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Author Topic: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.  (Read 13756 times)

Oerdin

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NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« on: 06 Dec 2006, 10:59 »

It's actually a pretty good list.

Quote
The Best CDs of 2006
 

NPR.org, December 5, 2006 ? All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen counts down NPR listener picks for the ten best CDs of 2006, with reviewers Robert Christgau, Will Hermes, Meredith Ochs and John Richards. They also share some of their own favorites from the past year and take comments from listeners.

Below are the top ten CDs of 2006 as chosen by NPR listeners in an online poll, with select comments from some of the listeners who loved them.

 
10. Regina Spektor
 Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope

"Fidelity" from Begin to Hope
"Regina sounds like Regina. Her voice is unmistakable ? gorgeous, lithe, far from timid. Her songs are richly textured with unexpected yet accessible arrangements, and the variety of moods begs for many repeat listens. Her playful and sometimes theatrical way of addressing the human condition is the best melding of sugar and medicine I?ve been served up since Nellie McKay. Thanks NPR for introducing us." -- Barbara


 
 
 
9. Tom Waits
 Tom Waits: Orphans

"Bottom of the World" from Orphans
"Way back in 1972 The Rolling Stones released Exile on Main St. That album was a tour through various styles and genres: blues, country, gospel, etc., but with all of them filtered through the Stones' musical identity. Well, it's taken 34 years, but someone has finally created another record of equal breadth, stylistic adventurousness and power. There's something here for everyone, and yet it's unmistakably Tom Waits. Only real artists can pull something like this off, and Waits not only pulls it off, he makes it seem easy." -- Steve


 
 
 
8. Jenny Lewis
 Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat

"The Charging Sky" from Rabbit Fur Coat
"It touches the soul. It is both irreverent and uplifting. Her version of 'Handle Me With Care' gives me goose bumps. And I can just listen to Jenny Lewis sing forever." -- Randal


 
 
 
7. Cat Ppower
 Cat Power: The Greatest

"The Greatest" from The Greatest
"Chan Marshall follows through on the promise of earlier albums You Are Free and Moon Pix, which ? no pun intended ? only flirted with greatness. Her latest album, recorded in Memphis with a host of veteran soul and R&B musicians, is a giant leap forward for this ever-intriguing songwriter. Sad, hopeful, lovelorn, romantic, regretful, sweet ? Marshall's voice and lyrics convey emotions and feelings that most songwriters only pay lip service to. Quietly but confidently -- and I mean that figuratively and literally -- Marshall indeed delivered the greatest album of 2006." -- Jake


 
 
 
6. Joanna Newsom
 Joanna Newsom: Ys

"Emily" from Ys
"Joanna Newsom is definitely an acquired taste. But once you settle into her world, you become addicted. She may caterwaul and screech her schwas, but for my money she has the most emotive voice going in music... a voice you can fall into like a well worn chair. Ys makes me feel as if I?m being physically lifted into the air -- the first album in a long while to evoke 'real world' sensations." -- Chris


 
 
 
5. TV On the Radio
 TV On the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain

"I Was A Lover" from Return to Cookie Mountain
"Simply put, there is no independent rock/pop band emerging anywhere on the scene pushing the boundaries of sound in such an imaginable, intelligent and stylish way. They embody all that is good about popular music: uncompromising standards and a radical sound that neither overwhelms the listener, nor underestimates them." -- Nathan


 
 
 
4. M. Ward
 M. Ward: Post War

"Poison Cup" from Post War
"M. Ward's Post War has a mysterious and seductive quality that never grow tiring. The songs are never too long, always a little elusive, yet insistent and memorable. Not only are the songs little gems in their own right, they are set perfectly against each other. The record has that rare quality that makes you feel as though you are in a conversation in which everything said came at just the right moment." -- Mark


 
 
 
3. Bob Dylan
 Bob Dylan: Modern Times

"Spirit on the Water" from Modern Times
"This is a high point for an artist whose high points redefined modern music. There is no irony in this album's title if you view history in a panoramic sense as Dylan seems to do. Dylan takes literary modernism to its next level, interspersing the lyrics of a confederate poet among blues forms that are rooted in African American tradition. His voice is worn but dances through this album. The album begins with the voice of God on the mountain and ends with a proclamation that Dylan 'ain?t talking.' Brilliant. This is a no brainer." -- Chuck


