Thnairg's Hit Parade 2006

Every December, as a gift for all my friends at Christmastime, I compile my annual "Hit Parade", a CD full of "my favorite new artists, cool songs, and hidden treasures from the year in music" (as the subtitle describes it). I've only been doing it for a few years now, but it's quickly become one of my absolute favorite things to do. I begin making a mental list around March or April, and usually transfer the list of candidates to paper or computer within a few weeks, so as not to let any slip my mind. And last year I got really scientific about it: I burned a "rough cut" of the disc in November, listened to it a few times, and re-sequenced or changed tracks as I saw fit, before burning the final version.

As if you couldn't guess by now, I take my annual "Hit Parade" very seriously. And, for lack of anything premeditated to write about today, I thought I'd share last year's track list with you here. For those of you who already get my "Hit Parade" CDs every year, maybe you'll learn something you might not have known about the songs or artists. Enjoy!

1) "A Modern Man" by George Carlin (from the album "Life Is Worth Losing") -- Spoken-word pieces are a rarity on my mix CDs, but this poem is amazing proof of Carlin's mastery of the English language ... and perfect for a mix CD, with its total lack of profanity.

2) "Caught In The Rain" by October Fall (from the album "A Season In Hell") -- Great piano-pounding rock in the spirit of All-American Rejects or Fall Out Boy ... but I like these guys better!

3) "I Should Get Up" by Teddy Thompson (from the album "Separate Ways") -- I admit that I bought this album mostly 'cause of its Rufus Wainwright connection, but this quiet, folky ode to apathy caught my ear as soon as I heard it, and I soon found myself warming to the whole album.

4) "Delicious" by Ben Adams (b-side from the single "Sorry") -- This former member of UK boyband A1 has been having trouble getting an album contract, but I have no idea why ... this song is the most fun anyone can have in three minutes ... a pure, unadulterated guilty pleasure!

5) "Human" by Big City Rock (from the album "Big City Rock") -- I had a free CD coming to me from the BMG club, so I took a chance on these guys ... and I'm glad I did! And as for their sound ... let's just say that their name fits them perfectly.

6) "Penny On The Train Track" by Ben Kweller (from the album "Ben Kweller") -- Ben Kweller's latest, self-titled album is his best yet ... one charming pop tune after another, as this song demonstrates!

7) "Strange" by The Feeling (from the album "Twelve Stops And Home") -- I recently reviewed The Feeling, so I won't expound on them here ... suffice to say this song puts a bit of a lump in my throat whenever I hear it.

8) "Look Where We Are Now" by Teddy Geiger (from the album "Underage Thinking") -- This up-and-coming teenage musician seriously impressed me with his debut CD, and I can only hope he's given the chance to explore his potential through a few more albums.

9) "Heaven Is Full" by Under The Influence Of Giants (from the album "Under The Influence Of Giants") -- I found this '80s-inspired dance-rock band on iTunes and couldn't wait for their album to come out ... excellent!

10) "Heavy" by Holly Brook (from the album "Like Blood Like Honey") -- A good friend of mine heard this young lady opening for Ryan Cabrera (shortly before he hit it big) in a coffeehouse, and sent me a personally-autographed EP of hers. Later, when I saw her full-length CD on the shelves, I didn't hesitate to pick it up.

11) "Blowout" by Bent Fabric (from the album "Jukebox") -- Bent Fabricius-Bjerre is an 80-something-year-old Danish pianist, but ignore any assumptions you might have made from that sentence ... this album could kick-start any college frat party like nobody's business!

12) "C'Mon" by Guster (from the album "Ganging Up On The Sun") -- This melodic rock group has been making comfy-as-an-old-pair-of-sneakers music for years, and they're still as good as they ever were.

13) "Strange Lover" by Same Same (from the album "The Meaning Of Happy") -- Bob and Clint, the twins from the Canadian pop-rock brother group The Moffatts, strike out on their own with a fun set of tunes infused with a Southeast-Asian pop sensibility ... kitschy, but catchy!

14) "Take Me As I Am" by Simon Webbe (from the album "Sanctuary") -- The last song to be added to this mix, I was pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated R&B stylings of this former member of UK boyband Blue.

15) "I Come Alive" by Rooster (from the album "Circles And Satellites") -- I was saddened to hear of their breakup in January ... this young UK band had a knack for '70s-style guitar rock!

16) "Change Your Mind" by Westlife (from the album "Face To Face") -- The perennial UK boyband delivers a fantastic Motown-style ditty ... so great that I had to read the liner notes to find out that it was an all-new composition!

