The Best Albums of 2009

It’s that time again! Time for The Figurehead’s “best of albums (2009 edition)”. I base my rankings on how I often I listened to it this year AND how often I think I’ll listen to it in the future. I do my best to ignore the indie blog influences. Yes, I know I have 2 live albums at the top. Here we go – starting with #15.

15. Beirut – March of the Zapotec

14. Dead Weather – Horehound

13. Built to Spill – There is No Enemy

12. The XX – XX

11. Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing

10. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love

9. Dinosaur Jr. – Farm

8. Pearl Jam – Backspacer

7. Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 – White Lies for Dark Times

6. Mastodon – Crack the Skye

5. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

4. The Swell Season – Strict Joy

3. Mew – No More Stories Are Told

2. Nirvana – Live at Reading Festival

1. Jack Johnson – En Concert

MMJ EP

Apparently My Morning Jacket is releasing a live EP on “Record Store Day (April 18)” to indie record stores only. After the disaster that was their last LP I don’t care that much – unless the live stuff is older MMJ. I do, however, like this cover. Cool colors. Reminds me of some of the “Mule Day” shirts from Columbia, TN:

Hello Zone 4 plus some summer music in the dead of winter.

I was scheduled to only lift weights today, but I woke up a bit too early this morning. Since I was up I decided to go ahead and knock out tomorrow’s scheduled 30 minute run, so that I can focus on a good quality swim tomorrow.

I decided to go and run on Bill’s treadmill. I’m paying more attention to my heart rate zones this season as I’m hoping to have a good year. Here’s what I did (all at 1% incline):

10 minutes at 8:30 pace
5 minutes at 7:00 pace
5 minutes at 8:30 pace
5 minutes at 7:00 pace
5 minutes at 9:00 pace

During that second 5 minutes at 7:00 I hit 186 heart rate. That’s zone 4 (of 5) for me while running. I reached zone 4 while doing a bike time trial a couple of weeks ago, but this marks my first time this season in zone 4 while running. Honestly, it’s a little too soon for zone 4 and 5 training, so I need to back it down a bit. I was a little disappointed that I hit 186 while running what used to be an easy 7:00 pace. I should be running 6:00 pace in high zone 4 by late spring.

Tomorrow I’m scheduled for 2500 in the pool. Friday I’ll run 1:00-1:15. My plan is to stay zone 2 throughout (146-155bpm).

Off of the training subject, I’ve been listening the song “Isabelle” repeatedly lately. Great song by a great Charleston, SC band – The Blue Dogs. Check ‘um out.

Silversun Pickups new album plus a nice swim

I love the Silversun Pickups. They remind of everything that used to be pure and innocent about the Smashing Pumpkins in the beginning. Their latest critically acclaimed album Carnavas is everywhere and deservedly so. It rocks.

My buddy BT forwarded this article to me today though. I gotta be honest, at first I thought “yes! a new album!”, but then I thought more about what the article had to say. It sounds like the gang are planning to go big and try some new things – things that sound like the downfall of the Smashing Pumpkins. For a follow up album I’d rather they opt for the safe route and record some more songs that sound like Carnavas. Let’s hope the new one doesn’t “jump the shark”.

For now, here’s one of the early gems to enjoy:
CLICK ME
Want more?
CLICK HERE for their hit single.

I cranked out 2500 yards in the pool this morning with no ill effects. I’m rounding back into swim shape nicely.

Finally…The Top 10 Albums of 2008

Here they are, The Figurehead’s 10 favorite albums of 2008:

10 . Daniel Lanois – Here is What is

9. Darker My Love  – 2

8. Lambchop – OH (Ohio)

7. The Cure – 4:13 Dream

6. Sigur Ros – Med Sud…

5. Bon Iver – For Emma, forever ago

4. Calexico – Carried to Dust

3. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

2. M83 – Saturdays = Youth

1. Jack Johnson – Sleep Through the Static

Album of the Year?

It’s that time again. I didn’t accumulate nearly as many new albums in 2008 as I have in past years, but I need to release my “best of” list anyway; that’ll happen later. For now, I’ll let you guys vote on your favorite album (only among the new 2008 albums that I actually acquired this year): I realize there are some great albums missing. Post your comments on the ones I missed. Let your voice be heard!