 
 
 
2. Neko Case
 Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

"Margaret Vs. Pauline" from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
"Neko Case has made another album shrouded in dark beauty. Fox Confessor's music sounds the way old black and white celebrity stills look. Confessional lyrics like, 'The most tender place in my heart is for strangers / I know it's unkind, but my own blood is much too dangerous,' make Case perfect for late night listening. She restrains herself from the melodrama that her popular country counterparts can't seem to avoid. She's content with making music that is truly entrancing. This is what modern country should sound like: thoughtful, evocative, all wrapped in a package that sounds oddly like home." -- Bertha


 
 
 
1. The Decemberists
 The Decemberists: The Crane Wife

"The Crane Wife 3" from The Crane Wife
"The Decemberists manage to do something completely new from their previous album while retaining all the wonderful thigns that make them unique: Colin Meloy's fantastic storytelling, the ability to be incredibly creepy and yet entirely beautiful at the same time, not to mention the use of fun words. I'm torn between 'dirigible' and 'parallax' as my favorites, though I?m not sure either competes with 'palanquin' from their last album. Even if you put all that aside, this is just wonderful music, that makes me laugh, cry, join arm in arm with my fellow man." -- Felicity
 
"First, the music is phenomenal: the band moves away from its older, quieter sound into an eclectic, bold style. They veer from folk-rock to prog rock to funk to hard rock and back around again with ease, and it all sounds excellent. 'The Crane Wife' song cycle stands out, but so do the epic run-on 'The Island,' the Led Zeppelin-esque 'When the War Came,' and the mournful 'Yankee Bayonet.' Second, despite the range of genres, the album comes together as a cohesive whole. There's no filler on the album, and from the opening chords of 'The Crane Wife 3,' to the closing chants of 'Hear all the bombs, they fade away,' the album flows together perfectly. In short, one of the best bands producing music today outdid itself in spectacular fashion and nothing else quite matched it." -- Evan

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6557143

Since it is National Public Radio the article also has a link to the 20 minute long NPR radio discussion which can be streamed on demand on the net.  It's a pretty good show so listen to it if you have the time.
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Joseph

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #1 on: 06 Dec 2006, 11:12 »

The seem to have quite a taste for folk-oriented sort of music.  Anyway, not a bad album on there (those I've heard, anyhow).  Far better than your average list, especially as decided by the public.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #2 on: 06 Dec 2006, 11:19 »

Love the guy to death, but how is Tom Waits' new colllection an album? Its just a collection of b-sides...which is apparently equal to a classic album.
Man, he's so awesome.
This is a very... safe list. I can't think of anyone on that list that's controversial, and I can't think of anything to do but nod, say 'but where is The Hold Steady?', and make inconsequential, genial comments/reminiscenes/plans about the various bands (I was so drunk when reviewing TVOTR i forgot the show/Joanna Newsom got me through last Tuesday morning/I should try to comp M.Ward tickets/i hope Neko Case does some solo shows when she's in town with New Pornographers). That sort of thing.

Very... songwriter focused, too. Haven't heard enough Regina Spektor to know if she's on the same plain as the rest of the list, which includes half? 2/3? most of? the greatest singer-songwriters of our generation (and i could make an argument that Joanna Newsom stands up when compared with poetry from other eras and I'd make that argument for Dylan except that spending time in 2006 arguing that Dylan deserves to be recognized as a great poet is a waste of breathe, since if you don't already accept that there's nothing i can do for you except steer you toward things you've missed).

So yeah... safe, boring list of albums that were almost universally loved, especially by the NPR crowd. It stirs me with a vague desire to listen to things I'm already listening to
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Narr

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #3 on: 06 Dec 2006, 11:21 »

I feel so uncultured looking at that list.  I've heard of Bob Dylan (obviously) and know of The Decemberists from these here forums, but that's it.