17) "Perfectionist" by Landon Pigg (from the album "LP") -- I'm glad I ignored my first impression of Landon Pigg and decided to pick up his album ... not only did his music grow on me, but the guy has a way with clever lyrics.

18) "Ain't Such a Bad Place To Be" by Will Young (from the album "Keep On") -- The original UK "Pop Idol" is still at the top of his game three albums in ... a charming voice and a spunky style!

19) "Crystal Ball" by Keane (from the album "Under The Iron Sea") -- I couldn't get myself to like Coldplay, but I really like Keane ... go figure. I especially like this introspective (yet somehow still upbeat) song.

20) "Take It Back" by Barenaked Ladies (from the album "Barenaked Ladies Are Me") -- The Ladies have always been one of my favorite bands, so I couldn't ignore them when compiling my "Hit Parade". They're still going strong after all these years!

CD of the Week: Jonatha Brooke

JONATHA BROOKE
"CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR"
(Bad Dog, 2007)

Jonatha Brooke's music is not the kind that immediately grabs your attention. Instead, it's the sort of music that innocently wanders into your playlist and, before you know it, has won you over with its subtle charms. I'm relatively new to her music ... in fact, I have just one of her prevous albums that I'm still warming up to, and only got this one after sampling the sound clips out of curiosity, and that was only because I found out that J.C. Chasez (yes, that guy from NSYNC) co-wrote and sings backup on a handful of this album's songs.

At first, Jonatha Brooke's voice sounds fairly ordinary ... but the more one listens to the album, the more one realizes that she knows how to use her voice: it's nimble and precise, not just in its pitch, but also in its mood. There's perseverance (the slightly countrified "Keep The River On Your Right"), regret (the heavy "Prodigal Daughter"), wariness (the lighter-than-air "Baby Wait") ... and there's even a French-language song thrown in to stir things up (and to test the hazy knowledge of high-school French that still lingers in my brain). And hey, any artist who can pull off using a bassoon in a pop song (or two) has to be commended, right?

Jonatha Brooke is one of those artists who will probably never have a double-platinum blockbuster album, or a Top-10 hit single, or a video in heavy rotation on VH-1. But she's been making music for awhile now ... long enough, probably, that I suspect that not having achieved such success doesn't bother her one bit.

Settling The Score

And now for a look at a sometimes neglected area of my CD collection: soundtracks. Many years ago, I was an avid listener and collector of soundtrack CDs ... in fact, that used to be the first genre into which my discs were organized: first came soundtracks, then jazz/classical, then comedy, and then rock/pop. That is, until about a year ago, when I reorganized my collection into almost the reverse order (rock/pop is now first), reflecting my change in interests.

I do still pay some attention to soundtracks ... although now it's mostly limited to listening to certain parts of a movie's score and thinking about whether or not I might be interested in buying the CD. (But, of course, there are the occasional no-brainers: I continued to buy all of the "Star Wars" movie soundtracks as they came out, no questions asked; and I still keep an eye on "Star Trek" releases in the Amazon.com listings.)

So, here now are my Top Ten favorite soundtrack CDs, with a few words about each. Grab some popcorn and enjoy!

Honorable Mention -- "The Black Hole" (1979, John Barry) -- The only reason this is an honorable mention and not actually in my Top Ten is a technicality of my own making: the fact that this score has never been issued on CD (I choose to only put official, commercially-released CDs in my Top Ten) ... strange, because not only is it by the composer famous for the James Bond Theme, but it was also the first digitally-recorded film score ever released on a commercial recording. Maybe someday, someone will come to their senses and make it available on compact disc (preferably in an expanded edition, since there was a lot of music heard in the movie that's not on the LP). For now, I'll have to do with my homemade CD.

#10 -- "Spider-Man" (2002, Danny Elfman) -- The music was one of the first things I noticed (and fell in love with) about this great movie. Danny Elfman has forged a second career arguably more prosperous than his previous one (as frontman of the rock group Oingo Boingo), and the consistent quality of his film scores should keep him working for a long time to come.

#9 -- "Tron" (1982, Wendy Carlos) -- Perhaps it's more of a sentimental favorite, but I love this score. Then again, Wendy Carlos was ahead of her time in what she did: taking orchestral music and processing it through computers, producing a synthesized equivalent for every organic note from the original source. It was, of course, a perfect fit considering the subject matter of the equally innovative (for its time) movie. Still way cool to listen to, even 25 years later!

