Tag Archives: Jack White

The 55 Best Albums of 2014 (1-11)

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At the end of the day, the top albums came down to the ones I found myself listening to the most.  There were albums I respected but I never had the urge to play, so they ended up lower on the list.  These were the albums that kept finding themselves in my heavy rotation.  These albums deserve top billing.

Probably the biggest surprise here is the U2 album.  I have no idea why so many people criticized its delivery method.  People have been complaining that the old system doesn’t work anymore; labels and bands need to try new things.  U2 did. They gave the fans exactly what they asked for and the people still complained.  People didn’t complain this much about Zooropa (which deserved it). My favorite criticism of the band is now they’re corporate.  I hate to break it to you all, any band on a record label is corporate. U2 took a risk and I commend them for it. I’d rather a band take a risk and fail then play it safe and be ordinary.  If people stopped complaining and listened, they might actually be surprised.

Here are the 55 Best Albums of 2014 (1-11):

1.  Broken Bells - After the Disco
2.  Antemasque - Antemasque
3.  Eagulls - Eagulls
4.  TV On The Radio - Seeds
5.  White Sea - White Sea
6.  Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
7.  Cheatahs - Cheatahs
8.  Jack White - Lazaretto
9.  James Vincent McMorrow - Post-Tropical
10. Run The Jewels - RTJ2
11. U2 - Songs of Innocence

 
Buy all of these albums and more…now!!

 

My 11 Favorite Albums of 2014 (so far)

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It’s been a weird year in music.  There’s actually been a lot of great music…but nothing that has yet to stand above the rest.  There’s been no real consensus on what albums are 2014’s calling card.  From site to site, it seems there’s a lot more variety than most years.  And my top 11 is no different.  While there seems to some shared love for James Vincent McMorrow, Against Me!, Cloud Nothings, and The War On Drugs, my favorite album of the year (the infectious Broken Bells) is nowhere to be found on any list.  The Jack White peaks into a couple lists but has been widely slammed, probably because the album was made for vinyl and listening to any other way takes it down a notch. Strangely, it happens to be my favorite non-White Stripes Jack White recording to date.  I’ve seen Pure X and Conor Oberst get a couple mentions (albeit low on lists).  White Sea and First Aid Kit are two budding artists hitting their strides, yet fail to get mentions.  Last on my list is the addictive EP by the band Movement.  Everyone’s raving about How To Dress Well (which is another good album) but I feel like Movement is doing the same thing but is already leaps and bounds ahead.  But this is the great thing about music…there’s something for everyone to love.

Happy 4th!  Enjoy songs from the albums below…plus a few other good tracks from this year.

Here are my 11 favorite albums of 2014 (so far):

  1. Broken Bells – After The Disco
  2. James Vincent McMorrow – Post-Tropical
  3. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
  4. Jack White – Lazaretto
  5. Conor Oberst – Upside Down Mountain
  6. Cloud Nothings – Here And Nowhere Else
  7. Pure X – Angel
  8. First Aid Kit – Stay Gold
  9. White Sea – White Sea
  10. The War on Drugs – Lost In the Dream
  11. Movement – Movement EP

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The 11 Best Solo Songs By Jack White

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Fun Fact:  Jack White originally planned to become a priest and even went so far as to be accepted into a seminary school as a young teen.

Here are the 11 Best Solo Songs By Jack White:

  1. Sixteen Saltines (Blunderbuss)
  2. Love Is Blindness (AHK-Toong BAY-Bi Covered)
  3. Weep Themselves To Sleep (Blunderbuss)
  4. Freedom At 21 (Blunderbuss)
  5. Missing Pieces (Blunderbuss)
  6. Machine Gun Silhouette (Love Interruption)
  7. Wayfaring Stranger (Cold Mountain)
  8. Take Me With You When You Go (Blunderbuss)
  9. Love Interruption (Blunderbuss)
  10. Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy (Blunderbuss)
  11. Inaccessible Mystery (Forever At 21)

Buy Jack White’s new album, Lazaretto…now!!!

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Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

The 11 Best Record Store Day Successes

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At 4:00 AM Saturday morning, I pulled up outside a record store in Sherman Oaks, armed with a few graphic novels, a half-read Malcolm Gladwell tome and 2-liter bottle of Pepsi Max.  I was not alone.  In fact, I was 9th.  In a line that would later that day stretch to over 150-people long, I was part of the core group of dedicated music purists.  The starting line-up.  The Breakfast Club of vinyl.  A tenth member showed up at 4:30, in hopes he was the first one to arrive looking for the Cake box set.  When he found out he was the third one to walk up desiring its glory (knowing the store only obtained one copy), he tossed his hand in the air, disgusted by the whole event and marched off cursing with a wicked lisp.  We were a united front and no one was going to break our tribe.

