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Miami New Times
Amazons a Go-Go
Big girls, little guys, lots of fun.
By Natalie O'Neill
Dallas Observer
My Two Sons
Andrew and Freddy Velez are the first brothers to die in America's War on Terror.
By Megan Feldman
Westword
Skateboarding in Iraq
Llewellyn Werner thinks a few half-pipes could get Baghdad's economy rolling.
By Jared Jacang Maher

July 24, 2005 - July 30, 2005

« July 10, 2005 - July 16, 2005 | Main | August 28, 2005 - September 3, 2005 »

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

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

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