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The other night I listened to David S. Ware's...

...Live in the World, which I reviewed warmly in August, and realized that i was wrong to leave it off my Top Ten Albums of 2005 list. I've modified my list to include Ware for the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at December 16, 2005 2:00 PM

 

All right, you were right

Repeated exposure has turned me aginst "My Humps." I still admit to enjoying the song the first two times I heard it, thought both listens were fragmentary. My son, it seems, is standing behind it.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at October 26, 2005 12:33 AM

 

My review of the new Gretchen Wilson album

Can be read here.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at October 21, 2005 4:32 PM

 

Drunk Horse/Van Zant review

Filed under: Imported

Here's my joint review of Drunk Horse and Van Zant.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at August 29, 2005 6:28 PM

 

Like you care

Filed under: Imported

 Jon Caramanica, one of my favorite music reviewers out there today and a very charming guy, encouraged me to do this, so what they heck.

1) Total number of books I've owned:
My wife and I probably keep about 1,000 books [addendum: The fact that I feel the need to clarify that, on closer inspection, I suspect the figure is probably more like 1700 is a sign of deep immaturity, insecurity, and general lack of cool. Consistency, though, is also some kind of virtue.] in the house, some mine, some hers, some mutual favorites, and perhaps I've owned another two or three hundred that I've sold or gotten rid of.

2) The last book I bought
I bought William Maxwell's "So Long, See Your Tomorrow" last week after my colleague Michael Tortorello and MPR's Stephanie Curtis recommended it. Before that but also last week I picked up a used copy of Martin Amis's "The Information," which I'm reading now.

3) The last book I read
I finished Norman Rush's outstanding early '90s novel "Mating" a week or so ago. After that I read bits of Eric Lott's "Love and Theft," which I need to read but wasn't in the mood for. I'll come back to it. Then I read about half of Foucault's "History of Sexuality," which I was more or less enjoying. I haven't really spent much time with the post-structuralists and all those types, just a bit of wading here and there, but I figure a good number of my peers have that pretty well covered. Then I read a Chekhov short story in which a woman kills her baby. Then I felt the need to read a fun novel and started Amis's "Information," which I'm enjoying.

4) Five books that mean a lot to me (in no particular order)
Saul Bellow, Herzog

various authors, the Bible

Vladimir Nabakov, Lolita

various authors, Dave Marsh, ed., Rolling Stone Record Guide [second edition]

Charles Portis, The Dog of the South

Total volume of music files on my computer:
Maybe 1500 songs on my iTunes, which I don't use a whole lot.

Last CD I bought:
Def Leppard double-CD collection and the new Sufjan Stevens album. Yes, I paid for them at an actual record store! (I don't get promos of everything.)

Album playing right now:
Not listening to music at the moment. When I get home I'm going to put on this new Sue Jorge album, which sounds good on first listen.

Five songs/albums I listen to a lot these days:
I like the new Missy Elliott; I've been re-listening to Def Leppard and enjoying much of it; I like the new Sufjan Stevens album, despite some serious reservations; David Ware's live triple is still putting in time on my player; I like Van Zant's new single, "Help Somebody."

 

Posted by Dylan Hicks at July 25, 2005 6:50 PM

 

2005 Favorites

Filed under: Imported

Here's a survey of the recorded music I've been enjoying during 2005. All rankings are subject to change until Jan. 1, 2006.

ALBUMS

Favorites

  1. M.I.A., Arular
  2. Mannie Fresh, The Mind of Mannie Fresh
  3. William Parker, Sound Unity
  4. Kanye West, Late Registration
  5. The David S. Ware Quartets, Live in the World
  6. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois
  7. Luny Tunes & Baby Ranks, Mas Flow 2  
  8. Amadou & Mariam, Dimanch a Bamako
  9. John Doe, Forever Hasn't Happened Yet
  10. Parry Gripp, For Those About to Shop, We Salute You
  11. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday
  12. Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane, at Carnegie Hall
  13. Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker, Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 
  14. Mike Jones, Who Is Mike Jones?  
  15. Big & Rich, Comin' To Your City
  16. The Perceptionists, Black Dialogue
  17. Happy Apple, The Peace Between Our Companies
  18. Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine
  19. Danger Doom, The Mouse and the Mask
  20. Edan, Beauty and the Beat
  21. Missy Elliott, The Cookbook
  22. Lady Sovereign, Vertically Challenged
  23. Busdriver, Fear of a Black Tangent
  24. Pitbull, Money Is Still a Major Issue
  25. Atmosphere, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
  26. Queens of the Stone Age, Lullabies to Paralyze
  27. Go-Betweens, Oceans Apart
  28. Marty Ehrlich, News on the Rail
  29. Feist, Let It Die
  30. Tweet, It's Me Again
  31. Stephen Malkmus, Face the Truth

