Only Getting Better

With autumn unofficially upon us, we can expect to gear up for the year's final push of big time releases. And what would a year (an excellent one musically, at that) be like without a new Kings of Leon record? Fortunately, the Followill clan doesn't intend for us to find out. I'd like to say that their fourth full-length album has maintained some prime real estate in my "highly anticipated" column, but the band's sneak attack strategy prevented any word of this album from leaking to the general public until about a month and half ago. This lack of preparation, however, does not take away from this reviewer's excitement about the band's new undertakings. Like its predecessor Because of The Times, this new one's got a prepositional phrase for a title -- Only By The Night -- a move that will surely cause these two to be mistaken for each other years down the road. And let me just warn you, the similarities don't end with titles. Musically, this one picks up where BoTT left off. And while those who have irrevocably expressed their distaste for the sleek, polished sound showcased on Times will inevitably share their same sentiments for Night, I'm going to have to take the high road here. Put simply, it is this overblown production that shows development within the group -- a move that proves that the Kings are in it to win it. And while I will agree that the brash garage rock of yesteryear worked for these guys for their first couple of releases, it is sometimes this very lack of depth that causes notable bands to lose their luster faster than Shaun Alexander (sorry, sports metaphor).

Like many of the tunes on Because of The Times, Only By The Night has its share of experimental crescendos and solos -- a sign that these guys are starting to think outside of their creative comfort zones. Thankfully, the band no longer feels obligated to replicate the straight-to-the-point, one-dimensional rock of Aha Shake Heartbreak. Album opener, "Closer," which may or may not be ironic depending on how it's read, is chock full of distortion pedal goodness. This aural complexity doesn't stop on the proceeding track, "Crawl," which features a incendiary reverb-induced bass riff from brother Jared. Things really start picking up on the horribly-named, yet near-perfect first single, "Sex On Fire" -- the band's most infectious song to date. The album's standout track, however, is the ballad "Use Somebody," which appears to have stolen that wall of sound, neo-shoegaze from those Brian Eno/Coldplay sessions. Hell, it even contains the "whoa ohs" that Chris Martin has ingrained so thoroughly in our brains. Like any strategically arranged album, the boys slow it down with some decent but forgettable old school Kings songs that will appeal to the masses (see "Revel" and "Manhattan"), but have no fear; things start to get interesting again on "17" -- a song about jailbait that may very well be the prequel or sequel to BoTT's "Knocked Up". "Notion" strikes up some serious resemblances to the band's Youth & Young Manhood days, which serves as a nice blast to the not-too-distant past. The band's musical prowess is evident on "Be Somebody" (not to be confused with "Use Somebody"), and features the clinic-worthy pounding abilities of brother Nathan. The album concludes on a very high note with the slow-building "Cold Dessert," which is, to say the least, a far-cry from the band's "Wasted Time" days.

The unfortunate thing to consider is how much Kings of Leon have developed in a such a short period of time. I say "unfortunate" because I am almost certain that all this experimentation will lead to the inevitable backlash from countless critics who will claim that these guys have strayed too far off the beaten path from their roots. Which to me, is obviously nonsense. Although I am certainly appreciative of the amazing one-two punch of their first records, it's gratifying to see one of the most talented bands step it up notch. Take into account the band's productivity, precocious musical sense, and their relentless touring tendencies, and you've got some kings, er, legends in the making.

My Rating: 8.3/10

The List (Part 8)

For 100-91 (Part 1), click HERE.
For 90-81 (Part 2), click HERE.
For 80-71 (Part 3), click HERE.
For 70-61 (Part 4), click HERE.
For 60-51 (Part 5), click HERE.
For 50-41 (Part 6), click HERE.
For 40-31 (Part 7), click HERE.

30) King of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon successfully evaded the sophomore slump with their American breakthrough Aha Shake Heartbreak. The Followill clan, who successfully took Europe by storm with Youth and Young Manhood, finetuned their sound to make a record that appealed to their own countrymen. They've since never looked back. Leadoff single "The Bucket" was met with considerable acclaim, which really got the ball rolling for these guys. It didn't hurt to have multiple songs featured in commercial campaigns and top-rated TV shows such as "Entourage". Evoking everything from early seventies garage rock to Southern blues, Aha Shake is simply 36 minutes of the decade's best rock music.


29) TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
Any band that can swing a David Bowie collaboration gets the stamp of approval in my book. TV On the Radio's third full length album, Return To Cookie Mountain (a possible Super Mario reference?), did indeed feature Mr. Stardust's background vocals on the brilliant "Province". But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as the record contains a host of other guests that only further cement this album's standing among the best of 2006. The anthemic "Wolf Like Me" is what really launched this Brooklyn band into the indie-rock stratosphere. Big things are expected for TV On The Radio's follow-up, Dear Science, which comes out in just over a month.


