The Wheel's Still In Spin

Best Albums of 2005

The content of this list was originally posted on the online music and popular culture magazine I See Sound on 3 Jan 2006.

My Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2005 (in alphabetical order, because that’s how I store my CDs. When I looked through my CDs to pick which were the best of the year, I scroll through them all alphabetically. But picking THE best one is hard. It changes every few weeks.)

• Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP
  Download “Lua” (mp3)

  This album re-awoke me to folk music. I’ve always listened to folk music. Bob Dylan was the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place. I went from listening to old school folk in high school and college to adding a lot of indie and punk rock in my 20’s. But this album made me religiously listen to Gram Parsons again – and not just because Conor Oberst added Emmylou Harris’ vocals on a few tracks – on the few moments when I took “Wide Awake” out of my CD player. It made me write folk songs again. It blew me away and it kept me up listening to it all night. I’ll never forget the first night a friend brought it over for me to hear. It was a few weeks before it was released. We recorded some music and then we listened to this album while we drank. We listened again. And drank more. And listened again. And well, eventually, my friend had a little too much vodka. He spent the end of the evening, or early part of the morning, hunched over, puking into a trashcan and occasionally opening his eyes to say, “I am soooooo sorry.” The sun was coming up, I was wide awake, and my friend had passed out on my floor.



• The Decemberists – Picaresque | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP MP3
  Download “The Engine Driver” (mp3)
  

  This album reiterated me why Colin Meloy is one of my favorite songwriters. He writes appealing songs that tell unique stories and blow my mind away. While I seem to be one of the few people who think their earlier work may be a little stronger (listen to “Castaways and Cutouts” and “Her Majesty The Decemberists”), I am amazed that Meloy can write such intelligent songs that stick in my head all day long. Even if I think their earlier albums are better, I still say this is one of the best albums of 2005 by far. They put on a great show at The Southgate House this year, with one member sick and bedridden in the hotel. The show started a little slow, but by the end was so powerful I wanted to hear it over and over again, just like this album.



• Dressy Bessy – Electrified | Amazon CD | Insound CD LP
  Download “Side 2” (mp3)
  

  While I still think their self-titled album on the now defunct Kindercore label is their swansong, this album still has all the things that make this Denver-based band incredible. You can hear the pop magic that alludes to their Elephant 6 roots. Tammy Ealom’s beautiful, raspy voice is just as much of a hook as John Hill’s guitar work. I saw them play in Denver before I moved to the Cincinnati area. Their show at Alchemize this year was one of the best concerts I saw in 2005.



• Fiery Furnaces – EP | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP MP3
  

  It’s called an EP. It has 10 tracks and is 41 minutes long. And it’s completely astonishing. From “Single Again” though “Sullivan’s Social Club,” the Friedberger siblings picked up where they left off on “Blueberry Boat” keeping the songs catchy and challenging.



• The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
  

  “Do you want to hear it like boy meets girl and the rest is history? Or do you want it like a murder mystery? I’m going to tell it like a comeback story.” Craig Finn croons these lyrics in the middle of the album, once I was already hooked. From the opening lines about Holly, this album goes through as a story of debauchery and lust, up and down all the time. And the music immediately makes me jerk my whole body. This five piece from Brooklyn packs the album full of classic rock riffs with indie rock production and an endless onslaught of amazing lyrics. From “You came into the ER drinking gin from a jam jar. And the nurses making jokes about the ER being like an after bar.” to “Silly Rabbit. Tripping is for teenagers. Murder is for murderers. And hard drugs are for bartenders.” He mentioned that before.



• Iron & Wine – Woman King EP | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP MP3
  Download “Woman King” (mp3)
  

  Another album I couldn’t take out of my CD player for weeks (literally – I listen to only this album for one full week and off an on throughout the year). It sounds like a modern version of Simon & Garfunkel production with the subdued performance I’ve come to love from Sam Beam. This album has only six songs, but every one of them is absolutely amazing. While he was recording this album in Chicago, a musical acquaintance, Matt Dennewitz (of Blackbear and Coltrane Motion) was sitting on his stoop drinking wine and playing or writing some music. Beam rode by on his bike. He stopped and asked, “Are you drinking wine?” Matt responded to this acoustic guitar songster and Sam just said, “Cool,” and rode off. I like to think Matt helped make this album even greaterer (yes, that’s greaterer).



• The New Pornographers – Twin Cinema | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
  

  This Canadian super group turned in another mind-boggling album in 2005. A.C. Newman, Dan Bejar, and Neko Case (along with others) churned out some of the best pop music of the year. The layers of guitars and vocals intertwined to create one of my favorite albums of the year. One listen to the song “Sing Me Spanish Techno” was all I needed to be hooked.