Honorable and Somewhat Honorable Mentions

(In rough order of preference. I've gotten various degrees of enjoyment out of all of these, here and there. None are wholeheartedly recommended, but all contain some very good music. Entries near the top are probably three-and-a-half-star records that I listened to quite a lot over the year despite their flaws. Entries closer to the bottom are most likely: problematic albums featuring more than a few great cuts; flawed albums by notable talents; notable albums by flawed talents; likeable but minor albums that I noted on this somewhat obsessive list in a fit of generosity. Also scattered below might be better-than-honorable-mention records for which I sdidn't develop deep affection.  

  • Sonny Rollins, Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert
  • Toby Keith, Honkytonk University
  • Teenage Fanclub, Man-Made 
  • Eliza Gilkyson, Paradise Hotel
  • James Carter Organ Trio, Out of Nowhere
  • Jeff Parker, The Relatives
  • David Murray 4tet with Strings, Waltz Again
  • Charles Lloyd, Jumping the Creek
  • Mr. Oizo, Moustache (Half a Scissor)
  • Drew Gress, 7 Black Butterflies
  • Clem Snide, End of Love
  • Hal, Hal 
  • various artists, Run the Road 
  • The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema
  • Annie, Anniemal
  • Dwight Yoakam, Blame the Vain 
  • Marah, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry
  • Miranda Lambert, Kerosine
  • Rogue Wave, Descended Like Vultures
  • Salome de Bahia, Brazil
  • Hella, Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard
  • Chariots, Congratulations
  • John Prine, Fair & Square
  • Kathleen Edwards, Back To Me
  • Dalek, Absence
  • Antony and the Johnsons, I Am a Bird Now
  • J-Live, The Hear After
  • Drunk Horse, In Tongues
  • Gretchen Wilson, All Jacked Up
  • Sleater-Kinney, The Woods
  • Spoon, Gimmie Fiction
  • Common, Be
  • William Parker, Luc's Lantern
  • Meat Beat Manifesto, At the Center
  • The Ponys, Celebration Castle
  • Rahsaan Peterson, After Hours
  • John Legend, Get Lifted
  • Damian Jr. Gong Marley, Welcome to Jamrock
  • The King of France, self titled
  • James Blood Ulmer, Birthright  
  • Wilco, Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
  • Paul Wall, The People's Champ
  • Boubacar Traore, Kongo Magni
  • Thor, Thor Against the World
  • Loudon Wainwright III, Here Come the Choppers
  • Acid House Kings, Sing Along with... 
  • Beck, Guero
  • Jason Moran, Same Mother  
  • Jim White Presents Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard, Osirus, the Official Mixtape 
  • various artists, Greensleeves Rhythm Album #66: Bomb A Drop
  • Z-Trip, Shifting Gears  
  • Mint Condition, Livin' the Luxury Brown
  • Los Super Seven, Heard It On the X
  • LCD Soundsystem
  • Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Naturally
  • The Detroit Cobras, Baby
  • Mobius Band, City Vs. Country [ep]
  • El Michels Affair, Sounding Out the City
  • The Chris Stamey Experience, A Question of Temperature
  • The Hacienda Brothers, [self-titled]

I'm inclined to endorse (mildy, enthusiastically, it depends), but should spend more time with:

  • The Letters Organize, Dead Rhythm Machine
  • Fat Kid Wednesdays, The Art of Cherry
  • Lawless Element, Soundvision: In Stereo
  • Fatlip, TheLoneliest Punk
  • Four Tet, Everything Ecstatic
  • Devildriver, The Fury of Our Maker's Hand
  • The Deathray Davies, The Kick and the Snare
  • Eddie Palmieri, Listen Here! 

