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Brent & Kent’s Best Songs of 2011

K&B Music — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:05:35 +0000

The Annual Combo List of our favorite songs, ranked and averaged.

Top 20:

1. Sadness Is a Blessing – Lykke Li

2. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out – The Antlers

3. Rolling In The Deep – Adele

4. Hanging From a Hit – Okkervil River

5. The Words That Maketh Murder – PJ Harvey

6. California – EMA

6. Two Cousins – Slow Club

8. Carrying the Torch – Generationals

9. Shangri-La – YACHT

10. Walking Far From Home – Iron & Wine

11. Go Outside – Cults

12. My Mistakes – Eleanor Friedberger

13. Runner Ups – Kurt Vile

14. Wicked Games – The Weeknd

14. Dust Bowl III – Other Lives

16. The Last Goodbye – The Kills

16. Hate Me Soon – Yellow Ostrich

18. Sleep – The Dodos

19. Lovers Lane – Hunx & His Punx

20. Serve the People – Handsome Furs

20. Meantime – Givers

22. Would You Say Stop? – Acid House Kings

22. Deep Oblivion – David Lowery

24. I Miss My Friend – Madeline

24. Civilian – Wye Oak

26. I Was There – The War on Drugs

27. Spitting Blood – Wu Lyf

28. Drover – Bill Callahan

29. Tina Said – Those Darlins

29. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Byé Lai Mar – This one isn’t in the playlist above, because it is cooler than you.

31. Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson

31. The Hunt – Youth Lagoon

Top 50

1. Sadness Is a Blessing – Lykke Li

2. Hanging From a Hit – Okkervil River

3. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out – The Antlers

4. California – EMA

5. The Words That Maketh Murder – PJ Harvey

6. Parentheses – The Antlers

7. Rolling In The Deep – Adele

8. Mermaid – Okkervil River

9. Two Cousins – Slow Club

10. Shangri-La – YACHT

10. We Need a Myth – Okkervil River

12. Carrying the Torch – Generationals

12. Your Past Life as a Blast – Okkervil River

14. Dirty Mister Dirty – Generationals

15. Love Out of Lust – Lykke Li

16. Piratess – Okkervil River

17. Ten-Twenty-Ten – Generationals

18. Goose & Gander – Generationals

19. Someone Like You – Adele

20. Rich Kids Blues – Lykke Li

20. French Exit – The Antlers

22. If We’re Still Alive – Slow Club

23. Get Some – Lykke Li

23. To Have in the Home – Woods

25. Victory Dance – My Morning Jacket

26. I Promise – Generationals

26. Youth Knows No Pain – Lykke Li

28. Let England Shake – PJ Harvey

28. For Charles Bronson – The Mountain Goats

30. No Widows – The Antlers

31. Putting the Dog to Sleep – The Antlers

32. Damn These Vampires – The Mountain Goats

33. You Say It Too – Generationals

34. Holdin’ on to Black Metal – My Morning Jacket

35. Wake and Be Fine – Okkervil River

36. Walking Far From Home – Iron & Wine

37. Go Outside – Cults

38. My Mistakes – Eleanor Friedberger

39. Runner Ups – Kurt Vile

40. Wicked Games – The Weeknd

40. Bad As Me – Tom Waits

42. Dust Bowl III – Other Lives

43. The Last Goodbye – The Kills

44. Hate Me Soon – Yellow Ostrich

45. Sleep – The Dodos

46. Lovers Lane – Hunx & His Punx

47. Serve the People – Handsome Furs

48. Meantime – Givers

48. Would You Say Stop? – Acid House Kings

50. Deep Oblivion – David Lowery

50. I Miss My Friend – Madeline

52. Peeping Tomboy – Kurt Vile

53. Civilian – Wye Oak

54. New Year’s Eve – Tom Waits

55. I Was There – The War on Drugs

56. Tamer Animals – Other Lives

57. Spitting Blood – Wu Lyf

58. Bumper – Cults

59. Tina Said – Those Darlins

59. Raise ‘Em Up on Honey – David Lowery

61. Drover – Bill Callahan

61. Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson

63. Do I Have Power – Timber Timbre

64. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Byé Lai Mar

64. Most Wanted – Cults

66. The Hunt – Youth Lagoon

66. Bury Me Standing – Handsome Furs

68. Cheerleader – St. Vincent

69. You Know What I Mean – Cults

70. Time – Black Lips

71. Ghosts – The Head and the Heart

71. Two Lovers – The Rural Alberta Advantage

73. Tonight’s the Kind of Night – Noah & the Whale

74. 14 Crowns for Me & Your Friends – Wu Lyf

75. Under Cover of Darkness – The Strokes

76. Struggle – Ringside

76. Where I’m Going – Cut Copy

78. Shake It Out – Florence & The Machine

79. Benediction – Thurston Moore

80. Spooky Jookie – Man Man

80. The Curse of Being Young – Hunx & His Punx

82. The Saddest of All Keys – Tapes ‘n Tapes

82. Inn of the Seventh Ray – Eleanor Friedberger

84. Come on Beat It Down – Ethan Gold

84. Goshen – Beirut

86. For True – Trombone Shorty

87. All Night Right of Way – Quintron

88. Tell Me – Tom Waits

88. Jesus Fever – Kurt Vile

Here are Kent’s lists for 2011, Brent’s can be found on his site.

Kent’s Top 20

1. Walking Far From Home – Iron & Wine

2. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out – The Antlers

3. Hanging From a Hit – Okkervil River

4. Runner Ups – Kurt Vile

5. Bad As Me – Tom Waits

6. Dust Bowl III – Other Lives

7. Sadness Is a Blessing – Lykke Li

8. Carrying the Torch – Generationals

9. Hate Me Soon – Yellow Ostrich

10. Sleep – The Dodos

11. California – EMA

12. Meantime – Givers

13. Deep Oblivion – David Lowery

14. Civilian – Wye Oak

15. I Was There – The War on Drugs

16. Spitting Blood – Wu Lyf

17. Drover – Bill Callahan

18. If We’re Still Alive – Slow Club

19. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Byé Lai Mar

20. The Hunt – Youth Lagoon

Kent’s Top 50

1. Walking Far From Home – Iron & Wine

2. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out – The Antlers

3. Hanging From a Hit – Okkervil River

4. Mermaid – Okkervil River

5. Runner Ups – Kurt Vile

6. Bad As Me – Tom Waits

7. Dust Bowl III – Other Lives

8. Sadness Is a Blessing – Lykke Li

9. Carrying the Torch – Generationals

10. Hate Me Soon – Yellow Ostrich

11. Sleep – The Dodos

12. California – EMA

13. Piratess – Okkervil River

14. Meantime – Givers

15. Deep Oblivion – David Lowery

16. Parentheses – The Antlers

17. Peeping Tomboy – Kurt Vile

18. Civilian – Wye Oak

19. Goose & Gander – Generationals

20. I Was There – The War on Drugs

21. Tamer Animals – Other Lives

22. Spitting Blood – Wu Lyf

23. Your Past Life as a Blast – Okkervil River

24. Raise ‘Em Up on Honey – David Lowery

25. Drover – Bill Callahan

26. French Exit – The Antlers

27. If We’re Still Alive – Slow Club

28. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Byé Lai Mar

29. The Hunt – Youth Lagoon

30. The Words That Maketh Murder – PJ Harvey

31. Cheerleader – St. Vincent

32. To Have in the Home – Woods

33. Youth Knows No Pain – Lykke Li

34. For Charles Bronson – The Mountain Goats

35. Time – Black Lips

36. Ghosts – The Head and the Heart

37. Tonight’s the Kind of Night – Noah & the Whale

38. 14 Crowns for Me & Your Friends – Wu Lyf

39. Putting the Dog to Sleep – The Antlers

40. Someone Like You – Adele

41. Struggle – Ringside

42. Shangri-La – YACHT

43. Benediction – Thurston Moore

44. Spooky Jookie – Man Man

45. The Saddest of All Keys – Tapes ‘n Tapes

46. Come on Beat It Down – Ethan Gold

47. For True – Trombone Shorty

48. Holdin’ on to Black Metal – My Morning Jacket

49. All Night Right of Way – Quintron

50. Jesus Fever – Kurt Vile

Best Music of 2011

K&B Music — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:58:31 +0000

Kent’s Best of:

Legitimately Good Albums

Okkervil River – I Am Very Far – After two less-than-memorable releases, Okkervil River pulls it together. They’ve finally got the “rock n roll” sound they were trying for on The Stage Names down, yet there is plenty of rambling woe is me Okkervil River songs as well. Pity that the best song, Mermaid, was only released as a single.
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo – Brent thought it was odd that I would like this album so much, due to its lyrics of woe, and I thought it was odd that he would like it so much, due to its guitar virtuosity. Kurt Vile does both things really well. I like that the guy has such a terrible voice (All my favorite singers couldn’t sing). I like the too lazy to be punk aesthetic. I like that just about every episode of my new favorite terrible TV show, Revenge, has a song off this album in it.
Tom Waits – Bad as Me – Like Okkervil River, Tom Waits has been putting out some crummy albums of late. I suppose I shouldn’t say crummy, because Tom Waits and Okkervil River’s crap is way better than most other bands best efforts. Anyway, this is Tom Waits’ best work since Mule Variations. I like the way each song goes in it’s own direction, rather than the unified sound of Real Gone.

