East Bay View (a blog about several things)

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

Top Ten: Brilliant corners of the mind

Too many long tracks for me to bother to post MP3s, they're available by request.

1. David S. Ware, "The Way We Were": Eight minutes of solo honking before Ware gets to anything resembling the tune, which, it must be said, is pretty insipid. The chords rule, though, and Matthew Shipp and band thump them lusciously, with occasional disintegration (which is easy) and reintegration (which isn't). 18 mins all up.
2. The Hold Steady, "Chillout Tent": Kinda sexy because why should a minor OD stop you from having a one night (morning) stand? Kinda creepy because it's the girl from the Reputation and the guy from Soul Asylum.
3. Robyn, "Be Mine": Another terrific Europop single it took me far too long to get to. "You never will be mine" -- Robyn sings like she's trying to convince herself.
4. Anthony Braxton, "Take Five": The two standards boxes Braxton has released on Leo are the most accessible work he's done. Square Brubeck fans, like myself, might think them the best.
5, 6. Justin Timberlake, "My Love" (ft. T.I.), "Lovestoned": Bringing metrosexy back. Thank Eros for Timbaland, who won't consider any position besides the top. Together Timber and Timba sound like, well, Nelly Furtado and Timba.
7. Herbert, "Harmonise": Up, down, turn around, please don't let him hit the ground.
8. Craig Harris, "The Color Line": The maddest of possible words: Coleman to Harris to Lake. 17 mins.
9. Paraphrase, "Trading on All Fours": Half of a two-track album; the other half is also worthwhile. 24 mins.
10. The Hold Steady, "Southtown Girls": The Mall of America is for fickle tourists; the locals are loyal to Southtown. Unless they prefer the Quarry.

Ten more: Capone, "U So Craaazzzy"; Ray Cash ft. Scarface, "Bumpin' My Music"; Drive-By Truckers, "A World of Hurt"; E-40, "They Might Be Taping"; The Hold Steady, "Chips Ahoy"; James McMurtry, "We Can't Make It Here"; The Pack, "Vans"; Nerina Pallot, "Everybody's Gone to War"; Tommy Smith & Brian Kellock, "Moonlight in Vermont"; Yung Joc ft. Nitti, "It's Going Down".

Mildly overrated: Kelly Clarkson, "Walk Away" (prefer "Behind These Hazel Eyes"); Of Montreal, "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" (its use in an Outback Steakhouse ad is what it deserves); Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Cheated Hearts" (prefer "Phenomenon").

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