PopTodd

As with every year, you just have to dig a little to find the really great music.

Nice list.

Let's see i I can sum my fave purchases all up in the same way:

Caesaria Evora - Rogamar

Another winner from the diva of Cabo Verde. I said the same thing about Van Morrison, but I feel the same about Ms. Evora: her voice is like magic -- everything she sings in instantly beautiful. For those of you not familiar with her, it's African island music, that has a bit of a samba touch. (Cabo Verde was also a Portugese colony.)

Steve Ison - The Stars Are Never Really Distant

British bedroom pop. Just one great pop songa after another.

Dogbowl - Flan

I had this on vinyl long ago, but finally got around to picking up the CD. Weirdo freakout masterpiece -- tells the story of Flan and his post-apocolypse search for his true love, aided by his pet fish Ginger Kang-Kang and Michael the Human-Headed Dog. Weird and wonderful.

Roy Wood and Wizzard - Archive Series Collection

The man from The Move, and his less-commercial track than former bandmates who went on to do ELO. A pretty solid collection.

Joe Pisapia - Daydreams

I talked abou this in another thread. Had a burn, and felt the need to buy a "real" copy to support the artist.

Ray Davies w/ Yo La Tengo - Live, Aug., 2000 (bootleg)

Doesn't the title really say it all?

Sly & The Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On (remaster)

Never owned it until I bought this. Of course, I knew a couple of the songs already, but the whole thing is great.

Velvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies to God

May be the best power pop record of the 1990s. Love their version of Gene Clark's "Why Not Your Baby?"

Martin Newell - A Summer Tamarind

The new one from the godfather of British bedroom pop. And a return to pure pop after a 3-album foray into more jazz-inflectted territory. I like this Martin better.

Tom Z

Now I got it going!

And, yes, this is a very, very good song.

Also very well recorded. You do this at home?

Couldn't get the player to load, but I will be checking you out shortly.

Any other place to hear it?

I'd rather see Wilco and watch Jay Farrar in the audience, drinking away his "could have been" thoughts...

Why the animosity?

When they were together, I was definitely more in the "Jay" camp.

But I still do love them both.

Agreed - this is a questionable move, PopTodd.

Thanks for the advice.

Duly noted.

I tried telling y'all about him in THIS THREAD, but nobody seems to want to listen.

Maybe it's because I'm still a newbie?

Ask LouieB, I am a real person who really likes this board, and not a street teamer.

Anyway, his album is still kicking my ass 5 years after its release. May sneak its way into my top-50, all-time.

Hyperbole? Maybe. But I think that many of you around here will like it.

And, yeah I do tend to do this from time to time -- hype up my favorite bands. But as I plan on sticking around for a while, you'd better get used to it.

Anyway, I hope that, if you do check it out, you'll let me know what you think.

Here's his link again:

www.myspace.com/joepisapia

And, I'm not spamming about my band (yet), so just wait until I get a little more established!

Nope, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.

On September 18, 1997, I saw The Rolling Stones at The Double Door for 7 bucks. Crikey, that was 10 years ago already?!?!

I was on my honeymoon in Italy and saw that on the front page of USA Today. Both my wife and I cursed our luck -- from the south of Italy!!!

in all honesty, ME!

That's funny, because, now that I think about it, my dream opening act would be ME, too!!!

I saw the Pixies before they were signed.

The very first time I saw them was somewhat infamous in Pixies history. Ivo (from 4AD) had come over from England to see them play. For some reason Kim Deal couldn't make the show but they played anyway. Ivo liked them enough to sign them.

Actually the 1989 show that I saw them at was the Doolittle tour, as well.

And while the show that you saw, Oil Can, may not have been great, it is certainly brag-worthy. What brought you to that Pixies show? Had you heard about The Purple Tape or, did you just stumble into the club that night?

He has The Magic Voice.

Anything he sings sounds like gold.

Ramones - El Mocambo

Cheap Trick - El Mocambo

Springsteen at Convention Hall, Asbury Park

Elvis Costello - El Mocambo

Who with Moon

Rush - Banting Memorial High School

And on and on he goes...

I'm gonna bump this, juet because I want to see if any of you have checked out any of these folks. And, also, to give you another chance to do so.

