100b Is Easin' On Down The Road

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Thanks!!!

Poptastic Day: I Got You To Walk With Me

Because Blogger has been making me so crazy recently, and because I just don't have the courage to deal with it today, I'm going to take a page from Badminton Stamps and do here what they call "The Pony Track". Some might call that stealing, but I'm going to call it a sign of respect, since we love them so much. Plus, this is an act of desperation, not thievery.

So here's one of my all-time favorite Poptastic songs which is so obviously Poptastic, you don't need me to explain a thing.

   Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe

100bummer: Chaos at 100b

It seems things are just falling apart here at 100b. Poor Tam has found herself suddenly internet-less, so aDawgg and I were taking over her posts until she got that all sorted out. But when I tried to post my Soundtrack Day post yesterday, Blogger freaked out on me. It just refuses to post what I wrote. We seem to be having a problem posting anything over a paragraph long, which is infuriating, especially since the problem (which has been described by several other people on the Blogger Help thingy) isn't getting much attention from the Powers That Be. 100b may be a little chaotic for a while, but we're doing what we can to sort it out. I'll get Soundtrack Day posted on Monday, when someone can help me out. In the meantime, here's an awesome song just because it's awesome.

   Interpol - Evil

New Band Day: Shout Magic

For me, this week is Music Week. With Christmas and all that craziness, I've gotten way behind on my all my music geekery. So I'm spending this week going through all the blogs and other music sites I love, just a little bit each day to keep my brain from exploding.

Before this morning, I had absolutely nothing to share for New Band Day. But I read about Shout Magic over at Badminton Stamps and, well, I liked their name enough to check them out. Yes, sometimes even we judge a book by its band name. So I hopped over to their myspace page and listened to what they've got going on there. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure exactly what to make of them and I'm not completely sure I like them yet. But they're interesting enough to listen to some more and besides, it's New Band Day, not Already Established As Awesome Band Day. They remind me a bit of Tapes N Tapes - not in their sound exactly but in their oddness - but a little more laid-back.

Go along and check them out at that myspace thing. If you like them (or are undecided like me), you can download their EP from the "Audio" section of their official site (both links above) for further listening - which is what I'll be doing about 5 minutes from now.

Soundtrack Day: Brother Bought A Coconut

I'm going to have to keep this short because, well, blogger won't let me write anything long. I've been having serious problems getting posts published recently and Tam's just been having internet trouble in general. We're sorry we missed New Band Day this week - we're looking into how to solve these problems.

So, we've all noticed that the sister put lime in the coconut, which made her sick, so the doctor told her to put the lime in the coconut to make her feel better. That's just some crazy medical advice. But I only just noticed that the brother paid a dime for his coconut, but the sister paid a lime for hers. Or at least, that's what I think that means. That's weird - does she just carry limes around with her? And who accepts limes as currency?

Anyways, here's a demo version of a classic that I've had stuck in my head on and off for the last three days. The demo version somehow makes the song even weirder.

   Harry Nilsson - Coconut

100best: Concerts Of 2006

Like every other year, Tam and I went to approximately one zillion concerts in 2006. To be honest, that's the main thing we do when we go out together. And we saw some good stuff last year: Beck put on a puppet show, Ryan Adams walked off stage for some reason we still don't know, Art Brut covered Metallica, The Datsuns covered The Misfits, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah got down with Dr. Dog, Maximo Park blew last year's show away, Tapes N Tapes celebrated a birthday, and The Magic Numbers played a wee little show to a crowd that wouldn't let them leave the stage. Good times indeed.

But we're dorks and we like lists, so here's our favorite shows of the year - the ones that we'll still be reeling from years from now - in chronological order:



The Flaming Lips
Amsterdam, Paradiso
27 April 2006



Tam already wrote about this show, and she described it perfectly. I'm still in awe of the Lips' ability to make every single show an event. I'd read about their insanity but I still had no idea what what coming. It was like an explosion (literally) of music and glitter and balloons and dancing. If you haven't seen them yet, get yourself some tickets and I'll give you your money back personally if you don't have a good time.



The Decemberists
Amsterdam, Paradiso
18 May 2006



What can I say about The Decemberists? We've written about them several times and their The Crane Wife was my Number One album of 2006. I think this night was probably the beginning of my obsession with them - Tam asked me to go along with her and I agreed happily. I figured that if she liked them, they must be worth seeing. I went home that night and immediately downloaded everything else that emusic had of theirs. And we get to go see them again next month - I'm practically counting down the days.