=\

SOMEONE HELP ME AND MY MAINSTREAM DECADE-OLD MUSICAL TASTES PLEASE
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #4 on: 06 Dec 2006, 11:29 »

*sigh*
I'd love to rant about my favorite bands, but i'm pretty busy right now. I'm going to shamelessly plug work for now and then when i'm done working i'll go into long rants about the awesomeness of Tom Waits, TVOTR, and Joanna Newsom. And Cat Power. And Neko Case http://www.liveguide.com.au/liveguide_tours.html#Joanna%20Newsom http://www.liveguide.com.au/liveguide_tours.html#M%20Ward

http://www.liveguide.com.au/liveguide_tours.html#The%20New%20Pornographers (this is what Neko Case does when she's not being alt-country)

grrrr
should work
procrastinating
Joanna Newsom is a magical elf queen of love
Tom Waits is my god who isn't Dylan
M Ward's shows are sold out
Neko Case is an awesome alt-country singer when she's not fronting a Canadian power-pop band
Bob Dylan's new album hasn't got a full listen. Bob Dylan is God
TVOTR are really good
ow
my brain
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Ernest

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #5 on: 06 Dec 2006, 11:41 »

The Decemberists don't impress me in the least.
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Where I come from, we usually just shorten that to "yee-haw!"

Johnny C

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #6 on: 06 Dec 2006, 11:48 »

Love the guy to death, but how is Tom Waits' new colllection an album? Its just a collection of b-sides...which is apparently equal to a classic album.
Man, he's so awesome.

In a top ten list there isn't a lot of space for this. I know it has new songs spattered on its tracklist but there were a lot of very good albums released this year that it looks like NPR didn't touch.
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pat101

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #7 on: 06 Dec 2006, 12:10 »

not a bad list.

not great, but not offensive.

The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #8 on: 06 Dec 2006, 12:17 »

Yeah... my favorite album of the last year isn't on it, but somehow I can't get angry, because the thought of the sea chanties and the harp and M Ward's soothing voice and all the cool shit on the Bawlers disk (which i haven't even heard yet) are lulling toward an acceptance of its ineluctable logic
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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #9 on: 06 Dec 2006, 12:40 »

Was Fox Confessor from 2006? Shit, I gotta put that in the shortlist when I bother to compile my own list, I figured it was 2005.
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Felix_

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #10 on: 06 Dec 2006, 13:55 »

I think that's a fantastic list. But, then again, I love many of those artists, especially Tom Waits, Cat Power, and The Decemberists.

NPR is great.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #11 on: 06 Dec 2006, 15:13 »

I think that's a fantastic list. But, then again, I love many of those artists, especially Tom Waits, Cat Power, and The Decemberists.

NPR is great.

Yeah... but its so fantastic its boring! They should have put somebody not universally loved on there. Take a stand, people, take a stand!
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Felix_

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #12 on: 06 Dec 2006, 15:33 »

I think that's a fantastic list. But, then again, I love many of those artists, especially Tom Waits, Cat Power, and The Decemberists.

NPR is great.

Yeah... but its so fantastic its boring! They should have put somebody not universally loved on there. Take a stand, people, take a stand!

Yeah, I suppose they should've put Lady Sovereign on there, or something like that.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #13 on: 06 Dec 2006, 15:45 »

I think that's a fantastic list. But, then again, I love many of those artists, especially Tom Waits, Cat Power, and The Decemberists.

NPR is great.

Yeah... but its so fantastic its boring! They should have put somebody not universally loved on there. Take a stand, people, take a stand!

Yeah, I suppose they should've put Lady Sovereign on there, or something like that.

Yeah, or Lupe Fiasco or, um... the hold steady! yeah!
damn. the only two choices i can think of are just as safe
i would have disqualified Tom Waits since its just a b-sides collection
does anyone know if the Regina Spektor album is as good as the rest of the albums on that list, which i've either listen to or know can't possibly be bad ("yeah, this Tom Waits thing is going to suck, like that shitty Tom Waits album he... never made.... ever")
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KharBevNor

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #14 on: 06 Dec 2006, 16:20 »

Any 2006 list that does not include Current 93's 'Black Ships Ate the Sky' is completely useless.
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TynansAnger

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #15 on: 06 Dec 2006, 23:31 »

What about St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley? It was the most creative, lyrically rich, genre-bending album of the year by a long shot.