#8 -- "Titanic" (1997, James Horner) -- An excellent movie, finely executed, and with a gorgeous score. In the early part of his career, James Horner wrote some good scores, but seemed to frequently copy some of their elements into his other works. But by the time "Titanic" came around, he had matured into a fine composer with a substantial breadth of moods and techniques ... a quality that "Titanic" displays prominently.

#7 -- "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979, Jerry Goldsmith) -- I had a bit of trouble picking out the best "Star Trek" film score, but I should have known this one would be the logical (to quote a certain pointy-eared science officer) winner. First of all, it's where the signature "Star Trek" theme (now arguably more popular than even the theme from the original TV series) originated, plus it's by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, one of whose scores I simply had to include in this list! There may be more entertaining "Star Trek" scores out there, but none more brilliantly crafted.

#6 -- "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" (1999, Trey Parker & Marc Shaiman) -- Yes, "South Park"'s seemingly incongruous mix of crude gags, surrealistically irreverent humor, and enviously clever satire is an acquired taste, but if you were to take the songs out of their context (which, I grant you, might also require the removal of most of their lyrics) and evaluate them from a purely musical perspective, you would be left with a textbook example of the movie musical ... complete with fun dance numbers, rousing marches, the plaintive ballad, and even a medley reprising all of the above. The non-soundtrack "interpretations" section of the album I can do without (some of those are downright revolting), but the rest of the album is nearly on par with the great classic musicals of the '50s and '60s ... yes, it's that good!

#5 -- "Quantum Leap" (1993, Velton Ray Bunch, Scott Bakula, & Mike Post) -- This album shows how the types of music heard during the five seasons of the TV show "Quantum Leap" were almost as diverse as the array of characters and situations that its lead character, Dr. Sam Beckett, found himself leaping into week after week. From the terrific main title theme (as Mike Post's TV themes always are) to the chameleon-like music of Velton Ray Bunch (western action, creature-feature suspense, pastoral Americana, and even sweeping, feature-film-worthy drama), to the vocal talents of Scott Bakula (everything from hair-metal to Elvis covers to a Broadway medley), this is a thoroughly enjoyable album!

#4 -- "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982, John Williams) -- Anybody who needs me to explain why this is in my top five has obviously never heard the signature "E.T." theme, one of the most instantly recognizable pieces of music in movie history. It's just a shame that we had to wait until 1996 before a remastered and expanded edition of the soundtrack became available and did Mr. Williams' score the justice it deserved. The original, three-minute edit of the theme isn't on here like it was on the original edition, but listening to "Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye", the 15-minute suite that is heard over the climax and finale of the film (and from which the legendary "E.T." theme originated), is worth every second. It still gives me goosebumps!

#3 -- "Krull" (1983, James Horner) -- Every time I come across a James Horner compilation, I search its track listing for a selection from "Krull", and every time I am disappointed and puzzled by its absence. "Krull" is a criminally overlooked masterpiece, and one of the first true triumphs of Horner's career. Its soaring and majestic main title (or, barring that, its distilled rendition in "Ride of the Firemares") would proudly show its worthiness to be on all well-rounded Horner compilations, if it simply weren't so forgotten. And, hey, the movie is pretty darn fun, too!

#2 -- "The Star Wars Trilogy" (1983, John Williams) -- Okay, technically this isn't a "soundtrack", since it's neither from one specific movie or TV program, nor does it even consist of the original recordings. But, this was amongst the very first half-dozen compact discs I ever bought, these renditions are just as good as the originals, and I've always thought of the classic "Star Wars" Trilogy as a combined whole anyway (the films as well as their scores), so that's why it's on this list. Not only does it represent the first time that music from all three films was collected on one album, but it also debuted two "Return of the Jedi" cues that weren't on the original soundtrack: "Fight With the Tie Fighters" and "Darth Vader's Death". Varujan Kojian and the Utah Symphony Orchestra definitely do John Williams' scores justice ... so much so that Mr. Williams himself wrote a brief statement in the liner notes, expressing his glowing approval of the release.

#1 -- "Star Trek: The Next Generation - volume two: The Best Of Both Worlds, parts I and II" (1991, Ron Jones) -- As much as I love John Williams and the superlative scores from "Star Wars", this one edges it out as the soundtrack CD I treasure most. I love the episode, and love its music just as much. I've listened to it so many times that I know every note by heart. Ron Jones employed a choir of human voices processed electronically to represent the Borg in certain cues, and while the technique has been used several times since then, I've never heard it used with quite this much finesse. This is feature-film-caliber music, about as rich and bombastic as TV would probably allow it to get. Why Ron Jones hasn't cultivated a feature-film scoring career is beyond me ... as this recording shows, he's got more than enough talent.

