The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
----
I wouldn't want to ask people to just give me money cause they like my website, but do please take a quick look at Barger's Boutique. You might find yourself a little something-something for 2 or 3 bucks that you just can't resist! Any of the round images you find around MoreThings will get you to an Amazon page to buy my stuff and help ol' Al keep the lights on.
Links
To explicitly state the obvious, these external links go to interesting and provocative websites, but they speak for themselves. I don't necessarily agree with anything they say - especially that no-goodnik Richard Marcus.
*************
All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
December 30, 2008
New Album Releases, 12-30-2008: Year End Potpourri, with Adele, Stew's Passing Strange and the Born Again Floozies Last week of the year, and there are no known major new releases. But that makes a good time to note a couple of the more noteworthy releases of the year.
All in all, the best album of the year was probably the Born Again Floozies album Street Music. In short, this album has about the strongest overall set of underlying songs of any new album I heard this year, and a unique artistic vision and sound. Dig the complicated plot of the conflicted Judy Garland fan, the "Tough Guy." Plus, "We Got the Power" should be THE anthem for all the leftwing netroots types.
Plus, you got Joey Welch doing that fancy plinky, plinky, plinky thing on the guitar. And don't forget their best recording this year, which isn't even on the album - but available for free download "If You Want Me To Stay"
She made a little noise this year with her debut album 19, but Adele hasn't gotten the traction that she ought to have. Listening to the album a couple of times, and then a couple dozen more, I eventually figured out that many listens means I really liked the album a lot. "Chasing Pavements" was the main single, but "Cold Shoulder" is definitely my top pick - but the whole record is outstanding.
Ben Folds Way to Normal album definitely merits a mention. I'm not bowled over by a lot of it, but "Hiroshima (B-b-b-b-bennie hits his head)" in particular is one of his all time best pop songs, and frickin' hilarious. Among other things, it's his tribute/answer to "Bennie and the Jets" and by far the greatest tribute ever to Elton. But his way best song of the year was not on the album, but purposely very quickly written and recorded to release on the internet as a "fake." We'll get back to that with the best songs of 2008 list in a couple of weeks.
I'm one of Stew's biggest fans, but I'll admit to being somewhat lukewarm on his Tony winning Broadway play Passing Strange. It's pretty good, but some of the songs are definitely better than others. The "Baptist Fashion Show" is probably the best composition here. I also particularly like the totally self-conscious non-chalance of "We Just Had Sex." The whole soundtrack is certainly worth a listen.
I don't know that I have much to say about any of them, but some of the other records that made an impression on me came from Randy Newman, the Raconteurs, Dido and Portishead.
So that's it for one rough year for us all. May Jack White, Joey Welch and the Lord bless us with more musical beauty in 2009.
Here are some of the more noteworthy album releases of the last several months:
(k)no(w)here Wilderness
24 Postcards in Full Colour Max Richter
4 Dungen
Acid Tongue Jenny Lewis
All Shook Down [Expanded Edition] The Replacements
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo Rivers Cuomo
Alpinisms School of Seven Bells
Appearing Nightly Carla Bley & Her Remarkable Big Band
Arena Todd Rundgren
At Budokan: 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition Cheap Trick
At Carnegie Hall Buena Vista Social Club
BBC Sessions [Deluxe Edition] Belle & Sebastian
Beat Furrer: Fama [Hybrid SACD] Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart
Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse Lou Reed
Black Orpheus Various Artists
Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006 Bob Dylan
Break Up the Concrete The Pretenders
Break-A-Way: The Songs of Jackie DeShannon Various Artists