I would have also wanted to see the hold steady on there
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Frivial

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #16 on: 07 Dec 2006, 02:27 »

Frankly, I think it's a list of crap that no one will complain about. Get some guts!
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FireStarter

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #17 on: 07 Dec 2006, 02:35 »

I like my music to be polarizing. I like music that creates dissent and disagreement. If the music doesn't say anything then it's not worth discussing. It's like listening to the beetles with the singing removed, or to a Zepplin album that's been made into a midi.
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!!!CPAOI!!!

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #18 on: 07 Dec 2006, 03:38 »

You have to look at this in the proper context.  Any list is going to be subjective to a greater or lesser degree, and this one is no exception.  It represents a softer, more folk-inspired side of indie, which is what a lot of younger NPR types listen to.  If you were to read a list of the 10 best albums of the year on a metal-centric webiste, I guarentee you there would be no Tom Waits or Jenny Lewis on it.  Is it a predictable list? Sure.  Is there anything wrong with that?  Not really.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #19 on: 07 Dec 2006, 03:55 »

I haven't listened to it, but i'm willing to put money on their being something on that Tom Waits CD thats scary and abrasive and weird enough to make even experianced metalheads stop in their tracks.... and TVOTR are that folky. I'm not sure what they are at this point besides 'amazing'.
I understand the logic but... look, as I type this I'm staring at the pictures i have taped up of Joanna Newsom and M Ward, and I still think its a boring list.
St. Elsewhere wasn't as consistantly good as most of the albums on this list, though
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Joseph

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #20 on: 07 Dec 2006, 06:23 »

Any 2006 list that does not include Current 93's 'Black Ships Ate the Sky' is completely useless.

Completely agree.  Not my favourite of the year, but definately top 10, probably top 5.

Anyway, Tom Waits' Orphans had thirty new songs recorded just for it.  I think it counts as an album.
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Oerdin

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #21 on: 07 Dec 2006, 06:51 »

The Decemberists don't impress me in the least.

Then you either have some very off beat tastes in music or you are trying to be contrary.
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ScrambledGregs

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #22 on: 07 Dec 2006, 06:53 »

This is exactly what I predicted from a NPR list: safe, inoffensive, and vaguely folk/roots oriented. Not saying it's bad, but I don't exactly agree.

I wish we'd get beyond RANKING the best albums of each year, and just list them in a mass. I mean, can anyone definitively say that the best album of each year is such and such?? Every year it feels like each genre of music releases a handful of MUST HAVE albums, and ranking which one is best comes down to personal preference. This list lacks Liars and Destroyer, which are two 2006 albums I listen to a hell of a lot, but that's because I like that kind of music more. I like the Decemberists, but not enough to give them a top ten slot. Oh well.
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Oerdin

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #23 on: 07 Dec 2006, 07:13 »

I think that's a fantastic list. But, then again, I love many of those artists, especially Tom Waits, Cat Power, and The Decemberists.

NPR is great.

Yeah... but its so fantastic its boring! They should have put somebody not universally loved on there. Take a stand, people, take a stand!

Did you listen to the podcast?  Each of the five panalists all had different lists many with not well known or regional bands, however, the final list was a compromise between "the experts", the announcer, and votes cast by listeners. Listen to the who show and you'll likely find things you like.
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FireStarter

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #24 on: 07 Dec 2006, 07:18 »

Just out of Curiosity when did NPR become hip? Did I miss something somewhere? I was listening to All Things Considered back in 1995 and there was no "young NPR listeners" to speak of. That and I don't have a radio....is Earth and Sky still on?
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #25 on: 07 Dec 2006, 07:32 »

I think that's a fantastic list. But, then again, I love many of those artists, especially Tom Waits, Cat Power, and The Decemberists.

NPR is great.

