Obvious Diversion Album of the Year:
Year of Meteors by Laura Veirs
Once a year I violate my “no music reviews” policy and trot out my annual favorite for you to applaud, explore or ignore. Choose wisely.
This year’s choice? Year of Meteors by Laura Veirs. After ripping this CD into iTunes, it has been played constantly to the point of annoying anyone within my personal blast radius. I’ve seen it termed as folk music, but it certainly doesn’t feel like folk to me. It just feels smart and clever without any sense of pretense. Plus, I saw her standing on a street corner at one point and, well, instant crush.
Year of Meteors on
iTunes
Easy Street Records
Amazon
The Runner Up
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention The Blue Scholars and their self-titled debut. This is unquestionably young hip-hop, but it screams potential. Take a listen to track 4, Motion Movement, and if you aren’t sold, you aren’t human.
2004’s Pick: Heroes to Zeros by The Beta Band
Permanent Link
Blue Scholars is a good nomination. You could have also nominated “The Long March EP” (which has 8 songs and is longer than many albums these days). Long March shows Blue Scholars maturing nicely, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Too bad I’m suffering jet lag and don’t feel up to going to their presumably sold-out show tonight.
I’ve actually bought too many albums this year and lost track of my favorite at some point. Most everything I bought was a compilation, mix tape or used or reissued older album, though, so it should be straight-forward. I was most pleasantly surprised by this jazz album steppers+ by the Japanese group Mas. I was most excited to find a collection of 19 previously unreleased tracks by the Japanese experimental group 19 called “19 by 19″. I’ve been playing Common and White Stripes quite a bit.
But I think my vote for best album will be a tie between the Blue Scholars releases. Because I want to be able to say “told you so” when they start getting national attention.
Gloddy comes through again!
Well, Christian, 2 years in a row you have turned me on to another great CD.
Last year it was The Shins, which I bought and loved. This year, it’s Laura Veirs. The disc arrived in the mail today and once again, you’ve made a great recommendation. Thanks. Keep up your once-a-year-break-your-own-rules …ummm rule.