripped
10. Thom Yorke: The Eraser

11. Phoenix: Its Never Been Like That
12. G. Love & Special Sauce: Lemonade
13. Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Favorite 2005’s discovered in 2006:

1. Field Music: Field Music
2. Page France: Hello Dear Wind
3. Hockey Night: Keep Guessin’
4. The Coral Sea: Volcano and Heart
5. National Eye: Roomful of Lyons
6. Grizzly Bear: Yellow House

Music in Reviews

Here’s a list of music I’ve mentioned in my reviews for Dagogo.com:

For the Eastern Electric Minimax CD player review:
- Smog, Supper
- Rachael Yamagata, EP

For the Omega Minuet / 47 Lab Gaincard system review:
- Oscar Peterson, The Sound of the Trio
- Horace Silver, Song for my Father
- Gorillaz, Demon Days

For the Roksan Caspian CD player:
- Left of the Dial, Dispatches From the 80’s Underground
- Jeff Buckley, the Grace Eps
- Ben Folds, Songs for Silverman
- My Morning Jacket, Z
- Nada Surf, The Weight is a Gift

For the Sonic Euphoria preamp:
- Ivy, Realistic
- Morphine, Cure for Pain
- The Magic Numbers, (self-titled)
- The Who, 30 Years of Maximum R&B
- Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
- Hank Mobley, Dippin’

For the Monarchy Audio SM70Pro and M24:
- Propellerheads, DecksAndDrumsAndRockAndRoll
- Fatboy Slim, Better Living Through Chemistry
- Beastie Boys, In Sound From the Way Out
- Johnny Cash, Orange Blossom Special

For the UPCOMMING Roksan FR-5 review:
- Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1
- Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise

For the UPCOMMING Original CD-A8T, Red Wine Audio Clari-T and Bastanis Prometheus system review:
- The Blue Nile, Hats
- Bloc Party, Silent Alarm
- Charles Mingus, Jazz Portraits, Mingus in Wonderland

Wondering if there is any correlation between how much music I wrote about in a review and how much musical enjoyment I got from a component or system under review. ;-)

Song: Artist: Album (Feb 06)

Black Grease: The Black Angels: The Black Angels – EP
Fear of Sleep: The Strokes: First Impressions of Earth
Finding Out: Golden Shoulders: Let My Burden Be
Kiss of Life: Supergrass: Kiss of Life – Single
Look At Her Face: The Coral Sea: Volcano and Heart
Moon: The King Of France: The King of France
Number 1: Goldfrapp: Number 1 – EP
Silver Agers: National Eye: Roomful of Lions
You Can Decide: Field Music: You Can Decide - EP

Top 12 2005 in A-orta (Alphabetical-order) ...and more

Top 12 2005 in A-orta (Alphabetical-order):
Ben Folds: Songs for Silverman
Clap You Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Clem Snide: End of Love
Daniel Lanois: Belladonna
Death Cab for Cutie: Plans
Love as Laughter: Laughter’s Fifth
Nada Surf: The Weight is a Gift
The Spinto Band: Nice and Nicely Done
Stars: Set Yourself on Fire
Stephen Malkmus: Face the Truth
Sufjan Stevens: Come on Fell the Illinoise!
The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan

EP’s (Bands to Watch):
Dirty on Purpose: Sleep Late for a Better Tomorrow
Silversun Pickups: Pikul
Voxtrot: Voxtrot EP

Some Good Songs (Not Great Albums):
Archer Prewitt: Wilderness
Black Mountain: Black Mountain
Coldplay: X&Y
Gorillaz: Demon Days
John Doe: Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet
My Morning Jacket: Z
Spoon: Gimme Fiction

Need to Buy (Huge Potential):
The American Analog Set: Set Free
Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene
Doves: Some Cities
The Magic Numbers: The Magic Numbers

A Mellow Mix

Here are some of my latest indie favs, in a mellow choice mix:

Song: Artist: Album: Year

To Turn You On: Roxy Music: Avalon: 1982
Animals + Insects: The Stills: Logic Will Break Your Heart: 2003
Looks Just Like The Sun: Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People: 2002
Talk About The Passion: R.E.M.: Murmur: 1983
Those To Come: The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow: 2003
Blame It On The Tetons: Modest Mouse: GNFPWLBN: 2004
Michigan: Ambulance Ltd: Ambulance Ltd: 2004
God Answers Back: Clem Snide: End of Love: 2005
Think Again: Archer Prewitt: Wilderness: 2005
Pulsar Radio: Love As Laughter: Laughter's Fifth: 2005
Teenage Spaceship: (Smog): Knock Knock: 1999
The Yellow Ones: Pinback: Summer In Abandon: 2004
I Love You Golden Blue: Sonic Youth: Sonic Nurse: 2004
Cindy Tastes Of Barbecue: Luna: Rendezvous: 2004
Wipe Those Prints and Run: Beulah: Yoko: 2003
What Sarah Said: Death Cab for Cutie: Plans: 2005

Sandy ’s Jazz List

Here's a list of most of my jazz (mostly vinyl) and some I wish I had.

Any suggestions to grow the collection most welcome.

Piano:
Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage *
Herbie Hancock: Headhunters (experimental, funk)
Vince Guaraldi: A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Vince Guaraldi: Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Bill Evans: Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Horace Silver: Song for my Father
Horace Silver: Blowing the Blues Away
Dave Brubeck: Time Out
Count Basie: 88 Basie Street (n)
Duke Ellington: Money Jungle
Thelonius Monk: Monk’s Dream (n)

Thelonius Monk (Quartet with John Coltrane): At Carnegie Hall (n)

Organ:
Jimmy Smith: Midnight Special
Jimmy Smith: I’m Movin’ On
Jimmy Smith: Got My Mojo Workin’
Jimmy Smith: Back at the Chicken Shack (n)

Guitar:
Kenny Burrell: Midnight Blue *
Grant Green: Idle Moments
Grant Green: Feelin the Spirit

Bass:
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um
Charlie Haden: Night and the City

Trumpet:
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue *
Miles Davis: Miles Smiles
Miles Davis: In a Silent Way
Lee Morgan: The Sidewinder
Freddie Hubbard: Hub-Tones
Quincy Jones: Walking in Space

Sax:
Cannonball Adderley: Somethin’ Else
John Coltrane: Blue Train *
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (n)
John Coltrane: Soultrane (n)
John Coltrane: Giant Steps
Stan Getz: Getz/Gilberto
Hank Mobley: A Caddy for Daddy
Hank Mobley: Soul Station
Oliver Nelson: The Blues and Abstract Truth
Lou Donaldson: Blues Walk
Dexter Gordon: Go!
Sonny Rollins: Way Out West (n)
Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus
Sonny Rollins: Tenor Madness (n)

Drums:
Art Blakey: Moanin’ (n)
Art Blakey (and the Jazz Messengers): Mosaic *

(n) = Sandy needs to buy :-)
* = fav top 5