Check it Out!

My friend Sherry from The Claw interviewed me today. If you feel you don't know me very well, now's your chance to find out all about me!

Archers!

Holy crap! Color me jealous. The Archers of Loaf played an unannounced show last night at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Hopefully this turns into a full on reunion. Here's a clip from last night's show:

Burn and Shine's Top 26 of 2010.

Snow day today. We woke up to about eight inches of the white stuff on the ground this morning, which means I've got a little time to finally post my best of 2010 compilation. I know my timing isn't great. With the tragedy that happened this weekend, the year in music seems pretty fracking insignificant. But here goes anyway.

I spent a little more time listening to old music this year, but I still managed to find some great new bands. And, of course, some of my old favorites came through with some nice records. If you've been following my blog this year, you know that I kept a running list of new releases that I liked. Here's the list I had circa my last update, which I think I last modified in early November:

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
Best Coast - Crazy For You
Black Francis - Nonstoperotik
Corin Tucker - 1000 Years
Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett
Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Eels - End Times
Fresh & Onlys - August in My Mind
Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Goodnight Loving - The Goodnight Loving Supper Club
Harlem - Hippies
John Cunningham - 1998-2002 (Reissue)
Jonathan Richman - O Moon, Queen Of Night On Earth
Len Price 3 - Pictures
Magnetic Fields - Realism
Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts
Mark Sultan - $
matt pond PA - The Dark Leaves
Miles Kurosky - The Desert of Shallow Effects
Moonhearts - Moonhearts
New Pornographers - Together
Pernice Brothers - Goodbye, Killer
Phosphorescent - Here's to Taking It Easy
Plimsouls -Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal
Posies - Blood/Candy
Robyn Hitchcock - Propellor Time
Roky Erickson & Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil
Sadies - Darker Circles
Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago
Soft Pack - The Soft Pack
Spoon - Transference
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
Sweet Apple - Love & Desperation
Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
Television Personalities - A Memory is Better Than Nothing
The National - High Violet
Tobin Sprout - The Blue Birds of Happiness Tried to Land on My Shoulders
Top Surprise - Everything Must Go
Ty Segall - Melted
Wild Nothing - Gemini


If I had to pick a favorite record this year, then I would probably go with the one at the top of that alphabetical list. Followed closely by Len Price 3, Surfer Blood, Robyn Hitchcock, Tobin Sprout and The Soft Pack. Sweet Apple, The Fresh & Onlys, Damien Jurado, and Harlem would round out my top 10.

A few more records that I got into late in the year (some as recently as the last couple of weeks):

Bottomless Pit - Blood Under the Bridge
Edward O'Connell - Our Little Secret
Retribution Gospel Choir - 2
The Greenohornes - ****
The Volebeats - The Volebeats
Versus - On the Ones and Threes

So if you'd like to take a break from the awful news this weekend, here's a compilation of 26 of my favorite songs from 2010.


Top 26 of 2010

01. Robyn Hitchcock, “Ordinary Millionaire” [3:52] RH can do little wrong in my book, and when he hooks up with Johnny Marr . . . well then, the sky is the bloody limit, as this song clearly shows.

02. The Fresh & Onlys, “Waterfall” [3:12] These San Francisco garage rockers got the two slot on last year’s Burn and Shine Top 26 compilation. They are quickly becoming my favorite band.

03. Len Price 3, “After You’re Gone” [2:58] As much as I like Power Pop, I hate to admit, I had never heard of LP3 until this year. If you like your PP sprinkled with an ample dose of Kink-isms, then this band is definitely for you!

04. Veronica Falls, “Found Love in a Graveyard” [3:49] I blogged about VF earlier this year, and this song still slays me every time I hear it. Looking forward to a full length by them soon.

05. The Greenhornes, “Underestimator” [2:33] The first album in eight years by these Cincinnati garage rock revivalists does not disappoint.

06. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti, “Bright Lit Blue Skies” [2:25] I remember reading a few years ago that Ariel Rosenberg’s masterpiece was 2004’s The Doldrums—meh, that album seemed a bit too ambitious and sprawling for my taste. The new album, Before Today, is my favorite album of 2010 and should be considered the crown jewel in the APHG discography.

