Stop buying your albums at the supermarket

Or, How I Learned To Stop Whining and Love Belle & Sebastian
Or, The Year (Such) That (It) Was, Part II

As has become customary, here indeed are my picks, two and a half months into 2007, for best records of 2006. Agree, disagree, I don't care; '06 was the best year for music since 2002. Now, 2007 is looking like it'll be even better than that, but that remains to be seen; it's off to a good enough start with the Shins, the Earlies, and the Apples in Stereo, plus the promise of new music from the Polyphonic Spree, Wilco, the Smashing Pumpkins, Common, and the Stooges, just to name a few, it's gonna be an interesting year. But that is the year that is coming; this is the year that was...

1. The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian
   There are two types of Belle & Sebastian fans that I’ve met. The first type will tell you, “Everything B&S has done since Tigermilk has been crap!” The other is far more understanding: “Tigermilk was good and all, but they’ve done some fucking awesome stuff since.” I belonged to neither of these groups, finding the poster children of modern indie pop occasionally intriguing but a little too indie-college-kid-in-a-sweater-drinking-a-large-mug-of-hot-cocoa for my taste. Until now: The Life Pursuit succeeds on every single level.
   
   I’ve heard critics call this record “genre hopping in the best way” and “adding muscle to the saccharine B&S sound,” but I’m not sure I agree with either of these assessments. Rather, I think this is a sunshine-pop record in the vein of Sunflower, a psych-pop masterpiece like Odyssey and Oracle, and an ork-pop wonder akin to Songs in the Key of Life. The influences of the Beach Boys, the Zombies, and even Mr. Wonder himself are evident throughout the thirteen tracks, and the great feeling won’t go away, never letting up for any album filler.
   
   Best tracks: “Another Sunny Day,” “Dress Up In You,” “Sukie in the Graveyard,” “For the Price of a Cup of Tea”

2. Bang Bang Rock & Roll by Art Brut
   Everyone talks about debut records having “promise.” That was the catch-all word for the Strokes, Kanye West, and Gorillaz. What they often don’t tell you, however, is that “promise” often means that the record doesn’t deliver as much as it seems like it should, sort of like an overpaid NFL first-round-rookie running back who has “promise” but only manages to average 2.8 yards per carry and sits on the bench for three-quarters of the season, only entering the game if it’s already over or when the 1,000-yard former MVP goes down with a season-ending knee injury.
   
   That’s not the case with Art Brut’s debut, however. The opening track literally leaps out of the speakers and incites the downest, dirtiest parts of your rock ‘n’ roll soul to scream out in unison with lead singer Eddie Argos, “Formed a band, we formed a band! Look at us! We formed a band!” That, and the album never lets up – even slower songs like “Rusted Guns of Milan” have a genius narrative that is seconded by Beatlesque harmonies and Ramonesy grit. In almost any other year, this would be the best record by a mile.
   
   Best tracks: “Formed a Band,” “Emily Kane,” “Rusted Guns of Milan,” “Good Weekend”

3. Ten Silver Drops by the Secret Machines
   When I first heard about this record, I fell in love with the opening track right away, just based on its title: “Alone, Jealous & Stoned.” ‘Cause, I mean, shit, I’ve been there before. What I didn’t expect from these guys, however, was to create a near-perfect album that is relentless as it is heartbreaking in a way that channels both Beck’s Sea Change and Wilco’s “At Least That’s What You Said,” thought with a decidedly Spiritualized bent.
   