CD of the Week: Take That

TAKE THAT
"BEAUTIFUL WORLD"
(Polydor/UK, 2006)

You might remember Take That as the first big success of the "boyband boom" that started in the mid '90s, and launched the meteoric career of Robbie Williams. Well, the group split up after a few prosperous years and the members each went their separate ways, nearly all releasing solo albums to varying degrees of success. Now, four of the five members (Robbie politely turned down the invitation) have reunited and recorded their first album of new material in ten years.

Their extended dormancy as a group has paid off in spades ... so much so that I'd be hard-pressed to call this a "boyband" album at all. It kicks off with "Reach Out", an uplifting call for world peace that manages to completely avoid sounding like a cheesy "We Are The World" rehash, and the album seems to bound from one Top-Ten-worthy track to another ... the sunny "Beautiful World", the Beatles-esque bouncer "Shine", the breezy ballad "Ain't No Sense In Love", and so on.

Each of the four gents takes at least one turn at lead vocals, which adds to the variety, and they've all taken part in the songwriting as well. Having had a decade to hone their pop sensibilities, the group has dovetailed to create an excellent collection of contemporary pop hits. The group's sound is nothing extraordinarily different, and neither are the lyrics, but for some reason it feels like much more than the sum of its parts. It makes me wonder what kind of gem the Backstreet Boys or NSYNC could come up with if they were to dissolve and then reunite after ten years!

Sell That Funky Music, White Boy

Well, I recently finished my latest, most exhaustive pruning yet of my CD collection, and I have to say I was more-or-less happy with the results. In a way, I had kind-of hoped to find more CDs to get rid of than I did, but then I did find over 75, which was impressive, if not a huge percentage (7.5%) of my total collection of over 1,000. What did impress me, though, was how much those discs were worth to the local shops ... I got $130 in trade credit between two stores ($75 from one and $55 from the other), and they took all but three of them! Needless to say, the credit yielded from those 75 CDs will be spent on obtaining a carefully selected handful of titles over the next several weeks.

It was a difficult task, deciding what to keep and what to part with. I was eager to cast off any titles to which I no longer had an emotional attachment, or whose appeal had simply disappeared for one reason or another. These CDs, I told myself, deserve to be put up for "adoption" and end up in a home where they'll be better appreciated and more frequently listened to.

At the same time, I couldn't help feeling pangs of guilt ... some of the CDs might have been ones I had been given as gifts or recommended to me by friends or family. There was also a sense of "loss", in a way ... the thought that, if I got rid of certain CDs, I might end up with a less comprehensive music collection. But, I realize that neither of those feelings are warranted. I can't exactly help it if I don't love music I didn't discover myself; and I know I still have a much more well-rounded taste in music than many other people.

So anyway, now the number of CDs in my collection that I never listen to has been significantly reduced, those CDs are on their way to happier homes, and I have some store credit for the new Rooney, Rufus Wainwright, and Maroon 5 CDs that will be making their way into stores over the next several weeks. Life is good.

CD of the Week: The Feeling

THE FEELING
"TWELVE STOPS AND HOME"
(Cherry Tree, 2007)

I first heard this UK group in a podcast and was intrigued. That night, I visited their website and waited patiently for my pokey dial-up connection to stream audioclips from three or four songs. I went from intrigued to enamored, and had to buy the album immediately. At the time, it was only available as a UK import. Well, now it's finally been released here in the states, although with new cover art that's much less interesting (and much less representative of the album's sound) than its UK and international releases.

The Feeling have crafted a charming, walk-in-the-park sound that brings to mind Supertramp with a dash of Electric Light Orchestra. Upbeat and mid-tempo numbers ("Fill My Little World", "Love It When You Call") are the norm, usually with endings that meander into a graceful fade-out that never overstays its welcome. The album never gets boring, though; "Strange" is a fine ballad and a worthy candidate for the new anthem for the misfits of society, and another highlight is the wistful and dreamy "Never Be Lonely".

If you want music that's perfect for a drive down the coast on a sunny afternoon with the convertible top down, or even if you don't, just go buy this album. I have "the feeling" (sorry, I couldn't resist!) that its charms will win you over.

Gotcha Covered

Some people think cover albums are cheesy, or an otherwise cheap and unimaginative substitute for a "real" album, but I rather like them. It can sometimes be interesting to hear our favorite artists' interpretations of other artists' songs -- and sometimes these are the songs that inspired the artist in their youth. Or they force the artist to step out of their usual genre of music, and that can make for an even more interesting listen. Here's a countdown of my five favorite cover albums. They're definitely not the "all-time best ever released", since I can only choose from the dozen or so that are in my collection, so don't blow a gasket.