07. Harlem, “Be Your Baby” [2:12] Nothing new here, but damn if this wasn’t one of the catchiest albums of the year. Reminds me of Royal Trux but at their poppiest.

08. The National, “Lemonworld” [3:24] High Violet is getting a lot of year-end praise. I haven’t made my mind up on the album, but I do love this song.

09. Tobin Sprout, “Pretty (Demo Version)” [2:54] I don’t think Tobin Sprout has released a track that I don’t like. This version of “Pretty” is not actually on the new album, but was given away by Magnet in anticipation of the new record.

10. Sweet Apple, “I’ve Got a Feeling (That Won’t Change)” [2:31] A super group of sorts, this track has J. Mascis all over it = Greatness.

11. Eels, “Mansions of Los Feliz” [2:49] Mark Oliver Everett put out two Eels records this year. This is from the first one (End Times), and finds E in a very dark place. Stunning album.

12. The Gaslight Anthem, “The Diamond Church Street Choir” [3:12] The ’59 Sound, from 2008 is one of my favorite albums of the last five years—I don’t care that it is a complete Springsteen rip-off. The new one, is not nearly as memorable, but has its moments.

13. Best Coast, “Boyfriend” [2:30] After a slew of 7” records in 2009, Bethany Consentino finally delivered a full length album to an eagerly awaiting public. You should see the looks I get when I’m singing along to this one at the Y on the treadmill.

14. Blitzen Trapper (Feat. Alela Diane) , “The Tree” [3:35] I’ll admit, Blitzen Trapper’s fifth album, Destroyer of the Void, is a bit unfocused, and I guess the jury is still out on whether it is masterstroke or a well-intentioned flop (I vote the latter), but this duet with Alela Diane is heavenly.

15. The Candles, “Let Me Down Easy” [2:43] Wilco and the Youtube series Yacht Rock have managed to make 70’s soft rock cool. The Candles debut, Between the Sounds, takes this and runs with it.

16. Damien Jurado, “Rachel & Cali” [3:01] Damien Jurado really should have a bigger following. 2008’s Caught in the Trees was my favorite album that year, and Saint Bartlett makes my top 10 this year.

17. Dum Dum Girls, “It Only Takes One Night” [2:02] I’m a sucker for lo-fi, indie pop. Again, nothing new here, just well written melodies and a little tape hiss.

18. The Grip Weeds, “Twister” [1:54] Okay, I’ll admit. I have yet to hear the Grip Weeds new double album, Strange Change Machine. They gave away 8 tracks via their website before the album came out, and that’s all I’ve heard. I do like all the freebies though and will eventually order the vinyl—I promise.

19. The Magnetic Fields, “You Must Be Out of Your Mind” [3:14] At this point, I think there are more Burn and Shine compilations with a Stephin Merritt tune, than without.

20. matt pond PA, “Sparrows” [2:50] Another splendid offering from one of the most consistent bands of the new century.

21. Pernice Brothers, “Jacqueline Susann” [2:18] It’s hard to believe it has been four years since the last PB album. This excellent new album features the return of Bob Pernice, but sees the departure of long time collaborator Peyton Pinkerton.

22. The Sadies, “Another Year Again” [3:22] Canada’s favorite country rockers put out another fine collection of psychedelic-tinged, alt-country.

23. The Soft Pack, “C’mon” [2:13] San Diego’s the Soft Pack (formerly known as the Muslims), have studied their rock history well. Poppy, garage-rock at it’s loveable best.

24. Surfer Blood, “Catholic Pagans” [3:13] I know, I’ve fallen hook, line and sinker for the current indie trend which harkens back to the glory days of surf rock. Sue me.

25. The Volebeats, “We Don’t Like to Forget” [3:29] It seems like every year, someone mentions an album on their best of list that had gone completely under my radar. I didn’t know the Volebeats had a new one out till a couple of weeks ago. It is well worth hearing if you are at all a fan.

26. Teenage Fanclub, “Dark Clouds” [2:43] Scotland’s finest power poppers put out a mature record, that didn’t seem to get much attention this year. I loved it.

