1. People Got A Lotta Nerve – Neko Case
2. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
3. Fables – The Dodos
4. Daylight – Matt and Kim
5. Lisztomania – Phoenix
6. The Rake’s Song – The Decemberists
7. Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors and David Byrne
8. My Girls – Animal Collective
9. Relator – Pete Yorn and Scarlet [...]

 
THE HOLD STEADY COVER BRYAN ADAMS
Craig Finn shared vocals with former Arab Strap guitarist Malcolm Middleton on ’80s rock radio staple “Run To You” (along with Led Zeppelin’s “Your Time Is Gonna Come” and Malcolm’s own “Kiss At The Station”) in a recent live session on BBC Radio 1. The occasion was a celebratory send-off [...]

Ok with all the re-release hoopla surrounding the B-Boys I have to show some love to my second fave Beasties record. What sold me on this? Itunes just hit me with Jimmy James.  Pitchfork hipped me to the Lee Majors jam that came on a seven inch in some re-releases.  Below is my [...]

The Old 97’s 1997 major label debut for Elektra was simply astonishing.  How many records start with that blazing a guitar riff right in your face in the first five seconds?  This album quickly took over as the sounds of my summer that year. Windows down, speakers cranked as Rhett, Murray and the gang tromped [...]

Satisfaction comes in many ways.  And often one must wait years for it to solidify into something that makes you whole.  Not only that, its a good story and a great excuse to tout another of those life-changing albums. Well, my life anyway.
The year was 1992 and young Dan Smalls was about to graduate from [...]

Sometimes it takes just a song to take you back… and sometimes the memories are bittersweet yet thoroughly invigorating if that makes any sense.
Today at lunch I was reminded of all the women who have broken my heart. Not a terribly tremendous list but a few that hit home. And a few that [...]

AND FINALLY:  Your Fearless leader.
Forgive me if I’m a bit predictable this year or missed a bit.  You only get to have your first child once and mine’s not from the sleepers.  Can’t believe I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in eleven months.  Thanks for reading y’all and as always, your thoughts here are [...]

ALBUMS:
Achilles Heel – Pedro the Lion
The Slow Wonder -AC Newman
American Idiot – Green Day
Antics – Interpol
Fuckin’ A – The Thermals
Hot Fuss – The Killers
The Milk-Eyed Mender – Joanna Newsom
More Adventurous – Rilo Kiley
The Dirty South – Drive-By Truckers
The Tigers Have Spoken – Neko Case
Good News for People Who Love Bad News – Modest Mouse
Bows + [...]

HIT THE WAY BACK BUTTON TO 2005:
ALBUMS:
Nada Surf -The Weight is a Gift
My Morning Jacket – Z
Death Cab for Cutie – Plans
New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
Brendan Benson – The Alternative to Love
Spoon – Gimme Fiction
Josh Rouse – Nashville
M. Ward – Transistor Radio
Andrew Bird – The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Elbow – [...]

THE VAULT BRINGS YOU THE BEST OF PREVIOUS YEARS.
2006
ALBUMS:
Boys and Girls in America – the Hold Steady
Rabbit Fur Coat – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Everything All the Time – Band of Horses
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood – Neko Case
Subtitulo – Josh Rouse
Post-War – M. Ward
The Greatest – Cat Power
A Blessing and a Curse – [...]

THE VAULT BRINGS YOU THE BEST OF THE PAST YEARS – COMMENTS APPRECIATED
2007
ALBUMS
The Story – Brandi Carlisle
Under the Blacklight – Rilo Kiley
Writer’s Block – Peter, Bjorn and John
Challengers – New Pornographers
Emotionalism – The Avett Brothers
Cease to Begin – Band of Horses
Armchair Apocrypha – Andrew Bird
Neon Bible – Arcade Fire
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
Sky Blue [...]

Meat Puppets II is the second album by the Tempe, Arizona band the Meat Puppets.  Whereas their first album pissed off the punk kids because these three long-haired country-looking cats from Arizona (Arizona?!?) played thrash and hardcore with unintelligible lyrics, this album spat back in these naysayers faces… the truest punk esthetic.  MP II covers a broad [...]

One of my favorite and somewhat under-appreciated bands was Catherine Wheel. I was working at the Haunt back in 1992 when we’d get these weekly packages of advance music from Capitol Records. One week, tucked in between Radiohead and The Beastie Boys remix of “So Whatcha Want” (by Cypress Hill mind you)  was [...]

No one can deny that songwriting is a timeless art.  There are dozens of examples I could throw at you where you’d say, “Tell me something I didn’t know.”  But I want to offer you something that you have to work for. If you already know this example, why aren’t we better friends?  If you [...]

“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash . . .” It has been 40 years since Johnny Cash walked onto the stage in the Folsom Prison cafeteria and said these words, kicking off his historic and groundbreaking concert. There is a great deal of myth surrounding Johnny Cash, much of it promoted by The Man In Black himself. [...]

Brandi Carlile burst onto my scene a few years ago with the fantastic single Closer to You.  Stunning vocals over carefully crafted melodies and somewhat deep lyrics for a young talent, I was grabbed immediately and couldn’t wait for the release of this album in 2007.  It did not disappoint.  I shared it with [...]