The Daily Vault – Page 23

07 Mar

Keeping Up (Vol. 45)

Darren PaltrowitzFeature

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: If By Yes – Featuring members of That Dog, Cibo Matto and Cornelius, If By Yes is most likely a side project for its members. Even so, fans of Bird & The Bee and other lush, tropicalia-influenced pop artists ought to love If By Yes. Their debut album will soon be released on Chimera Music, a label operated by fan and friend Sean Lennon. (chimeramusic.com/ifbyyes.html) FILM: I Am Comic – A documentary made by former stand-up comic Jordan Brady, I Am Comic shows what it is like to be…

13 Feb

Keeping Up (Vol. 44)

Darren PaltrowitzFeature

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Kurt Baker / Got It Covered – Formerly the frontman of The Leftovers, Kurt Baker makes his solo debut with the Got It Covered EP. Featuring covers of Blondie, Rick Springfield, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello & The Attractions -- to name 4 out of 7 -- Baker shows his power-pop influences while adding his own energy to the mix. Produced by Linus Of Hollywood and featuring a cameo by Kay Hanley, Got It Covered is a pleasant reminder of how great the Top 40 used to be. (kurtbakermusic.com)…

24 Jan

Keeping Up (Vol. 43)

Darren PaltrowitzFeature

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: The Damned Things / Ironiclast – An all-star band of sorts, The Damned Things features 2/5 of Anthrax, 2/4 of Fall Out Boy, and 2/5 of Every Time I Die. Somewhere between arena rock, metal and Misfits-inspired punk, The Damned Things are dark yet heavy on hooks and riffs. Hopefully this is not just a “side project” and there are more albums to come. (thedamnedthings.com) BOOK: Craig Ferguson / American On Purpose – Craig Ferguson is best known as the host of the Late Late Show on CBS, which…

08 Jan

Keeping Up (Vol. 42)

Darren PaltrowitzFeature

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Gorillaz / The Fall – Damon Albarn –- leader of Gorillaz, Blur and The Good The Bad & The Queen -- decided to end his 2010 with a massive challenge: making an entire album on an iPad. Which he gave out to fan club members on Christmas for free. Which was on the heels of the top-notch 2010 release Plastic Beach. Whether or not you love the genre-bending music of Gorillaz (Plastic Beach is undeniably far superior to The Fall), the work ethic of the nearly-all-star band is practically…

22 Dec

Keeping Up (Vol. 41)

Darren PaltrowitzFeature

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Mike Viola and Kelly Jones / Melon – In an age when most artists think economically, it is rare for artists to go “deluxe” on a creative project. In mid-2010, Mike Viola and Kelly Jones –- two renowned songwriters based in L.A. with roots in New York –- opted to record a vinyl-only, live-in-the-studio, acoustic. Now, Melon can be found on iTunes and Amazon MP3. “Steal Your Heart Away” (a Fleetwood Mac cover) and “There Goes My Baby” (a re-working of an earlier Viola-produced Jones recording) must be heard.…

21 Dec

2010: Albums Of the Year

Melanie LoveBest Of

Music sales are still plummeting, but there are some gems in the rough that rise above the rest. And in a public consciousness more geared towards flashy hit singles and single downloads, there are nevertheless some standout albums that presented cohesive, catchy, and creative visions. Here’s to those albums, which are guaranteed to still sound excellent after the blandness of 2010 has thankfully disappeared. 10. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyThis is the album that has (somewhat) saved Kanye from punchline status. To say he’s wacky is an understatement, but when he puts out material as finely crafted…

20 Dec

2010: Surprise!

dvadminBest Of

Two thousand and ten is the year I didn’t see coming. In the musical realm, the year seemed to this listener to cruise along uneventfully until around Labor Day, when I was starting to wonder what I’d even have to talk about in this column. And then... TomPettyJimmyEatWorldChrissieHyndeBigBigTrainArmsOfKismetMarkMcKay and all of a sudden I had so much music I wanted to talk about that I had to make up a slew of new ridiculous award names. Hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did, in the end… Sometimes The Movie Actually *Is* Better Than The Book Award OK…

20 Dec

2010: New Music For A New Decade

Ken DiTomasoBest Of

There was a lot of excellent music put out this year, so why not compile it all down into list form? All the cool kids are doing it after all, so I might as well get my say in. Below you will find my top 10 albums of the year, along with some unranked honorable mentions and albums that either surprised or disappointed me. I must say, the decade of the ‘10s is off to a great start. 10. OK Go - Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky Finally proving that they were more than their music videos, OK…

20 Dec

2010: A New Decade

Sean McCarthyBest Of

When I came up with my list of "best albums of the decade" last year, I was surprised at the number of albums that came out in 2000. The biggest cause for surprise was that in 2000, I didn't remember the year being all that noteworthy with the exception of Outkast's Stankonia and Radiohead's Kid A. It just goes to show you how much the element of time plays in these "best of" lists. Nine years from now, I'm not projecting the same phenomenon. Looking at my Top 10, I'm seeing nearly eight albums that would be my number one…

20 Dec

2010: Top 10

Mark MillanBest Of

10. Willie Nelson - Country Music Country Music finds the great Willie Nelson still at the top of his game, weaving his way through these starkly beautiful tracks.9. Phil Collins - Going BackI still can’t quite get over just how good this thing turned out. This disc contains some of the most vibrant and uplifting music I have heard all year.8. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyJust read Melanie Love’s glowing review of this one, which pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about this album; I’d rate it even higher, which still irks me, because the…