Download it here: Burn and Shine's Top 26 of 2010

Total time: 1:14:46

Do You Want To Hear the Best Song Ever?

How to explain?

Okay, so I think I’ve mentioned before that I frequent a Guided by Voices message board. I know, I know, message boards are sooo 1990s, but this particular board is quite a beehive of activity. You can go on there and “talk” about pretty much anything. Most of the discussion does not necessarily revolve around Robert Pollard, but everyone there does have a love for most-things-Bob in common. The other commonality seems to be a love for Rock & Roll in general. In fact, music is probably the most active topic—you can find a thread on just about any band you can think of. Heated arguments occasionally ensue, because aside from Pollard projects, you can’t get much of a consensus on any other artist. The boarders are very passionate about their taste in music and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to Rock History. I can’t tell you how many great recommendations I’ve gotten from that board over the last few years.

There is one thread in particular, titled “The Best Song Ever . . . Right Now At Least”, which I have long thought would make a good source for a Burn and Shine compilation. As you can probably surmise from the title of the thread, it is a place where members name a particular song that is currently kicking their ass. Sometimes these can be obvious, like “Unsatisfied” or “A Day in the Life”, but usually people venture into the thread to divulge the virtues of songs a little more off the beaten path.

I decided to go through the last few pages (the thread started in March of 2005 and is currently up to page 316) picking songs that were on my hard drive that had not yet made one of my compilations here at B&S. It has my signature all over it—you’ll see some of my favorite artists—but I can’t take credit for the choices. In order to give credit to the people who inspired the compilation, I’ve put their screen names in parentheses next to the song they nominated.

I’ll let the compilation speak for itself, but I will say that I think it turned out pretty fabulous, and I will continue to mine that thread for future Burn and Shine compilations.

Happy listening!


Do You Want To Hear the Best Song Ever?

01. Mission of Burma, "Progress" [1985] (Pimple Zoos)
02. The Monkees, "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?" [1967] (Chapter 18)
03. Bobby Fuller, "Let Her Dance" [1965] (Steve Cock)
04. Brian Eno, "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More" [1974] (Man of Dimension)
05. Dinosaur Jr, "Does It Float" [1985] (Man of Dimension)
06. Archers of Loaf, "Death in the Park" [1995] (Ultra Maroon Blazer)
07. Martha & the Muffins, "Echo Beach" [1979] (The Third Man)
08. The Clash, "Jail Guitar Doors" [1977] (Dannyramone)
09. The Stranglers, "Golden Brown" [1981] (LARM)
10. Devo, "Beautiful World" [1981] (Dirty Dutch)
11. Low, "Starfire"[1999] (Lookit55)
12. Throwing Muses, "Not Too Soon" [1991] (MoreHotDogsPlease!)
13. The Wedding Present, "Dare" [1991] (Pimple Zoos)
14. Screaming Trees, "Seeing and Believing" [1986] (MoreHotDogsPlease!)
15. Undertones, "My Perfect Cousin" [1979] (LARM)
16. Wire, "Map Ref. 41n 93w" [1979] (Jscott)
17. The Byrds, "Wasn't Born to Follow" [1968] (Berno)
20. 20/20, "Backyard Guys" [1979] (Berno)
19. Roxy Music, "Editions of You" [1973] (Breadwinner & Klutz)
20. Nick Drake, "From the Morning" [1972] (Riff Randall)
21. X, "White Girl" [1981] (Dirty Dutch)
22. Tall Dwarfs, "Crawl" [1990] (Spastic Semicolon)
23. Sex Pistols, "Bodies" [1977] (Dirty Dutch)
24. Them, "Richard Cory" [1966](LARM)
25. The Church, "Tear It All Away" [1982] (RedLetterDay)

Total Time: 1:19:25

Download it here: Do You Want to Hear the Best Song Ever?

Christmas Tunes!

