Indie Gold: An Introduction

The year, ladies and gentlemen, is 2010.  This means that I’ve been a devoted follower, listener, and fan of indie music for a good six years now.  And truthfully, there’s a lot of great music that I’ve listened to in those six years, much of which I blogged about right here on Audio Overflow.

But there is a gap there, as you might have noticed in my recent Top 50 Albums of the Decade post.  Perhaps you were caught off guard by the surprising lack of several notable, and worthy albums.  This is perfectly understandable.  There is a ton of music that I just never got around to listening to.  A lot of it, I’m told, is amazing.

So it’s time to play catch-up.

In 2010, a large part of my blogging will be aimed at discovering indie gems that I’ve just never heard, or never gave a fair shot.  I’ve decided to call this series, Indie Gold. Sure, this may sound eerily similar to my 29 in 2009 Series (R.I.P.), but there are a few distinct differences.  Perhaps the most important difference will be that I plan on reviewing EVERY album that is featured in the Indie Gold series.  No more half-assed, meandering write-ups!  Just good ol’ fashioned reviewing!  Secondly, I’m not putting a number on this series.  So where last year I had to force myself to listen to 29 albums in a whole year (in addition to everything else I was doing), this one will go on until I decide it’s time to end it.  Hopefully, these two things will make the content of the series something worth reading.

So if you want to make recommendations, please post them in the comments!  I’ve just started listening to Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and I love it!  Send me some more suggestions, and keep checking back to see if your recommendations make the cut.

The Top 50 Albums of the Last Decade – A Teaser

Oh sure, everyone else was posting their “Best of the ’00s” list months ago.  Not me, though.  I like to wait things out, let things settle, and meditate on all the wonderful music that the last decade hath wrought.  How long does such an endeavor last?  About 20 days apparantly, because I just finished compiling the Top 50 Albums of the Last Decade!

As a teaser to the reveal of the list (which should appear as soon as I write 50 paragraphs about said albums), I’ve included this modified version of the Top 10 to whet your appetite.  Any guesses as to what these 10 albums may be (#5 should be easy to guess)?  Include your guesses in the comments, and we’ll see who gets what right when the final list is revealed soon.

Until then, peace out! 

–Cale

#  Artist Name:  “Album Name”  (Year Released)

1.  ___ ______ _______:  “____ __” (2003)

2.  ______ _______:  “________” (2005)

3.  ___ _____: ” ______ ___ ______” (2003)

4.  ___ _______:  “____ ______” (2002)

5.  _________:  “___ _” (2000)

6.  __ ________:  “_______ _____ __ ___ _____” (2004)

7.  ___:  “_________ _ _____” (2008)

8.  _____ _____:  “_____ __ ____” (2007)

9.  ____:  “__________” (2003)

10.  ___ ____ _____:  “_______ ___ ____” (2005)

2010 State of the Blog

Well 2009 is winding down, and that means its time for me to once again reevaluate where I stand with this blog.  Do I continue as I did in 2009, or do I go full-speed like 2008?  Do I quit?  Unfortunately, 2010 has no road map.  I have no goals set, as I have for every other year of Audio Overflow’s existence.  But before I get into where this blog is heading, let’s look back at 2009.

Back in late 2008 I decided to stop blogging on a daily basis.  This continued into 2009, a year in which I only posted 75 updates to the blog.  Despite this, 2009 was Audio Overflow’s most-successful year to date as far as web traffic is concerned.  In fact, over 50% of Audio Overflow’s traffic (from 2006 on) came this year.  A big part of that was the 29 in 2009 series, which kept people coming back every time a new update came around.  Then my Best and Worst of ’09 lists also helped give the blog the biggest month in its history.  Big reviews like The Decemberists’ Hazards of Love didn’t hurt either.  Of course, the biggest source of traffic this year was Audio Overflow’s archives, which now feature 3 years’ worth of articles, lists, and reviews.  Put simply, Google has been good to us (or, um, me).

But enough about 2009.  2010 is just a few hours away, and while I don’t have any long-term “goals” for the year, I do have some promises. 

• More Reviews  |  Honestly, 2009 was a pretty piss-poor year for Audio Overflow’s music reviews.  Not counting the 29 in 2009 series, I only reviewed 8 albums this year.  Weak sauce.  So in 2010, I promise to bring more of the in-depth reviews that you’ve come to expect of me in the past.  The first one is coming up next Tuesday, January 5th, and it’s sure to be a fun one (in more ways than one).
• More News  |  Audio Overflow has never been a big “news” blog.  Other blogs post several news updates a day, but I’ve always been focused on making Audio Overflow about original content.  While that will continue to be the focus of the blog in 2010, regular news updates about my (and your) favorite artists are to be expected.
• Twitter Integration  |  I honestly think Twitter is a fad (despite what everyone is saying), but that won’t keep me from utilizing it to make this blog better.  My plan for the @audiooverflow Twitter page is to make it a quick source for Audio Overflow updates.  As of right now, all posts on the blog are automatically tweeted with a link back to the blog.  I’ll also be using Twitter to give you updates as to what I’m listening to, blog contests, artist updates, etc.  So if you haven’t started following @audiooverflow yet, now’d be a good time to start.
• More Features  |  29 in 2009 was a huge undertaking for me.  I wouldn’t plan on seeing anything of that size for a while, but I can guarantee that 2010 will see the return of some of the old Audio Overflow features that you used to expect.  That includes, Top 5 Fridays, Random Rants, Retro Reviews and probably a few new ones as well.

