odds & ends
08Jan08
Okay, Daniel, you win. Above is a 10-minute video (incredibly well edited, btw) of Tinariwen performing live at Other Music here in NYC. It is, to put it mildly, pretty damned good.
Elsewhere, I updated that best-selling albums of the year hub with the final tally, and the list expanded to 100 titles. A few things to note: we have a new #1; Burial and Yeasayer completely owned the last two months of the year, landing them amazingly high; there’s still too much indie rock; every Spoon album but one charted.
Finally, plenty of attention is being paid to Zero 7 singer Sia’s new album, out on Hear Music aka The Starbucks Label. That went up today. Personally I can’t stand the record, for whatever little that is worth.
“Okay, Daniel, you win.”
We are all winners in this. Happy New Year.
Who didn’t post this video today?
Ha. I saw it on Fader.
Tinariwin rock. I’ve read comparisons to The Rolling Stones, but I don’t hear it. What I do hear is echos of Led Zepplin: Tinariwin don’t have the bombast or (faux) sex appeal, but they do have the bluesy, serpentine guitar lines, the serious demeanor, and the thumping drums. A great band and a great disc.
Hate to be this dude,,,
but isn’t it “Tinariwen” ?
(the other music in store video with No Age is really well done as well.)
“[...] every Spoon album but one charted.”
Two didn’t chart: Telephono (1996/2006) and Girls Can Tell (2001).
The Sia album’s a bit of a mixed bag. She has a gorgeous vice, but on some tracks she over eggs the pudding and does all those annoying vocal tricks, like melisma (changing the note over the course of one syllable - or warbling in plain English.) But the simpler tracks are very lovely.
@ Anna re: Sia
Yeah, I know what you mean about Sia. She used to do that in her first band Crisp way back when in Adelaide, Australia. I found it annoying then and no doubt will now. Shame as she does have a great voice just a bit more restraint and less showboating would be good.
Talking about great voices, I finally downloaded Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights… what an album! what a voice! SUPERB!
Does the ‘best-selling albums of the year’ list exclude singles/eps?