SINGLES

  1. Hal, "Play the Hits"
  2. Amerie, "1 Thing"
  3. Kanye West, "Gold Digger" 
  4. Toby Keith, "As Good As I Once Was"
  5. Miranda Lambert, "Kerosine"
  6. Mike Jones, "Back Then"
  7. Brad Paisley, "Alcohol"  
  8. The Legendary K.O., "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People"
  9. Big & Rich, "Comin' To Your City"
  10. 50 Cent, "Disco Inferno"
  11. Tweet, "Turn Da Lights Off"
  12. Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"
  13. Van Zant, "Help Somebody"  
  14. Kanye West, "Heard 'Em Say"
  15. Mike Jones featuring Slim Thug and Paul Wall, "Still Tippin'"  
  16. Will Smith, "Switch" 
  17. Toby Keith, "Big Blue Note"
  18. D4L, "Laffy Taffy"
  19. Akon, "Lonely"
  20. Green Day, "On Holiday"
  21. Fisher, "Beautiful Life"
  22. Bowling for Soup, "Almost"
  23. Missy Elliott, "Lose Control"
  24. The Cardinal Sin, "The Saddest Song"
  25. Keyshia Cole, "I Should Have Cheated"
  26. Fantasia, "Baby Mama"
  27. The Game featuring 50 Cent, "Hate It Or Love It"  
  28. T.I., "Bring Em Out"
  29. Ciara, "1,2 Step"
  30. My Morning Jacket, "Wordless Chorus"
  31. Destiny's Child, "Girl"
  32. Green Day, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
  33. Ying Yang Twins, "Wait (The Whisper Song)"
  34. Damian Jr. Gong Marley, "Welcome to Jamrock"
  35. R. Kelly, "Trapped in the Closet"
  36. Usher, "Caught Up"
  37. David Banner, "Play"
  38. Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc."
  39. Gretchen Wilson, "All Jacked Up"

Honorable Mentions

Collections/Reissues

  • Charlie Poole and various artists, You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music
  • various artists, Can You Jack?: Chicago Acid and Experimental House 1985-1995
  • various artists, World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing--The Funky Fuzzy Sounds of West Africa
  • v/a, The Rough Guide to Boogaloo
  • v/a, The Rough Guide to the Sahara
  • v/a, The Spectral Sound Vol. 1
  • various artists, Nao Wave: Brazilian Post-Punk
  • various artists, attac.org anti-war collection
  • Clifton Chenier, Louisiana Blues and Zydeco (debut album with some previously unreleased stuff)

Notable album cuts:

Thievery Corporation, "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter" and a few others from the rarely out-of-this-world The Cosmic Game

Brazilian Girls, "Pussy" and a few others from the enjoyable enough but problematic Brazilian Girls

The Morells, "Nadine" and a few others from Think About It

Mark Geary, "Beautiful," from the othewise not terribly haunting Ghosts

Urban Sun, "Shine Like the Stars" from Guilty of Dreaming

Fisher, "Biggest Fan," "Beautiful Life," and a few others from The Lovely Years

Sole, "Sin Carne" and a few others from Live from Rome

John Hiatt, the first three songs from Master of Disaster

Sheryl Crow, "Where Has All the Love Gone?" from Wildflowers

Doris Henson, "A Dark Time for the Light Side of the Earth," from the probably-not-worth-your-money Give Me All Your Money

Robbie Fulks, "Georgia Hard" and a few others from Georgia Hard

The Mountain Goats, "Song for Dennis Brown," "Dance Music," and a few others from the not-quite-my-bag Sunset Tree

Omarion, "Never Gonna Let You go (She's a Keepa)" and a few others from O

2004 Albums I didn't hear or fully appreciate until 2005
(Note that a few late 2004 releases are included in categories above, mostly stuff that didn't arrive in my mailbox until January '05.)

  • Dave Douglas/Loius Sclavis/Peggy Lee/Dylan van der Schyff, Bow River Falls
  • Mos Def, The New Danger
  • Daddy Yankee, Barrio Fino  
  • Neko Case, The Tigers Have Spoken
  • The Gift of Gab, 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up  

Posted by Dylan Hicks at July 24, 2005 6:56 PM

 

My favorite odd trousers (excluding suit pants)

