Archive for November 12th, 2009
Listing the Best Albums of 2009 by Artist from A to Z: Blitzen Trapper
November 12th, 2009
Posted in Best of 2009
Blitzen Trapper
Black River Killer EP
Released August 24th on Sub Pop Records
Portland, Oregon experimental, indie-folk sextet, Blitzen Trapper, broke through back in 2007, with their third independently-released album, Wild Mountain Nation. They would go onto bigger things by signing to the Sub Pop label and with the release of their follow-up album, Furr. Wild Mountain Nation received high praises from Pitchfork, Spin Magazine, and Rolling Stone, who named the title track #98 on their list of the year’s 100 Best Songs. With the release of Furr, Rolling Stone had a two-page feature on the band and album, which landed #13 on their list of Best Albums of 2008. The title track landed at #4 on the list of Best Singles of the Year, as well as being featured in the television series, Chuck.
Their latest, Black River Killer, is a collection of seven songs, six of which were previously unreleased. The title track was featured on the Furr album, while the other six songs were written during the Furr sessions. It’s one of the most solid collections of songs that Eric Earley and his band have put together, although it’s not exactly where you would want to begin if you’re not familiar with this band. It’s also kind of a surprise that any/all of these songs did not make the cut for the Furr album.
Other Artists I’d Recommend: Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Delta Spirit
Those We Lost in the Music Industry in 2009
November 12th, 2009
Posted in Uncategorized
In keeping up with the Year in Music lists, I wanted to put together a sort of remembrance featuring some important figures in the music industry that passed away this year. This is not a complete list of every single musician, producer or executive that has passed this year, just a list featuring names whom you may be familiar with.
Ron Asheton, guitarist for The Stooges
Billy Powell, keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd
John Martyn, British singer/songwriter
Dewey Martin, drummer for Buffalo Springfield
Estelle Bennett, singer for The Ronettes
Kelly Groucutt, bassist for Electric Light Orchestra
Reg Isidore, drummer for the Robin Trower Band
Randy Cain, singer in The Delfonics
Ron Stallings, saxophonist for Huey Lewis and the News
Jay Bennett, multi-instrumentalist for Wilco
Koko Taylor, blues singer, know as “The Queen of Blues”
Sky Saxon, singer and bassist for The Seeds
Michael Jackson, pop singer, Known as “The King of Pop”
Les Paul, musician and inventor of the Les Paul guitar
DJ AM, producer and member of Crazy Town
Erich Kunzel, conductor for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Mary Travers, folk singer in Peter, Paul and Mary
Roc Raida, turntablist for The X-Ecutioners
Steve Ferguson, guitarist for NRBQ
Taylor Mitchell, Canadian folk singer/songwriter
Jerry Fuchs, drummer for The Juan Maclean, !!!, Maserati and LCD Soundsystem
Jim Dickinson, record producer, his sons are Luther (Black Crowes, North Mississippi Allstars) and Cody (North Mississippi Allstars, Hill Country Revue)