Whatever 2010 brings, I can certainly guarantee that it will be a much better year for Audio Overflow.  Promise 🙂

–Cale

The New Look

We are at the dawn of 2010, people.  10 years ago I was a sophomore in high school, digging on the new Limp Bizkit album, and rocking the trombone in the marching band.  A lot can happen in 10 years.  As I grew up, stopped watching MTV, and started getting exposed to other types of music, my tastes changed.

To celebrate the start of the new decade, I have changed the look of Audio Overflow slightly to pay tribute to some of the artists that helped shape the way I think about and consume music.  The design of the blog will continue to get tweaked until January, but I wanted to go ahead and give you all a sneak peek at the new look so that I can collect some feedback before finalizing things.

Audio Overflow version 2.0 (aka. The Big Brown) had just turned 2 years old.  It was time for a change.

Please leave a comment, letting me know what you think of the new look.  And don’t forget to throw suggestions my way too!

Black Friday Giveaway!

Oh sure, you can go brave the horrendous checkout lines and brutal parking lots for a $5 discount on some really neat mittens that your aunt Edith will just looooove, or you could just keep reading for a chance to win a free CD of your choice.  More or less…

If you’ve been to the blog in the last month, you’re well-acquainted with the above image.  All you have to do win this giveaway is tell me the artist and album title of all 20 albums in the image, clockwise starting from the top left corner.  The first person to send a private message to my twitter account with all 20 albums correctly listed will win: Reader Gary was kind enough to point out all the ways Twitter sucks.  The first person to send me an email with all 20 albums correctly listed will win:

• 1 copy of an album from Audio Overflow’s Top 15 Albums of 2009.  Your choice!

Clearly, this also means that you’ll get a sneak peak at what the Top 15 will be (only half of those albums in the picture are in the Top 15).  The tension is killing you, I know.

So go ahead and shoot a PM @audiooverflow an email to audiooverflow@gmail.com with your guesses.  Submit your answers even if you don’t know all 20.  If by this time next week, no one has guessed correctly, I’ll pick the person with the highest correct answers.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

And the Winner Is…

Thanks to all of you who entered into the Wallpaper. Giveaway!  In the end, only one person could walk away the winner (duh), and that person is Janell from Chicago!  Congratulations, Janell on the win.  I hope you enjoy the heck out of your album/t-shirt!

For everyone else, remember that Wallpaper’s debut, Doodoo Face hits stores and iTunes tomorrow, September 22.  If you’re on the fence about it, never fear.  Eenie Meenie has provided the album in its entirely for your streaming pleasure.  CLICK THIS LINK TO CHECK IT OUT! 

Review up by the end of the week.

–Cale

29 in 2009: The Final 9

Many thanks go out to all of you who voted for your favorite albums to be featured in the final 9 slots in the 29 in 2009 series.  As of the moment of this writing, I’ve added up all the votes and come up with the winners of the voting.  Unfortunately, not every record could make it (obviously), but I am pretty happy with the results of the voting.  It’s filled with stuff I’ve heard in passing, stuff I’ve never heard of, and stuff I’m pretty sure I’m going to loathe (lookin’ at you, Sonic Youth).

Check out the full list of 29 after the break, as well as the total votes that each album received.  Click HERE to check it out!

The full list of albums:

1. Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
2. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King
3. The Who: Tommy
4. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
5. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
6. Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers
7. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
8. Buddy Holly: Buddy Holly
9. Jethro Tull: Aqualung
10. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground and Nico
11. The Doors: The Doors
12. The Clash: London Calling
13. The Allman Brothers: Eat a Peach
14. Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
15. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
16. The Smiths: The Queen is Dead
17. R.E.M.: Murmur
18. Joni Mitchell: Blue
19. Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson
20. Led Zepplin: House of the Holy
21. Pink Floyd:  Dark Side of the Moon
22. Frank Zappa:  Over-Nite Sensation
23. Joy Division:  Unknown Pleasures
24. David Bowie:  The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
25. Sonic Youth:  Daydream Nation
26. Janis Joplin:  Pearl
27. The Rolling Stones:  Exile on Main St.
28. Tom Waits:  Rain Dogs
29. The Beach Boys:  Pet Sounds

Totally unformatted list of nominees and the votes they received:

Beach Boys:  Pet Sounds – 17

Tom Waits:  Rain Dogs – 14

Rolling Stones;  Exile on Main St. – 14

Janis Joplin:  Pearl – 13

Sonic Youth:  Daydream Nation – 12

David Bowie:  Ziggy Stardust – 11

Joy Division:  Unknown Pleasures – 10

Frank Zappa:  Over-Nite Sensation – 9

Pink Floyd:  Dark Side – 9

U2:  Joshua Tree – 9 (Lost in tie-breaker)

Pink Floyd:  Piper at the Gates of Dawn – 8

Pink Floyd:  Wish You Were Here – 8

Van Morrison:  Astral Weeks – 8

Marvin Gaye:  What’s Going On – 7

Talking Heads: Remain in Light – 6

Syd Barrett:  The Madcap Laughs – 6

Bob Marley:  Legend – 6

Television:  Marquee Moon – 6

XTC:  Skylarking – 6

Elvis Costello:  This Year’s Model – 5

Black Sabbath:  Paranoid – 5

Cream:  Fresh Cream – 5

Iggy Pop:  Lust for Life – 4

XTC:  English Settlement – 3

George Harrison:  All Things Must Pass – 3

Rush: Hemispheres – 2

Frank Zappa:  Apostrophe – 2

Jackson C. Frank – 0

29 in 2009: Cast Your Vote for the Final 9 Albums!

[UPDATE:] I’ve fixed the 3rd poll. You can now choose up to 3, rather than just 1.

It’s time, folks! If you recall, back in May I asked the readers of Audio Overflow which albums should I feature in the final 9 entries in the 29 in 2009 series. Below it the fruit of your labor…another opportunity for you to decide which albums will be chosen. Granted, this time things will be a bit more definite, but still.

So the rules are easy. Pick up to 3 albums in each of the polls below. The 9 albums with the highest votes will be entered into the 29 in 2009 series. In the event of a tie, I’ll be the deciding vote.

So get to clickin’, people. Voting ends when it ends. And remember, an artist will only appear once in this series, so vote for your favorite Pink Floyd album…not all of them!

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

29 in 2009: The Final 9 – Nominations

It’s only May, and by all accounts, I’m nowhere near finishing this 29 in 2009 series. Despite that, I’m fulfilling a promise I made to you guys back in February that I would let you decide what the final albums on the list would be. That process starts today:

Step 1: Take a look at the list of albums that have already been selected to be a part of this series.

1. Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
2. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King
3. The Who: Tommy
4. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
5. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
6. Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers
7. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
8. Buddy Holly: Buddy Holly
9. Jethro Tull: Aqualung
10. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground and Nico
11. The Doors: The Doors
12. The Clash: London Calling
13. The Allman Brothers: Eat a Peach
14. Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
15. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
16. The Smiths: The Queen is Dead
17. R.E.M.: Murmur
18. Joni Mitchell: Blue
19. Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson
20. Led Zepplin: House of the Holy

Step 2: Take a look at the following list of albums that have already been nominated by readers like yourself.

1. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were here
2. Rush: Hemispheres
3. George Harrison: All Things Must Pass
4. Bob Marley: Legend
5. Cream: Fresh Cream
6. Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
7. Pink Floyd: Piper at the Gates of Dawn
8. Frank Zappa: Apostrophe
9. Frank Zappa: Over-Nite Sensation
10. The Doors: Self-Titled
11. David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust
12. Van Morrison: Astral Weeks
13. Elvis Costello: This Year’s Model
14. Television: Marquee Moon
15. Tom Waits: Rain Dogs
16. Janis Joplin: Pearl
17. Iggy Pop: Lust for Life
18. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

Step 3: If there is an album that you’d like to see be a part of the 29 in 2009 series but do not see on either list, nominate it by leaving a comment. Note: No nominations will be accepted by artists who have already been selected (i.e. No Quadrophenia, sorry Who fans).

Step 4: Wait and watch. After a sufficient number of albums have been nominated, I’ll post them all to the site in a poll format to allow all readers to have a say on the final 9 albums.

Thanks for participating, and as always, for reading.

–Cale

Hey, AO is on Last.fm

So this is probably not all that big of a surprise to you, say, if you happen to look to the right half of your screen every time you visit Audio Overflow – but we’re on Last.fm!

For those of you completely out of the loop, Last.fm is this sort of social networking site that revolves entirely around music. You install this little file on your computer, and everything else is done for you. Every time you listen to a song on your computer or iPod, it is “scrobbled” to your Last.fm page for everyone to see. Say you’re like me and you’re listening to a lot of Serge Gainsbourg lately; you want to know who else is listening to the guy. Last.fm can help you make connections that way! More importantly, if you want to keep up with what your friends are listening to, Last.fm is the easiest way to do that.

I know that this all sounds like a paid advertisement for Last.fm. It’s not. But I wanted to make it known that you should be friends with Audio Overflow on Last.fm for two reasons:

1. I currently have none 😦
2. It’ll help you keep track of what I’m listening to, especially if you’re on the lookout for your recommendation in the 29 in 2009 series.

If you’re down, feel free to head over to Last.fm and add “audiooverflow” as a friend. I’ll never talk bad about you behind your back. Promise.