Then I'll shut up about them (for this thread).

This is a bragging thread, right:

Talking Heads at Horseshoe

Clash at Rex Danforth Music Hall

REM at Larry's

YEs it is, and I find ALL of those bragworthy.

Damn.

I will also add, though...

Pixies - November, 1989 (Blue Note, Columbia, MO): This show (and the UT show I mentioned earlier are both from the OLD Blue Note location, on the outskirts of downtown Columbia. The old hole-in-the-wall, as oppposed to the shiny new digs they moved into a year or so later. The old place was also much smaller.

But I still don't this this one stands up to your shows, bob. Again: Damn.

The Pretenders with Honeyman-Scott and Farndon? That is brag-worthy.

Agreed!

Noice.

Okay, maybe as a newbie, I might be crossing the line here, but what the hell? (By the way, please tell me if I am or do...)

Uncle Tupelo - Halloween, 1989 (Blue Note, Columbia, MO): A month or so before No Depression was even released. One of the shows that "changed my life".

Wilco - Their first-ever show, 1994 (Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL): Yeah, their first-ever show was my 2nd show of the evening. I went to the Ax rght from seeing Pegboy at The Vic. Jeff played the forst half of the show solo/acoustic. I dug it, but was not totally blow away. Oh, what perspective does history bring?

Replacements - July 4, 1992 (Grant Park, Chicago, IL): Their last-ever show. The roadies finished it up, taking the instruments away from the band at the end of "Hootenanny".

Stevie Ray Vaughan - August, 1989 (Alpine Valley, WI): Not his last show, but the evening before. I got back to my room at college to hear the message on my answering machine that Stevie Ray had died. A very poigniant moment. He blew everybody off the stage that evening (Clapton, Cray, and Jeff Healey).

Big Star - July, 1994 (Metro, Chicago, IL): Could've gone either way, but as it turned out, this was one of the best shows that I have ever seen. Alex was a smartass, but still totally "on" and, welsl, I just could not have asked for anything more from them.

Television - 1992 (Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO): My girlfriend at the time asked me, as we left the club, "I'll never see guitar playing like that ever again, will I?" The answer was, obviously, "No."

Neutral Milk Hotel - 1995 (Reckless Records, Chicago, IL): In-store performance from the soon-to-be-reclusive Jeff Mangum and company. They even played my request of "Song Against Sex". And were very cordial in post-performance conversation. Just, wow. I miss that band.

Okay, enough of my bragging.

How about yours?

EDIT:

Steve Earle - Oct. 10, 2007 (Martyr's, Chicago): Teeny-tiny (300-cap.) venue. Right up-front, leaning on the stage for one of the greatest living songwriters. That is also where I met Louie and Wendy; and I found out about this place.

I have the first solo album and, while it's good, it is not pulling me back or anything.

Son Volt, and.... Uncle Tupelo! (Original trio, please.)

As with all lists, this is malleable, changeable, and in other ways imperfect, but here goes (In no particular order):

The new album is going to be given away with the Times next weekend I believe... I still won't buy the Times though...

And I still don't live in Englandland.

But I will check out the tunes on MySpace.

Oh, and I liked the last album, but wasn't as blown away by it as I hoped that I would be.

So, NONE of these bands are mine, although some are my friends. (Is that okay?).

I'm sure that some of you know some of these guys, but hopefully you'll find some new ones here, too. I'm surious to know what you think of them, once you listen (if you listen).

Hope that you dig 'em.

Happy Ashtray - A guy that I went to Jr. High and High School with. He just happens to be a brilliant songwriter/musician/producer.

Tom Z

And how?

Judas Priest - Point Of Entry

Inspired me to start playing the guitar.

Meat Puppets - Up On the Sun

Showed me that there was great music out there beyond what was being played on the radio.

The Replacements - Pleased To Meet Me

"Well, maybe I won't be a great guitar player; but maybe I can write songs?"

Uncle Tupelo - No Depression

"I definitely want to write songs! And, you know what? Country music can actually be pretty cool!"

Brian Eno - Another Green World

Showed me that there is more to the musical world than just guitar-based music.

Tom Z

It's a list.

My favorite Beatles song changes daily.

Today, it's probably "She Said, She Said".