Yeah... but its so fantastic its boring! They should have put somebody not universally loved on there. Take a stand, people, take a stand!

Did you listen to the podcast?  Each of the five panalists all had different lists many with not well known or regional bands, however, the final list was a compromise between "the experts", the announcer, and votes cast by listeners. Listen to the who show and you'll likely find things you like.

I like/love everything on that list, except for the ones that I haven't heard because I know I'll like them and the one album that reminds me of my ex.
I just wish there was something I didn't like.
I mean... M Ward is on behind me right now. Its very pleasent and has nice lyrics and its good to listen to at work and its not surprising me.
I keep saying this - my problem with the list is that I have no problems with the list. There's no sense of DISCOVERY, no sense that the critics know something I don't. Other Top 10 lists might have a popular artist on them that i'll give a second listen to ('oh, The Times rates Justin Timberlake's new album, i'll give it a listen instead of dismissing it') or obscure stuff that i'll want to track down or...

aw, screw it
i've said the same thing 5 times. I'm done bitching... Joanna Newsom, Tom Waits, M Ward, Bob Dylan, and the Decemberists all released new material in the same year, and i should be grateful for it
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ALoveSupreme

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #26 on: 07 Dec 2006, 08:51 »

Just out of Curiosity when did NPR become hip? Did I miss something somewhere? I was listening to All Things Considered back in 1995 and there was no "young NPR listeners" to speak of. That and I don't have a radio....is Earth and Sky still on?

I've been wondering that for a few years.  I never listened to it by choice (my dad would pump it up on long car rides), and I still don't. 

I don't really have a real problem with it, Prarie Home Companion (again, Pop's program of choice back when) is right up my alley as far as humor goes... weird.
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jcknbl

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #27 on: 07 Dec 2006, 11:24 »

I'm pretty sure the answer to Firestarter's question is "Wilco".
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robert g

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #28 on: 07 Dec 2006, 11:36 »

Just out of Curiosity when did NPR become hip? Did I miss something somewhere? I was listening to All Things Considered back in 1995 and there was no "young NPR listeners" to speak of. That and I don't have a radio....is Earth and Sky still on?

I've been wondering that for a few years.  I never listened to it by choice (my dad would pump it up on long car rides), and I still don't. 

I don't really have a real problem with it, Prarie Home Companion (again, Pop's program of choice back when) is right up my alley as far as humor goes... weird.


I think the hipness factor came in with "All Songs Considered" which is an NPR show based in California. It's hosted by a guy named Nic Harcourt and it's a bit like this: a band comes in and they play in the studio, and then they get interviewed by Nic. the rest of the show is Nic playing whatever he thinks is any good. I personally find it to be very middle-in-the-road. Bill Radke and Barbra Bogave's "Weekend America" usually chooses an album of the week, though that's more to do with the website than with the radio show itself. "Studio360," hosted by Kurt Andersen, occasionally has a "hip" artist on as well.

Prarie Home Companion is up there with humour for me too. Other favorites include Car Talk, Ira Glass' This American Life, and occasionally Michael Feldman. Bill Radke used to have a hilarious fake news program called Rewind way back in the 90s, but unfortunately, under-funding caused it to end.
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KharBevNor

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #29 on: 07 Dec 2006, 14:33 »

I haven't listened to it, but i'm willing to put money on their being something on that Tom Waits CD thats scary and abrasive and weird enough to make even experianced metalheads stop in their tracks....

Complete off-aside, but this is something that seems to come up all the time. With the caveat that I still think Dylans 'Masters of War' is one of the, if not the, angriest songs ever written, it is pretty much impossible to out metal metal, despite the cherished belief many vaguely hipster types seem to have that there are these magic songs or whatever that will make metalheads drop everything and go 'omg I have been living in an emotional void!' and start listening to Joanna Newsom. Not that this was what you were saying, but there you go. I regularly listen to and enjoy music that consists of almost nothing but the most hatefully stripped down punk riffs being literally smashed out of dented, screeching black guitars whilst someone screams literally until they throw up. I can sing along to whole albums which literally implore the listener, via 300 bpm industrial drum loops and ear-scouring guitar, to kill themselves because they are worthless cunts. You can't get more abrasive than extreme metal (not even noise has quite the same venom) and as far as wierd goes, well, listen to Crotchduster or ...And Oceans or Contrastic or something.
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The Hammered

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #30 on: 07 Dec 2006, 15:08 »

What Tommy said.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #31 on: 07 Dec 2006, 15:26 »

I haven't listened to it, but i'm willing to put money on their being something on that Tom Waits CD thats scary and abrasive and weird enough to make even experianced metalheads stop in their tracks....

