Category Archives: Music Lines

Written words on music.

Formulate Infinity’s Favorite Albums of 2013!

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One of my favorite ways of discovering new music occurs in December.  Every music site in the business this week is posting lists for the Best Albums of 2013.  While these lists are arbitrary and often cause a great deal of internet consternation, they are a great way to preview new music.

So far the most eclectic list I have previewed has come from NPR Music’s 50 Favorite Albums Of 2013.   The music programming at NPR is the best in the business.  I  cannot wait to listen to the Sound Opinion’s 2013 Best Albums Podcast on my way to work.  Other lists that caught my attention include Mojo’s Top 50 albums and PopMatter’s Top 75.  These are all great sites because they give music previews for the listener.  I am still awaiting Pitchfork’s official list.  Until then here are their highest rated albums of the year from the fantastic site AlbumoftheYear.org.

No list commentary would be complete without my own lists.  Today I will post my favorite albums of the year.  Later this week I will post albums from this past year I want to hear and I will also post a list of favorite Christmas albums in the near future.  Enjoy!

Dylan Another Self PortraitDylan Another Self PortraitDylan Another Self PortraitAlbum of the Year Goes to Another Self Portrait By Bob Dylan

Besides being a huge Dylan fan, I put this album atop the list because it was the biggest music surprise of the year.  Once considered a throw-away album, this reissue blows the listener away with its stripped down and intimate feel. The most prolific artist of modern times continues to provide revelations!  This is true on his past music and his new music, including the concert I attend this year in Charlotte.  Bob Dylan is music. Bob Dylan is America.

Bonus: Checkout Dylan’s Interactive Like A Rolling Stone video and be amazed!

Honorable Mentions:

I picked up the Sarah Jarosz’s Build Me Up From Bones and the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Made Up Mind in Blowing Rock, NC on a family tailgating trip to see the Appalachian State Mountaineers.  Both records are exquisite.  This is Jarosz’s third album and she continues to refine her bluegrass femme fatale sound.  I’ve been a fan since her first record release and the wisdom and heartache in her voice resonates throughout her work.  While only 22, Jarosz presence is as timeless as the bluegrass tradition itself.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Made Up Mind record is also stellar. I saw Derek Trucks when he was thirteen at a local spot in Greensboro, NC.  To this day his solo guitar performance of “America the Beautiful” is the best rendition I have ever heard. Derek has now transformed his solo project into a family band that feature his fiery soul singing wife, Susan Tedeschi, on lead vocals.  The record will blow you away. It is by far one of the bluesiest, grooviest, earth quaking recordings to break through this year.

Last but not least is the 20th Anniversary release of Nirvana’s In Utero.  The super deluxe edition comes with 3 CDs and 1 DVD, a remastered version of the album plus 31 bonus tracks, 17 live tracks from their Live and Loud performance at Pier 48 in Seattle (12/13/93) and 11 bonus videos.  The packaging does not disappoint either.  This is all window dressing, however, for one of the greatest albums ever recorded.  Putting it back in the rotation taps you into the loud purity that made Nirvana the tour de force of 90s rock.

Other 2013 Highlights include:

Queens of the Stone Age’s …Like Clockwork was a heavy thrill.  The album played perfectly in October even though it was released earlier.  Jimi Hendrix’s People, Hell and Angels, like the Dylan reissue, was a fantastic release because it was surprising in its completeness despite being recorded so long ago.  Arcade Fire’s Reflektor was a big departure from the band’s more organic sound.  The album, however, is a genius masterpiece for its daring mashing of genres. The National’s Trouble Will Find Me did not break a lot of new ground but it was still a great listen.

Jim James’s Regions of Light and Sound of God was a quiet delight and I have enjoyed it even more after seeing him perform on Austin City Limits. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’s Mosquito (Deluxe Version) was awesome for its banshee screams and experimental sound rage. Atoms for Peace’s AMOK was by far the best supergroup release. Thom Yorke’s cry with Flea’s bass is a perfect match.  Last, but not least is Pearl Jam’s Lightning Bolt.  The band is back with music that rocks.  The album, and concert I attended, has put them back on the map.  I must also tip my hat to the recording itself.  No album has sounded better in my car than this one.

I hope you enjoyed this list of my favorite albums.  I will post a list of the 2013 albums I wish I heard later this week. Christmas ideas for all!

Until then enjoy this Another Self Portrait recording of the traditional English ballad “Pretty Saro.” Watch this video illustrated with photos from the Farm Security Administration archive at the Library of Congress.

Best Lines:  Sound Opinion’s 2013 Best Albums Podcast

Shop Small Saturday

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The Saturday after Black Friday is reserved for small businesses.  The Shop Small Saturday tradition, amazingly enough, was started by American Express in 2010.  This year the credit card company has even set up a twitter feed where you can share your favorite local stores.  I will be adding three of my favorite businesses to the feed this morning.  With 52% of what you spend staying in your community, the act of purchasing from these type of stores is a no-brainer.  It’s a win for you, the local merchant and the community you love.