• Sleater-Kinney – The Woods | Amazon CD MP3 | Insound CD MP3
  Download “Entertain” (mp3)
  Download “Jumpers” (mp3)
  

  I was first turned on to Sleater-Kinney with One Beat. This album, though, not only changed my view of the band, it changed the way I played guitar. I wanted to figure out how to make solos sound as huge as Carrie Brownstein’s. Somehow both guitars on this album sounded like biggest noises of the year, full of power and control, noise and prowess. And Janet Weiss’s drumming is like John Bonham and Keith Moon rolled into one. A good friend of mine called her the greatest drummer of our generation – and that was before this album came out! A three piece hasn’t sounded this gigantic since Mclusky, but Sleater-Kinney does it better, both on the disc and live (what an amazing show at The Southgate House this year).



• Spoon – Gimme Fiction | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP MP3
  

  Okay. You’ve read a hundred reviews of this album already. You’ve seen it on most people’s Top 10 of 2005 lists. Yeah, I love it too. Simply put – it moves me. And “Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine” is one of my favorite tracks of the year. And that makes me realize that this is one of the few albums of the year that every one of my close friends (who all named it on their top 10 of 2005 lists, too) claims a different favorite track.



• Troubled Hubble – Making Beds In A Burning House | Amazon CD LP MP3
  Download “Ear Nose & Throat” (mp3)
  

  This four piece from Chicago released a captivating power pop album, then they broke up. Isn’t that always how it goes? They have a legitimate reason. Lead singer Chris Otepka has had Tinnitus for a while. After touring for 5 years, it got too painful during their last tour. That might explain why this album has songs like “Migraine,” “Ear Nose & Throat,” and “Even Marathon Runners Need To Nap.” Their music is incredible and their live shows were extremely energetic. Brothers Nate and Andrew Lanthrum laid down a solid beat while Josh Miller’s guitar craftsmanship is unparalleled. Otepka would even stand on his head during shows and play rhythm guitar. It’s a shame this band can no longer play loud rock shows because they were remarkable. Luckily, one of the bands I [was] in, The Minni-Thins, got to play 2 shows with these guys (1 of those shows was also with The Wrens). They will be missed.

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Islands and Human Reunion - Elbo's, Dayton, OH - December 3rd, 2005

The content of this live review was originally posted on the online music and popular culture magazine I See Sound, which has been dormant for the entirety of 2008 thus far.

The night of this show became a memorable, live-changing evening for me. It was the events that took place after Island’s live performance that had an altering result on my life, but it is just as commonly referred to as “the night of the Islands show” as it is “when my truck rolled over.”

I wasn’t sure how to start this. I could use some quirky line about how a lot of people say, “I would die to see that band.” Or I could explain how uncomfortable the backseat of a police car is, for those of you who have never had that experience. Maybe I could talk about Divine Intervention (not the Matthew Sweet song – okay maybe I could talk about the lead track to his “Girlfriend” album). Or I could just burst out and tell the ending right away. But none of those beginnings are appropriate. This is a review of the Islands show at Elbo’s in Dayton, not the story of how I got there and back. I will explain what happened to me, but first let me explain how amazing this concert was.

It was an all ages show, build as being from 5-7:30 PM. I got there about 5:15 and the first band, Human Reunion, was finishing its sound check. Apparently Islands was running a little late. The show started around 6 with the headlining band not yet in the club.

The Wheel's Still In Spin Is Moving

On this site, the focal point of the content is the music itself. Rarely do I make personal statements or announcements. This post will be one of the exceptions.

I will be relocated to the San Francisco, CA area. The move starts today.

After almost exactly 5 years in Cincinnati, OH, it has become time to move on. The Queen City has given quite a few memories. The bands I played in gave me some great opportunities, including opening for some national acts, a small amount of national touring, and playing at SXSW. The high point, however, was meeting the love of my life, my girlfriend and travel companion.

Throughout the course of this year, I highlighted some of the best Cincinnati area bands in a section I called Better Than The Chili. There are an ambundance of great bands in the Tri-State area and I only had time to showcase a spattering of them this year.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be driving across the country, taking a vacation, and setting up my new home office. When all is complete, I will resume the regular posts. In the meantime, a few older writings will be posted. Before creating this site, I wrote for the online music and pop culture magazine, I See Sound. For nearly a year, I See Sound has been dormant. I will re-post some live reviews, short story and album reviews, and an interview. Hopefully you will enjoy reading some of the original short story reviews that I crafted over 2 years ago that lead to the creation of this site.