[EDIT: December 8, 2011]
If you are finding this blog for the the first time in search of Christmas tunes, then thanks for stopping by! If you like the comps featured below, then don't forget to check out the latest volume in the Christmas Redux Series featured here: Merry Christmas!
[/End EDIT]

It's the home stretch, folks: Christmas is less than three weeks away. Of course that means it's Christmas Redux time here at Burn and Shine! Twenty-five more holiday faves from my seemingly endless supply of Rock & Roll Christmas tunes. This year's edition features a few returning stars from my previous Christmas compilations: The Ventures, Stevie Wonder, the Sonics, the Eels, the Pointed Sticks and Low. Several of these artists, however, are making their first appearance on a Burn and Shine playlist. I'd especially like to call your attention to track #12, as it was submitted by one of my readers. Rob Stuart of Broken Promise Keeper, stumbled upon my blog during Power Pop Month here at B&S. He graciously sent me an mp3 of a Christmas song he recorded in 2009. One listen, and I knew it had to be on this year's Christmas compilation.

If you have any recommendations for future Xmas Redux volumes, please leave me a comment.

Merry Christmas and Happy Listening!

Christmas Redux Five (Artwork for this volume can be seen and downloaded at the end of this post):

01. The White Stripes, "Candy Cane Children"
02. NRBQ, "Christmas Wish"
03. Billy Childish, "Ho Ho!"
04. Adam Arcuragi, "The Christmas Song"
05. Paul Westerberg, "Away in a Manger"
06. The Young Republic, "Merry Christmas Again . . ."
07. The Psycho Daisies, "Santa Is Coming Down Again"
08. Trembling Blue Stars, "Christmas and Train Trips and Things"
09. The Sonics, "I Don't Believe in Christmas"
10. The Ventures, "Sleigh Ride"
11. The Very Foundation, "All Lit Up (For Christmas)"
12. Broken Promise Keeper, "Christmas Countdown"
13. Chris Stamey, "Christmas Time"
14. The Flaming Lips, "Christmas at the Zoo"
15. The Payola$, "Christmas is Coming"
16. The Icicles, "Snowman Song"
17. Eels, "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas"
18. Stevie Wonder, "What Christmas Means To Me"
19. The Vipers, "Christmas I'll Be Home"
20. The Dickies, "Silent Night"
21. Jens Lekman, "Run Away With Me"
22. The Pointed Sticks, "Xmastime Again"
23. Brendan Hanlon & the Bat Men, "Christmas Party"
24. Julian Casablancas, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today"
25. Low, "Long Way Round the Sea"

Total time: 1:12:47

Download it here: Christmas Redux Five


Since I've gotten so many new readers this year, I've gone ahead and reposted all four previous editions of Christmas Redux below. If you're interested in reading the original posts just click the "Xmas" tag at the end of today's post, otherwise just download the comps right from this page.


Christmas Redux

01. “The Christmas Song” by the Raveonettes
02. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love
03. “Just Like Christmas” by Low
04. “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy” by Buck Owens
05. “All the Right Reasons” by Dressy Bessy
06. “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag” by Gary Walker
07. “Christmas Eve” by the Galaxies
08. “Run Run Rudolph by Dave Edmunds
09. “Christmas Spirit??” by the Wailers
10. “Santa Claws” by Vermont
11. “Santa Claus” by The Sonics
12. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid
13. “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” by the Young Fresh Fellows
14. “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by Pedro the Lion
15. “Little Drummer Boy (Up the Kyber)” by the Hoodoo Gurus
16. “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?” by the Staple Singers
17. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” by the Ramones
18. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by Bruce Springsteen
19. “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders
20. “I Want an Alien for Christmas” by Fountains of Wayne
21. “Merry Christmas Girl” by The Figgs
22. “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes
23. “Old Toy Trains” by Roger Miller
24. “Happy Christmas (Was is Over) by John & Yoko with the Harlem Community Choir
25. “Auld Lang Syne (Alternate Mix) by the Beach Boys