Complete off-aside, but this is something that seems to come up all the time. With the caveat that I still think Dylans 'Masters of War' is one of the, if not the, angriest songs ever written, it is pretty much impossible to out metal metal, despite the cherished belief many vaguely hipster types seem to have that there are these magic songs or whatever that will make metalheads drop everything and go 'omg I have been living in an emotional void!' and start listening to Joanna Newsom. Not that this was what you were saying, but there you go. I regularly listen to and enjoy music that consists of almost nothing but the most hatefully stripped down punk riffs being literally smashed out of dented, screeching black guitars whilst someone screams literally until they throw up. I can sing along to whole albums which literally implore the listener, via 300 bpm industrial drum loops and ear-scouring guitar, to kill themselves because they are worthless cunts. You can't get more abrasive than extreme metal (not even noise has quite the same venom) and as far as wierd goes, well, listen to Crotchduster or ...And Oceans or Contrastic or something.

Thats why I said Tom Waits, not Joanna Newsom. Joanna Newsom can be counted on to play the harp and write pretty lyrics. Tom Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennen, will just do random, abrasive, insane shit. That thing you said sounds like something i could imagine Tom Waits doing, only instead of guitars he's crashing a freight train into a barn or something.
Waits has alot of pretty piano songs. Those are the Bawlers, and I like them. But thats not all he does... i'm not saying he's done anything as bad as extreme black metal, but i am saying that part of his schtick is being fucked up, scary, and abrasive.

Oddly it seems that John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats is trying to do the reverse of what you said- via his blog and his interviews he's trying to get pussy little hipsters like me to listen to black metal and death metal and all that. He's pretty explicit about it
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KharBevNor

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #32 on: 07 Dec 2006, 18:48 »

Quote from: KharBevNor
whole albums which literally implore the listener, via 300 bpm industrial drum loops and ear-scouring guitar, to kill themselves because they are worthless cunts.

I really want to hear this now.

Count Nosferatu Kommando - Ultraviolence Uber Alles. Anyone who shoots up their school without ever hearing 'Get a Gun, Shoot at Random' is a damn poser.

@Eyeball Kid: I have, like seven Tom Waits albums.
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ScrambledGregs

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #33 on: 07 Dec 2006, 21:55 »


There's no sense of DISCOVERY, no sense that the critics know something I don't. Other Top 10 lists might have a popular artist on them that i'll give a second listen to ('oh, The Times rates Justin Timberlake's new album, i'll give it a listen instead of dismissing it') or obscure stuff that i'll want to track down or...


I'm not sure it's that other lists are interesting because critics don't know something you don't. Critics are just people who are paid to listen to as much music as they possibly can, to think about music and take it seriously as an art, and to write about it at every opportunity. However, critics are people who steep themselves in a certain artform; while the bulk of their work is simple "reviewing", they also write cultural pieces, contextualize and re-contextualize the art, and fashion critical pieces about genres, bands, eras, albums, etc etc.

So as pretentious as it is, if critics know something you don't, it's because that's their job. Critics give their opinions on music, but they also give you a good idea if you'd like the music even if they didn't. They help people discover bands by talking about them, giving them press, whether it's via simple reviews or critical pieces, or lists. So while I hate the idea of ranking albums as better than others, they do tend to help people say "why did this album I've never heard of get placed above one that I love?!"