Good Albums That Aren’t As Good As The Legitimately Good Albums, But Are Still Pretty Good.

Generationals – Actor-Caster – Generationals make a strange kind of music. It’s nostalgic pop, but with a synthesizer twinge. It’s like they have taken samples of old music and stitched them together. The guitar sounds like it is straight out of the 60s. The production is great, and they have a great ear for adding odd instruments to the mix without overdoing it. I had 3 chances to go see them this year, and did not make a single one, and I regret that. I think their biggest accomplishment is being a New Orleans band that doesn’t sound like a New Orleans band.
The Antlers – Burst Apart – Once you make a great concept album, I feel like you have to keep on making concept albums. It just seems weird to not over-analyze an Antlers album as a whole.
Other Lives – Tamer Animals – Apparently they have another album that sounds just like this one. I must have had it at some point, because Brent has it. Apparently it didn’t survive the yearly purge of crappy music. The three song stretch of Tamer Animals, Bust Bowl III, and Weather is just fantastic reverb-y goodness.
Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress – I love a lo-fi sound. I love recorded loops. I love harmonies. Naturally, I really enjoy Yellow Ostrich’s weirdo album. All the songs are pretty much the same, but the sound is fantastic.

Albums that have one or two really good songs on them, and a bunch of filler.

Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
EMA – Past Life of Martyred Saints
The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient

Albums with a great sound that don’t have any great songs on them

Wu Lyf – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
The Dodos – No Color

Album that would have been on this list had Kurt Vile not come around
and said “This is how you do it”

Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts

Brent’s best of:

10) Slow Club:Paradise- I had a bunch of albums tied for 10th, at the end, it was either this, or Those Darlin’s. Slow Club won because the first song, Two Cousins, is so good. It gets me excited for the whole album. It never tops the opener. But especially as a sophomore effort, I really think they did a bang-up job.9) Allo Darlin’: Allo Darlin’- This came out in 2010, and has the worst name I can think of for a band. So that was two strikes right there. But it’s sweet and clever in the way that Belle and Sebastian or Camera Obscura can be. Horrible name. It bears repeating. Adele:21- There are some lousy songs on this thing, but it also includes two songs that could be the song of the year for me. And several others that might be in that category if they were in the shadow of the Rolling in the Deep and Someone Like You. And I love the concept of Adele being a popstar who outsold like everyone else this year.7) The Weeknd:House of Balloons- I am the last person that should be liking this album, and I’m sure I don’t get all its references, but it won me over. It sounds like 1990’s R&B to me, but I’m sure I have that wrong. Much more than the sum of its parts.6) Hunx & His Punx:Too Young to Be in Love – Phil Spector girl-group songs sung by a gay! Where do I sign up? I loved this album. Pure joy. And then they whip out this raspy-voiced lady singer! Even better.

5) The Anlers:Burst Apart – Their last album, Hospice, was great, but sounded lousy. This album is good but it sounds great. The Antlers make great songs. Every Nigh My Teeth Are Falling Out. Come on.

4) Lykki Li:Wounded Rhymes – Any of these next three could be my number one album. Lykki Li is like 20 or something. It’s crazy how good these songs are when you consider how young she is. There seems to be a real trend of retreading Phil Spector. But her Sadness is a Blessing is the only take on it that expanded on it in any way. Love Out of Lust is going to be one of my favorite songs as long as I am in love. Rich Kid Blues and Get Some should be on the radio.

3) Cults:Cults – Okay, I take that back. I think the Cults reference the Spector sound and they do some good stuff with it indirectly. Go Outside is one of my favorite songs of the year, which is unfortunate because it was released last year. The album is 2011 however, and songs like You Know What I Mean and Bumper grew on me all year. Kent hit the head on the nail. This is next what seems to be a constant line of noise guy/girl singer bands (Sleigh Bells, Crystal Castles).

2) Generationals:Actor-Castor/Trust – I’m lopping together the EP and the album because both were excellent. I wanted like the dickens to put as my number one entry. But the only problem with this band – it’s fundamental to them and I don’t think they should change it – their lyrics don’t mean anything to me. So you have these unbelievably songs and pretty good production, but the words don’t take me anywhere. Which is a shame. It was by far the best tunes of the year in my opinion. Yes, I just said tunes.

