It is that time of year again.
Time to make lists, time to struggle and time to compile.
It was not easy doing this years best albums, especially considering how many albums that I was dissapointed by (Primal Scream (so lame, so lame), Brian Jonestown Massacre (half of it brilliant, half of it complete crap!), The Breeders (booooring), The Cure ( so incredible uneven), The Fall (very unfocused)).
The top 5 I was 100% certain of, and I could move them around in the top until I die, the 6-10 not as certain, and the rest could have ended up anywhere.
So enough talk, here it is. 2008 top 20, right this second:
1. A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers
2. Ossler - Ett Brus
3. Firewater - The Golden Hour
4. Division Of Laura Lee - Violence Is Timeless
5. Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold
6. Portishead - Third
7. Twelve - Houston We Have No Problem (I and II)
8. Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling
9. Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
10. The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost
11. Spiritualized - Songs In A & E
12. Tv On The Radio - Dear Science
13. Disfear - Live The Storm
14. Melvins - Nude With Boots
15. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr Happy
16. The Dandy Warhols - Earth To The Dandy Warhols
17. The Soundtrack Of our Lives - Communion
18. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of Understatement
19. Meshuggah - ObZen
20. Bloc Party - Intimacy
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Chinese Democracy
Ok, quick review.
First of all it was not bad at all. That said, it was not good either, it was more like "shrugs". The main thing that hit me is that it is waaay too produced, waaay to arranged, and I get the impression that Axl should have worked on the songs instead of the production. There is constantly too much going on (5 guitars at the same time of which two are playing solos), Axl screaming over it, while Axl (yes again) is sing back-up vocals and we have a full string-section and keyboards. And sometimes you really get a "cut and paste" feel, like they could not decide on all the cool parts they had written so they put them all togheter in one song, wich gives a very schizofrenic impression.
So over all, there probably is a good album under there somewhere, but it is hard to find it.
What I want Axl to do, is pick out a semi-sloppy trio, no keyboards, no samples, ONE guitar and go out with this material and play some theaters. Play some good old sleezy rock, I think it is there. Somewhere.
First of all it was not bad at all. That said, it was not good either, it was more like "shrugs". The main thing that hit me is that it is waaay too produced, waaay to arranged, and I get the impression that Axl should have worked on the songs instead of the production. There is constantly too much going on (5 guitars at the same time of which two are playing solos), Axl screaming over it, while Axl (yes again) is sing back-up vocals and we have a full string-section and keyboards. And sometimes you really get a "cut and paste" feel, like they could not decide on all the cool parts they had written so they put them all togheter in one song, wich gives a very schizofrenic impression.
So over all, there probably is a good album under there somewhere, but it is hard to find it.
What I want Axl to do, is pick out a semi-sloppy trio, no keyboards, no samples, ONE guitar and go out with this material and play some theaters. Play some good old sleezy rock, I think it is there. Somewhere.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Whatever's Cool With Me
Anna has been in Denmark for a week and I have gotten hooked on True Blood. Been watching the whole week. Great show, good locations and great accents. Oh, and there are vampires. Always good.
Watched Hellboy II last night. I really liked it. The villian was not as good as in number 1 but still a good action movie and great characters.
Today I am going to interview Franz Ferdinand and then Anna is coming home and we are going to go and see them. Went to the recordcompany yesterday to listen to the new album. Some parts really different and some parts the same. But it sounded good, I will need a couple of more listens to really know what I think. But the first listen was positive. The fist songe was called Ullyses and had a pretty fat keyboard going through it, really cool song.
No song of the day today. A whole album instead.
sianSPHERIC - The Sound of the Colour of the Sun
Watched Hellboy II last night. I really liked it. The villian was not as good as in number 1 but still a good action movie and great characters.
Today I am going to interview Franz Ferdinand and then Anna is coming home and we are going to go and see them. Went to the recordcompany yesterday to listen to the new album. Some parts really different and some parts the same. But it sounded good, I will need a couple of more listens to really know what I think. But the first listen was positive. The fist songe was called Ullyses and had a pretty fat keyboard going through it, really cool song.
No song of the day today. A whole album instead.
sianSPHERIC - The Sound of the Colour of the Sun
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Gargoyle Waiting.
Not much to report right now. I could bore you to tears with what is going on in Västertorp right now (reading, watching tv, listening to music, doing dishes, eating, reading, listening to music, etc) but I won't. So instead here is some really good stuff. Ride, one of my favorite bands, saw them in Sweden in 1991 and it was absolutely fantastic. One of the bands I really regret never seeing again.
Anyway, it starts with a short interview, and then Taste.
Enjoy!
Anyway, it starts with a short interview, and then Taste.
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Kill your television.
What a week. For a while there I thought I would never be able to sleep again. Is that by the way a sign that I am getting older, the constant talking about sleep? I hope not.
