The Five Albums I Purchased on iTunes This Year

Occasionally I stray off course, and what is normally a cycling-related blog stumbles upon some other territory, which is usually musically related. As people are often wont to do this time of year, I am surveying the past year out of the corner of my eye. While cruising the "Purchased" playlist on my iTunes this evening I noticed that I purchased exactly five albums online during the calendar year of 2007.

The Muggs, The Muggs

Ok, lets get the embarassing, indulgent one out of the way first. Tania was gone one evening, and I found myself planted in front of the idiot box. Let me assure you, this is not my normal state unless the infernal thing is playing PBS, election night coverage, Seinfeld, The Office, or anything made before about 1990. The Next Great American Band was on some channel (it had to have been Fox), and I watched in horror as the typical talent malaise was paraded before the unsuspecting and gullible American TV market. The one bright spot that I spied during the entire debacle was The Muggs. This Detroit band has an interesting background story, and they represent Rock n' Roll better than Hugo Chavez represents Castroism. This is straightforward Rock n' Roll, people. If you don't like to listen to music loudly, this is not for you. Very much in the tradition of Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, AC/DC, and Mountain.

A Band of Bees, Octopus

The "sound caresser" of Indiana's own Umphrey's McGee, Kevin Browning, was in the shop with his bike. I respect Kevin and his work with UM very much, so I inquired about what albums he had been listening to and enjoying. He mentioned Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album and an album by the British rock group, The Bees. He explained that in America, they are known as A Band of Bees due to copyright issues. This album is a quirky frolic that is reminiscent of The Byrds or The Beatles. There are also doses of modern Brit-pop and even a touch of reggae in one track. Track #4, "Got to Let Go", has one of the greatest starts of any track of '07. With a funky, mellow groove running steadily, the heavily accented Brit singer intones, "I've got a job back in Texas...Cutting the grass before breakfast...Cleaning the park...I'm there til it's dark...and I'm saving up for a Lexus." Once I heard this chart, I was hooked, man.

Toubab Krewe, Toubab Krewe

Let's get one thing straight. I don't buy much "world music" lest I be turned into Tim Robbins' character of I. Raymond in John Cusak's masterpiece High Fidelity (see picture above). However, in 2006 I purchased Amadou and Mariam's Dimanche À Bamako, which I think just about any type of music lover would enjoy. My foray into world music for 2007 comes from Asheville, North Carolina's own Toubab Krewe. I've adopted Asheville as a sort of personal getaway over the years. With its amazing cycling destinations it is an eastern US cycling mecca. The city of Asheville is fun and quirky and has great food of all types. This band somehow embodies the spirit of the place. They sample great licks, techniques and instrumentation from all over the world, and they do it with aplomb. This is jammed-out world-influenced groove of the highest order. It would also be a great soundtrack while riding the Blue Ridge Parkway or sampling a tasty run of Pisgah singletrack.

Levon Helm and the RCO All Stars, Live at the Palladium NYC New Year's Eve 1977

As a huge fan of The Band, I've always had a fondness for Levon Helm. Most of the other members of The Band seemed somehow personally tormented, moody, or distant. Levon, by contrast, seemed gregarious, approachable, affable, and even cheerful when he was wailing the blues. This live release from Levon is absolutely top notch, and it is as likable as the drummer himself. There are big, heaping-helping portions of horns and driving blues. There is tons of energy as Levon and friends Paul Butterfield, Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), and the original Blues Brothers horn section please the enthusiastic New Year's Eve crowd. This is feel good music with absolutely sparkling musicianship. The Band favorite and Chuck Berry-penned "Back to Memphis" absolutely steamrolls with the tight horn section and Butterfield's edgy, bluesy harmonica. There is really no one out there performing music like this any more.

Medeski Scofield Martin and Wood, Out Louder

I've seen Medeski Martin and Wood at the Indy Jazzfest. I've seen John Scofield from ten feet away at The Bluebird in a haze of smoke. I've admired all of these cats for a long time. Ever since they collaborated with Scofield on his '98 effort A Go Go I've hoped for a reunion effort. Well, this is it. This is loose-groove improv jazz goodness once again. Each player roams around until the collective ultimately finds the groove with metronome-like precision. These guys embody being loose and tight all at the same time. My high school jazz band teacher would be proud.