The Wheel's Still In Spin

Best Albums Of November 2007

As the end of the year approaches there are fewer and fewer new releases, which makes a list of monthly best releases harder to make. With this month, there were a few standout albums and, luckily, some good EPs released.

1. Elephant Parade - Bedroom Recordings

   This album was originally self-released in 2006, but finally got an official release this month. Laced with short and gentle indie pop ditties, this album volleys between the male and female vocals. It's simplistic. It's concise. It's lo-fi. And it's like a new kitten that mischievously follows you everywhere - you can't shake and you wouldn't want to if you could.



2. Kevin Johansen + The Nada - Logo

   A mix of Americana and South American influences. After the first two tracks are in Spanish, the album takes a turn with a traditional country song. The album's greatest strength is its variance. In ways it reminds me of Nil Lara's self-titled album and Paul Simon's music for Songs For The Capeman. Some people weren't not a big fan of the Simon's short-lived Broadway production, but I never came close to getting a chance to see the show. This comparison to the music of that show is meant as a strong approval of Logo.



3. Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere In The Between

   This is a ska band that showcases a diverse sound. Most ska bands seem to just arrange every song so it sounds pretty similar. This band changes things up well while still keeping each song rooted in a ska sound.



4. Sigur Ros - Hvart/Heim | buy it at insound!

   The first track didn't have me, but the second one, "Hijomalind," got me. It reminded me of a Radiohead song and made me listen to the rest of the tracks. These albums were released simultaneously with the live film Heima. Some of the unreleased songs sound like they would best be used as soundtrack pieces for other movies. Ultimately, the songs on these albums are ethereal and subtly beautiful.



5. British Sea Power - Krankenhaus? | buy it at insound!

   This EP was released digitally in October, but got its physical release this month. It's full of bombastic indie pop songs. It is a great tease for their 2008 full-length release which dares to ask Do You Like Rock Music?



6. Club 8 - The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming

   This album sounds like a female fronted Belle & Sebastian. It's full of breathy vocals, addictively poppy melodies, and melancholic topics. This album is well crafted, well produced, and sultry sounding.



7. Grizzly Bear - Friend | buy it at insound!

   I've never been a big fan of Grizzly Bear. This album doesn't make me any more or less of a fan, but it holds its own. It's marked with good, dynamic songs and a Beach Boys-esque likeness at times. The 6 original songs are a collection of alternate versions and outtakes. However, the Grizzly Bear songs covered by other artists make this album unique. The cover of "Plans" by Band Of Horses is an envisioning rendition.



8. Tokyo Police Club - Smith | buy it at insound!

   It's only 3 songs and it's less than 8 minutes long, but this band is good enough that a short EP still holds me over until their next release (on their new label - Saddle Creek). With just 2 new songs and a new version to the title track of their slightly longer running EP from 2006, Smith makes A Lesson In Crime seem like a full-length album.

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The Mansion On The Hill by Fred Goodman

The Mansion On The Hill begins by delving into the effects of Dylan plugging in an electric guitar. There have been hundreds of biographies and stories about the artistic ramifications that were spurred by the event. Goodman explains the roots of the folk movement and the anti-establishment motives many felt. Instead of focusing on how some felt Dylan was selling out by going electric and playing pop music, this book looks at the effect that managers had over the development of music into a commercial business model.

Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman, is described as the first manager who was "more powerful than the record company presidents he, by turns, negotiated with, bullied, and taught." While Grossman managed Janis Joplin, Odetta, Richie Havens, the Band, Gordon Lightfoot, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Peter, Paul and Mary, the artist that he is most associated with is Dylan. Grossman didn't manage "talent," his clients were given the respect of being "artists." That attitude combined with his foreboding and forceful presence changed the shape of music. His shrewd and domineering business sensibilities helped release musician's rights from the record labels, but he opened a Pandora's box of managerial and business greed for future generations.

I'm Not There

Lester Bangs once wrote, "I have always believed that rock 'n' roll comes down to myth. There are no 'facts.'" While rock 'n' roll is full of numerous facts, the best rock stories equally rely on the myths. I'm Not There does just this by intertwining the legends of Bob Dylan's life with the authentic details. It does not stick to the typical biopic narrative style. To cinematically display the life of Bob Dylan, the movie cuts between 6 actors portraying its subject in 7 different significant cross-sections of life. Motivated by both the life and music of Dylan, the outcome is a biopic that focuses on creating the aesthetic or semblance of Dylan's persona.

Director and co-writer Todd Haynes is not a newcomer to artistic, musical biopics. One of his earliest films was the now discontinued and recalled Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. The film illegally used songs from The Carpenters' catalog but told Karen Carpenter's story by almost entirely using Barbie dolls. In Velvet Goldmine, he created a pictorial impression of 70's glam rock. The two main characters, Brian Slade and Curt Wild, represented culminations of David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Brian Eno, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop. By contrast, with I'm Not There Haynes dissects one musician into 7 facets of his career.

Mountain Goats and Bowerbirds - The Mad Hatter, Covington, KY - November 13th 2007

For the past five years I have been listening to the Mountain Goats. Throughout this time, I have wanted to see John Darnielle perform with any incarnation of the band. Last night, finally, my wish was granted as the Mountain Goats performed at The Mad Hatter in Covington, KY.

The opening act for the evening’s show was Bowerbirds, a band that Darnielle has called his "favorite new band in forever." The stripped down, folk sound of the band worked well as an opener. Their set was full of sparse arrangements and harmonized vocals. Dulcet singing and a nylon-string guitar were constants throughout the set. The accompanying instrumentation varied between accordion, violin, pedal keyboard, and bass drum. While the band does not demonstrate the emotional dynamics that the Mountain Goats capture, the Bowerbirds’ songs were syrupy and serene. Their forty minutes of mellow music was a good warm up for the main attraction.

After a brief intermission, during which The Mad Hatter played Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga through the PA, John Darnielle, Peter Hughes, and Jon Wurster took the stage. With the opening lines of the first song, "Wild Sage," "I leave the house as soon as it gets light outside/ Like a prisoner breaking out of jail," the dynamics of the band were immediately apparent. The band started the set incredibly quiet. And the audience clung to the aural reticence.