PopTodd

Pavement - Crooked Rain(x2)

I have MS and seizures, so I have to drink unleaded. Honestly, unless I do a side by side tasting, I can't tell the difference. It's become all about the heat, the aroma, the taste, and the ritual. Does the same thing for me.

I drink decaf, but I make my own, at my desk. I agree about the etiquette. But it goes both ways.

Since the kids were born, I don't get to many shows, period and this year was no exception. But, one major show that I did get to this year was: Ray Davies @ The Chicago Theater My parents won 6th row center seats and gave them to me, knowing that I would appreciate them more than they would. First time seeing one of my all-time favorite songwriters and he did NOT disappoint. Voice still sounds great (even if a little aged), and the songs are... some of the best ever written. Ray is a freak and, being so close to him, it was obvious that he was having as good a time as the audience was. So, so

my son is reading this with me now and he's all like... "Um... Will Smith is an actor!" Yeah, he started as a rapper/singer, but I think that we can count him as an actor first now, no? (Good call, Cary!)

The music that I play.

It is the rare musician, ESPECIALLY an instrumentalist, whose style is so singular, that you can identify them almost instantly, with only a note or two. But they are out there. I can think of three in particular, who all I need to hear is one or two notes from their instrument, to know (almost) certainly that it's them. Thelonious Monk His chord voicings, melodies, and harmonic inventions are like noone else. Even his best imitators can't seem to get it just right. Mark Knopfler It's all about the tone. His fingers on the strings. The way that it snaps. One of my favorite guitar players.

Hence, the new thread I just started. By the way, does Ann Magnuson belong in here, or the new one?

Talking about people who do more than just make a cameo appearance as themselves. Maybe it'll be a different list. Maybe not. Lyle Lovett Dwight Yoakam Justin Timberlake Jimmy Cliff Ann Magnuson (or does she belong in that first thread?)

I didn't really get anything this year. Buying myself some studio time in January.

HELLY YES, Spinal Tap counts! And, great call on Dan Akroyd, howdjadoo. So, for that matter, you gotta include John Belushi, too.

Neil Innes.

John Travolta can sing. Don't think that he writes songs, but as far as doing musicals and stuff, he can sing (and, of course, dance), so that is all cool. But, it seems like you are looking at actors as more than just being able to sing, but as musical artists in their own right. I can think of a few. Zooey Dachanel One of the most beautiful voices out there. And, She & Him isn't my thing, but it's not bad. Kevin Bacon Apparently The Bacon Brothers have some pretty decent roots/rock stuff. Rick Springfield Musician first, but then made his name as an actor before having hit songs

I think that it would be cool for each of us to have our own "Favorites of 2011" thread, and kinda show a little snapshot of each of our years, actually. It puts it in a nice context and allows for a nice spread. T'was done in another board that I frequent -- http://obner.org -- and I kinda like the way that those discussions are shaping up. A little more expansive. So I thought that I would (try to) start something like that here.

ALBUMS You know, I haven't heard nearly as many as most (all?) of you. So, here are the ones that seem to be sticking with me. (Order changes with my mood.): Yep - Yep Just hits all the right notes, with pitch-perfect covers that compliment the originals; that bring out depths in melody, harmony, and emotion that I'd just never recognized were there all along. I've wholeheartedly recommended it to non-Ob affiliated friends, and the response has been unanimously fawning. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin' After the Motown fixations of The Way I See It, Saadiq has moved on to a harder-edged sound, c

Midnight In Paris The perfect balance of whimsy and thoughtfulness that only Woody Allen seems to be able to strike. I was in love with this movie from the opening montage of Paris street scenes that seemed to be able to give me a real feel of what the city is actually like, even never having been there. A masterful piece of filmmaking. Owen Wilson is pitch-perfect, and maybe even BETTER than Woody as the Woody character, as you can actually believe Wilson as a romantic lead. Probably my favorite movie of the year. Should get a best picture nod, if there is any justice.

That isn't from Josh, is it?!?

I discovered Wilco before they were born -- big Uncle Tupelo fan and was shattered when they broke up. But the first time that I heard Wilco was the first time that they played Chicago (maybe their second-ever show?). It was at Lounge Ax in 1994. The show was actually my second show of the night. Earlier in the evening I was at the Vic, at a Pegboy show, and they blew my freaking socks off. After the show, we heard a rumor that Jeff Tweedy's new band was going to be playing the LAx that evening, too (the friends that I was with were also big UT fans), so we hustled over to Lincoln Ave. and got

Wow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ZITfPhnwE&annotation_id=annotation_460054&feature=iv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVwlMVYqMu4

Just picked this up: I've heard their songs covered by Bongwater ("The Drum," which is on this collection) and also by Mazzy Star ("Blue Flower," which is not), and I have loved them both. So, I looked into the band at AllMusic and liked the descriptions that I read. The album arrived yesterday and I've given it a first listen and made an initial impression: I love it. The best description that I can give is that it's like Yoko Ono, if her voice were tolerable and if she were backed by The Soft Machine. But then, there are strong undercurrents of Kurt Weill running through a lot of it too (