Comments on: end of the year as we know it http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/ notes from the digital underground Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:55:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: ruadork http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10731 ruadork Sat, 08 Dec 2007 12:47:00 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10731 Okkervill is good. Not good enough to make it on my top 10 list, but I'm listening to it again this morning and I can see it growing on me. I have given it quite a few chances already, though. More than anything on the Okkervill album, I like the duet Sheff does on The Mendoza Line's "Aspect of an Old Maid." There's some intensity. Too bad Mendoza Line's album nosedives pretty quickly after that song - just can't get into it past the first 3 songs. Must have something to do with the vocals. Okkervill is good. Not good enough to make it on my top 10 list, but I’m listening to it again this morning and I can see it growing on me. I have given it quite a few chances already, though.

More than anything on the Okkervill album, I like the duet Sheff does on The Mendoza Line’s “Aspect of an Old Maid.” There’s some intensity. Too bad Mendoza Line’s album nosedives pretty quickly after that song – just can’t get into it past the first 3 songs. Must have something to do with the vocals.

]]> By: Matos W.K. http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10730 Matos W.K. Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:05:07 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10730 I should point out to the folks disappointed in no reggae/world music round up that the reissues piece is very heavily slanted that way. I should point out to the folks disappointed in no reggae/world music round up that the reissues piece is very heavily slanted that way.

]]> By: dollev http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10729 dollev Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:12:52 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10729 The picture made me think of the Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende. What would be his favourite song of 2007? The picture made me think of the Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende. What would be his favourite song of 2007?

]]> By: m13b http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10728 m13b Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:42:50 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10728 "so many of eMusic’s great metal albums get overlooked" You're not kidding. :^/ “so many of eMusic’s great metal albums get overlooked”

You’re not kidding. :^/

]]> By: joe http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10727 joe Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:04:07 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10727 You know, funny you should mention that — I've been thinking we should do our "All-Inclusive" lists on 17 Dots. The way eMusic itself is set up we can't really feature records we don't carry, but I'll definitely ask our writers if they want to send over lists that combine eMu and non-eMu titles. I'm sure Todd & Yancey have similar lists. And I'd love to see your lists, too. I love a lot of that Rihanna record, too, and I thought that Low record was really overlooked — so dark! so good! other non-eMu records that made my cut: Miranda Lambert, <i>Crazy Ex-Girlfriend</i>; Paramore, <i>Riot!</i> and Against Me! <i>New Wave</i>. I'll start a new post above this and see if, in the words of the great Carl Weathers, we can "get a stew on." You know, funny you should mention that — I’ve been thinking we should do our “All-Inclusive” lists on 17 Dots. The way eMusic itself is set up we can’t really feature records we don’t carry, but I’ll definitely ask our writers if they want to send over lists that combine eMu and non-eMu titles. I’m sure Todd & Yancey have similar lists. And I’d love to see your lists, too.

I love a lot of that Rihanna record, too, and I thought that Low record was really overlooked — so dark! so good!

other non-eMu records that made my cut: Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; Paramore, Riot! and Against Me! New Wave. I’ll start a new post above this and see if, in the words of the great Carl Weathers, we can “get a stew on.”

]]> By: Daniel, Esq. http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10726 Daniel, Esq. Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:10:09 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10726 Checking Okkervil River's new stuff out now. I dunno. It's a big step up from the "standard, boilerplate indie rock" (that's such a good description, Joe) of Black Sheep Boy. But it's still a bit paint-by-numbers indie rock for me (which I can love or hate, depending on circumstance) and the singer's voice is a hurdle for me. I'm going to let this one simmer a while before deciding whether to get it. On a different subject, while I totally understand why they would do so, I hope eMusic's writers don't limit their year-end best-of lists to only those discs that are available on eMusic. As it happens, most of what I discovered and loved this year came from eMusic, but I'm also interested in hearing what eMusic writers have to say about some of the great stuff released in 2007 that, regrettably, isn't available on eMusic, e.g., Low's "Drums and Guns," Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky," The Field's "From Here We Go Sublime," Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad," and so forth. Checking Okkervil River’s new stuff out now. I dunno. It’s a big step up from the “standard, boilerplate indie rock” (that’s such a good description, Joe) of Black Sheep Boy. But it’s still a bit paint-by-numbers indie rock for me (which I can love or hate, depending on circumstance) and the singer’s voice is a hurdle for me. I’m going to let this one simmer a while before deciding whether to get it.

On a different subject, while I totally understand why they would do so, I hope eMusic’s writers don’t limit their year-end best-of lists to only those discs that are available on eMusic. As it happens, most of what I discovered and loved this year came from eMusic, but I’m also interested in hearing what eMusic writers have to say about some of the great stuff released in 2007 that, regrettably, isn’t available on eMusic, e.g., Low’s “Drums and Guns,” Wilco’s “Sky Blue Sky,” The Field’s “From Here We Go Sublime,” Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad,” and so forth.

]]> By: maris http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10725 maris Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:04:01 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10725 Mr B, I agree--Okkervil is all about the passion (see For Real on Black Sheep Boy). The thing that really gets me about The Stage Names--the album and the tour--is that the passion is as visceral as ever, but it's also somehow more controlled. In a good way. Passionately polished? That said, some of my favorite Okkervil songs are older--off of Down the River of Golden Dreams. Namely, It Ends With a Fall and Blanket & Crib. Sigh. The lyrics get me every time. Mr B, I agree–Okkervil is all about the passion (see For Real on Black Sheep Boy). The thing that really gets me about The Stage Names–the album and the tour–is that the passion is as visceral as ever, but it’s also somehow more controlled. In a good way. Passionately polished? That said, some of my favorite Okkervil songs are older–off of Down the River of Golden Dreams. Namely, It Ends With a Fall and Blanket & Crib. Sigh. The lyrics get me every time.

]]> By: thomaus http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10724 thomaus Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:50:38 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10724 Daniel, I love The Stage Names as much as I disliked Black Sheep Boy. Seeing them live in September was icing on the cake. I now get the hype. (But I still don't like Black Sheep Boy that much.) Daniel, I love The Stage Names as much as I disliked Black Sheep Boy. Seeing them live in September was icing on the cake. I now get the hype. (But I still don’t like Black Sheep Boy that much.)

]]> By: joe http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10723 joe Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:26:01 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10723 I heard the same thing about Blood & Fire. I'm freaking out a little bit about that, and grabbing as many of the titles as I can. I heard the same thing about Blood & Fire. I’m freaking out a little bit about that, and grabbing as many of the titles as I can.

]]> By: Daniel, Esq. http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/comment-page-1/#comment-10722 Daniel, Esq. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:01:06 +0000 http://17dots.com/2007/12/06/end-of-the-year-as-we-know-it/#comment-10722 Joe: I hope the "world music" disc you're talking about is the one from Tinariwen (not the one from Gogol Bordello!). Mr.B: I love Blood & Fire, too. I've downloaded about 25 of its releases from eMusic. But the company is in deep, deep trouble. It may not survive (indeed, it's my understanding that, as of mid-summer 2007, it was dormant, and could only be saved by a white knight coming to its financial rescue). So you may want to grab the BAF discs here while you can. There's a thread on the eMusic forums about this, too. Joe: I hope the “world music” disc you’re talking about is the one from Tinariwen (not the one from Gogol Bordello!).

Mr.B: I love Blood & Fire, too. I’ve downloaded about 25 of its releases from eMusic. But the company is in deep, deep trouble. It may not survive (indeed, it’s my understanding that, as of mid-summer 2007, it was dormant, and could only be saved by a white knight coming to its financial rescue). So you may want to grab the BAF discs here while you can. There’s a thread on the eMusic forums about this, too.

]]>