1) Okkervil River:I Am Very Far/Mermaid – I love this band, and this is their best work since Black Sheep Boy. Also, as Kent pointed out to me last month, the Mermaid Single is a real piece of work too. Will Scheff is kind of a jerk, as I learned this year. But I will take his lyrics over almost anyone at this point. And they take enough left turns musically to make it an interesting album in that regard as well.

Find this same information here, at Brent’s blog: http://iloveyou2themax.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-albums-of-2011.html

Still to come: The Best Songs of 2011 List

What happened?

Kent — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:04:36 +0000

Something happened with elbuzzard.com’s theme. I’ve been running this site for a long time, and while I do keep it upgraded, I think it had been upgraded one too many times, and finally required a clean install.

Of course, this comes right during Carnival, when all my free time is spent on other activities, so we’ll have to make do with the default WordPress theme for now. Perhaps my Lenten resolution will be to devote more time to good ol’ elbuzzard.com, which had fallen into neglect recently. Facebook killed the personal blogs.

Dear Chicago

Kent — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:59:30 +0000

This looks terrible. I feel for you.

However, remember this?

Karma’s a bitch.

Enjoy your snow.

K&B Best Music of 2010

K&B Music — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:23:48 +0000

Time for the annual tradition. The best music you’ve never heard rated by Kent and Brent, who have deemed themselves some kind of critics worthy of being listened to.

Brent first:

11) Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People EP
Sufjan Stevens put out this EP, and then he put out an electronic LP. Everyone loves the electronic one. I don’t get it. This EP is the best thing Sufjan Stevens has ever done. Maybe I should now offer up that I don’t really care for Sufjan Stevens. But this is a collection of needlessly long songs that still somehow won me over. How did he do it? I don’t know. The title track is particularly good. Anyone who wonders what Simon and Grafunkel’s “Sound of Silence” would be like if it was spread out over a start-and-stop over-orchestrated eleven minute song. Wonder no more.

Best Song: All Delighted People (Original Version)

10) Phosphorescent – Here’s to Taking It Easy.

This is a band that I have always listened to once, and put down. I never really gave them a shot. But this album is a) perfectly named, and b) really beautiful. It’s just standard alt-country fare, and the lead singer sounds like a wiener. But they do what they do very well. And I like to listen to them while I do my dishes. And look out the window. And dream about what I’m going to do when Chelsey gets out of jail.

Best Song: The Mermaid Parade

9) Vampire Weekend – Contra

This should probably be higher, but it’s no longer summer, and I am only able to appreciate Vampire Weekend in the sun. This was my favorite car album. Driving around, listening to “Run”, or “I Think Ur a Contra” were some of the best moments of my summer. My one regret is that I never got to listen to them on a beach this year. Actually I have two regrets. I wish “Holiday” had not been co-opted by Tommy Hilfigger, or whoever the fuck that is with the car and the table and the driving dog. I hate the people in those ads. I hate the people in all ads that have to do with name bands that one could find in a department store. What fantasy are you selling? There’s a polo ad on right now that is just so dumb. There’s a recession, and it’s about this douchebag who plays polo, and yachts and all this rich shit. Fuck you, polo guy, there’s double digit unemployment. We would all like to burn your boat to the ground and eat you. Well, maybe not all of us.

Best Song: Taxi Cab

8 ) Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM

More remarkable than the fact that I like this album is the fact that Beck produced it, and I like this album. I haven’t like anything Beck has done in like 8 years. I just assumed he was lousy now. But this album is a) terrific, and b) sounds like Beck produced it. He’s all over it. And CG is very smouldery on it. This album is really sexy, and it sounds like it was carefully made. What more can you ask for?

Best Song: Heaven Can Wait (featuring Beck!!)

7) She & Him: Volume Two

Not as good as their first album, but still very charming. I like music that sounds like its from AM radio, and I feel like S&H know this, and cater to my likings. They put little touches in their songs that make them feel worn in. I feel confident they are just robbing Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach blind in the process. But I don’t care. We also saw them in concert this summer, and they sound EXACTLY how they sound on their album. EXACTLY. It was actually a little creepy.