In the absense of new updates from The Wheel's Still In Spin, check out the content on:
Largehearted Boy's new releases lists
Spill It - for Cincinnati music updates
Each Secure Note - for more Cincinnati music updates
Captain Obvious
And more of My Favorite Sites

New Releases - 22 July 2008

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases for this week.

Buffalo Killers – Let It Ride | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl
Download “Get Together Now Today” (mp3)
Download “River Water” (mp3) [from Let It Ride limited edition bonus disc]
Produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Let It Ride shows the Buffalo Killers continue their Southern-twinged garage rock sound from their self-titled release of 2006. Locally, Buffalo Killers released this album at a CD Release Party in June and received “Better Than The Chili” praise. This past week showed the national release of the album.

Broken Social Scene Presents… Brendan Canning – Something For All Of Us | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl
Download “Hit The Wall” (mp3)
Like fellow Broken Social Scene members Kevin Drew, Jason Collett, Feist, and Emily Haines, Brendan Canning’s solo album is full of catchy and intriguing songs. Canning and the other members of the Broken Social Scene show that the sum can also be just as great as the individual parts.

Timmy Curran – Word Of Mouth | Amazon CD MP3
Like Jack Johnson, Timmy Curran is a former surfer turned professional musician. Curran originally “released” this album as a free download on his website. Well, now you can purchase this happy-go-lucky, mellow pop album.

Dr. Dog – Fate | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3 | Insound CD Vinyl
Download “The Old Days” (mp3)
Download “The Ark” (mp3)
Dr. Dog, a modern indie rock band with the feet firmly set in a foundation of 60’s psychedelic pop, has released their most polished album. Destined to be one of the highlights of the year, Fate is a well produced and very accessible album.

Buddy Guy – Skin Deep | Amazon CD Vinyl MP3
72-year-old Buddy Guy is a member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. While he has released a plethora of albums, his is foremost known as a live showman. On Skin Deep, he is assisted by Robert Randolph, Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, and Susan Tedesch. The outcome is one of the best albums in recent years.

PAS/CAL – I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke, And Laura | Amazon CD MP3
Download “You Were Too Old For Me” (mp3)
After a handful of EPs, PAS/CAL has released their debut full length album. I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke, And Laura is full of quirky pop, but in an astute manner. It’s the kind of album that can be put on repeat and each listen will sound like a new set of songs has played.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases - 15 July 2008

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases for this week.

Animal Farm – The Unknown | Amazon CD MP3
Animal Farm is a rap group with four emcees. They equally trade off the lead. Most of the album focuses on two major subjects – socially conscious issues and the state of the current hip hop industry. They take an influence from the pre-gangsta era of rap and call their style “true-school hip hop.” The beats are solid and diverse and make creatively support the lyrics incredibly well.

Hypatia Lake – Angels And Demons, Space And Time | Amazon CD
Download “Lucifer Rebellion” (mp3)
Download “The General’s Gleaming Edge” (mp3)
Hypatia Lake is an imaginary place. The songs are the soundtracks to the lives of the fictional characters of Hypatia Lake. Without knowing this, the songs have an emotional and sincere quality to them. The music is varied. The album opens with the intimate tones of an acoustic guitar and single vocalist. Before long, the full band is added and distorted electric guitars and noisescapes lead a bombastic sound.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases - 8 July 2008

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases for this week.

The Baseball Project – Volume 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails | Amazon CD MP3
Download “Past Time” (mp3)
Steve Wynn and The Minus 5’s Scott McCaughey teamed together to write an album about the game of baseball. There are songs about Curt Flood, Black Jack McDowell, Mark McGwire, Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, and so many others. This album does more name dropping than a rap album. With Peter Buck and Linda Pitmon, the music is catchy and hook laden. The result is a fantastic, summer album.

Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons – Cabin Ghosts [EP] | Amazon MP3
Download “Home In The Woods” (mp3)
The timbre to Cory Chisel’s voice is reminiscent of Glen Hansard of The Frames and the movie Once. For a live recorded EP, this Americana flared music is eloquently reinforce with clarinet, accordion, subtle electric guitar, and supporting female vocals.

The Dutchess & The Duke – She’s The Dutchess, He’s The Duke | Amazon CD LP MP3 | Insound CD LP
Download “Reservoir Park” (mp3)
Signed to the Sub Pop sub-label Hardly Art, The Dutchess & The Duke create music that is solidly grounded in 60’s pop influences of jangly folk and blues rock British Invasion bands. Instead of songs about peace, love, and flowers, the songs are about being “sick of hearing everything’s gonna be alright” and declarations of “don’t waste your love on me.”

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.