   Then, I saw the Secret Machines at Lollapalooza, where they opened their set with the afore-mentioned track. It might have been the most cathartic moment I had all year, as I screamed out every single word whilst the hot summer sun beat down on my perspiration-drenched face and the smell of pot and stale beer echoed in my nostrils. Every syllable I yelled out in unison with the band took me over, resonating from Grant Park down to wherever in the hell my ex-girlfriend was that particular moment. “Sitting at home,” I called out, the Chicago skyline swaying with me, “What am I doing??? A boy sitting by the phone, alone, jealous and stoned!!!” But the real moment came a few seconds later when, just as on the record, the music broke down to simply a piano and bass. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I was barely able to contain my now-bleeding catharsis when, in three-part harmony, the anger of the previous verses faded away to sheer anguish: “I waited for you … I’m always waiting for you.” At the end of this refrain, the song kicks into high gear, adding uptempo drums and sing-songy guitars, and the anguish becomes triumph, giving a big musical middle finger to the person guilty of mercilessly breaking a heart. The next time the refrain comes in, it soars with a feeling of hope that completely obliterates the gnashing of teeth it previously indicated, and the “I’m always waiting for you,” indicates that the narrator is simply sick to motherfucking death of waiting on this person. Yes, there are several other absolutely amazing tracks on here; but “Alone, Jealous & Stoned” would be worth the $15 or whatever CDs cost all on its own.
   
   Best tracks: “Alone, Jealous & Stoned,” “Lightning Blue Eyes,” “1,000 Seconds”

4. Just Like the Fambly Cat by Grandaddy
   For the fourth time in as many records, the late California techno-sunshine popsters have graced us with a perfectly dystopic record. Though not the best (The Sophtware Slump), most surprising (Under the Western Freeway), or most satisfying (Sumday) of their studio records, it proves once again why Grandaddy will go down in my personal history as one of the greatest bands of all time. Lead singer Jason Lytle manages to sing emo without emotion, metal without the heavy, and pop without the sugar; meanwhile, the soaring guitars and thundering drums amidst Enoesque background ambience creates this overwhelming feeling of unease that meshes perfectly with the digital landscapes portrayed in every note.
   
   On a personal note, I’m really, really going to miss this band; they broke up shortly after the release of Cat. The Sophtware Slump stands as one of the best albums of the decade (only Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci’s How I Long To Feel That Summer In My Heart gives it any legitimate competition), and I’m firmly convinced that the band was more than just Lytle. Rest in peace, Grandaddy.
   
   Best tracks: “Jeez Louise,” “Rear View Mirror,” “Shangri-La (Outro)”

5. Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
   Jenny Lewis has one of the most beautiful voices in the alt.country landscape. But here, she manages to turn from country-rock chanteuse to a clean-burning coal miner’s daughter. Instead of delving further into the roots-rock pantheon, which seemed to be the direction to which Rilo Kiley was headed, Lewis’ first solo record jumps head-first into classical country, even reinventing “Handle With Care,” the single from supergroup The Traveling Wilburys’ first record. And that voice. “Rise Up with Fists!!” is gorgeous, as she goes all Neko Case on our asses, and “You Are What You Love” simply tears me up inside – a perfect breakup song. Loretta Lynn came out with one of the best records of her career last year; Jenny Lewis did her schitck one better.
   
   Best tracks: “Rise Up With Fists!!,” “Melt Your Heart,” “You Are What You Love”

6. The Obliterati by Mission of Burma
   From the opening track, I was hooked. This record is the second-best of the band’s entire career, and that’s saying something (although they have admittedly few releases). I dare you – I double-dog dare you – to try to write a hard-hitting post-punk song like “Donna Sumeria,” which manages to merge the punk aesthetic with, of all things, disco, against which punk was rebelling. This is a fucking balls-out rock record, and it will kick your ass, too.
   
   Best tracks: “2wice,” “Donna Sumeria,” “Nancy Reagan’s Head”

7. Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco
   He’s a sci-fi nut, a skateboarder, and a Chicago boy who I first heard teamed with Kanye West at Lollapalooza. He dresses like Theo Cosby, and he’s got almost as sweet a flow as fellow Chicagoan Common (whose Be was, in retrospect, the best record of 2005). This kid’s got it goin’ on, and he crafted the single best rap record of the year, outshining the more-hyped Jay-Z return, which, by the way, was a piece of shit; and also outshining, in my humble opinion, the much-vaunted and critically-acclaimed Ghostface Killah record. Lupe wins for flow of the year, and I can’t wait to hear what he does next.
   
   Best tracks: “Just Might Be OK,” “Kick, Push,” “The Cool”

8. Super Extra Gravity by the Cardigans
   Yes, yes, yes, this is the same band that did the noxiously brilliant “Lovefool” a decade ago. You probably didn’t think they were still around, didja? Surprise! They are, and they’re better than ever. This is the Swedish ABBA-wannabes’ best record, period. It’s fun, it’s bouncy, and it’s everything that Garbage tries and fails to be.
   