For the next 7 hours, we discussed our purchases.  Who was getting what?  We strategized with each other, plotting which albums we were sure to get, while at the same time conscious of the others’ picks.  Like the crossing of the streams in Ghostbusters, there could be no overlap.  With three people in line only there to get the Paramore release (that’s dedication…but it is a cool-looking record), our competition was minimal.  Once we had announced our choices, once we had determined our lists, we no longer allowed to make changes or additions that affected anyone else’s lists.  That would be seen as treasonous…and there’s no telling the severity of the scowl that would be emitted from a pissed off music nerd.

Finally, the rest of the line showed up as the crack of six came around.  But we were the tribal council.  We had the power in the front of the line to determine who was getting what.  If the twelfth person in line came only for the Joy Division EP, and I was thinking about getting it, it meant I held all the power over their music-buying fate.  But even vinyl aficionados have morals. There were no cuts.  There was no buying for a friend.  There were also no assholes.  We respected each other’s right to be there. At the end of the day, we’re a community and we protect our own.

As massively successful that Record Store Day is for the fans and styluses everywhere, it is always amazing to watch what limited edition, colored-vinyl, filled with live demos of covers has the most sustainability outside of the store.  I’m not talking about which album you enjoy listening to the most, that’s personal, and there’s no list for that.  I’m talking about which albums garner the most online demand.  Some of the albums that were predicted to be draws like Outkast, the side by side series, and even the new Conor Oberst had very little online life.  Even the highly hyped Green Day Demos red vinyl was being outbid by the CD version of the same title.  But some titles…some titles exceeded expectations and will now live on in legend of the RSD history.

Here are the 11 Best Record Store Day Successes:

  1. R.E.M. – Unplugged (307) – I’ve been waiting for this release for 23 years.  It does not disappoint.  Online it’s selling for 350% over its list price and there seems to be no dip in the demand.  Despite its popularity it sounds fucking incredible. Only 1000 of these were made, which means it will be in demand for a long time.
  2. Cake – Box Set ($330) – All of Cake’s seven albums, plus an 8th never-released album, all printed on different colored vinyl.  Even though it sells for more than REM, it cost twice as much originally.  This thing was so popular it literally caused  a guy to cry in line because he didn’t get it.
  3. Ghostbusters ($100) – The surprise of the day.  Whoever thought a 30 year old movie theme song on glow in the dark vinyl would be wanted by everyone in line.
  4. Garcia ($148) – Jerry’s first solo album on white vinyl.  Dead fans who are not dead are fighting tooth and nail for this one.
  5. The Liars – Mess On a Mission ($75) – This might edge out Paramore for the coolest looking record.  Clear vinyl with yarn inside.  A truly unique release.
  6. Devo – Live at Max’s Kansas City ($107) – From 1977, this is a great uncovered gem by a legendary band.
  7. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World ($96) – A cult classic soundtrack draws a cult classic crowd.
  8. Death Cab For Cutie ($95) – DCFC with an orchestra…this is the kind of release RSD is made for.
  9. Childish Gambino ($80) – Donald Glover may be a funny guy, but he had the best packaging of the day.
  10. Life Without Buildings ($102) – An obscure release by an obscure 80s band for the first time in America.  If you don’t get this now, you’ll never get it.
  11. Jack White – Lazaretto ($475) – Even though this is selling for the most amount of money online, it’s not really fair to compare it to the others since you could only purchase it at one location.  It’s still cool as shit.  Looks like Jack just raised the bar for coolest RSD release.  Your turn Wayne Coyne.

 

Don’t forget to check out our blog’s awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!

Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

 

The Unknown: Jack White’s the Upholsters.

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I had a discussion with my friends about the lowliness of the music industry.  Many of them think that the internet is the reason for the downfall.  Though I will admit it adds to the problems…I don’t think it is the problem.  One of the biggest problems in my opinion is that music today (popular music, that is) really sucks.  Okay, some decent bands sneak through…but think about the last decade…the 00s.  Now, see how many great bands…and I mean truly great bands…debuted in the 00s.  The White Stripes, you say?  Nope, came out in the 90s.  Ryan Adams?  Nope, 90s.  Wilco, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Green Day, Incubus, Weezer, Beck, Modest Mouse, Muse, QOTSA, Death Cab For Cutie…all 90s.  Right now…the best I can come up with who debuted in the 00s are The Killers, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Kings of Leon and Jack Johnson.  Five artists…that’s all.  If you’ve only found five artists with genuine talent over the past decade…maybe the problem isn’t the downloaders…maybe it’s you. 

 Here is Jack White’s The Upholsters:

 1.  Apple of My Eye

2.  I Ain’t Superstitious

3.  Pain

 

Buy Jack White’s new album with the Dead Weather, Sea of Cowards.