The Raconteurs
Amsterdam, Melkweg
30 June 2006

(Photo unavailable due to scary bouncer guys. You can see someone else's photo at Victoria Jacob Photography)

Any night you get to hear Jack White play is better than ... well, the nights you don't get to hear him play. The Raconteurs are even better live than on record, and this was a wonderful concert experience in general. There weren't any push-you-out-of-the-way-to-get-the-front types there, everyone just seemed to be having a really good time. Plus, The Raconteurs covered Nancy Sinatra and that tops just about everything.



The Black Keys
Amsterdam, Melkweg
6 October 2006

(Photo unavailable due to feeling creepy about being so close to the band and taking photos up their noses. You can watch the entire show, however, at Fabchannel and see why we picked it as one of the best.)

We saw The Black Keys on their last tour and we thought they were absolutely amazing live. But this show was something else altogether. It felt a little like that old Maxell commercial where the guy gets literally blown away by the music.



Cold War Kids / Two Gallants
Amsterdam, Paradiso
18 Novermber 2006

(Photo unavailable, see The Black Keys. I'm just not comfortable with shoving my camera in a person's face if they're only about two feet away from me. But luckily, Fabchannel has saved me again, because they have this whole show as well, both the Cold War Kids' set and Two Gallants'.)

Tam and I were just as excited to see Cold War Kids as Two Gallants, though I think we were two of the very few Cold War Kids fans there. They definitely won over the crowd though - at the end of "Hang Me Up To Dry", when all the instruments gradually drop out and only Nathan Willett's goosebump-inducing voice is left, there was this split second of stunned silence before the room absolutely erupted in applause. That silence, that may have been the most perfect moment of the entire year.

Needless to say, Two Gallants were even way more than we'd expected. I mean, c'mon - their shows have been known to incite riots. Seriously though, I did think they'd have a hard time following up Cold War Kids, but they got the job done. As I said in my Albums Of The Year post, I don't think I really appreciated Two Gallants until we'd seen them live. Hearing an entire room full of people sing along to the chorus of "Las Cruces Jail" is another concert moment I won't ever forget.



So now we just have to sit around and wait for the upcoming Fratellis, Elvis Perkins / Cold War Kids / Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Decemberists, and Brakes shows. I expect at least a couple of those will make the list next year.

100best: Bean's Picks For 2006

  15. The Long Blondes, Someone To Drive You Home
        essential tracks: "Giddy Stratospheres", "Swallow Tattoo"

We've all been waiting for The Long Blondes' debut album for so long, it was beginning to feel like it would never get to us. But, even though we'd all heard a lot of the songs before, it's as good as we all hoped it would be. Sassy and sultry, like a 50s movie come to life.


  14. Beirut, Gulag Orkestar
        "Postcards From Italy", "Bratislava"

Beirut is definitely one of the most original bands of 2006. I've never heard anything like this album before. Old world gypsy folk music, done up all indie. It's beautiful and haunting. The only reason Gulag Orkestar isn't higher on this list is that it's not really an album that can be listened to at any time. It's a specific mood album, but when you're feeling a bit dark or sad, it's perfect.


  13. The Black Keys, Magic Potion
        "Your Touch", "Modern Times"

The Black Keys just keep getting better and better. This album is a little moodier and harder than their previous releases - a bit more Jimi Hendrix than they've been in the past. Between Dan Auerbach's amazing voice and Patrick Carney's ass-busting drumming, they really get into your guts.


  12. Dan Sartain, Join
        "World Is Gonna Break Your Little Heart", "Replacement Man"

I once read a description of Dan Sartain as a 'one man hurricane'. Whoever said that wasn't wrong. He charges through this album, leaving you wondering what just happened. It takes a few listens to realize that what you just heard really is as good as you thought it was.


  11. The Magic Numbers, Those The Brokes
        "Most Of The Time", "Undecided"

I love The Magic Numbers. I just love them.


  10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Show Your Bones
        "Honeybear", "Cheated Hearts"

As good as Fever To Tell is, Show Your Bones might be even better. Yeah Yeah Yeahs have expanded their sound a little, and given us the chance to see Karen O's enormous heart. Not that they've lost the edge that makes her a little bit scary, just that they've let us hear what else they can do.


