best albums of 2014: #4

run on sentence – feelings (hush records)

best i can tell, feelings has somewhere between four and seven songs on side one, and three or so songs on side two. needless to say, it would be helpful if there were a standard tracklist. i won’t even bother to suggest reading the lyric sheet. let’s just say that a hit of acid might make that easier. the only way to even tell the difference between side one and side two is that the center stickers match the front and back covers, which are inversions of a photograph of dustin hamman and his dog. depending on how much you’ve had to drink, it might be easier to read the etchings around the inner groove.

all kidding now aside, this is a powerful product and thank heavens run on sentence found dan galucki of wooden indian burial ground to back up on drums. the most far reaching folkster with the hardest hitting drummer makes for a serious business model. though dustin starts out by making the listener think he’s about to deliver one of his rap trips, side one is instead mostly a swaying in the breeze, margarita-in-hand, type rock effort with loads of horns for masterful effect of the big band in the sky. the songs center around the spirit of trying to get back youthful innocence, while dealing with getting old and tired. by the time of oh sweet death, the dedicated headphone wearing participant is certainly partied out and ready for the other side.

side two’s first track has another auspicious lead in, such that the listener has no idea what’s coming. what does come is authentic country blues that neither of the two country albums on the top 14 list can muster. instead of waiting for imminent death, side two’s songs are tellings of experiences in the after-life.

someday, instead of those jimmy buffet bars where people dance to that margaritaville song all night, people should dance and sing stoned, drunk and blind. they’d certainly get more out of life if they did. it’s a song about a son’s application of his mother’s advice gone awry. it is NSFW or to be accessed by individuals under 18. while i won’t report anyone for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, i also don’t have a job to offer anyone that gets fired for singing it at work. the title song feelings colors rainbows in the mind with the best guitar work on the album. the epic finale, death highway motorcade, ends the story with what seems about like a boeing bringing hamman back onto earth, leaving him content with the life and experiences he has had and rejoicing for the stages yet to come. the story really comes full circle as a proper ethereal, other-world experience story always does.

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btw, praise from above goes to dustin hamman for selling his entire catalog, plus a t-shirt, for the grand total of $50 at hermit fest. that’s just wrong. next time i think i should give the merch booth another $20 and a some gas money for run on sentence's travel expenses, or at least i could give a couple beers. unless, it’s the underage girl working the merch booth, then i won’t give her the beers. and as for hermit fest in general, wow, what a deal, even though it took two months to pay for it, is the reason why i can’t give a top 14 concert list for the year. i have been so lucky to attend so many concerts, and great fests, and uniquely was able to see a number of artists in different environments. ranch fest was one of the best yet, treefort too. but out of all my travels, hermit fest was the most enjoyable. all the people made it a smash. this includes hillfolk noir, who put in the most amount of work, and mike coykendall for the ride down memory lane to get there, and gregory rawlins for playing in (almost) every band, and run on sentence for rocking the hardest and selling the farm for $50, and stoneseed and all the other dozens of awesome bands that don’t immediately pop into my mind, and the underage merch booth girl that i won't give any beers to, and indian creek winery staff for being so tolerant of drunks, though i guess that’s sort of their job, and the genki takoyaki food cart! i really don’t know how hermmit fest 2015 could be any better. they’d have to add anna tivel to the roster and let me hitch a ride with her.  now, that’s giving me ideas. i need to shoot off a few emails. whatever happens, anyone reading this should part the seas and traverse the continent, whatever the cost to get to hermit fest, labor day weekend 2015, you will not regret it. heaven is in kuna, idaho.

best albums of 2014: #10

 clarke & the himselfs II (happy family/heart in box recordings/curly cassettes)

it’s mesmerizing to see clarke pull these songs off live. if the chords sound simple and effects driven on the recording, well they are, but consider this is one guy with a reverb pedal, guitar, kick drum, cymbal, and tomtom, who strums the guitar with the drum stick in between beats. it’s a mind trip, incomprehensible even while witnessing it. without that, the music and it’s lyrical equivalent either speak a comprehensible language or they don’t. for someone that grew up with a passion for suicidal tendencies because they spoke hard truths and provided an outlet that a sheltered and lost soul could relate to, i see clarke espousing a similar guiding insight, even if his songs are depressing enough to make listeners with beating hearts seek professional help. as his own songs will testify, hiding from horror doesn't make it go away. there is a lot to learn from in tragedy, and to deny that knowledge by only wanting to see the sunny side of life is more maddening than the horrors themselves.

