Now he's not only got me agreeing to blog, but has managed to drag an end-of-year favorites list out of me. It's way late, but it's still January, at least...
Kicking and screaming all the way (but still long-winded and rambling),
hope you enjoy!
xo, YoYo
1. Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
The voice, the vibe, the look, and Oh! Those lyrics! More please!
2. Piers Faccini - My Wilderness
See Eleanor Friedberger review. Okay, maybe not "the look"...
3. Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)
Country-slash-Alt-Country-slash-Genre-distinctions-are-tedious-slash-slash.
Obvious influences but not derivative. Stands oddly apart from both the "All Hat, No Cattle" crowd AND the "Former Punks Driving PIck-Ups" crowd.
4. Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra - MTO Plays Sly
Fancy-pants jazzy Sly Stone covers that thankfully leave the FUN in funk.
5. Ry Cooder - Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down
Masterful, still ornery as hell, and (praise god) Listenable!
4. Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra - MTO Plays Sly
Fancy-pants jazzy Sly Stone covers that thankfully leave the FUN in funk.
5. Ry Cooder - Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down
Masterful, still ornery as hell, and (praise god) Listenable!
A welcome break in the Cooder string of thoughtful, esoteric and drab 'concept' albums.
(Not Part 3 of The Mole Trilogy)
6. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Tell Me
Folky and dark and cool, with that smoky Black Keys stank all over it.
7. Folk Uke - Reincarnation
Folky and awesome and cute as a button. Willie & Arlo's daughters make music so sweet I almost hate it. And the "Unicorn Puking a Rainbow" band logo is so apt!
8. Marianne Faithfull - Horses and High Heels
So special! Not a conditional "Aww, you hang in there, Baby" album at all. Ms. Faithfull can still totally kick your ass without breaking a sweat.
9. Bart Davenport - Searching For Bart Davenport
Bart's albums just gets better. It's all cover tunes here, all interesting and mostly unfamiliar choices. He owns them.
10. Ralph Carney's Serious Jass Project - Seriously
Seriously swinging vintage jazz stylings from Mr. Ralph-of-all-trades, the hardest working man in showbiz.
(Not Part 3 of The Mole Trilogy)
6. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Tell Me
Folky and dark and cool, with that smoky Black Keys stank all over it.
7. Folk Uke - Reincarnation
Folky and awesome and cute as a button. Willie & Arlo's daughters make music so sweet I almost hate it. And the "Unicorn Puking a Rainbow" band logo is so apt!
8. Marianne Faithfull - Horses and High Heels
So special! Not a conditional "Aww, you hang in there, Baby" album at all. Ms. Faithfull can still totally kick your ass without breaking a sweat.
9. Bart Davenport - Searching For Bart Davenport
Bart's albums just gets better. It's all cover tunes here, all interesting and mostly unfamiliar choices. He owns them.
10. Ralph Carney's Serious Jass Project - Seriously
Seriously swinging vintage jazz stylings from Mr. Ralph-of-all-trades, the hardest working man in showbiz.
Addendum:
A) Why didn't these make my 'top ten' list? Grrr, I hate lists...
B) These are 3 essential and favorite Stand-Up Comedy albums released in 2011.
Stand-Up is not music. I hate lists, but I still always categorize things.
C) The "It's Been Years, Where the Hell Have You Been?" category for good albums released in 2011.
A) Why didn't these make my 'top ten' list? Grrr, I hate lists...
- Zoe Boekbinder - Darling Specimens
- tUnE-yArDs - Whokill
- Tara Priya - Tara Priya
- Orchestra Superstring - Easy
- Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Smoking In Heaven
- Chris Thile and Michael Daves - Sleep with One Eye Open
B) These are 3 essential and favorite Stand-Up Comedy albums released in 2011.
Stand-Up is not music. I hate lists, but I still always categorize things.
- Louis C.K. - Hilarious
- Patton Oswalt - Finest Hour
- Marc Maron - This Has To Be Funny
- Cake
- The Dead Milkmen
- The Feelies
D) "Hey, I'm genuinely happy that you released a new album this past year! It's a really good one! So why am I not including it in my top ten? Do I think something was wrong with your album? Were the others really better?
Is there something wrong with ME? Sigh, I hate lists."
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, The Black Keys, Brian Eno, Dave Alvin,
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, The Black Keys, Brian Eno, Dave Alvin,
David Bromberg, (Cracker's) David Lowery, Dengue Fever, The Dirtbombs,
Exene Cervenka, Gillian Welch, Hazmat Modine, Jonathan Coulton, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, The Mekons, Nick Lowe, They Might Be Giants, Todd Snider, Tom Waits
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