  9. Two Gallants, What The Toll Tells
        "Steady Rollin'", "Long Summer Day"

Tam turned me on to Two Gallants but, as I've said before, I actually liked The Throes better than this album. That is, until we saw them live in November. Hearing the songs from What The Toll Tells live made me realize exactly how great they really are. Almost nothing beats the anger you feel listening to "Long Summer Day", I reckon it's the most emotionally powerful song of the year.


  8. The Fratellis, Costello Music
        "Chelsea Dagger", "Creepin' Up The Backstairs"

I realize this one may be an unpopular choice, seeing as how The Fratellis aren't 'indie' enough to be considered good by a lot of people. But those people are just silly. I triple dog dare them to find a better party album from 2006.


  7. The Bicycles, The Good, The Bad, And The Cuddly
        "Luck Of Love", "Paris Be Mine"

I didn't expect to fall so in love with The Bicycles, I just thought theirs would be a fun, charming album. It is, but if you give it a chance, it'll dig it's sweet, fluffy little claws right into you and won't let go. It's one of those rare albums that makes you feel so good about the world, you just want to play it again the minute it ends.


  6. Brakes, The Beatific Visions
        "If I Should Die Tonight", "Spring Chicken"

Beatific Visions was my choice for Album Of The Month back in November, so you already know what I think about this one. They somehow manage to put everything you want from the world into one short album, it's amazing.


  5. Tapes n Tapes, The Loon
        "Cowbell", "Omaha"

In theory, a band's debut album really shouldn't be this good and interesting. I honestly couldn't even describe them if I wanted to. Like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah last year, Tapes n Tapes rocked the world of (nearly) every music dork around by sounding completely different. Which is pretty much the highest complement I can give a band.


  4. Belle And Sebastian, The Life Pursuit
        "Sukie In The Graveyard", "For The Price Of A Cup Of Tea"

I've quite liked Belle And Sebastian for a while now, but this is the album that made me really love them. They still sound like they always have, but hearing bits of glam and other funkiness creep into their sound made me very happy indeed.


  3. The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers
        "Broken Boy Soldier", "Intimate Secretary", "Call It A Day"

I spent most of the year expecting Broken Boy Soldiers to be at the top of this list, it's that good. I'm a huge fan of just about everything that Jack White touches and when he teamed up with the lovely Brendan Benson, we all knew it would be awesome. This is even better than I'd hoped it would be. They've got some Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour all wrapped up in Brendan Benson's buttery voice, which fits perfectly with Jack White's howl. It sounds like everything good from pop music history all at once.


  2. Cold War Kids, Robbers & Cowards
        "Hang Me Up To Dry", "Saint John", "Hospital Beds"

Cold War Kids' Robbers & Cowards was the greatest surprise of the year. I was interested enough in them, based on the few mp3s I'd heard, to write about them for New Band Day back in May. But I have to admit I'd sort of forgotten about them until I saw their debut album was out. It immediately became the CD that never leaves my stereo - all funky, danceable gut-wrenching songs about drunks, death row, broken promises and loneliness.


  1. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife



The truth is, I would've been happy to have those last three in any order. They all could've been my Number One. But The Decemberists ended up making their way to the top by default when I tried to pick the three 'essential tracks'. With a bit of struggle, I could just about manage to narrow The Crane Wife down to maybe 7 tracks (out of 10). And I always say: if you're physically unable to pick out essential tracks, that's the Album Of The Year. I'm sure we'll gush about them some more when we share our top concerts of 2006 with you, but for now just know that they are one of the most original bands I've ever heard and that every album they release is better than the last.

So there we have it. Another year of music come and gone. I'd be sad, but there's new albums by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Shins out in a few weeks, so at least we have something to look forward to.

Poptastic Day: We're Halfway There

Am I the only one who wakes up with really random songs stuck in their head? I'm talking about songs that I haven't heard in months or years, it's totally bizarre. Where do they come from? I sometimes wonder if my dreams have soundtracks, I can't think of any other explanation.

So I woke up this morning, just like every other morning, and the first thing that ran through my head was the chorus from Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". I've been walking around the house humming it ever since. It's oddly appropriate today though, because I've been having the same posting problem that aDawgg had not long ago, meaning I can't get my Best of 2006 list to publish. I would explain the problem if it made any sense (it doesn't), but it looks like I'll have to re-type the whole thing. So I'm Halfway There: it's written, just not actually on blogger. Expect it sometime today and enjoy this in meantime.

   Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer