My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Albums

It's official, the Christmas season is upon us. I realized this after I picked up our car from the shop and for some reason the radio was set to Kool 108 and some repulsive Gloria Estefan holiday song was playing.

I would say 95 to 98% of all Christmas albums are crap. They are a quick way to make the record companies some extra cash. One prime example of this is "Hung for the Holidays" by William Hung. That is exactly what I want to hear when I am driving through snow trying to find a parking spot at the mall, some no talent mush head singing jingle bells. But every once and a while a decent Christmas album will slip through the cracks. It's like finding a puppy under the tree on Christmas morning.

Here are my top five Christmas Albums.

5. Funky Christmas - James Brown.
The title says it all. Mostly original songs with a couple classics sprinkled in. It's hard to keep you feet still listening this album.

4. Songs for Christmas - Sufjan Stevens.
An ambitious five EP box set. This album is almost cheating yeah all the songs are about the holidays but it doesn't sound like a holiday album. This one if for all those hipsters out there that need a little Christmas cheer.

3. A Christmas Gift for You - Phil Spector.
Don't worry Phil Spector will not kill you for Christmas but rather offer you this Album with all the classics done in a rock/motown feel. The songs by The Ronnettes are some of the best Christmas songs ever recorded.

2. Christmas - Low.
Leave it to a band from Duluth to really capture the true emotions of the holiday season. It's not always happy and cheerful, sometimes it's downright sad and depressing. I listen to this album year round.

1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby.
What's Christmas without Bing Crosby. This is the essential Christmas album of all Christmas albums.

Hey Anton, This is your Asshole talking...knock it off!

I’ve always have had a love for spicy foods but with in the last couple months I have really be pushing my limits. Last month I decided I would try 6 of the blazing wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, the hottest wings they have. I was able to eat the 6 hell chickens fairly easily. I enjoyed the flavor, but I was a little disappointed they weren’t very sauce.

A couple weeks later after flag football we went to JJ’s Clubhouse and I decided to order 10 of the Pitbull wings. They waitress warned me that they are extremely hot but I just had blazing at Wild Wings so how hot could they really be. Well about 3 beers, 2 containers of ranch and 10 sweat soaked napkins later I finished the pitbulls. To this day probably the hottest think I’ve tasted. The flavor was really good but I was only able to enjoy for about the first 15 seconds of the first wing. If you like spicy I would suggest trying one of two of these but don’t be a fool like I was and order a plate full.

Last Thursday a group of friends and I gathered at Wild Wings for 60 cent boneless night. I decided to order 6 of the blazing again and was happy to see these had more sauce on them. After the first bite I got a case of what I like to call the “heat hiccups.” I got the hiccups under control and enjoyed the rest of my meal.

My spicecapades are taking a break for a while. I think I am ready to step it down a few notches now that I have self verification that I can eat the hottest. I would like to apologize to my stomach, I’m sorry.

Anton's CD recommendation of the week

This week’s recommendation is the classic “Pet Sounds” by The Beach Boys. Once again I am not really going out on a limb with this recommendation but if you don’t have it in your record collection…you should.

When you ask most bands that are out there know who are some of their musical inspirations I’m sure most of them would say The Beatles, but who inspired The Beatles? One of the answers to this question is The Beach Boys and even more specifically the album “Pet Sounds.” The Story goes, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys heard “Rubber Soul” by The Beatles and was absolutely blown away and inspired to create an album just as good or better. So he gathered the boys and recorded “Pet Sounds” using ground breaking recording methods. The Beatles then heard “Pet Sounds” and were so impressed it inspired them to write “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” You know, just like how Creed’s “My Own Prison” inspired Nickelback to write “The State.”

Pet Sounds is one you play from start to finish, it’s like the equivalent to a musical relationship. Track #1 “Wouldn’t be nice” embraces the excitement of your new relationship with Pet Sounds. By Track #4 “Don’t Talk” you’re ready to put the move on Pet Sounds. Track #6, you’ve done it…you are in bed with Pet Sounds. Track #7 “Sloop John B” Oh god, did I make a mistake? Track #8 “God Only Knows” you realize Pet Sounds is the one for you…your soul mate. Track #10 “Here Today” You get engaged but your friends aren’t sure Pet Sounds is the one. Track #11 “I just wasn’t made for These Times” You start to believe your friends. Track #12 “Pet Sounds” Fuck your friends, let’s get married! Track #13 “Caroline, No” Pet Sounds divorces your ass and takes all your money and your will to live.

Hold Steady and Drive By Truckers @ First Ave 11/16/08

At 9:04 pm the Drive By Truckers took the stage and I was impressed from the very first song. With 3 guitars exchanging solos and riffs DBT rocked 1st ave song after song. It was my first time seeing DBT, I’ve always heard about what a great show they put on and I was not disappointed in the least. Drive by played a solid hour and a half set. I am eagerly awaiting the next time I get to see them.

10:58 the screen started to rise and my favorite live band of the last few years took the stage. The Hold Steady played a good mix of from there last 3 albums with just a pinch of their first album.