   Best tracks: “Losing a Friend,” “Overload,” “In The Round”

9. At War with the Mystics by the Flaming Lips
   U2 did it and was praised. Prince did it and was reborn. Hell, Bob Dylan did it and was deified. So why is it that when the Flaming Lips pause to do the career retrospective sound on a record, incorporating elements of their early, trippy lyrics, middle-period fuzz-guitar sound, and modern production, their record is called one of the biggest disappointments in modern memory? No, it’s not as good as the double-whammy that was The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but c’mon! Those are two of the greatest albums ever made. That’s like telling Dylan after Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited that Blonde on Blonde is a letdown.
   
   Best tracks: "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)," "It Overtakes Me/The Stars Are So Big, I Am So Small ... Do I Stand a Chance?," "Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung"
   

10. Modern Times by Bob Dylan
    Speaking of the Great One, here is the third part of Dylan’s old-timey trilogy, it’s definitely the weakest of the three records. However, since his resurgence with the pure folk records he recorded in the early ‘90s, Dylan has been on a role. “Workingman’s Blues #2” is one of the most beautiful tunes he’s ever done, and his lyrics are as sharp and witty as ever. Dylan succeeds where other ‘60s acts fail by refusing to repeat himself, refusing to become a cliché, as has happened to other greats like McCartney, Jagger, and even the late Jerry Garcia. Well done, Uncle Bob.
    
    Best tracks: "Spirit on the Water," "Workingman's Blues #2," "Ain't Talkin'"
    

Jesus is just alright with me

The following is an e-mail exchange between myself and someone who randomly contacted me after reading my four-year-old testimonial on www.exchristian.org.

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i just read ur story on this web site and i dont see y ur so corrupt against what christians believe and how they live. whats going on here? maybe u just have never seen any real God and what He can do cuz u never really believed em.

i don't intend to state that you my friend didn't believe in God, but simply that anything in life is simply what You make of it. I haven't been going to church all my life but i have been going every Sunday since June 30 of 2005. i have devoted my life to Christ and I have stumbled as we all do, but if you question all authority are you not considered a rebel?? I don't know what kind of life you had nor do i know what you've been through, but if you simply question with out reading between the lines, then your missing the point. Jesus speaks in parables because He wants you to think bout what He's trying to convey to you. I have yet to wrong in my Christian walk and I don't plan to because I doubt that I will. I don't know if you have ever been baptized in the Holy spirit, but i think...scratch that, I know if you did, then there would be no doubt bout it your life. I know that Catholics are wrong for worshipping saints. and I know a lot of other religions that are wrong, but just because it doesn't fit what You think or suppose is right doesn't mean it isn't, your just making a self righteous God for yourself simply because you cant follow along with what God does command of you.

I'm not sure of what anger you write out of, for i know it is anger due to the fact that you right with such emasculate thought of why you so strongly believe you are right. I for one don't see why any one in their mind would have the audacity to even say that there is such things that do not exist. if you are simply stating that none of these things is true, then how would you say that your faith is not evading but remains intact if your quality on the truth which is written in the Bible which should have no questions asked, because my point being is that is you question it is God's word than your faith has been wilted long ago. I'm not judging you nor am I trying to, I just don't know why people think they know whats going on without the word's of God to guide them. Sure you have evidence on what you believe but if it has sice that I may share a story with you, you will most definitely not think the way you do because in all humanity we know there is a God and a higher power simply due to natural born instincts. We all find something to worship whether it be music, sex, food, etc, for whatever the case may be. We were made to worship God and there's no other statement or notion that you can say that will change my mind. How do you know in fact that what you believe is true?? What, did God tell you? Hardly, He wouldn't try to make himself look dumb nor would He call Himself a Liar. You tell me that there is no correct evidence in the Bible simply because it was written by man, but if a man is a man of God it's possible. Surely you've never came close to speaking in tounges nor have you even come close to any kind of idea of what its about. just assuming here of my observations. Why must you harber such bad feelings and iniquities to the highest power????? Why must you question anything? If you yourself do not know the truth why try to spread rubbish on the rest of people lives because you feel what you believe is right? I dont need proof of any kind to show its right because i know. if indeed i wanted to quote from the Bible and use references, i would, but i dont believe that knowing the Bible makes you better at knowing God for you have never seen Him. And if you dont know that your suggestions of what is true, is in fact the truth you should practice what you preach. I will not get offended by anything you say because if indeed you have faith like you say you do, then you would know that God's word does not come back void and that it is the right thing. It is said that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, n if you dontsee that then you obviously have none. it's as simple as that. i believe in standing up for my opinion and expressing it, but i will not tolerate ignorance in the house of the Lord. I feel that you are the fool for believing in such malevolent incapacity of words indulged by only opinion over what The Word Of God actually states. if anyone is a fool it is you and there is no such thing as a wise fool.

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Ma'am,

I would first like to gently suggest that your writing reflect the grammar of what you are trying to say. This has nothing at all to do with our discussion of faith, I know; however, I have found some of your arguments hard to follow because of your disregard for grammar.

The anger over that which I write has nothing to do with the measure of faith. I truly do believe that I am right; yet I do not have so much hubris that I think what I believe is the Word of Truth for everyone. Instead, I have come to believe that truth is not simply in the eye of the beholder; it is, by necessity, only in the eye of the beholder. I find it very insulting that one such as yourself could presume to inherently know more about the nature of God than I do simply because he or she is a Christian, or a Muslim, or a Jew, or a Pagan, or a Hindu, or any other religion or non-religion (I include atheists in this as well). It is not another's place to determine for me, or for the world, what is right and what is wrong in the eyes of God -- society, yes, but not God (as your own religion states, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and render unto God what is God's").

I also think that your argument about the Word of God is inherently jaded because of your beliefs. You claim that you don't understand "why people think they know whats [sic] going on without the word's [sic] of God to guide them." What, in your opinion, is the word of God? Because if you ask your Muslim co-worker, or your Buddhist neighbor, or your Hindu service clerk, or your Jewish mechanic, I guarantee that you will find a number of people who believe in a different Word of God than you. Are all of them wrong? According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Christianity is the largest umbrella religion in the world, with over 2 billion adherents. That means that less than a quarter of the world believes in the divinity of Christ. What about the other 75%? Is three quarters of the world simply wrong?

You also say that each person finds something to worship, and that there is nothing I can say that will change your mind. I accept this, and I figured this going in. But then you go on to ask me, how do I know, in fact, that I am not mistaken, that what I believe is true? Simply put, I don't know; I believe. That, ma'am, is what I find to be the difference between you and me: I accept that my beliefs are just that, beliefs, whereas you have expressed opinions to me that seem to indicate that you have passed on faith, going instead to doctrine. Faith requires no doctrine, madam, and I challenge you to find a single preacher who will say that doctrine is more important than faith.

I never claimed, ma'am, that God has ever spoken to me. Then again, I don't believe God has ever spoken to anyone. I think that people can EXPERIENCE God, be it through religion, music, etc.; but God has never directly spoken to me. I remember when I was about four years old, I left a pencil and paper on a small Fisher-Price desk as I prayed, and I said to God, "I just want to know if you're listening to me, so if you just wrote down yes, I'd understand." Of course, no answer came that day or ever. Yet there have been times when God HAS answered my prayers, or, at the very least, some manifestation of my requests have been met.

And you can speak, madam, on anyone you want to call a "man of God." I consider myself a man of God, thank you very much; I simply take a different view. And this idea of speaking in tongues, ma'am? If that's what it takes for people to believe in God, I'd say that their faith was already shakier than mine is or ever was. I don't have to experience speaking in tongues to know what I believe to be a load of hooey. It's these types of things -- this mandatory faith in Jesus Christ As The Son Of The Living God, this mularkey about speaking in tongues, this foolishness about gays and abortion, this unnecessary proselytizing -- that makes me wonder what exactly are the intentions of Christians. To me, the central message of Jesus isn't to be a Christian; it isn't worship (which, by the way, Jesus commanded be done in private, rather than in a church surrounded by people); and it certainly isn't issue-baiting. Rather, when I left Christianity, the one thing I held with me was that Jesus got it right where everyone who followed him got it wrong: love each other, and do good things for each other. Am I wrong? Would you really like to tell me that the worship of Jesus is more important than his central message? Think of his lessons specifically: they all teach that God wants us to be humble, good human beings, and faithful friends. Come to think of it, by that standard, can't one be a good Christian without following the Christian faith system? I could never, ever see the loving Abba of whom Jesus spoke to abhor non-Christians simply because they are non-Christians.

Madam, you ask me why I must question anything. I tell you, if you do not question, you do not find the truth. If you simply rely on blind faith, you do not test yourself the way Jesus taught us to be tested; that is, when Jesus was offered everything by Satan in the desert. And you repeatedly say "I know." You do not know, madam, as evidenced by your calling what I believe "rubbish." Now while I have enumerated my beliefs to you, I have never called anything you have said "rubbish." I have said I believe it to be incorrect, and I have showed you my logical arguments for not being a Christian. However, I did that out of a sense of friendliness towards you, a sense of kinship that, despite our obvious faith-based differences, we can have a good, friendly dialog. I cannot do this, however, with one who simply relies on the argument from authority, the one who says, "I know I'm right because the Bible says so." The Bible says many things, madam, and if you took the time to read it, you'd certainly find that it indeed contradicts itself very often. That's not to say it isn't worthy of being a religious text; that's simply pointing out the truth.

After re-examining your letter, I am more confused than ever about what exactly you think the Word of God is. It's not the Bible? How, then, do you know what God says? Call me Thomas, but I believe what I experience, what I observe. If you do not base your belief on the Bible but rather on your own observations, than, ma'am, you cannot preach to me about the "Word of God," for you don't use what your religion calls God's word! You say that you could quote from the Bible, but you won't, because that's not what it's all about. Well, from my experience, at the very least, the Bible is what the Word of God is all about for Christians. If there is another document, another collection of words, that does the same thing for Christians as the Bible, I ask you what that document is. If, however, your Christian faith is faith based solely on what your preacher, reverend, or priest says in Church and has nothing to do with the Bible, then I wonder, if he said to you (just as an example; not claiming that yours would EVER say such a thing), "Gays are a scourge on the earth," or, "Muslims are evil people," or, "God hates all non-Christians," how you would respond. My point is, the only real truth we have in life is what we personally experience.

I am glad that you feel comfortable standing up for your opinion and expressing it, but I take issue with your calling my opinion "ignorance in the house of the Lord." I don't understand how you can believe so vehemently in whatever the Word of God is, though you refuse to see the inconsistencies of the document in which you put so much faith. I certainly think that you need a bit of understanding that your opinion is strictly that -- YOUR opinion --, as is your faith. I do not ask that you share mine, madam. You contacted me. You inquired about my faith, and you began by telling me essentially that I am wrong for believing what I do. Now, I disagree with you in just about everything on this faith-filled issue, and I truly believe that you are ignorant and intolerant. However, I DO NOT say that you are wrong. Why? Because I don't know that for sure. When you accept that, despite your obviously hearty and enthusiastic faith, you do not have all the answers, I believe we will be able to find common ground with which we can have an interesting and productive discussion. Until such time, however, I fear that we will devolve into e-shouting and name-calling, accomplishing nothing but insulting the other person and his/her faith. I do not wish to do that, and I hope you do not wish the same.

Ma'am, I do not insult the Word of God, and I wish not to insult it. I simply do not believe in your version of the Word of God. I respect your right to believe what you want; I would appreciate that respect reciprocated. I reiterate, you contacted me. If you wished simply to tell me that I'm going to hell, that's fine, but I'd much prefer you to keep such statements to yourself; remember, Jesus taught humility, even (and especially) for those with whom you disagree. If, however, you'd like to continue this correspondence, I'd be more than happy to oblige. While I find your arguments flawed and your grammar abhorrent, I think you say some things that are worth exploring more. If indeed this is the last time we speak, however, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors -- perhaps with just a modicum of greater understanding for nonbelievers.