Anyway. 5 shows in 7 days and I got up at 4.45 everyday, except tuesday when I got up at 4.00. So to continue this trend of talking about my lack of sleep. I slept in general 4 hours per night this week, and if me and Anna had not found a free sofa during Spiritualized I am not sure I would have made it through. Which brings me to the next subject. Spiritualized. Great, great show, but very badly paced setlist. Great opening, first 4 songs was just incredible, then after that 1 hour of slow songs and ballads, all individualy amazing, but all in row a bit much. After that 4 rock songs again, and the show is over. And when the show is over I discover that my phone is no longer in my pocket. It has fallen out and landed behind the sofa and the wall. Now the sofa goes along the whole wall of the venue so I can not move it, and my arm is too short to actually reach the phone. So we went home, and I went back the next day, fished it up with some help from a electrician working there.
Song of the day will be by my old heroes. Brilliant song, brilliant video. Turn it up and enjpy!
Anyway. 5 shows in 7 days and I got up at 4.45 everyday, except tuesday when I got up at 4.00. So to continue this trend of talking about my lack of sleep. I slept in general 4 hours per night this week, and if me and Anna had not found a free sofa during Spiritualized I am not sure I would have made it through. Which brings me to the next subject. Spiritualized. Great, great show, but very badly paced setlist. Great opening, first 4 songs was just incredible, then after that 1 hour of slow songs and ballads, all individualy amazing, but all in row a bit much. After that 4 rock songs again, and the show is over. And when the show is over I discover that my phone is no longer in my pocket. It has fallen out and landed behind the sofa and the wall. Now the sofa goes along the whole wall of the venue so I can not move it, and my arm is too short to actually reach the phone. So we went home, and I went back the next day, fished it up with some help from a electrician working there.
Song of the day will be by my old heroes. Brilliant song, brilliant video. Turn it up and enjpy!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Obama!
Wow! The last 24 hours have been crazy.
No sleep, tons of good music and on top of that Obama.
Last night we went and saw The Twilight Sad and MOGWAI. Great, great show and even though Mogwai might not have played my dream setlist they were as powerful as always and really goddamn good. The Twilight Sad was good too, but it is hard being the opening act and play to a less than half full venue to people who have no idea who you are, and do not really care either. Still a good gig.
And then home by midnight, quickly to bed and up at 4.00am for a breakfast with the american ambassador och several other important people at a hotel in town and waiting for the first voting results to come in. By the time we got there at 5.00am Obama was leading big and had soon won. From there is off to work. Now I am sitting home, I am watching BBC and sucking up everything about the election before I run of to go and see Spiritualized.
What a amazing election. I still think that Obama has some very tough years a head of him, the Bush administration has run the country to shreds and it will take a lot of time and effort to get back on track again. But this is not the time to be negative. I am very happy.
Maybe I can sleep next week.
The song of the day will of course be Mogwai. Don't forget to watch the video too, really good.
No sleep, tons of good music and on top of that Obama.
Last night we went and saw The Twilight Sad and MOGWAI. Great, great show and even though Mogwai might not have played my dream setlist they were as powerful as always and really goddamn good. The Twilight Sad was good too, but it is hard being the opening act and play to a less than half full venue to people who have no idea who you are, and do not really care either. Still a good gig.
And then home by midnight, quickly to bed and up at 4.00am for a breakfast with the american ambassador och several other important people at a hotel in town and waiting for the first voting results to come in. By the time we got there at 5.00am Obama was leading big and had soon won. From there is off to work. Now I am sitting home, I am watching BBC and sucking up everything about the election before I run of to go and see Spiritualized.
What a amazing election. I still think that Obama has some very tough years a head of him, the Bush administration has run the country to shreds and it will take a lot of time and effort to get back on track again. But this is not the time to be negative. I am very happy.
Maybe I can sleep next week.
The song of the day will of course be Mogwai. Don't forget to watch the video too, really good.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Space Dementia
Saw Division Of Laura Lee last night, great show. Good mix of old and new songs. As usual though the Stockholm audience were way too cool to actually face the stage and applaude between songs. The people in front of us stood pretty much the whole show with their backs to the stage talking. Sometimes I think it is only worth seeing bands in small towns, were the audience does not have to be cool, but only wants to have fun and see some good music. I have talked to a lot of bands that have said that the best shows are never in New York or London, but more like Freiburg, Norrköping, Ulan Bator or Baltimore.
Which explains why the show me and Tony saw with Deftones in Shitville New Jersey was so damn good. It still is the worst pizza I have ever eaten, though. And then to top that with a cabdriver that told us how much he used to beat his wife was a little bit more than scary. Still great show, great band.
This will be a busy week for me. I saw Division last night, in an hour I will leave for Love Is A Burning Thing, and then on tuesday Mogwai, wednesday Spiritualized and friday Monster Magnet. And I have tickets for all. Somewhere in there I will have time to sleep, I hope.
Now cross your fingers for Obama.
Which explains why the show me and Tony saw with Deftones in Shitville New Jersey was so damn good. It still is the worst pizza I have ever eaten, though. And then to top that with a cabdriver that told us how much he used to beat his wife was a little bit more than scary. Still great show, great band.
This will be a busy week for me. I saw Division last night, in an hour I will leave for Love Is A Burning Thing, and then on tuesday Mogwai, wednesday Spiritualized and friday Monster Magnet. And I have tickets for all. Somewhere in there I will have time to sleep, I hope.
Now cross your fingers for Obama.
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