toxic world is the hit song. it brings the most crowd engagement and sells everything at the merch booth. sludge is about as toxic as anything. it can’t easily be cleaned up, nor do those responsible for it have to deal with the dirty work. toxic sludge is the by-product of everything we have been born inheriting. the song untitled also appears to blame an elder figure for producing the environment when they knew better. the only distraction in either song is love, even if that is just as toxic. clarke makes an attempt for it at toxic world’s end, but if the other songs are indicative the outcome is fruitless even when finding love.

railbug, is a terribly horrifying title, much less for the song to kick off the cassette. it does start hopeful by looking for new beginnings, via train hopping, via astral trips, but the means won’t matter to a person transfixed on loss. the result of the negative position can only bring hopeless feelings of what one cannot attain. thus, a "railbug" is the inevitable outcome. at least four songs on the cassette appear to have the person of desire commit suicide. there is a lot of presumption on my part. poetry is already slippery enough, but it’s even harder to understand the guy through the reverb on the mic and the bandcamp site only has lyrics to four songs. besides, maybe i read too much into these things, but the depth of the feelings beg to be probed.

the cassette format somehow also forwards the primal concerns. and man, i love my cassette deck. the cover art is interesting in considering the toxic world. there are no less than 119 historical figures in the collage. if you can name even one-fourth of them, i’ll trust you to captain my spaceship.

best albums of 2014: #9

thurston moore – the best day (matador records)

thurston moore is one of the best, who’s at his best. he’s created a relaxed and balanced record, with his distinctive sound. moore is probably not the kind of guy that wants to hear people say this sounds like a sonic youth album, though it kind of does groove like thousand leaves era, maybe upping the tempo somewhat to mix in some rabble rouser spice with the kind of recipe that made ndaydream nation one of the biggest rock classics. since relocation to london, moore seems to have found fresh sources in a comfortable niche, teamed up with some familiar coworkers in steve shelley and the bass player for my bloody valentine.

the album sounds like it’s title. panda asked how to get over her seasonal affective disorder soon after this album was released, and i sent this to her after just spending three days straight listening to on repeat. it is calming, with flowing rythyms, unassuming in typical thurston moore intrigue, with a lot of positive imagery in lyrical tone. it’s the kind of thing that adds pep to daily tasks when a little motivation is needed.

the best day does, however, go way beyond mood music and a spiritual uplifting. throughout his career, thurston moore has mostly marched to his own beat. the stereotypical image of a rabble rouser is that of a tough, ne’er-do-well miscreants, which is far from the reality. it’s not about being a troublemaker, it’s about doing what is right, regardless of what the rules are, the consequences, or what the social definition of acceptable behavior is. rules don’t always make sense, they don’t always serve to achieve their intended outcome. speak to the wild sets a tone for the best day much like teenage riot did. before anyone can be expected to enjoy themself, they have to be comfortable with their place and what they’re doing. speak to the wild is a lay down your arms type song, but still not falling in line with authority. hear the teachings with such lyrics as “protect your child, from empty empire…extinguish things, of earthly desire…don’t let the dark get you lost…the king has come to join the band, the king has come with no demands.” that’s all about creating a stress-free environment, a way to get angst out to be able to settle down.

moore returns with a couple more rabble rouser themes in detonation and germs burn, but just like sonic youth did at their best, it’s innocent and playful angst. detonation ends with, “game crashing seekers find the truth. just you wait, maybe we’ll use a toy grenade.” idaho greats finn riggins writes quite similar, subtle meanings into their songs. thurston moore just happens to be more fluid at it because he’s been doing it forever, since before even i was in high school. even at his age, moore still looks young and keeps that kid-like freedom of exploration. he knows how to appeal to others while being himself.

