The Top 31 of 2007 - #14

Cale's Pick

Tegan and Sara: The Con

Released: July 24, 2007

Being the exquisite portrait of masculinity that I am, Tegan and Sara are not what you'd expect to hear on my iPod. But they're there. And they play a lot. At work, I plug in my iPod to the PA system so that no matter where I go in the building, my music is always with me (one of the benefits of working in a gym, I suppose). But not all my music is appropriate for work, and it just so happens that Tegan and Sara is. So everytime the sisters come on, I always get the weirdest looks from people who know that the music playing is my own. The sort of, "You listen to this?" look. Yeah, I listen to this. And I'm proud of it. Not to sound sexist, though I'm sure many will interpret it as such, but I can't really think of too many great female songwriters. Maybe one or two dozen at best, whereas I could list off great male songwriters for hours. The Quin sisters are great songwriters, even if they rarely deviate from the standard "relationship" theme. Even then, it's usually a different take than most others would offer up. And then when they decide to deviate, well...you're just in for a treat. Because Tegan and Sara may be mediocre, if not interesting, vocalists and musicians. But when it comes to songwriting skills, you'd be hard pressed to find many who are as earnest and talented as Tegan and Sara Quin. Word.

For reassuring me of my masculinity (in some medieval, roundabout way), Tegan and Sara girl-rock their way to the #14 spot.

The Top 31 Songs of 2007 - #14

"If Silence Means That Much to You" by Emma Pollock, from the album, Watch the Fireworks.

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Jill's Pick

Jill Scott: Collaborations

Released: January 30, 2007

I told you a few reviews back that I really like Jill Scott. She is fantastic alone, but when she lends her voice to someone else's track, there's some magic there that can't be passed up.

I figured it out, what I couldn't describe about why I like Jill Scott in my last review: I like being in her world when she sings. There's something magical about it. There's something soothing and there's this overall idea that she conveys that everything is going to be okay and sometimes I need a reminder of that.

"Kingdom Come" is a nice Gospel inspired bit. There's a nice mix of Jazz and Rap. It's the track "Daydreamin'" though that just...wow. Lupe Fiasco comes up with this track that just...every time I hear it, I feel like I'm in a Rap version of Tim Burton's Willy Wonka. (You know, the one with Johnny Depp.) It's one of the few songs I actually see in my head, for as odd as it sounds. I just see over-saturated color and huge flowers and I really probably should keep that to myself so that one doesn't think I'm on some kind drug. It's just a track that is made a million times better with Jill Scott's voice in and out of it.

The only thing missing is a version of "You Got Me" by the Roots. It would have had to have been a live track and there are a few out there. Jill Scott wrote the hook for that song but they chose Erykah Badu to sing it on the album version. They do it in two different entirely different ways, but Jill Scott adds something more...personal...to it. It's too bad it was left off because it's really one of her finest endeavors. (After "Daydreamin'" which is just GOLD)

My favorite track: (of course) "Daydreamin'"

Songs you should give a listen to:

--"Daydreamin'" (Lupe Fiasco)

--"Said Enough" (Isley Brothers)

--"One Time" (Eric Roberson)

--"Kingdom Come" (Kirk Franklin)

--"Love Rain (Coffee Shop Mix) (Mos Def)

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11/1/07: The New Pornograhers and Spoon - Houston, TX

Technically, Spoon was the headliner last night. They played last, played more songs than any of the other acts, and even did an encore. But if you ask me, The New Pornographers stole the show last night. Of course, if you were to ask me who I showed up to see, I wouldn't tell you I was there to see Spoon. Hell, I don't even like Spoon that much. But November 1, 2007 was a great night even if The New Pornographers weren't the headliners.

The evening began with the real opening act, Emma Pollock. This Scottish singer used to front the band Delgados, but she has since become a rather decent solo artist. This was my first time hearing her material, and I have to admit that I was very impressed with what I heard. She has a thick Scottish accent when in conversation, but it doesn't come through at all when she's singing (and her voice is just great!). Her new album is entitled Watch the Fireworks, and is available now. Last night was also her first encounter with Shiner Bock, and in her words, "It gets a thumbs up from me and the guy in the front row." Good for her!

After about 25 minutes of waiting, The New Pornographers hit the stage (yay!). They opened with "All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth," a perfect selection. The band played with such energy, that it was absolutely impossible to not get into it. Carl Newman and Neko Case sounded absolutely perfect together, and Katheryn Caler held her own with equally impressive vocals.
I was surprised to see every member of the band there, since the word on the street is that they don't often all tour together. Dan Bejar even made an appearance, though he only came on stage for the songs in which he lends his vocals ("Myriad Harbor," "Jackie Dressed In Cobras," and "Spirit of Giving"). On that note, I was really surprised to find that the song that moved me the most was not "Challengers" but "Spirit of Giving." Say what you want about Bejar's voice and style, but he totally nailed the song, and hearing Neko, Carl, and Katheryn singing harmony to Bejar's voice was absolutely breathtaking! All but two of the band's songs were from Twin Cinema or Challengers, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
And then I was ready to go. But alas, I was right against the stage and there was a sea of people behind me. Plus, I kinda wanted to hear a few of the better Spoon songs. So I stuck it out. I'm proud of me.
The band played with a lot of energy and Britt Daniel's voice is just as perfect as it is on the band's albums. The band was kind enough to set up a keyboard directly in front of me, really obstructing my view and ruining my chances of getting some decent pictures. My favorite song of the night was "Don't Make Me a Target," as the band just completely let loose. At one point Britt was screaming into the mic, "No don't make me a target!" and I was just blown away by how effective it was.
The show was not without it's share of surprises, however. "The Ghost of You Lingers" was surprisingly cool despite the fact that it's a terrible song in a non-live setting. All of the cool effects that are all over the song sounded 5x as cool live. At one point, a thumping, vibrating bass crescendoed and shook the entire building. It was awesome. Also awesome and unexpected was Dan Bejar joining the band to sing one of his songs. Britt requested that someone put a video of it on YouTube so that he could watch it today, but I haven't found it yet. Keep an eye out for it though, because it was a sweet surprise.
Overall, it was a fantastic night. Emma Pollock was terrific, The New Pornographers were everything I would hope they would be, and Spoon was surprisingly entertaining for most of their set. If you happen to be in the Dallas area tonight, you better have tickets, as it's the only other time these two huge bands will be together (possibly ev0rz!). For more pictures from this show (I believe I have around 80). Check back a little later and I'll post a link to where you can get some full sized pictures. Peace out!

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