Random 10 for Dec. 17, 2007
1. Patton Oswalt, “80s Metal.” In which Patton makes some observations about pop-metal videos by late-’80s groups such as Damn Yankees that are so spot-on and hilarious that it puts Chuck Klosterman to shame. Squibbly flabbledy doo!
2. Ghostface Killah, “Dogs of War.”
3. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Rich Woman.”
4. Beach House, “Apple Orchard.”
5. Trailmix/Fleetwood Mac, “You Make Lovin’ Fun.” This represents possibly the most transformative remix of the year. Trailmix took the old Christine McVie Rumours mellow gold classic, chopped out the chorus and stiffened the beat a little, and the result almost sounds like Daft Punk or Ratatat. Weird and eminently cool.
6. YACHT, “See A Penny (Pick It Up).”
7. Hey Willpower with Annie, “Chewing Gum.”
8. The White Stripes, “Little Cream Soda.”
9. Josh Rouse and Paz Suay, “The Ocean Always Wins.”
10. St. Vincent, “Your Lips Are Red.” Unimaginative reviews compared Annie Clark to Leslie Feist, probably because many critics and music business executives can only pay attention to one female artist at a time – do a Nexis search for ”Regina Spektor” and “Feist” to see my point.
In truth, 2007 was the year of Kate Bush 3.0 (Tori Amos was 2.0), in which female art-rock took a major leap forward with St. Vincent’s Marry Me and Bat for Lashes’ Fur and Gold. Clark also spends time with the Polyphonic Spree, Sufjan Stevens and Glenn Branca — about the only things missing from Clark’s art-rock bona fides are resume bullets from Robert Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists and a stint with Yes.
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So how is that Plant/Krauss collaboration? Sounds like such an odd pairing.
Kudos for St. Vincent… at first I dismissed her as a lightweight like fellow Sufjan buddy Rosie Thomas, but the more i hear of her, the more she does seem to really be worthy of the Kate Bush 3.0 mantle.