the record isn't preachy and doesn't give any formula for success. the lyrics leave it up to the individual listener. for instance, the songs forevermore and the best day don’t really make a lot of sense, they have obtuse and indirect meanings. “animals they sing and adore, intuitions flash before you. born to kiss the live and soul face, is happiness the throne of your grace?” it’s certainly full of meaning, but the meaning is manipulable. the imagery creates an atmosphere of something beautiful and positive. grace lake especially gives that feeling, while being an instrumental. feelings are present, and the listener can easily flow with it. yet, even in the midst of some of these most laid back tunes, thurston will shake things up with his sort of off-kilter guitar riffs.

the first few times i heard it, the album felt too long, too much noodling. that may result from expectation on my part. moore has had a penchant to go off on trippy tangents or get too experimental. but repeated listenings really have made it sound appropriate as if more things are being said. he basically just hangs and enjoys that “best day” with his best friend, like the cover photo from the 1940s of his mother and her dog in the water. you want to swim in the warm water a little longer, you want to feel the breeze while laying back and staring at the sky a little longer. without getting carried away, the recording holds on to that fleeting moment of happiness.

best albums of 2014: #11

 ryan joseph anderson – the weaver’s broom  (self-released)

i picked this album up in even more of a serendipitous manner than any other of the top 14 albums. anderson appeared with kory quinn and the comrades in an early december, for a sweaty party of a concert. anderson did his own opening set, and it was hard to gauge him. he only had about fifteen minutes to perform solo in the terrible acoustic venue, though he smoked some lead guitar parts with the comrades. he did approach taboo waters by trying to cover tom waits, though he picked a most excellent choice, cold water, that was lost on the audience.  two swing dancers found that song their reason to finally get off their feet, which seemed as odd then as it does thinking about it. anderson said that fans of tom waits would be pleased with his new record. covering tom waits is one thing, but it is audacious for a young artist to compare themselves to such a legend. it takes a confident person and anderson surely delivered the promise without hesitation.

i paid the $20 and took anderson at his word, only to be damned to find out he wasn’t pulling any punches. side one is certainly worth the price of the record alone. the first song, crooked heart, did have a sort of heart of saturday night/blue valentine vibe and song two, when the bees went mad, probably would fit on an album like black rider or mule variations, but beyond fruitless tom waits comparisons, each song has a it’s own persona seemingly matching a different 70s acoustic superstar stylistically. not that this sounds remotely close to some k-tel late night infomercial compilation album, and i certainly don’t want to take away from the conceptual efforts, but it does present as though it could be someone’s greatest hits album. whether that sounds like a compliment, i don't know, but it should.

side two is a bit sleepier than the rock tempos of side one. that’s not a bad thing, and seems to be the intent. it’s an interesting choice of sequencing that has not been the norm on albums this year. though it was released in april, my find is new, and experience with it so brief that i haven’t nearly been able to digest it. they are great stories from gifted songwriter and instrumentalist.

the more amazing this is that this album is self-released. i am not sure there was a better album out of nashville this year, except for maybe that country legend that appears a few spots higher on the list. the nashville music industry has made its net worth known many times over, and i have to give this guy credit to trying to survive the cutthroat bs of it all, but he is a chicagoan with some real bravado. nonetheless, some nationwide record label should be paying this guy money to make music.

best albums of 2014: #12

michael eaton – individuation (destiny records)

i am in no way qualified to talk about much of anything, much less jazz. i certainly should not be allowed to put a jazz album on the list. i’d be inclined to say things like songs without lyrics are too hard for me to understand.  and how silent movies and mimes intrigue me endlessly, but i can never figure them out either. something doesn’t really need to be figured out to be enjoyed. 

            

michael eaton, a tenor and soprano saxophonist, is a relative newcomer and his debut album individuation is apparently a play on words for his graduating into becoming his own band leader. he is accompanied by a few other fresh faces, and one legend. brad whiteley, who also released his debut album earlier this year, is eaton’s main cohort on piano and “prepared” piano.  no idea what a prepared piano is, but i gather that it uses a certain collection of nails and screws in the strings.

           

individuation is basically a four-parter. section 1 (tracks 1-4) features a good amount of sax and piano interplay. tracks one and three, bring in trumpeter jon crowley, who provides some beautiful harmonies with eaton.  it’s a bit hard to tell who the track guru refers to because it probably should refer to the world renowned soprano saxophonist david liebman who comes in on the track alter ego for some interesting sax exchanges. section 2 (tracks 5-7) are more or less duos. liebman and eaton trade off sax lines on prickly, and then crowley comes back once more for some hot trumpet leads on centrifuge. you’re my mystery is a short eaton showcase backed by whiteley. section 3 is the title section individuation, five tracks that merge together, eaton testing himself with whiteley backed by the drum and bass section. individuation 1, 2 and 3, build up a certain sense of urgency, which really takes off on part 4 and part 5, the most excellent parts in which the piano and sax trade stops. lifecycle is the album’s highlight, for bringing back liebman and kind summing up the album up with all the band back in one cohesive six-minute track.

all the tracks are particularly tight arrangements, which musically blows away most of other albums on this list. that’s probably what happens in a world where musicians have to intern under masters and finally individuate in their 30s. compelling stuff that begs for replays.  you can’t take your mind off the music to stare at the cover photo either.  graphic art without words is an entirely different matter.  you’ll get caught up in trying to find out how many rings are in the tree, or whatever the cover is that starts with an atomic yin yang, until realizing it’s eleven minutes later and the CD is on part 4, so you have to keep going back to the beginning. 

best albums of 2014: #3

anna tivel – before machines (fluff & gravy)

one of my biggest criticisms of humans is the attempt to simplify life by implementing technology that only further complicates life. anna tivel’s before machines can be put into the category of concept albums of being serious about simplicity. not sure if there are other albums in that category, so consider this a one-of-a-kind.

before machines is about the basics of survival. it’s about escaping trouble, which is discussed in map of the stars. it's not about running from trouble, but about having already escaped it, somewhat effortlessly. the album itself has a feeling of effortlessness, but getting across complex ideas with basic words and arrangements is a painstaking task, kind of like living a basic, yet complex life. don’t expect any five-dollar words from anna, much less acknowledgements of things like smart phones. anna seems to have read through the entire “urban dictionary” finding only highway and satellite as the most modern concepts of any use.

in an era when folk music is about to implode on itself, anna tivel is the freshest voice in, probably, forever. still, this album is orchestrated a bit more than a “folk” album. anna has written songs, cleverly layered with sparse, musical accompaniment just present enough to give the few breaths needed to complement the subject matter, such as the soft, dark bass of midnight on a monday, the dancing fiddle on the free, the disparate, electric guitar searching on map of the stars, or the fiddle-singing-lullabys winding the album toward its closure on for emily asleep. while the music is superb, it’s merely an eerily quiet backdrop to the masterful vocalist. anna’s delivery is one that leaves the listener enraptured. she sings with a fiery conviction, yet an innocent tenderness – at the same time, compelling the listener, as much as forcing them, to keep listening.

the album starts with a *pop* song, five dollar bill, that shows a playful, sassy persona that walks into a creaky old house and gleefully lies down a welcome mat. the only other song that resembles pop music is grace and gasoline. still, it only takes about three spins until the listener is trying to sing back all of the album’s lyrics more guiltily than any michael jackson song. by about the thirtieth spin, the listener realizes that, though they may know all the words, they can never catch up with the depth of the literary content. so much for simplicity. just for fun, pick out any random stanza, from the middle of the album, such as…

“and this is just a motel, with a bell in every room,
where they speak in only riddles, yeah the speak in unison.
i hollered out i’m lost here, on a hunt without a kill,
a thousand people moving, but you are standing still.”

the entire album is so considerate of the basic concept. it’s only the genre that changes from song to song. topics flow from plain truths, to finding strength and the way to redemption, to longing for more beyond one’s reach. surely, as much life is considered in before machines as in the tao te ching.

the album closes with a goodbye song, i’ll be home, that shows a stubbornness to ever change from the roots that created the album. though the singer gives some suggestions of vulnerability, she is comfortable in own skin, loves her creaky house, and needs nothing more than what she has.

of all the albums on the top 14 list, this figures to be the most enduring. grandiose in its simplicity, before machines has a timeless quality that is beyond being one of the best albums of the year. i’d take this if i were banished to a 110-year-old house in the middle of nowhere with only ten albums, but that may be a small step since i already live in a 110-year-old house in the middle of nowhere.