I am placing today’s post under Music Lines because two of the businesses I am highlighting are my go-to spots for music off the beaten path.  The third business offers a first class meal to go along with the music I enjoy.  Here are the three small businesses I will be celebrating today:

Ed McKay's Used Books and More     Edward McKay Greensboro NC

I can remember when Ed McKay’s was truly small.  My home town’s used book store was a hole in the wall that stacked books like a teetering Jenga puzzle.  I spent many teenage years finding books teachers did not want me to read and used CDs I could not afford to buy new.  Today, Ed McKay’s commitment to quality trade and customer service has led to a thriving business that now serves multiple locations (Greensboro, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Winston-Salem).   I still drive up to Greensboro on occasion to walk the store aisles looking for books by my favorite authors.   In addition to the best used book selection I have ever come across, Ed McKay trades/ sales used DVDs, music CDs, video games, video game consoles, eReaders and other electronics.

lunchbox records     Lunchbox Records Chralotte NC

It took me some time to find the last truly independent record store in Charlotte.  Growing up in Greensboro, I enjoyed shopping at the now long gone Record Exchange and School Kids Records and Tapes.  I thought that experience was lost forever.  Fortunately I was wrong.  The Lunchbox is the quintessential record store and offers a variety of music that is not available at big box retailers.  Last year, I went to the Lunchbox and bought my wife the new She & Him Christmas album.  To my surprise, the record came with its own wrapping paper, stickers and special Christmas pen.  From that point forward, I have tried to make the drive downtown anytime I was looking for a special CD and the packaging that comes with it.  My last purchase, Bob Dylan’s Another Self-Portrait, did not disappoint.

Fat Ninja Food Truck     Fat Ninja Truck Charleston SC

The last small business I would like to highlight belongs to a life long friend.  His food truck is approaching its first year anniversary and has become a popular destination for Charleston residents and tourists.  The Fat Ninja Food Truck focuses on modern Vietnamese food with a blend of Korean, Thai and Chinese.  Each dish’s presentation represents a modern interpretation of my best friend’s family recipes.   Needless to say, an ever-changing contrast of flavors, temperatures and textures is present in each delicious bite.  If you find yourself in Charleston, I urge you to check them out.  Our crew of Boone Goons (Appalachian State grads) will be doing just that when we travel down to celebrate the wedding of our fellow alum’s brother in December.  You can find the Fat Ninja Food Truck by checking their calendar on the Events page or by referring to a Charleston area map on their Driving Directions page.

Best Lines:  Small Business Saturday fosters mom-and-pop shopping (Jeff Ayers)

Nirvana in the Delivery Room

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This past week has been intense.  The birth of my first son has brought my wife and I so much joy.  There were many emotional decision points.  Luckily, I married one of the most resilient women God ever created.  From Saturday’s all night labor to Thursday’s triumphant homecoming, it has been a once in a lifetime experience.  I will never forget it.

With that said, I wanted to share an article I read during our extend hospital stay.  My brother linked Remembering Nirvana’s ‘Unplugged’ to me via text.  I am so thankful that he did.  It came at a time when our nerves were on edge.  In addition to calming those nerves, the article also connected me back to this blog and why I started it in the first place.

Nirvana’s unplugged performance took place on Nov. 18, 1993.  My son was born on the 17th, one day shy of the show’s 20th anniversary.  It may just be a coincidence but I think it’s a pretty cool one.  There is something about that performance that connects all my musical tastes together.  The show transformed Nirvana’s heavy sound and opened me up to other acoustic acts like Bob Dylan and Neil Young.  After unplugged, the soundtrack to my life became fuller, more rich.

This change was profound because one of the great bonds in life is music.  It is something that connects us all.  Some of my greatest life moments center around jamming at live shows flanked by my Dad and my brother.  From Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen concerts to homegrown music at our family reunions, I cannot think of two other men in this world I would rather have at my side.  For this reason, I hope to have the same musical connection with my son.  While there are no guarantees in life, surely having Nirvana in the delivery room was a good omen.

Best Lines:  Remembering Nirvana’s ‘Unplugged’: Cobain’s Battles Nearly Pulled Plug on Classic Appearance (Chris Willman)

Pearl Jam from side stage

Pearl Jam 10/30/2013 (Charlotte)

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I’ve wanted to share my impressions of the Pearl Jam concert I attended in Charlotte on 10/30 for some time now.  Fortunately, the birth of my baby boy delayed my efforts.  This life changing (and affirming) event has easily surpassed anything I have ever experienced.  It was the best concert I will ever attend and I had a front row seat!

With that said the other concert, Pearl Jam, was great.  I went with my friend Dave and we had a blast.  I even managed to sneak down to the floor and get some pretty amazing photos.  The band hadn’t played in Charlotte for 10 years and they definitely made up for lost time.  The show was phenomenal!  In many ways Nirvana and Pearl Jam are my generation’s Beatles and Rolling Stones.   Seeing them made me long for that fruitful period of Rock n’ roll that defined my youth.  I often wonder if a new set of bands will ever be allowed to define music the way the bands from that era did . . .

Best Lines:  Pearl Jam plays long, plays hard in Charlotte show (Théoden Janes)