The Cure: Then and Now

When I was 13 years old I got my hands on a dubbed cassette version of The Cure’s “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me” album. Within a week I had a Cure poster on my bedroom wall and was well on my way to acquiring all of their albums. My wife recalls with some distaste the giant Robert Smith poster that hung on my wall in college. Now, 21 years later, they are still my favorite band.

I picked up their new album 4:13 Dream a few days ago and have been very pleased with it. I was fully expecting to be disappointed, but Robert and the boys have restored my faith in The Cure.

Check out “Underneath the Stars” – my favorite track from the new album:

Calexico – Carried To Dust

Calexico has quickly become one of my favorite bands recording new music. I love their mysterious western sound. Listening to Calexico is like driving through the desert at midnight or visiting a ghost town somewhere in the sun scorched dusty old west.

The new album “Carried to Dust” is vying for one of the coveted top spots on my best of 2008 list. Check it out!

It’s time to swim ashore

There always seems to be a song or two that helps me get through a challenging time in life. With my wife gone for 4 months and a 4 year that now depends solely on her daddy I’ve got some stress going on. No problem. I can always fall back on my boy Jack Johnson. I’ve probably listened to Drink The Water from his 2000 release Brushfire Fairytales 100 times in the last few weeks. I listen to it in the car and immediately skip back to it about 3 times in a row while I’m driving. Thanks Jack! Enjoy:

Bon Iver

RESPECT! to Chris Thomas for turning me onto the new album “For Emma, Forever Ago” (love the album title). He described it as “The perfect Chad Nikazy album.” So far The Figurehead is agreeing with him. Check out the video for The Wolves:

Get lost in this video.

New Conor Oberst

I’m on my first listen of the new Conor Oberst album this afternoon. So far so good. One thing is for sure…I like the album cover.

Listen to the first track on the album “Cape Canaveral” here:

Early Father’s Day Gift

Here’s what Izzy picked out, all by herself, for my father’s day gift. Karen says they were strolling through Target when they passed the book section. Izzy immediately stopped and started jumping up and down wanting to “pay” the Jimmy Buffett book for daddy. That’s my girl!

It’s a cute story so far. Lot’s of parallels to my life right now…the main characters, other than the pig, are twins. We’re expecting twins right now. The early part of the story is set in southern middle TN – exactly where I live.

Karen says I’ve been reading too much serious stuff lately on top of the heavy load I’m carrying already. She’s right. Nothings better than a Jimmy Buffett, Tom Corcoran, or Clive Cussler novel for summer reading.

My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

First let me say this…I’m a big MMJ fan. My boy CT hooked me up with the new one just yesterday and I’ve only had limited time to listen to Evil Urges. Here’s my first blush reaction to tracks 1-8:

1. Evil Urges – “oh cool…it’s the new Flaming Lips album!”
2. Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1 – “Wow, the new Lips album sounds alot like Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots!”
3.Highly Suspicious – “Awesome! Mike Patton and Faith No More do a guest track on this thing.” This is dead up like FNM at their silliest moments or even Mr. Bungle.
4. I’m Amazed – “Classic MMJ stuff.”
5. Thank you Too! – “Now we’re in a rhythem with the classic MMJ sound.”
6. Sec Walkin – “Wait…turn it back…this is AM Radio Gold station.”
7. Two Halves – “The Beach Boys??! Cool…I think.”
8. Librarian – “Who switched the station back to AM Radio Gold? Did he even just mention Karen Carpenter?”

Sounds negative, right? Nah, the new album sounds great. They are certainly taking some chances though with the new “experimental” sound. It’s cool…it was cool when the Flaming Lips did it too.

I’ll post about the rest of the tracks later.

I miss Superchunk and 1992

Superchunk WAS indie rock. They were one of my first tastes of true independent music. I remember thinking that only people in Chappel Hill, NC and a handful of us kids in Hendersonville, TN knew who they were. I saw them at the Exit/In in Nashville sometime in the early 90′s (can’t recall exactly, but somewhere between 92-94). Sadly, at the time, I somehow identified with the lyrics to this song. I love this band! I love this song in particular! Viva la Superchunk!

The first video from…

…the new Death Cab for Cutie album “Narrow Stairs”. I’ve listened to the new album several times already, but I need a few more spins before I give an official review. For now, here’s “I Will Possess Your Heart”.

 

A couple of Album covers

 

Random post. I like these covers. They both make me feel good. Jimmy Buffett – A1A (1974) and Band of Horses – Cease to Begin (2007)