Honorable mention -- Eran James: "Reviewing The Situation" -- This handsome Australian singer isn't even out of his teens yet, but carries a seriously skilled, soulful voice, that is perfectly suited for this wide range of songs from the likes of the Isley Brothers, John Lennon, Al Green, Bill Withers, James Brown and Lenny Kravitz. He even throws an original tune in for good measure. It's an Aussie import, but if you like good singing, go find it.

#5 -- Queen Latifah: "The Dana Owens Album" -- I'm not a fan of rap, and I don't own any of her rap albums, but there's something I've always liked about Queen Latifah. She's a pretty lady, a fine actress ... and now she amazes me again with a gorgeous singing voice! Proudly putting her birth name on this excellent album of mostly Great American Songbook staples, backed with a full orchestra, the Queen absolutely shines.

#4 -- Paul Anka: "Rock Swings" -- In anyone else's hands, a collection of '70s and '80s rock and pop hits done in a Vegas-lounge style would have sounded bland and dopey. Who'd have thought that "Jump" by Van Halen, "Eyes Without a Face" by Billy Idol, "Eye of The Tiger" by Survivor, or even Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" would translate so well into swing? Obviously, Mr. Anka did.

#3 -- Lea deLaria: "Double Standards" -- A ferociously funny stand-up comedienne who looks like a bulldyke (and will proudly tell you that she is one), Lea deLaria's smooth and sultry voice could have knocked me over with a feather the first time I'd heard it. She puts a fun and jazzy twist on Top 40 hits from the last few decades (made famous by Jane's Addiction, Blondie, No Doubt, The Doors, Green Day and others) that makes for a thoroughly fun listen.

#2 -- Human Nature: "Reach Out: The Motown Record" -- I like Motown no matter who's singing it, and this Australian boyband, while they don't do the absolute best job imaginable, acquit themselves more than adequately on this set of twelve '50s and '60s classics. Not surprisingly, the fans enjoyed this album so much that the band released a follow-up disc ("Dancing In The Street: The Songs of Motown II") a year later.

#1 -- Huey Lewis and The News: "Four Chords and Several Years Ago" -- Not only is that a great title, but the whole album is more rollicking good fun than a five-inch-round piece of plastic should be allowed to hold. Huey and the guys take a trip back to the classic rock-and-roll tunes of the '50s, and it sounds like they know they're doing it better than just about anyone else could. My favorite: "Mother In Law", featuring the inimitable Dr. John on guest vocals.

CD of the Week: Fountains of Wayne

Welcome to a new feature in my blog (okay, I guess that since I just started this thing, technically every feature is "new"), my "CD of the Week"! [Insert fanfare here.] Sometimes it'll be a new, hot-off-the-presses release, sometimes a recent one, and sometimes it might even be a dusty old favorite from my past. Needless to say, this feature could change and evolve (possibly become a more-than-once-a-week thing, or spawn another weekly CD "spotlight" ... who knows?), so stay tuned! Meanwhile, here's my inaugural honoree....


FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE
"TRAFFIC AND WEATHER"
(Virgin, 2007)

I've been a fan of Fountains of Wayne, the current standard-bearers of power pop, since about a year before they released their "Welcome Interstate Managers" album and "Stacy's Mom" took the Top 40 by storm ... an occurrence that didn't surprise me (music this fun and catchy should be in the Top 40), but also did surprise me (that Americans could actually demonstrate good taste in music once in awhile). Now, after a long four years (unless you count the B-sides collection, "Out-Of-State Plates", released two years ago), our patience has been rewarded with their new album, "Traffic And Weather".

Those of us who are faithful Fountains of Wayne conoisseurs will find plenty to like in this album. The hooky tunes and clever lyrics are all still firmly entrenched, waiting to invade our hungry, power-pop-loving ears. There are the occasional horn accents ("Strapped For Cash", "Yolanda Hayes"), the pleasant little touch of country ("Fire In The Canyon"), the melancholy ballad ("I-95"), and the obligatory hit singles (hell, nearly all of 'em!). The lyrics might occasionally get a bit too clever for their own good, but I'd rather have overly clever lyrics than trite and unimaginative ones.

The casual Fountains of Wayne listener who's looking for the next "Stacy's Mom" may well be disappointed by this album, but that's not to say it's bad. In my opinion, any FoW album is better than a lot of the junk out there. These guys make just the kind of music I like ... not overly sexy or angry or brooding, but toe-tapping, hum-along tunes that give the mood a little lift.