BEST ROCK & POP CULTURE 2009

Howdy - There was just enough good music to get by this year.
Roll on 2010! bruce.scholten@btopenworld.com
(Thanks to Gaye Hinchliff for shooting our cow cookies in 2007!)

BEST STORY 2009
TV programmers winced when a web campaign derailed Simon Cowell's X-Factor plans for a 5th consecutive Xmas #1 single in Britain. How? Half a million folks bought Rage Against the Machine: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/20/rage-against-machine-christmas-number-1

SONG OF 2009
#1 Susan Boyle 'Wild Horses.’ Unlikeliest rock chick makes us ache with a Rolling Stones song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb3XAP0c8WU
* http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/09/16/a-herd-of-wild-horses-susan-boyle-and-more-cover-the-classic/
* Chris Rea 'Come so far, yet got so far to go': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbhViHlcBZ4
* The Noisettes 'Never Forget Me.' 'What you drinking? Rum or whiskey? Have a double on me. Always Remember Me': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSOnfhyov-w
* Aha 'Nothing is Keeping You Here'. High notes from Norweg..
* Chris Isaac 'We Let Her Down.' At his wicked best, Isaac chills the spine.

XMAS SONGS
* George Michael 'Christmas.'
* Bob Dylan Christmas in the Heart album. My fave is 'Must be Santa.' Uncle Bob's getting more like Lawrence Welk - the scary part is we like it.

PROG ROCK
Paul Cusick Focal Point. Next best thing to a Pink Floyd album: http://www.paulcusick.co.uk/about.php

POP
* Paloma Faith 'New York, New York' from debut album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? As listenable as Dionne Warwick.
* Mika – 'We are Golden!' Polyamorous pop from Michael Penniman, heir apparent to Freddie Mercury: http://www.mikasounds.com/
* Unexpected Mention: Peter Andrae 'Behind Closed Doors.' Singing down mammary lane after splitting from Jungle celeb Jordan (aka Katie Price). Surprisingly good.

SOUL
* 5 Degrees' cover of Dusty's 'Mercy.' Can't beat a good song if it sounds like a Smokey- Pickett cross: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-V0K7BHDt4
* Raphael Saadiq with Stevie Wonder & CJ 'Never Give You Up'.
* Paloma Faith 'New York' – coffee coloured anthem for the Big Apple? Faith's earlier release is tuff too: '119 mph and Stone Cold Sober.'
* Leona Lewis 'Happy.’ What a voice!
* Michael Bolton 'You Murder my Heart.' Don't laugh. He got a haircut & at its best his voice rivals Michael McDonald's.
* Beyonce. Serious lyrics.
* Ruby Turner with Jools Holland's Orchestra 'The Informer': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkJqC1Elg
* Rod Stewart's American Soulbook is passable, but he oughta rock more & venerate less!

HIP-HOP & RAP
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys [HQ] -- Empire State of Mind (In New York):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjsXo9l6I8

DISCO
* Sheila B. Devotion 'Ladies Man'. Shameless rip-off of Nile Rodgers' timeless 1970s' Chic. It's the rhythm!
* Pet Shop Boys ‘All over the World’ sampling Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
* Madonna 'Celebration: Let's Get It Started'. Infectious disco, 'a la Studio 54.

COUNTRY FEMALE
* Allison Krause 'A Simple Love.' Krause is so good Robert Plant put his Led Zep tour on hold.
* Taylor Swift, Fearless & cuter than Kanye West's Granny.

ROCK, BLUES, R & B (waning genre)
* Chris Rea 'Come so far, yet got so far to go'. Satisfies parts new blues songs seldom touch.
* J.J. Cale 'Carry On' and others make it one of his best albums… since singing 'My Magnolia.'
* Jason Everett 'I Want to do Bad Things with You.' One for the weekend, then.
* Lady Gaga 'Bad Romance.' Don't tell me ya wouldn't.
* James Morrison 'Nothing Ever Hurt Like You.' Perfect song.
* Mama's Gun 'Let’s Find A Way.' Sounds like Robert Palmer doing Marvin Gaye. Great rhythm. * Timothy B. Schmitt ‘Parachute’ with Graham Nash: http://eaglesfans.typepad.com/latest_news/timothy_b_schmit/

ETHEREAL & ELEKTRONIKA
* Bat For Lashes Pearl's Dream.
* Florence & the Machine 'Rabbit Heart'. Bit like Captain from 2007. Excellent singer & guitarist who laughs & entertains.
* Polarkreis 'Alein, Alein' von Dresden: http://www.b2g.lt/2009/music/polarkreis-18/en/

JAZZ ROCK
* Paulo Nutini 'Candy' contains the loving line 'I'll even wash your clothes'. Best wedding song we've heard out of Paisley, Scotland. Paulo's got 'a license for his telly & food in his belly': http://music.videosift.com/video/Paolo-Nutini-Candy
* Mama's Gun 'Find a Way'. Fresh, until it sounds derivative.

FOLK
* Monsters of Folk 'Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)'. Supergroup's ethereal debut album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wpGHGFV8Xk
* Yusef (aka Cat Stevens) 'Roadsinger': http://www.yusufislam.com/
* James Taylor 'Seminole Wind' (lyrics by John Anderson): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seminole-Wind/dp/B001SRDE9I
* Fleet Foxes. Excellent CSNY sounding Seattle group, even if overplayed in the UK.