This is a long winded way of saying, I agree and understand with what you're trying to say about this list being boring and safe.
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Oerdin

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #34 on: 08 Dec 2006, 13:23 »

Just out of Curiosity when did NPR become hip? Did I miss something somewhere? I was listening to All Things Considered back in 1995 and there was no "young NPR listeners" to speak of. That and I don't have a radio....is Earth and Sky still on?

All music considered has been on the air for something like 10-15 years and it uses most of the big music critics fropm the mainstream media in it.  I've really liked NPR's music coverage since at least the late 1990's.
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jolijn

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #35 on: 08 Dec 2006, 13:27 »

wow, M. Ward and TVOTR should have been 1, 2.
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Mnementh

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #36 on: 08 Dec 2006, 14:14 »

Oddly enough, not only is NPR hip, Marketplace is even further ahead of the curve than they are in the music they play during their little cut in programing.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #37 on: 08 Dec 2006, 15:33 »


There's no sense of DISCOVERY, no sense that the critics know something I don't. Other Top 10 lists might have a popular artist on them that i'll give a second listen to ('oh, The Times rates Justin Timberlake's new album, i'll give it a listen instead of dismissing it') or obscure stuff that i'll want to track down or...


I'm not sure it's that other lists are interesting because critics don't know something you don't. Critics are just people who are paid to listen to as much music as they possibly can, to think about music and take it seriously as an art, and to write about it at every opportunity. However, critics are people who steep themselves in a certain artform; while the bulk of their work is simple "reviewing", they also write cultural pieces, contextualize and re-contextualize the art, and fashion critical pieces about genres, bands, eras, albums, etc etc.

So as pretentious as it is, if critics know something you don't, it's because that's their job. Critics give their opinions on music, but they also give you a good idea if you'd like the music even if they didn't. They help people discover bands by talking about them, giving them press, whether it's via simple reviews or critical pieces, or lists. So while I hate the idea of ranking albums as better than others, they do tend to help people say "why did this album I've never heard of get placed above one that I love?!"

This is a long winded way of saying, I agree and understand with what you're trying to say about this list being boring and safe.

Exactly.
I'm a sometime critic, though I don't get paid for it- it just means that this year i got sent free music, and some of you probably didn't. By being forced to listen to all that music, i've got a wider knowledge base (slightly wider, since i'm not much of a critic and I didn't get sent many albums). In this case it just makes me say 'yeah, The Hold Steady, same stuff you've heard from every other critic, best band ever, etc'- the limited selection I got sent dosen't have anything that'll make me say 'to hell with Joanna Newsom and Tom Waits, you need to check out [Melbourne dream-pop band] Gersey' (though you really should).
BUT I saw the Amazon Top 10 indie albums list, and that was mostly albums I didn't have. In one case they mention Band of Horses and i'm thinking of paying to see them tommorow based on the review. Its new things - the critics got mailed a bunch of albums and listened to them and said 'no, check THIS out'. I like lists where i'm like 'wow, i need to check out this album!'

But then you get into valuing obscurity over talent. Maybe this list is correct, and that while there might be more obscure records that I haven't heard, in the end you can count on Newsom and M Ward and Bob Dylan and Waits for quality, and that my conservatism in buying/pirating their albums was justified (also conservatism in the sense that they are old artists or work with very old forms)
Jolijn, i'm not convinced that M.Ward should have been 1 or 2 after having listened to it these past few days, and with some of these artists i'm not sure how you can grade them - Joanna Newsom and Tom Waits MEAN certain things to me, and MEAN them in such a fashion that i'm not sure where you can rank them with other artists. What context can you put her into?
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ScrambledGregs

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #38 on: 08 Dec 2006, 19:56 »

You're absolutely right about some critics favoring obscurity and potential over actual quality. A lot of the time when I read Pitchfork reviews I wonder if they're just praising the band on how good they actually are, or if it's just how good they are plus how good they could be plus how obscure they are.

