Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Album of the Year (and, no, it's not the long-lost Sisqo studio album you've heard so much about. Wrong-wra-wrong-wrong-wrong.)


My Morning Jacket - Off the Record

My Morning Jacket - Lay Low

The following is a series of events and proclamations that are sure to change your life from this moment forth:

1) Yesterday, My Morning Jacket’s newest album, ‘Z’, came out and I purchased it, eagerly. 2) In a kickass attempt at rewarding their fans they included a free 7” record to go along with the cd. The record-collecting geek in me ("is there any other part?", you might sarcastically wonder...I say, "Screw you" for even potentially wondering that.) loves them already. 3) After thoroughly enjoying their previous record, "It Still Moves" I was really looking forward to this album. 4) At the time this post went to press, I have listened to the entire disc about 5 times in a 24 hour period, I have no reservation in declaring that ‘Z’ is the Album of the Year. (I'm issuing a pre-emptive "move over" order to The Darkness' upcoming album, "One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back!") 5) Seriously. 'Z' is really flippin' great. 6) I’m not trying to pull anything over on anybody, this album is really that good. 7) Alright, you wanna know who the competition is? It’s better than Beck’s “Guero”, Sam Prekop’s “Who’s Your New Professor”, Lyrics Born’s “Same Sh!t Different Day”, Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinois”, both Iron & Wine’s EPs, Josh Rouse’s “Nashville”, and it’s beating out Edan’s “Beauty and the Beat” by an eyelash. 7) I’ll be going with my older brother (Duke Koopa) to see them at The Vogue theatre on October 23 and I can hardly keep from dropping a hot, steamy load in my shorts at the thought of how great this show is going to be. 8) The show at The Vogue will cost you a scant $15.

Download the tracks and get ready to have your cornhole rocked six ways to Sunday. Then, leave a comment and go to the show at The Vogue with me and my bro on Sunday, the 23rd. (If you didn't get around to downloading "Wordless Chorus", the opening track on the album, the link is still active in my "Last Good Day of the Year" post.)

Enjoy the rest of your day, hideawayheads.

Update 10/12: In case you need affirmation of this album's greatest beyond The American Mastodon and myself, this week's The Onion gave the album a rave review: "It's both rare and marvelous to hear a good band make its first really great album...The record is undeniably the work of My Morning Jacket—all grandeur and pounding heart—but Z's take-a-shot spirit is bound up in the nutty, insanely catchy "Off The Record," which stacks up a stolen surf riff, a reggae rhythm, lurching vocals, and an extended, spacey coda. At first it sounds too wild and beastly to be any good, but the hook is as infectious as freedom, and around the third time through the song, doubts dissolve. If it takes some time to adjust to, it's only because it's hard to recognize a classic right away."

3 comments:

BK/CK said...

Links seem to be OK. Somebody has already downloaded using them.

I'll see you and Palozzy at the shizzy.

Get your paws on this album asap. It's 'F'enomenal, with an F, cuz it's so F'n good.

Mathis said...

I saw MMJ at a concert in LA a year or so ago and disliked the venue and the performance so much that I lost any interest in them.

That said, a friend gave me this album a couple of weeks ago and I agree that it's easily one of the year's best. In fact, funnily enough, even before reading your post, I'd been singing a few of their songs to myself in the back of my head.

However, better than Sufjan... hmmm... it's close.

BK/CK said...

AM - Good to have you back in the hideaway fold. Both the MMJ and Sufjan albums are something totally fresh and different. Both groups are using a bigger musical palette this time around, and it'll be tough for both to top these albums. Everything they do from this point on will be compared to these albums. So, both are great, and it comes down to personal preference from there...

I'll post up some Sufjan tracks and see what people think.