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i’ve seen many musicians live three, four times in a year. i’ve seen several musicians on back to back nights. anna tivel (along with moorea masa) must certainly be the first musician i’ve seen play three nights in a row. i’ve no idea which one was the best, but if she did a residency in la grande for thirty straight days, i would attend every one and if anyone tried to utter so much as one word of distraction, i would have them bound and gagged. that’s probably why the show at LG brewskis with moorea masa and foster haney (10/17) was the best. the house was packed, but the silence was so haunting throughout the performance that a pin could be heard – the day after it was dropped. but the show she did with gregory rawlins at the deep (8/26) was probably the most lively and entertaining. however, it's hard to forget the opening set she and moorea did for test audiences and finn riggins at BGB (10/18). whatever type of scene suits you, anna can fit snugly into it.

14 best albums of 2014

these are the 14 albums that moved me the most in 2014.
they are quite complete in the stories they tell. they are not best suited for background music. they are best heard with headphones in solitude and contemplation. and a few of the *major* artists probably should have appeared on other year-end lists, but for some reason were totally overlooked.  enjoy listening.

 1. hallowed oak (happy family)
 2. pontiak - INNOCENCE (thrill jockey)
 3. anna tivel - before machines (fluff & gravy)
 4. run on sentence - feelings (hush records)
 5. black lips - underneath the rainbow (vice records)
 6. willie nelson - band of brothers (legacy recordings)
 7. strangled darlings - boom stomp king
 8. james dean kindle & the eastern oregon playboys - many splendored things
 9. thurston moore - the best day (matador records)
10. clarke & the himselfs II  (curly cassettes)
11. ryan joseph anderson - the weaver's broom
12. michael eaton - individuation (destiny records)
13. the evangenitals - moby dick; or, the album (fluff & gravy)
14. knobtown skiffle band - knobtown rag

here's a longer list of some of the albums that very well could have made the list, but just did not.

pink floyd – the endless river   

ty segall – manipulator

various artists – self group mixtape  (a lot of krist kreuger projects)  

afghan whigs – do the beast 

jeff bridges & the abiders – live

lee bains III & the glory fires – deconstructed 

balvel – ten hand band

kentucky knife fight – hush hush

edmund wayne – tape no. 1

mehldau & cuiliana – taming the dragon

tune-yards – nikki nack 

moon hooch – this is cave music    

the miami dolphins – feeler

moondog – boogieland 

bill frissell – space age 

space raft 

everyone is dirty – dying is fun

dear rabbit – in a dessert without a book

arjun – core

daniel amedee – climbing

stoney spring – right on heliotrope

blisses b – sea level astronomy

samsel & the skirt – shoebox  

mutts – fuel your delusion part 4

kris bowers – heroes & misfits

takuya kuroda – rising son

andre cymone – the stone

tinariwen – emmaar

the new basement tapes

brushfire stankgrass – microclimates  

levi weaver – your ghost keeps finding me

gunash – same old nightmare

chad vangaalen – shrink dust

jefferson hendricks – given time

sick of it all – last act of defiance

pat metheny unity group – kin

string cheese incident – song in my head

secile mclorin salvant – woman child

holmes brothers – brotherhood

trita – the narcoma

cutthroats 9 – dissent 

spanish gold – south of nowhere

faded paper figures

morgan treni – the dreamer

neomythics – more protection

blind willies – everyday is judgement day

ontologics – something to needle over

memoir – there is a fire in me

various artists – ruckus in the boonies

ruckus in the boonies happens one day every mid summer in heppner, oregon. a listen to the comp makes it seem to be one of the more unique fests in cascadia.