28) The Streets - Original Pirate Material (2002)
The first thing that comes to mind when people initially hear The Streets is "England's answer to Eminem". However, if you skim below both Mike Skinner's (his real name) skin color and his delivery, you'll discover that there simply is no comparison. And despite what the pseudonym might imply, Skinner does not exactly lead a thug life. In fact, the content of The Streets' debut completely forsakes stereotypical hip-hop undertones all together -- to the point that some could argue that this is even a rap album at all. Hell, this one could very well fit in the notorious spoken word bin for all I care. But, if you want to get all technical, The Streets is considered "garage" music in the sense that it blends rap, two-step, and reggae. In any case, Skinner is a wizard of wordplay as is evident on a stellar debut.


27) Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)
If Kanye West were to hang up his glow-in-the-dark shutter shades tomorrow, there's no question that Late Registration would be considered his masterpiece. When Mr. West burst onto the scene in 2003, he took hip-hop by storm. Everyone became Kanye-crazy -- so as one can imagine, a lot was at stake for his follow-up. And let's just say he didn't exactly disappoint. Whether it was the Jamie Foxx-duet "Golddigger," or the Curtis Mayfield-sampled "Touch The Sky," Kanye took it to a whole other level with his poppy, radio-friendly blend of hip-hop. Hell, he even made Adam Levine of Maroon 5 fame tolerable with ballad "Heard 'Em Say". The success of this release prompted 'Ye to even release a live album called Late Orchestration, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.


26) The National - Boxer (2007)
The National are just another success story of relentless perseverence. Matt Berninger and gang had been around since 1999 and had been cranking out some pretty excellent records since 2001. However, they only recently started turning some heads last year with the near-flawless fourth album Boxer. Berninger's morose baritone single style is definitely an aquired taste, but if you give the band a chance, you'll discover some pretty deep material here. Just to give you idea of this album's accoladaes: Paste Magazine named it their album of the year, "Mistaken for Strangers" was #92 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Best Songs of 2007, and yes, even Pitchfork (boo!) ranked Boxer #17 in their annual end of the year best-of list.


25) Bob Dylan - "Love And Theft" (2001)
What can I say? Bob's the man. After a forgettable run of albums in the 80's and early 90's, Dylan returned to form with 1997's Time Out of Mind. Earning critical acclaim from nearly every source (and even Album of the Year at the Grammys), this one proved that Bob still had a little gas in his tank. And although many thought that this record would be Dylan's swan song, he returned in 2001 with the equally brilliant "Love And Theft". And as the fantastic 2007 film I'm Not There depicts, this one explores Dylan's continually changing musical persona. Long gone are the days of early 60's folk, mid 60's electric rock, and pretty every other genre that Dylan has straddled throughout his legendary career. "Love And Theft," at its core, is a homage to rockabilly, jazz, jump blues, and country swing -- music that manages to even predate his folk days. How bout them apples?


24) My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (2008)
I think I've driven my point home about this album, so I will spare you my accolades. For my complete review of Evil Urges, click HERE. When the dust settled, this one actually ended up received some pretty mixed reviews (most notably from arch-nemesis Pitchfork), but don't be fooled because Urges actually shows some growth for MMJ in a VERY positive direction. I really like how they progressed from their masterpiece, Z -- so much so that this one steadily gains some ground on its predecessor. I've said it before and I will say it again: My Morning Jacket is the best live band in the world.


23) Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell (2003/2004)
This is yet another controversial Ryan Adams pick, but hell, this one's just a classic to me. Love Is Hell was originally supposed to Ryan's highly-touted follow-up of completely new material since successful breakout Gold. However, one Adams' label listened to the material, they insisted that it was not "commercially viable" and scrapped plans to release it at all. As a result, Ryan was forced to quickly regroup and record Rock N Roll. Upon Ryan's insistence, Lost Highway compromised by choosing to release Love Is Hell as two separate EP's in late 2003 - Love Is Hell pt. 1 and Love Is Hell pt. 2. Both did much better than expected, prompting to release the album as initially conceived in 2004. And here's a fun fact, if any of you ever wondered where I came up with the title for this very blog's name, just listen to "Please Do Not Let Me Go".


22) Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)
After splitting up the Red House Painters -- one of the more under appreciated bands on the '90's -- Mark Kozelek formed Sun Kil Moon with former Painters drummer Anthony Koustos. This move proved to be fortuitous, as Ghosts of the Great Highway soon became Kozelek's best-selling and most critically-received album to date. Inspired by a laundry list of deceased boxers (of all things), Ghosts proved to be a much more quiet and intimate setting for Kozelek. Most of the content on this record is acoustic-driven and lyrically more extroverted than the work from his former band. Drawing up comparisons from everyone from Nick Drake to Neil Young, this album only goes to show that Kozelek is one today's most gifted songwriters. If you've ever seen the Steve Martin/Claire Danes film "Shopgirl," Ghosts is represented in the soundtrack with the inclusion of "Carry Me Ohio," and "Lily and Parrots". As an added bonus, Kozelek himself has a small role in the movie.


21) Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
It boggles my mind that this album was released over eight years ago. I was a junior in high school and I recall fondly hearing "The Real Slim Shady" being incessantly blasted from the cars in the student parking lot. To me, this song was the high school equivalent of "Hey Ya". Ah, the days. And here's an even more mind-boggling stat: The Marshall Mathers LP sold over 1.76 million copies in its first WEEK. Today, in a era of a record industry meltdown, an artist would be lucky to sell this many copies in a YEAR. Needless to say, this record went on to sell 21 million copies worldwide and solidified Eminem as one of the most influential artists of all time. And although he's been laying low for quite awhile now, Eminem is supposedly releasing his forst studio album in four years in late 2008.

Kings of New York

While we're on the topic of tour dates, Kings of Leon just announced plans for their upcoming Only By The Night tour. As reported, the record comes out September 23rd. And as many bands of their stature often do, the boys will be playing an exclusive record release show in new York at Webster Hall on the very same day. The rest of the tour will see the Followill boys criss-cross the country for the following two months with The Whigs, The Stills, and We Are Scientists as support. Here are the announced tour dates:

September
23 New York, NY Webster Hall w/The Whigs

October (w/The Stills and We Are Scientists)
11 Las Vegas, NV The Joint
12 San Diego, CA House of Blues
15 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre
17 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
18 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
20 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
21 Portland, OR Schnitzer Hall
23 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium
25 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
26 Oklahoma City, OK Bricktown Events Center
28 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
29 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
31 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom

November (w/The Whigs and We Are Scientists)
1 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre
3 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
5 Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom
7 Toronto, ONT Kool Haus
8 Detroit, MI The Fillmore
10 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
12 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
15 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Ballroom
18 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
19 Nashville, TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium

In other Kings news, the band's first single from Only By The Night, "Sex On Fire" (no I'm not shitting you), is now up on the band's MySpace.

Charmers

Free MP3 downloads always make Mondays much more tolerable, especially when they are from Kings of Leon. Starting today, the band is giving away a free song HERE from their upcoming album, Only By The Night (out September 23rd). The song is classic Kings -- straight-up Southern rock sprawl. The only catch is that you have to give them your email address. A small price to play for an incredible song.

The List (Part 4)

For 100-91 (Part 1), click HERE.
For 90-81 (Part 2), click HERE.
For 90-71 (Part 3), click HERE.

70) The Thrills - So Much For The City (2003)
For a band born and bred in Ireland, these guys sure have a thing for California. With song titles that include "Big Sur," "Santa Cruz," and "Don't Steal Our Sun," you'd think The Thrills stole a page out of Brian Wilson's songbook. Sure this band got their big break on The O.C., but this should not undermine the musical complexity of this quintet's debut disc. Beach Boy harmonizing mixed in with organs, mandolins, and even harmonicas a la Neil Young make So Much For The City the most Americana disc this side of Dublin. The band's follow-up discs (2004's Let's Bottle Bohemia and 2007's Teenager) went largely unnoticed, but do manage to recreate the formula from City.


69) Beck - Sea Change (2002)
2002 marked a new a milestone for Beck with the appropriately titled Sea Change. Known mostly for his largely experimental catalog and signature idiosyncratic lyrical flow, this album is a complete departure for Mr. Hansen -- one that highlighted his ability to get a little sentimental on us. A record that revolves heavily around the ending of a relationship, this one's a tearjerker, as evidenced by tunes such as "Guess I'm Doing Fine," Lonesome Tears," and "Lost Cause". The formula seemed to work for Beck, as this was his highest charting album to date -- hitting the coveted #8 spot on the Billboard 200. Oddly enough, one of the record's cuts, "The Golden Age," was used as World Series music.


68) Coldplay - Viva La Vida (2008)
Chris Martin (and the other three anonymous Coldplay band members) could have given us a second helping of the slop that was 2005's X&Y. But instead they opted to get their hands dirty and really bounce back from mediocrity on this year's Viva La Vida. Featuring everything from straight up iTunesy pop ("Viva La Vida") to 90's shoegaze ("Yes"), Coldplay really took advantage of Brian Eno's expertise on this new one. I'll spare the details on this one because I am sick of writing about this band. But if you're so inclined, much more of my take on this disc can be found HERE.


67) Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll (2005)
The debut from these South-Londoners ushered in a new genre of rock known as "art wave" in Great Britain -- a movement that included fellow countrymen Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. Calling a spade a spade, this music is as barebones as it gets: layered three-chord crunch backed by Eddie Argos' straight-to-the-point storytelling lyrical sense. Just listen to "Good Weekend" and you'll see that these art punks are as down to Earth as rockers get. They get my seal of approval based on their live show alone -- one that often includes a white screen with projected lyrics as they are spewed from Argos' mouth.


66) Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (2006)
American V, the final sessions before the legend's passing, is a celebration of his life as much as it's a foreshadowing of Cash's death. The morbid crackle in his voice is an instrument all its own on the album -- one that is as crucial as any other on Highways. Cash was a trooper during these final sessions, even boldly recording the days following wife June Carter's death. This album is wonderful bookend to an illustrious career, and even debuted at number one -- his first since Live At San Quentin in 1969. The standout track is "Like The 309" -- Cash's heartbreaking last original and solid indicator that the Man In Black was finally at peace before leaving us.


65) The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)
Before UPS drove "Such Great Heights" into the ground with their incessant ad campaigns, Death Cab's Ben Gibbard and Dntel's Jimmy Taborello collaborated on a pretty sweet electric indie side project about five years ago -- one that got so big, it managed to (at the time) eclipse each member's respective main project. The album went gold before any Death Cab For Cutie album ever earned this status. Spawning several hit singles that were featured in countless movies, television shows, and commercials, this was really the album that put Gibbard on the map. But don't hold your breath for another Postal Service album anytime soon -- Gibbard's got his hands full with Death Cab right now, and in May, Ben was quoted as saying that he doesn't expect to release another PS album "before the end of the decade."


64) Bruce Springsteen - Magic (2007)
Again, I'm biased to musicians who hail from the Garden State. But even I'll admit it doesn't take a lot of convincing to throw a Springsteen album on this list. Although the man lost his touch in the 90's, he came roaring back this decade thanks to his 9/11-inspired opus The Rising and brought the E Street band with him. After a couple of side projects (Devils & Dust, and The Seeger Sessions) the band was back for good with 2007's Magic. And don't think age has softened Mr. Springsteen. Leadoff single "Radio Nowhere" is the most aggressive work he's given us to date. But there's something for everyone here that makes this effort, well, magical. Tunes like "Livin' In The Future" and "Girls In Their Summer Clothes" scream Springsteen from yesteryear, which is always music my ears.


63) Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2007)
Girl's got some problems, but MAN can she sing! I didn't buy into the hype until I actually listened to this album a few times through. I will legitimately go on the record to say that if this walking disaster has the same good fortune as say a Scott Weiland (who is miraculously still alive), then she will be more than a one trick pony here. Bridging the (rather large0 gap between today's pop and classic 60's era Motown, this singer is also surprisingly a songwriter -- collaborating with Mark Ronson on most of the songs on her American debut disc. If she's ever sober enough to get her shit together and make a follow-up to last year's sensation, there's no doubt in my mind that we'll be hearing about this gal for years to come.


62) Kings of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
This Tennessee-based Southern-rock/garage band consists of a trio of precocious brothers, and their cousin -- all of whom share the same last name (Followill). Youth and Young Manhood was a brilliant debut for a group who's members were mostly under the legal drinking age at the time of release. And whether you know it or not, you've definitely heard KOL before, if not on the TV commerical/video game soundtrack circuit. Before these guys struck it big in the States, they got huge in Europe where they opened for the likes of The Strokes and U2. Since the release of their debut, the band has put out two more phenomenal records and actually has another one on the way due this fall.


61) Bob Dylan - Modern Times (2006)
Sure, Dylan's voice is shot on this record. But then again, this man was never really known for his set of pipes. Modern Times is really a continuation of Love & Theft -- an album that departed from Dylan's stylistic folk rock and leaned towards pre-rock blues, rockabilly, and even jazz. Taking advantage of his exremely talented touring band, Dylan gives us lesson in how music used to be made before over-produced records became all the rage. At it's core, each cut on Modern Times sounds as if it was recorded in one take -- making this one anything but modern. Despite a few questionable lyrical references (Alicia Keys, really?!?!), Dylan's still got his edge as America's greatest living songwriter.

Kings of Productivity

Wow. If this is how it's gonna be, 2008 figures to be one of the best years in music as far as I can remember. The surprise album announcements keep comin' in! Following in the footsteps of Beck, The Raconteurs, and Gnarls Barkley, it was just announced that Kings of Leon will be releasing their 4th studio album, called Only By The Night, on September 23rd in the States. This is coming in off the heels of last year's extremely underrated Because of The Times. I didn't even know the band was in the studio. Looks like there was a reason why these guys were mysteriously absent at Bonnaroo this year. Excellent news.