The highlight of the night was the encore. The Hold Steady came out and did “Most People are DJ’s” then right after that Drive By Truckers joined them on stage. They played “Look Out Cleveland” by the Band which nearly made me pee my pants with excitement. It was pretty fun to watch Craig Finn “try to” sing a cover. Next song they rocked out a Drive By Truckers song “Let There Be Rock” and then finished the encore with a 5 guitar strong version of “Killer Parties” which almost killed me.

Hands down, rock show of the year!

Hold Steady Set List

• Hornets! Hornets!
• Constructive Summer
• Stuck Between Stations
• Navy Sheets
• Banging Camp
• Yeah Sapphire
• Sweet Payne
• Joke About Jamaica
• Hot Soft Light
• Stay Positive
• Stevie Nix
• Cattle and the Creeping Things
• Massive Nights
• Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
• Same Kooks
• Cheyenne Sunrise
• Lord, I’m Discouraged
• Don’t Let Me Explode
• Chips Ahoy!
• Sequestered in Memphis
• Slapped Actress

Encore

• Most People are DJ’s
• Lookout Cleveland - Band Cover - With Drive By Truckers
• Let There Be Rock - With Drive By Truckers
• Killer Parties - With Drive By Truckers

My Top 10 Albums of 2008

It’s almost the end of the year and that can only mean one thing. Top Ten Lists! Here is a list of my Top 10 Albums for 2008.

10. Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal. Great Rock and Roll album. If you are a fan of Springsteen or Strummer you will dig this album.

9. M83 - Saturdays = Youth. I admit I didn’t know what I thought of this one the first time I heard it. I felt like I was listening to some weird mix of the “Bloodsport” and “Breakfast Club” soundtracks. The more I listen to this album it is quickly becoming a new favorite. If you like 80’s synth music done right, give it a spin.

8. Dr. Dog - Fate. If you like the later Beatles albums you’ll dig Dr. Dog. A friend of mine said, “I guess I’d just rather just listen to The Beatles” when we were discussing “Fate”. I can’t disagree but I can still love this album.

7. The Black Keys - Attack and Release. Produced by hip hop producer Danger Mouse, “Attack and Release” restored my faith in The Black Keys. Their delta-garage rock sound that they have mastered has been nicely revamped by Danger Mouse.

6. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals. This wins most fun album of the year. It’s a great hip hop/dance record that contains samples from a diverse palette of artists, including Jay-Z, Britney Spears, The Velvet Underground, Roy Orbison, Megadeath, UGK, and The Cure. Download it online for free.

5. Dillinger Four - Civil War. Their first full length album in over 6 years comes as a breath of fresh air. It’s always good to hear new songs from my favorite meat and potatoes punk band out of Minneapolis. Not my favorite D4 album by a long shot but it’s new D4 so I like it.

4. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular. A great dedut album by this group from Brooklyn. It’s trippy, dancy and electric. Just and overall fun party time album.

3. Radiohead - In Rainbows. Radiohead does it again, another stellar album but this time they sound like a complete band again. Everyone (not just singer Thom York) shines on this album.

2. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes. Read my review I wrote in a earlier post.

1. TV on the Radio - Dear Science. Easily the most listenable album by TVOTR, I love their other albums but this is probably the most mainstream for lack of a better word. Pitchfork said it best “But it’s also brainy and ambivalent, and more engaging for it.” This will be an album I will be able to put on in 20 years and still call it a favorite.

Honorable Mentions:

• The Watson Twins - Fire Songs
• She and Him - Volume One
• Blitzen Trapper - Furr
• Atmosphere - When Life Give you Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.

Biggest Disappointments of 2008

• Weezer - The Red Album. Usually I am a fan of when a band tries to do something new or take their music in a different direction but when I buy a Weezer album I want to hear Rivers sing pop rock at it’s best. I don’t want to hear the other guys try to sing. If I did I’d buy their solo albums. Rivers if your reading this go back to being the next Brian Wilson and take back control.
• The Hold Steady - Stay Positive. I feel like I need to defend myself on this one. If I did a top 15 list of 2008 this would have made the cut. It’s a really good album but just didn’t live up to the Hold Steady standard I have. This is the 1st Hold Steady album that I actually skip over a track or 3.

Wilma! Our new foster dog.

Hello everyone, meet Wilma. Wilma is around a year old and about 50 pounds. She is the most affectionate dog that I’ve meet. Wilma needs a forever home, know anyone who might be interested? For more info click here.

TV on the Radio at First Ave

A few weeks ago Mary and I went to see “TV on the Radio” and “The Dirtbombs” at First Ave.

“The Dirtbombs” started off the show how I think every rock show should be started, two drummers pounding out a funky beat. I would challenge any foot in that place not to tap to their kickass rhythm section. It had been 7 or 8 years since I had last seen the “The Dirtbombs” and was pretty much only familiar with an old but classic album of theirs called “Ultraglide in Black.” They’ve had a few albums since then so I wasn’t sure how much I’d be familiar with but to my surprise they played a handful from Ultraglide. They did an excellent job energizing the crowd.

“TV on the Radio” took the stage and absolutely blew my mind. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them live before so this was my first time but in no way my last. These guys are amazing. Each and every person on the stage is extremly talented and has a great ear for sound and production. The amount of noise and layers they are able to replicate in their live show was truely a site to see. Next time TVOTR comes to town I am making it maditory that my friends go.