retrieved from the WayBack Machine Archive of LostInLouisville circa Nov 2003…
incomplete, and in no particular order:
OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
If only for the line “I don’t want to meet your daddy / I just want you in my caddy / I don’t want to meet your momma / I just want to make you cumma”. I can’t agree more with Rocko that Andre 3000 is the next incarnation of James Brown, Rick James, and Prince — but for my generation. I never felt much of a connection to any of the former — they were all fairly epic and troubled characters as I was growing up, but I heard echoes from long ago of guys that loved everything about women and made everyone dance and fall into freaky-ass love. Then they were either in jail, torturing hookers, or prostletizing. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to our man Andre 3000. Big Boi’s album “Speakerboxxx” provides and a good counter-weight to Andre’s “The Love Below”, and these albums don’t get old when set on shuffle. (Side note: I love “She’s Alive”. It’s a love-letter to his single mother, I think. Nonetheless, it’s compelling and well-placed)
The Postal Service – Give Up
When folks ask me what this sounds like — I say “emo lyrics with electric beats”, and you’d think I’d just stepped on their toe and shoved a herring in their now-gaping maws. Seriously — this stuff is really great — so great that the real Postal Service has forced them to change their name.
The White Stripes – Elephant
I don’t need to tell you how much I love this album, you already know it. I will say this — I’m glad they are sticking to their guns and keeping up the whole red/white brother/sister thing. I really am. There are plenty of people out there who think they need to add some depth to their albums, or change their setup in some way — and while I think that has some merit — I think it would ruin this whole wonderfully concocted image they have. Jack has mentioned that they maybe have one more album in them, and I hope they do call it quits after that. The whole two-person thing doesn’t scale real well in big venues anyway.
Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlantacism
First, I love the album cover. Birds are great. Secondly, Gibbard is genius of giving good hooks to his music — so much of what other lo-fi sensitive-boy music is lacking. I envy him. See also: The Postal Service
My Morning Jacket – It Still Moves
My first real exposure to these local lads. All that forced listening to Boston and Kansas in my youth was not for naught! “It Still Moves” makes me realize what was good about that music. And you laughed at me for liking Lynyrd Skynyrd!
Skip James – Today
I’ll admit that the first time I heard a Skip James song (actually sung by Skip James) was while watching Wim Wender’s The Soul of a Man — one of the films in PBS’ The Blues series. This record was one of Skip James’ last records — recorded shortly after his surprising re-appearance at the 1964 Newport Folk festival gives new meaning to the “High and Lonesome”. His falsetto singing style and his solo style lend such depth to these remarkably clear recordings.
Anyone else? I’m looking for new stuff to listen to.