What I Listened To from November 5 - 25, 2010 (three weeks)

week of November 5 - 11, 2010:

1. Three Mile Pilot - The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten (Temporary Residence)

2. Film School - Fission (Hi-Speed Soul)

3. Iron And Wine - Norfolk live 6/20/05 (Sub Pop)

4. The Eels - Tomorrow Morning (E Works)

5. Birds and Batteries - Panorama (Velvet Blue Music

6. Blitzen Trapper - Furr (Sub Pop)

7. Andrew Bird - Useless Creatures (Fat Possum)

8. Kelley Stoltz - To Dreamers (Sub Pop)

9. The Californian - Sea of Love EP (self release)

10. Okkervil River - The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar Records)

Three Mile Pilot holds onto the number one position as I dig out old favorites like Iron and Wine's live concert recording, Norfolk 6/20/05, as tickets went on sale for his January gig at The Wiltern, Blitzen Trapper's Furr, and Okkervil River's The Stage Names.

week of November 12 - 18, 2010:

1. Three Mile Pilot - The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten (Temporary Residence)

2. Pepper Rabbit - Beauregard (Kanine Records)

3. George Glass - George Glass (self release)

4. Iron and Wine - Norfolk live 6/20/05 (Sub Pop)

5. Birds And Batteries - Panorama (Velvet Blue Music)

6. Film School - Fission (Hi-Speed Soul)

7. Honey Loving Cells - Honey Loving Cells EP (self release)

8. Blitzen Trapper - Furr (Sub Pop)

9. Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void (Sub Pop)

10. The Books - The Way Out (Temporary Residence)

Three Mile Pilot stay at number one for one more week. I pulled the Pepper Rabbit CD out to get ready for their show on Nov. 18 at The Echo and discovered a record I hadn't really given it's due. What a beautiful album, full of poignant and moving music, and it's already getting notice as I see the band is set to play at the Hollywood Palladium opening for Passion Pit on Dec. 7. That's big!

I picked up the new George Glass EP on Tuesday at our Radio Free Silver Lake Tuesday show on Nov. 16 at LaBrie's and I am so overwhelmed by it that it jumped to third place even though I only had it for two days before this list. I play it at least twice every time I listen to it. To have heard the songs come to life over the months of seeing their live performances, it was almost shocking how polished and well produced they sound here. Amazing record.

I was also listening to the EP by the band that jumped in to replace The Californian the night John Graney was unable to perform at our previous week's Free Tuesday at LaBrie's, and his friends and band mates came to the rescue. That would be Honey Loving Cells and the EP is a nice showcase for the band that performed a musically sound and invigorating set that night

Most others are repeats from the week before, with the exception of The Books new album, The Way Out, which is most definitely an exception. In preparation for their Fonda show on November 29, I got this adventurous and jaw-droppingly original piece of art. It's difficult enough to defy easy listening so it's something you take in portions, but the rewards are great as it expands your mind.

week of November 19 - 25, 2010

1. Lord Huron - Mighty EP (self release)

2. George Glass - George Glass EP (self release)

3. Lord Huron - Into the Sun EP (self release)

4. Pepper Rabbit - Beauregard (Kanine Records)

5. Tommy Santee Klaws - Rakes (self release)

6. Three Mile Pilot - The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten (Temporary Residence)

7. Film School - Fission (Hi-Speed Soul)

8. The Books - The Way Out (Temporary Residence)

9. The Californian - Sea of Love EP (self release)

10. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge Records)

Things got totally shaken up this week with new material as I learned about Lord Huron from two shows in a week and grew to love the foggy/hazy vocals blended with a reggae/samba beat. Very solid musicianship, both live and on record. Recently transplanted from Michigan, I intend to support them as much as possible. I picked up a double package of their two EP's, Mighty and Into the Sun, at the Echoplex show and played them non stop.

The George Glass EP is one of the strongest first recordings I've heard from a band and the quality of the songwriting skill is what really comes across on the disc. Nick Ceglio's vocals have always been inriguing and a bit hypnotic, both with Death To Anders and here, but on record there's a power and a modulation to his singing that's often buried live. The sound is so full and rich it's hard to believe they are only a three piece band.

I attended the Tommy Santeee Klaws record release show to support my friends and to get the new CD, Rakes. I have enjoyed every Tommy Santeee Klaws record and CD that I own, but they never sounded like this before. A gorgeous recording. There a fullness and richness to the sound that served to highlight and show off both the vocal and instrumental skills that this band possesses in spades. Now I wish they'd re-record everything they ever did.

Pepper Rabbit's Beauregard is not letting go and becoming quite addictive. Their show at The Echo only reinforced my opinion of them and there's even something vaguely 'holiday season' to the music. Maybe it's the sleigh bells. Anyway it sounds appropriate with Christmas coming. The Books are coming and their aquired-taste compositions are somehow insinuating themselves into my brain. Everything else I've been harping on for weeks.

whrabbit