BIG BAND - STANDARDS – TORCH (waxing)
* Jamie Collum 'I'm Over it Now'. His whole CD is good!
* Michael Buble 'I just haven't Met You Yet'. Brings his love for AC/DC to the big band crowd.
* Harry Connick Jr. No wonder he sang at Sinatra’s 75th birthday.
* Benny Anderson Band album 'Story of a Heart' (with vocalist Helen Sjoholm). Remember Willie Nelson's 1978 Stardust album of America standards? Benny makes us listen to 'old' music with new ears. Try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHz9fFpi5gc. My friend Kirk W believes Abba should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but is sceptical of Benny's new album saying, 'I'll buy it on your recommendation. You must buy Nicole Atkins' "Neptune City" on my recommendation.'

VOCAL DUET
* Roseanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen 'Sea of Heartbreak'. Beautiful remake of Don Gibson's 1961 song: http://www.songlyrics.com/don-gibson/sea-of-heartbreak-lyrics/

VOCAL MALE
* Rufus Wainwright. Interesting in his first opera Prima Donna.

VOCAL FEMALE - 2009 superb for women singers
* Susan Boyle 'Wild Horses'. Mick & Keith must be jealous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb3XAP0c8WU
* http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/09/16/a-herd-of-wild-horses-susan-boyle-and-more-cover-the-classic/
* *www.youtube.com/index?ytsession=2tmraoyfyEkCTx_PRqr0CDoSv0x8a0Jh7LE034tcjAK2BHanpxnzkoYLdwi-gWG8Gc2t8QHIUG2gBUxDH0VuorK0cp5vecun0Byavt1w3sCrLt8fm3SDzhlalaVoK_9e27r_hPed-yBz-vU2hE1Jt-WCZK6a3kiUNVO-NnE0tsRS-wR9w27QIrRea-SIUxs_MM4mct_HeKynkMYjeQbk82RWlyTJYl-EC9YKpus2H81pACzeDSbrXao9QIK7gEirdpwjKYmkwkp0w5XaKrW3WXXAGQ5aZH1saU4kn3885wghZDoH2dp5ZQ* Nora Jones 'Chasing Pirates'. Ravi Shankar's daughter finds more exciting intros.
* Lady Gaga. Love the circus act.
* Regina Spektor. Strong Russian woman vill sing for you: http://www.myspace.com/reginaspektor
* Little Boots. Not to be overlooked.

COMEBACKS
* Shirley Bassey 'The Girl from Tiger Bay.'
* Sade Soldier of Love album.
* Cliff Richard & The Shadows, featuring the radio hit 'Singing the Blues' – as good as Guy Mitchell's 1956 version.
* John Fogerty 'Garden Party' (with Timothy B. Smith & Don Henley of Eagles. Joe Walsh's guitar too?!). Worthy tribute to Rick Nelson. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLm9KX-LvMM
* Spandau Ballet 'Once More' is too good to be True: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeTix5pTEYY
* Whitney Houston 'Million Dollar Bill'. She's cut overhead since Bobbie Brown.
* Barbra Streisand, a bit precious, interviewed by BBC's Jon Ross. But we forgive Babs for the way she sings Sinatra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KoNWTMiquA

BANDS TO WATCH
* Kasabian - from New York (Eclectic electronica with a dab of blues).
* Settlers - from Seattle (formerly Jacob Bevan & Mirror the Ghost): http://blogs.myspace.com/settlers
* Tribe0 – from So-Cal (reggae with Matt Scholten).

BEST FILMS
* Gran Torino directed by Clint Eastwood. Sticks and stones will break yer bones, but words can hardly hurt ya.
* Pirate Radio, niftiest Brit rock film I’ve seen, directed by Richard Curtis, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy.
* Moon by Duncan Jones (nee Bowie), starring Kevin Spacey & Sam Rockwell as a lonely lithium miner on the dark side.

BOOK

Joan Baez: And A Voice to Sing With: A Memoir. Autobiography. Bob Dylan told her: The difference between you and me is, you think things can change. I don't.

OBITUARIES & BENCHMARKS
* Michael Jackson wore his heart on his sleeve & paid for it in June 2009, before the launch of 50 shows in London. Confusion over his death. But, Off the Wall was to MJ what Revolver was to the Beatles. 'Billie Jean' is timeless on Thriller (thanks to Quincy Jones). Even a few of the WW II generation saw MJ was a world guy – for some folks as liberating as Elvis.
* Ronnettes singer Estelle Bennett passes, age 67.
* Willie DeVille. Died August 2009. Remembered for 'Spanish Stroll.' Things are picking up: http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2007b.html
* Phil Spector jailed for murder. Sad, this legend mistreated associates, e.g. deceased members of the Ronnettes. On the other hand, John Lennon pal Klaas Voorman says Specter was good to work with
* BBC Radio 2 presenter Terry Wogan announced retirement from the morning show on September 8, 2009. Terry'll return with a Sunday show in 2010, but Terry's Old Geezers (TOGs) pulled threads loose on their terrycloth gowns & rattled zimmer frames at the bad news. Geeky Chris Evans is a smart broadcaster, but can he fill Wogan's hogan?

* Danny Holiday's Rock & Roll Time Machine near Seattle shifts to Saturdays 10am: http://www.kser.org/category/dj/danny-holiday

Find fun with friends in 2010 {;-) bruce.scholten@btopenworld.com
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