Best Song: Me and You

6) Wolf Parade: Expo 86

First let’s start with the name. Excellent album name. Ok. Moving on. I love Wolf Parade, which I think is the only reason it’s so high on this list. Because I just kept giving it chance after chance. And now it’s paying me off by tricking me into thinking every song on here is awesome. This literally happened sometime last week. Before then, I would just go to sleep on it. Now I can pretty much put on any song and be happy. So I guess you can say that I have lost touch with this album. And I wouldn’t disagree with you. But I think it’s good? Oh – and it sounds like typical WP. Hard driving. Singer is neurotic and insane. Wait, now the other guy is signing. Oh. He’s insane too. And so on.

Best Song: All the song are about the same level of good. Here. Try this one: Yulia

5) Dr. Dog: Shame, Shame

I was listening to this album today, and wondering about whether my enjoyment of it said anything bad about me. I still haven’t come to any conclusions. I don’t think they sound like anyone else I listen to, but they also just kind of sound like hippy rehash music from the 60′s. And I don’t like any music like that. I think the reason they appeal to me is their delivery. They just sound rough when they record, which gives their little songs a certain good-time quality. They also use multiple singers. I am a big fan of that.

Best Song: It

4) The Black Keys: Brothers

The Black Keys finally made an album that doesn’t bore me. They did so by expanding their sound a little, and maybe being a little less hard hitting. I very much appreciate this. I realize that it was probably not a popular move with a great many of their fans, and I thank them for thinking of me this year. Also, I saw them live this year, and they were incredible. Even for someone who doesn’t really give a crap about them, it was worthwhile.

Best Song: Everlasting Love

3) New Pornographers: Together

There is something unsinkable about this band. They make really great pop songs, and they have been doing it for years. The usual problem is that they try to cram too many of their ideas into one album, and many times their idea of a new idea, as just a couple clicks away from the last good idea they had. They also usually have too much of the Destroyer guy on there. But this time they pared things down a little, and low and behold, the Destroyer guy actually put a song on that works with the rest of the album (he also has one that doesn’t really work – but it’s a start). It was great to get a good album from them, and even better to have that album looked over by everyone but me. In your face everyone.

Best Song: Valkyrie In The Roller Disco

2) The National: High Violet

I’m not ranking this number one, because it’s really just more of the same for a band that never really takes a wrong step in my view. I love listening to a new National album, because a) I relate to the sentiments so much, and b) because their songs manage to be about things without ever spelling them out. They do a great job of splitting the difference between growing up and fitting in, despite still feeling like a misanthrope.

Best Song: Bloodbuzz Ohio

1) Sleigh Bells – Treats

This is a complete no brainer. It is the only album I liked from the very first time I heard it. It reminds me of Crystal Castles (who by the way made a lousy record this year), from a couple of years ago. I don’t understand why more people aren’t doing this. Find a girl who writes nonsensical lyrics. Pair her with a dude who likes to fuck around with sound and noise. Set them loose. How hard is it? There should be one of these bands in every city? Maybe Chelsey and I could start one….

Best Song: Rill Rill

From Kent:

I’m not ranking albums this year. There were so good ones, and there were some ok ones.

The Best:

Contra – Vampire Weekend – I was afraid their second album would not be as good, or would be exactly the same as their first. I was wrong. They have expanded musically, without losing what makes their sound great. Why do good bands insist on having crummy names?
High Violet – The National – I wasn’t sold on this one when I first heard it. Very slow, very sparse. But there is no doubt that this one has some of their best songs on it.
Brothers – The Black Keys – The Black Keys make rockin’ blues music, and they do it really well. This album they add in some soul songs, and they are fantastic.
Ya-Ka-May – Galactic – I know what you are thinking: Really? a New Orleans generic funk band? Come on, there are 1000 of these bands. This album is different, they’ve brought in vocals from all sorts of NOLA styles (Irma, Toussaint, Big Freedia, Sissy Nobby, Bo Dollis, etc) and crafted a different genre song for each. Great songs. I would like to apologize to Galactic for lumping them in with Papa Grows Funk for all these years.
Reservoir – Fanfarlo – Released in 2009, but I didn’t get my hands on it until 2010. Along the lines of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, without the spastic twitching.
Big Echo – The Morning Benders – This one is pretty. Soundscapey. The first three songs blow you away.

Other good albums that I listened to a lot.

Mines – Menomena – I am the only person in the world that likes Menomena.
Love Remains – How to Dress Well – R&B vocals over weird electronic sounds. Probably the most original of the albums listed here.
Preservation – Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Friends – all the old standards, now with folks like Tom Waits, Jim James, and Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird.
Treats – Sleigh Bells – the second most original album on the list, and if I got into it earlier, I may have put it up into the higher category. I don’t think the excitement of this album’s sound every found a place in my life this year. It’s good though.
The Monitor – Titus Andronicus – I love the idea of Titus Andronicus. I love the execution of Titus Andronicus. I love the way the singer just screams his heart out. Just try and keep the 8 minute songs to a minimum, Titus Andronicus.
Astro Coast – Surfer Blood – Somehow they make every single song on the album sounds like it comes from a different band.