I mean, I like and maybe even love Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but there's no denying they haven't released something I would put on a top ten list. Same with super hyped British bands like Bloc Party and the Arctic Monkeys. They got too big too quick, and their music is not nearly worth that kind of praise yet. I think a lot of it is how the music press works, wanting to seem like they're on top of every could-be-next-big-thing, but it makes me wonder what a band like, say, Radiohead would have ended up like developing in the eye of this post-millenial blog culture.
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TheFuriousWombat

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #39 on: 08 Dec 2006, 22:24 »

I can't think of anything to do but nod, say 'but where is The Hold Steady?'

no no, you misread the topic. it's the best albums, not the most overrated albums.
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Johnny C

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #40 on: 09 Dec 2006, 02:26 »

I think you're forgetting something crucial here, guys. This forum is the arbiter of its own collective tastes. If you want new music, open up a thread on the front page of this forum and start reading. Alternatively, just read back a few pages. Chances are something will catch your eye.

And Khar, really, do we need to do the metal/hipster pissing contest in every thread? Black metal is abrasive but so are Hair Police, Les Georges Leningrad, and a shitload of other bands. Just because they are not dropping dense riffs every ten seconds doesn't mean their music doesn't grate against the ears. I vote we drop the issue.
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Hat

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #41 on: 09 Dec 2006, 02:43 »

but it makes me wonder what a band like, say, Radiohead would have ended up like developing in the eye of this post-millenial blog culture.

My guess is that they would have just made The Bends about five times.

Fake Plastic Trees would still be the single every fucking time

The Video for Just would feature an obscene amount of animation.

Seventeen year old kids would be lining up to be surgically given lazy eyes.
« Last Edit: 09 Dec 2006, 02:45 by Hat »
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chamberk

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #42 on: 09 Dec 2006, 03:28 »

Well, NPR managed to switch my top two, but overall it's a good list.
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TheFuriousWombat

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #43 on: 09 Dec 2006, 04:08 »

it's one of the better lists i've seen and i am impressed but still i'd only include one of those albums, Ys, on my best of the year lists. i've heard most of the others and, while far from bad, they aren't album of the year material imo. but to be honest, this was sort of a crummy year for music. '07 is looking fantastic already though, with new stuff from do make say think, explosions in the sky, amiina,  eluvium, and cex to name just a few. good ridance to music scene 2006 as far as i'm concerned.
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chamberk

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #44 on: 09 Dec 2006, 05:55 »

2006 was a year with a lot of good music, but very little great music, IMO.  2007 has a lot of really awesome bands releasing more music, so we'll see how that goes.  I shouldn't get my hopes up, but new Ted Leo, Wilco, Arcade Fire, New Pornographers and Radiohead?  Possibly Postal Service?  I mean... damn, that's like something out of one of my cleaner dreams.
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The Eyeball Kid

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #45 on: 09 Dec 2006, 12:07 »

I can't think of anything to do but nod, say 'but where is The Hold Steady?'

no no, you misread the topic. it's the best albums, not the most overrated albums.

Then why is M.Ward on there? And if you're going to have 'best melencholy folksy albums', why not put the new Mountain Goats?
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KharBevNor

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #46 on: 10 Dec 2006, 00:02 »

And Khar, really, do we need to do the metal/hipster pissing contest in every thread? Black metal is abrasive but so are Hair Police, Les Georges Leningrad, and a shitload of other bands. Just because they are not dropping dense riffs every ten seconds doesn't mean their music doesn't grate against the ears. I vote we drop the issue.

I'm sorry, Johnny. I will deliberately avoid talking about anything that interests me in case it mildly annoys you, especially if it's relevant to the thread.
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Hat

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #47 on: 10 Dec 2006, 00:30 »

Well thank god we managed to settle that without resorting to sarcasm.


Hohohohoho do you see what I did there?
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Quote from: Emilio
power metal set in the present is basically crunk

Merkava

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Re: NPR releases it's top ten albums of 2006.
« Reply #48 on: 10 Dec 2006, 08:30 »

The Decemberists don't impress me in the least.

If only boinking flightless birds wasn't frowned upon...

Though I do sort of like The Crane Wife. A little. I still find them utterly boring. Neutral Milk Hotel is still kickass, though. :D

Good list anyway; I love NPR. Any radio station that plays "Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky after a story on post-traumatic stress disorder deserves it.
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