Time: 1:14:41

Download it here: Christmas Redux



Christmas Redux Two

01. “Frosty the Snowman” by the Ronettes
02. “Christmas All Over Again” by Tom Petty
03. “Someday at Christmas” by Stevie Wonder
04. “Winter Wonderland” by the Cocteau Twins
05. “Joseph, Who Understood” by the New Pornographers
06. “Spotlight on Christmas” by Rufus Wainwright
07. “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses
08. “Christmas Celebration” by B.B. King
09. “Jingle, Jangle” by The Rockfield Chorale
10. “Father Christmas” by the Kinks
11. “Jingle Bell Rock” by the Ventures
12. “Thanks for Christmas” by the Three Wisemen (XTC)
13. “Christmas Ain’t Christmas Without the One You Love” by the O’Jays
14. “Peace on Earth-Little Drummer Boy” by Bing Crosby & David Bowie
15. “Everyday is Christmas” by Swag
16. “Holiday Spirit” by the dB’s
17. “The Christmas Song” by Weezer
18. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by the Cadillacs
19. “Purple Snowflakes” by Marvin Gaye
20. “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues
21. “Jingle Bells (Buala Bas)” by the Clancy Brothers
22. “So Much Wine” by the Handsome Family
23. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by John Prine
24. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Death Cab for Cutie
25. “New Year’s Revolution” by Graham Parker

Time: 1:16:20
Download it here: Christmas Redux Two



Christmas Redux Three

01. “The Christmas Sound” by the Swimmers
02. “It’s Christmas Time” by Yo La Tengo
03. “Put the Lights on the Tree” by Sufjan Stevens
04. “Your Christmas Whiskey” by the Minus 5
05. “Silent Night” by the Primitives
06. “Your Christmas is Going to the Dogs” by the Eels
07. “All That I Want” by the Weepies
08. “December 25th” by Desmond Reed
09. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by the Crystals
10. “Santa’s Beard” by They Might Be Giants
11. “The Mods of Christmas” by Zumpano
12. “Christmas” by the Buzz of Delight
13. “Egg Nog” by Luna
14. “X-mas Song” by the Fireflies
15. “Christmas in Baghdad” by the Black Lips
16. “Donna and Blitzen” by Badly Drawn Boy
17. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Bright Eyes
18. “Merry X-mas Everybody" by Slade
19. “Christmas Celebration” by Weezer
20. “Last Christmas” by Erlend Oye
21. “Rock Around the Christmas Tree” by Daniel Johnston
22. “Baby, Please Don’t Get Stoned (It’s X-mas) by Je Suis France
23. “Christmastime” by Aimee Mann & Michael Penn
24. “She’s Coming Home” by the Wailers
25. “Space Christmas” by Shonen Knife

Time: 1:10:36

Download it here: Christmas Redux Three



Christmas Redux Four

01. “Seasons Greetings” by Robbers on High Street [2:23]
02. “Merry Christmas Will Do” by Material Issue [3:36]
03. “Careless Santa” by Mono Puff [2:16]
04. “iPod Xmas” by Hello Saferide
05. “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway [3:32]
06. “Christmas is Cancelled” by The Long Blondes [4:29]
07. “Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time)” by Pearl Jam [3:00]
08. “If Christmas Can’t Bring You Home” by The Reigning Sound [2:32]
09. “Ghost of Christmas” by Manic Street Preachers [3:39]
10. “I Believe in Father Christmas” by Greg Lake [3:22]
11. “Back Door Santa” by Clarence Carter [2:10]
12. “Christmas Eve” by Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci [1:51]
13. “Christmas Must Be Tonight” by The Band [3:41]
14. “Little Saint Nick (Single Version)” by The Beach Boys [2:11]
15. “There Ain’t No Sanity Claus” by The Damned [2:31]
16. “Christmas Vacation” by The Descendents [2:39]
17. “Power Pop Santa” by The Pointed Sticks [3:20]
18. “Holiday Hymn” by Orange Juice [3:01]
19. “Lonely This Christmas” by Carter USM [2:12]
20. “Christmas” by The Posies [3:53]
21. “Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday” by William Bell [2:39]
22. “Silver Bells” by Swearing at Motorists [2:03]
23. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by The Ronettes [2:42]
24. “It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop” by Frightened Rabbit [5:28]
25. “Christmas Time (Is Here Again) by The Beatles [3:03]

Total Time: 1:15:25

Download it here: Christmas Redux Four







Download the Artwork for Vol. 5 (Courtesey of T. Remley!): Christmas Redux Five Artwork