So-so albums, that probably deserve a more thorough listen.

Stuck on Nothing – Free Energy – I was really excited by this album the first time I heard, and then I realized I had already heard it 100 times before in the form of Bruse Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and the Hold Steady.
IRM – Charlotte Gainsbourgh – Why couldn’t I ever get into this album? Every time I heard a song off of it, I liked it. Just never listened to it as a whole. I think the album is too long.
Crazy for You – Best Coast – I like the lo-fi sound, just way too many songs on the album to make it really enjoyable.
King of the Beach – Wavves – See notes for Best Coast.

Now this is the real treat. The Scientific Best of List. Where Brent makes a list and Kent makes a list, and we average them out into a combined list. This is what it is all about people:

1. Taxi Cab – Vampire Weekend [Kent #1; Brent #3]
2. Rill Rill – Sleigh Bells [Kent #4; Brent #1]
3. Everlasting Light – The Black Keys [Kent #2; Brent #14]
3. Excuses – The Morning Benders [Kent #3; Brent #13]
5. Fuck You – Cee Lo Green [Kent #19; Brent #4]
6. Bloodbuzz Ohio – The National [Kent #18; Brent #7]
7. Runaway – The National [Kent #10; Brent #30]
8. Sinister Kid – The Black Keys [Kent #13; Brent #32]
9. All Delighted People – Sufjan Stevens [Kent: unranked; Brent #2]
9. Theme from “Cheers” – Titus Andronicus [Kent #28; Brent #25]
11. Conversation 16 – The National [Kent #5; Brent: unranked]
11. To Old Friends and New – Titus Andronicus [Kent: unranked; Brent #5]
13. Dark Fantasy – Kanye West [Kent: unranked; Brent #6]
13. Heart Of Steel ft.Irma Thomas – Galactic [Kent #6; Brent: unranked]
13. TAOS – Menomena [Kent #8; Brent #49]
16. No Future Part Three: Escape from No Future – Titus Andronicus [Kent #7; Brent: unranked]
17. The Ghost Who Walks – Karen Elson [Kent: unranked; Brent #8]
18. The Mermaid Parade – Phosphorescent [Kent: unranked; Brent #9]
18. I’m A Pilot – Fanfarlo [Kent #9; Brent: unranked]
20. Infinity Guitars – Sleigh Bells [Kent: unranked; Brent #10]
21. Double It ft.Big Freedia – Galactic [Kent #11; Brent: unranked]
21. You Wanted A Hit – LCD Soundsystem [Kent: unranked; Brent #11]
23. It – Dr. Dog [Kent: unranked; Brent #12]
23. You Won’t Need Me Where I’m Goin’ – How to Dress Well [Kent #12; Brent: unranked]
25. King of the Beach – Wavves [Kent #14; Brent: unranked]
26. Half Light II (No Celebration) – The Arcade Fire [Kent: unranked; Brent #15]
26. Month of May – The Arcade Fire [Kent #15; Brent: unranked]
28. BOTE – Menomena [Kent #16; Brent: unranked]
28. Vanderlyle – The National [Kent: unranked; Brent #16]
30. Tell ‘Em – Sleigh Bells [Kent: unranked; Brent #17]
30. Yulia – Wolf Parade [Kent #17; Brent: unranked]
32. These Days – The Black Keys [Kent: unranked; Brent #18]
33. Soundtrack To The End – Communist Daughter [Kent: unranked; Brent #19]
34. John the Determinist – Jeremy Messersmith [Kent: unranked; Brent #20]
34. When I’m With You (Bonus Track) – Best Coast [Kent #20; Brent: unranked]
36. Catholic Pagans – Surfer Blood [Kent #21; Brent: unranked]
36. Obscene Queen Bee – Flashy Python [Kent: unranked; Brent #21]
38. Promises – The Morning Benders [Kent #22; Brent: unranked]
38. Heaven Can Wait – Charlotte Gainsbourg [Kent: unranked; Brent #22]
40. Little Faith – The National [Kent #23; Brent: unranked]
40. I Remember – Yeasayer [Kent: unranked; Brent #23]
42. Dipomat’s Son – Vampire Weekend [Kent #24; Brent: unranked]
42. I Didn’t See It Coming – Belle & Sebastian [Kent: unranked; Brent #24]
44. Thee Oh So Protective One – Girls [Kent #25; Brent: unranked]
45. Queen Black Acid – Menomena [Kent: unranked; Brent #26]
45. Trick Pony – Charlotte Gainsbourg [Kent #26; Brent: unranked]
47. Crash Years – The New Pornographers [Kent: unranked; Brent #27]
47. Shake It and Break It – Andrew Bird [Kent #27; Brent: unranked]
49. Riot Rhythm – Sleigh Bells [Kent: unranked; Brent #28]
