Water All Around

"Water all around...never learn how to swim now." This site is devoted to great alternative music. Like "Swingin' Party" by the Replacements from which the aforementioned lyrics hail. These posts are intended to introduce visitors to bands that I believe deserve greater attention. If you wish to have an MP3 removed, email me at zotzedwriter@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Picks fer '06, Part 1

This is the best I’ve heard in 2006, a good but not great year fer rock ‘n’ roll. Of course, I only have two ears so there’s only so much I can listen to. I’d love to hear others opine on the subject. Or even share a track or two.

Look for Part 2 tomorrow.

From The Longest Meow:
[MP3] Bobby Bare Jr. – “The Heart Bionic” EXPIRED
From The Life Pursuit:
[MP3] Belle & Sebastian – “The Blues Are Still Blue” EXPIRED
From Back to Higher Ground:
[MP3] The Briggs – “Back to Higher Ground” EXPIRED
From Flat-Pack Philosophy:
[MP3] Buzzcocks – “Wish I Never Loved You” EXPIRED
From The Crane Wife:
[MP3] Decemberists – “Sons and Daughters” EXPIRED
From Cannibal Sea:
[MP3] Essex Green – “Penny & Jack” EXPIRED
From Shattered:
[MP3] Exploding Hearts – “Busy Signals” EXPIRED
From Skeleton:
[MP3] Figurines – “Ambush” EXPIRED
From Monster House Soundtrack:
[MP3] Fountains of Wayne – “Monster House” EXPIRED
From News and Tributes:
[MP3] Futureheads – “Back to the Sea” EXPIRED

8 Comments:

At 11:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not a good year for Rock and Roll?
First off, Arcitic Monkeys, depsite the backlash, was a great, toe tapping, helluva good time album reminiscent of The Jam.
And, have you heard The Fratellis? Because they are having a blast and picking up where the Libertines left off. Myu favorite album of the year.
My Chem's Black parade was in the grand tradition of glam rock concept albums, the first half is blistering. What else.....
Boy Kill Boy's album wasn't bad, but have you heard I'm From Barcelona? And, wait, how can you list BBJ, then say it was a bad year, but you don't mention Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins.
Or The Hold Steady, THE album that bridges the gap between indie and your parents????
The Thermals put out one of the best punk albums I have ever heard...The Pipettes' incredibly infectious album is far superior to Lily Allen and her CD is great too.
Sorry, man, I have to disagree with you. It might have been a shitty year for whiny twee crap, but Rock and Roll is having a great time coming back.

 
At 9:14 AM, Blogger Kent said...

Sparkylulu,

I did say it was a good year - just not a great year.

Sorry, but I simply don't like the Arctic Monkeys. I wanted to...especially with the Jam comparison...but I found them too dancy and lightweight.

I love the Libertines so I'll definitely check out the Fratellis.

As far as Jenny Lewis, the Hold Stead, the Pipettes, and the Thermals go, they're appearing today in part two of the post.

So I don't think we disagree too very much.

Thanks for dipping into Water.

-Kent

 
At 10:57 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The water is fine. ANd I look forward to the rest of the post, then. I just took umbrage with your comment, since it seems to have been such a bad time for music I like since the Bubblegum/electro/tween girls/twee revolution, this year I finally had stuff I could buy, listen to, and talk about.
Have you heard The Kooks? Because I have been hearing so much talk and hype about them, and I really didn't think the CD was all that.
In the meantime, any blog that includes Exploding Hearts on it's top of the year list is one worth subscribing to.

 
At 11:03 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, yeah, one more thing. As a Jam fan I have to toss out: Beat Surrender, Town Called Malice, In the City, Start, Absolute Beginners, all very dance-y rock music. In fact, when I was in college (when the Jam was just morphing into The Style Council) many people were deriding them, for being just that. So, when I hear songs like Red Light Indicates Doors are Secure, Fake Tales, Dancefloor, I am reminded even more so of Paul and the boys.
But there is something about A Certain Romance, I think it's the chord change after the first 4 measures that just sounds so mature.
I could go on about AM's but there's no point. They were so hyped that, unless you came in early or by accident, there was no way you could like them. Too bad, they seem to be the real deal.

 
At 3:20 PM, Blogger Kent said...

Sparkylulu,

We must be contemporaries. I was in college when the Weller was going from the Jam to SC. Graduated in '85. I saw the Jam in '84, I think it was, for The Gift tour.

I've heard of the Kooks but not actually heard them. I'll put them on my list too.

Part 2 is posted. Hope you like it.

 
At 6:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I finished college in '87. Never saw the Jam. But, on a trip to arizona 3 years ago, while my wife and I were singing to the Femmes' Blister in the Sun, my 10 year old daughter turned to us after the song was over and said, "Dad, can we stop listening to oldies"? We nearly shit.

 
At 6:09 AM, Blogger Kent said...

Ha! Very funny.

Got two kids me-self. 9 and 7. They say some priceless things....

 
At 5:44 PM, Blogger Klogz said...

Hi Water All Around,

I'm a creative director and I just completed an animated video for the Danish Rock Band Figurines
http://www.figurines.dk whom you've written about. It's for their song "Back In The Day" off the "Skeleton" CD.

The band, label and management have approved the video and so I'm ready to post.
on various blogs slowly but steadily.

I haven't really posted too many other places as of yet.

The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7XSvZi9Z1E

Let me know if you can possibly post.

Many thanks for your time and attention.
Brad Mossman
http://www.bmossman.com

 

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