Filed under: Imported

  1.  Red Cords. These wide wale, flat front, slim fitting corduroys have fetched many a compliment. Worn with my tartan ribbon belt and brown tweed jacket, they give off a strong "nutty professor" aroma. Got a great deal on these!
  2. Salmon poplin. Flat front full-legged summer casuals in a soft salmon (or "pink" to the untrained eye). Straight-up killer-diller, no diggity.
  3. Gray Flannels. The fabric is thinning a bit from heavy wear, but they should last another winter. A classic, of course, and always very grandfatherly.
  4. Yellow cords. These are the same model as the red cords described above. Best with my navy blazer, which I only like to wear with loud pants.
  5. White flannels. These handsome "Prufrock pants" are great for "Dress up like a sailor or yachtsman" parties. (Ship ahoy!) The problem with these, though, is that they can only really be worn in summer, and yet one gets pretty warm in them if it's over 80 degrees. What's more, they can only really be worn with a navy blazer, also somewhat warm. Fine for air-conditioned events, though. 
  6. Madras. Since I refuse to wear shorts unless I'm playing tennis, these  lightweight summer trousers are very useful on hot weekends. Sometimes, when in a ludic humor, I wear them to work with cordovan loafers. Very "soc." Occasionally these "statement" pants have inspired some playful ribbing from co-workers, such as the time a work chum said I looked like "an idiot."
  7. British khaki, poplin. Light summer pants in the darker "British" khaki. Brilliant! Very comely with my mint linen jacket.
  8. Light Gray flannels with windowpane accent in cream. A disappointment on the whole. Too full in the leg and at odds (chromatically and with respect to pattern) with my brown tweed jacket and a bit too conservative when worn with my navy blazer. Soft to the touch, though. Sometimes I like to gently caress my thigh while I'm wearing them.
  9. 8.5  Ounce Khakis. Now badly stained in two places but still useful. For best results, hang to dry.
  10. Green cords. Issued a major demotion when I got my red and yellow cords. Still fun with my navy blazer, though.
  11. Dungarees by Levi's. I'm less interested in denims than I was in my wild twenties, but I sure enjoy wearing these with my new red cowboy shirt. Howdy pardner, come-a-ti-yi-yippee!
  12. Light Brown flannels. Endorsed by my wife but never a personal favorite. Pretty nice with my brown tweed jacket, though.
  13. Light gray summer-weight wool trousers. Nice but boring! When I first got these pants, no one even noticed; it was like I had had them all along.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at July 15, 2005 12:55 PM

 

Now I'm wondering...

Filed under: Imported

...if I'm really going to finish Boswell's Life of Johnson.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at June 9, 2005 10:02 AM

 

My review of Annie and Fisher

Filed under: Imported

Is here.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at June 3, 2005 5:14 PM

 

I Wrote This Fine Poem When I Was 11*

Filed under: Imported

On Two Great Songsmiths

I (one)

Eddie Rabbitt

is Thirsty

So slake the bunny,

and run

II (two)

Christopher Cross

is not mine,

to bear

 

*Actually, I wrote it tonight, but it's not "fine" either.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at May 30, 2005 10:05 PM

 

Hicksy Gets Burned

Filed under: Imported

So tonight for whatever reason I had to listen to the single "Slack" by early Minneapolis punk heroes NNB. But I don't have that single, so I did some hunting around the Internet, but it's really pricey these days. So my wife says, "I think I have that single stuffed inside my copy of Big Hits of Mid-America, Volume 3. "Oh I doubt it, Missy," I scoffed, not actually using the word "Missy" out loud, "It's very rare and perhaps you have some other NNB single blah blah blah."

Well, she did have the single stuffed inside her copy of Big Hits..., and what's more I was unwittingly keeping it in the closet where our duplicate LPs are stored. As we used to say in high school, I got "totally skuzzed."

Posted by Dylan Hicks at May 23, 2005 8:27 PM

 

The Dean's December

Filed under: Imported

See Culture to Go for my little note about Saul Bellow.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at April 7, 2005 3:09 PM

 

You guys hear about the Pope?

Filed under: Imported

I guess he died. More later.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at April 5, 2005 12:06 PM

 

Ahem

Filed under: Imported

A few weeks ago I spent a good 45 minutes on a Culture to Go post, "Going Down In Music History," that I don't think many folks had the supreme pleasure of reading. I am not one to let 45 minutes got to waste, so I offer another chance for y'all to read the piece, which is about cunnilingus. Wait a sec. I just remembered that I am one to let 45 minutes go to waste. But still.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at April 4, 2005 4:46 PM

 

There's a fairly new Kathleen Edwards album out

Filed under: Imported

And I have reviewed it.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at March 29, 2005 3:45 PM

 

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