50. Lemonworld – The National [Kent #29; Brent: unranked]
50. What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way) – Wolf Parade [Kent: unranked; Brent #29]
52. Coronado – Deerhunter [Kent #30; Brent: unranked]
53. Shame, Shame – Dr. Dog [Kent: unranked; Brent #31]
53. Sun Hands – Local Natives [Kent #31; Brent: unranked]
55. Limit To Your Love – James Blake [Kent #32; Brent: unranked]
56. Carolina – Girls [Kent #33; Brent: unranked]
56. Valkyrie In The Roller Disco – The New Pornographers [Kent: unranked; Brent #33]
58. Mornin’ Time – Woods [Kent: unranked; Brent #34]
58. Time Has Practically Stopped – Shapes and Sizes [Kent #34; Brent: unranked]
60. Next Girl – The Black Keys [Kent #35; Brent: unranked]
60. We Don’t Want Your Body – Stars [Kent: unranked; Brent #35]
62. Run the Heart – Sleigh Bells [Kent: unranked; Brent #36]
62. We Are The Men You’ll Grow To Love Soon – Let’s Wrestle [Kent #36; Brent: unranked]
64. Hand Me Downs – The Morning Benders [Kent #37; Brent: unranked]
64. Not The Kid – Communist Daughter [Kent: unranked; Brent #37]
66. Four Dreams – Jesca Hoop [Kent #38; Brent: unranked]
66. Slippery When Wet – The Acorn [Kent: unranked; Brent #38]
68. Wasted Hours – The Arcade Fire [Kent: unranked; Brent #39]
68. Dark Trance – Free Energy [Kent #39; Brent: unranked]
70. Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes – Charlotte Gainsbourg [Kent: unranked; Brent #40]
70. Monster (Feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver) – Kanye West [Kent #40; Brent: unranked]
70. Never Give You Up – The Black Keys [Kent #49; Brent #42]
73. Working Part Time – The Henry Clay People [Kent #41; Brent: unranked]
73. Write About Love – Belle & Sebastian [Kent: unranked; Brent #41]
75. Doubt – The Corin Tucker Band [Kent #42; Brent: unranked]
76. Harold T. Wilkins, Or How To Wait For A Very Long Time – Fanfarlo [Kent #43; Brent: unranked]
76. Moves – The New Pornographers [Kent: unranked; Brent #43]
78. Giving Up The Gun – Vampire Weekend [Kent: unranked; Brent #44]
78. I Don’t Care If There’s Cursing – Phosphorescent [Kent #44; Brent: unranked]
80. Bombay – El Guincho [Kent #45; Brent: unranked]
80. Long Way Home – Mates Of State [Kent: unranked; Brent #45]
82. In the Sun – She & Him [Kent: unranked; Brent #46]
82. Richard II – Titus Andronicus [Kent #46; Brent: unranked]
84. It’s Hard to Be Humble (When You’re from Alabama) – Phosphorescent [Kent: unranked; Brent #47]
84. Take It Easy – Surfer Blood [Kent #47; Brent: unranked]
86. Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk – The New Pornographers [Kent: unranked; Brent #48]
86. Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing – Tom Waits [Kent #48; Brent: unranked]
88. Echo – R. Kelly [Kent #50; Brent: unranked]
88. Let the Record Go – The Mynabirds [Kent: unranked; Brent #50]

A great start

Kent — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:34:05 +0000

So Leslie and I spent New Year’s Day in the Touro ER after I sliced my thumb open with a box cutter.

Click more for the gory results.

OK, I guess it’s not that gory. It hurt though. I should have taken a before shot, when the pad of my thumb was flopping off. My apologies. My excuse is that I had one good hand, which was mostly occupied by applying pressure to my thumb to stop the spurting blood. I’ll do better next time.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

Kent — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:34:30 +0000

From your mostly absent friends at elbuzzard.com

Sorry man

Kent — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:55:48 +0000

It’s beautiful weather in New Orleans right now. I was eating my lunch in Jackson Square today, and trying to finish the last Harry Potter book before the movie comes out. As usual, there are a ton of people in the Square enjoying the day. I noticed a gutterpunk couple sleeping in the sun. They looked comfortable. Dirty, but comfortable.

After a chapter or two, I look up and notice that the woman, who looked to be around 20, is trying to wake her boyfriend(?) up. She’s patting him on the head, poking him, kissing him, pushing him over. There is no response. He feebly rolled over at one point, and I figured he just wanted some more sleep. She kept at him, and he remained motionless. She stood up and tried to drag him, and he didn’t move. I started to get concerned, but I know better than to get involved with gutterpunks, so I just kept watching, waiting for her to look like she wanted help. She never did.

Eventually, she gave up trying to wake him, and walked off towards the front of the Cabildo, where I watched her talk to some of the street people there. She didn’t seem too worried, although I did see her point in the direction of the Square once.

I was torn about what to do. I surely didn’t want to go over to the passed out man in the Square, but I was also worried for him. I didn’t want to read about how a young man overdosed in the middle of Jackson Square and no one noticed. I contemplated calling 911, but didn’t. Eventually, I saw an NOPD officer that I recognized pass by on a Segway on Chartres in front of the Cathedral. I walked over to him and told him that there was a gutterpunk passed out in the Square, and that he didn’t look too good. He said he would check it out. I headed back towards work.

I was intending to go back to work, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I went back into the Square. On my way, I passed the young woman. She was talking to a tourist couple seated on bench and smoking a cigarette. She still didn’t seem too concerned about her companion.

I got back to the center of the Square, and watched the cop approach the man. He tapped him with his foot to wake him, but got no response. He nudged him harder and spoke louder, and eventually the gutterpunk started coming too. Then he lunged for the cops knees and tackled him. They rolled on the grass for a bit, but the officer quickly subdued the man and called his partner over. As he handcuffed him, the gutterpunk was wailing “No!” and “Please, baby!” The cops were rough with him, I think deservedly so. They never swung at him, but they did forcefully keep his head to the ground with their knees until he was handcuffed. It was not pleasant to watch, knowing that I started it. Eventually more cops showed up and he was taken in. His girlfriend talked to the cops for a bit, but was told to go away. She collected their things and walked off.

I really felt bad about the whole thing. I knew he was going to get arrested if I told the cops about him. I also knew that if I went over there myself, nothing was going to come of it. I didn’t want him to get hurt, but I also didn’t want him to OD in the Square. I’ve also been harassed enough by gutterpunks (you’re an easy target when you are young and wear a coat and tie in the French Quarter) to not really want to see them around. I’m sure some are great people. But my experience tells me that many are hostile, intimidating, and rude to everyone who doesn’t live by their philosophy of life. I don’t wish them ill, I just wish they were nicer to strangers.

So, to the gutterpunk that I helped get arrested today in Jackson Square, I’m sorry.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Kent — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 03:15:06 +0000

I’m not really sure how I never saw this movie until now. I think it came out in that period between 2002-2007 where I didn’t really watch movies.

Such a shame, because it is really a great film. I had previously only seen Adaptation, and I could never understand what the appeal of Charlie Kaufman was. After ESOTSM, I totally get it. It was like watching an Italo Calvino novel.

What a boring movie Adaptation was. Now I see that it wasn’t Charlie Kaufman’s fault, it was Nicolas Cage’s fault. Or maybe Spike Jonze’s.

After checking Wikipedia, I see that Spike Jonze has directed three movies: Being John Malkovich (written by Kaufman, which I haven’t seen), Adaptation, and Where the Wild Things Are (which is terrible). I think perhaps Spike Jonze’s reputation is a bit overblown.

The Lovely Bones

Kent — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:25:34 +0000

My apologies for not updating this in awhile. In order to try and make myself update more regularly, I’m going to try to put reviews of movies/music that I have recently seen up here. Since I usually see movies about a year after they come out, I will not feel bad about posting spoilers.

The Lovely Bones.

I never read the book, but I’ve heard many people have. It seemed like there was a lot in this movie that would be better with a deeper exploration, the kind you can do with a book that is harder to do with a movie. I don’t feel I am the kind of person who needs a happy/satisfying ending every time, but it really seemed to me that the ending of the film said that it didn’t really matter that these children had died in terror at the hands of a brutal killer, so long as they had each other in heaven. It was pretty unsatisfying. Because I wanted a little justice in my ending, it made me feel like a movie watcher with totally unrefined and pedestrian tastes.