--- In audities@yahoogroups.com, "Stewart Mason" <craigtorso@...> 
Mid year favs:
> 4. SUBTITULO -- Josh Rouse ("His Majesty Rides")
> 
> Rouse's last few albums have felt kind of like genre experiments, 
but 
> this one takes the best stylistic elements from both NASHVILLE and 
> 1972 and incorporates them into the direct singer-songwriter vibe 
of 
> his earlier records.


I never owned anything by Rouse until 5 months ago or so. Now via 
emusic and purchases I've made I have most of his discs. If forced 
to pick I think I'd say I like Subtitulo best. But then again, I've 
become a pretty big fan. At the moment my fav song on it is "Quiet 
Town".  Anyway, Subtitulo springs to mind as my fav of the year. 

The other I really have enjoyed is Camera Obscura. Thanks to 
Audities.


Stewart continued:
> 5. THE DRIFT -- Scott Walker ("Clara")
> 
> TILT was, truthfully, an album I respected more than I actually 
> enjoyed; rather like, say, TROUT MASK REPLICA, it's an album you 
have 
> to meet halfway.  THE DRIFT is, in some ways, even more extreme 
than 
> TILT (a percussion track featuring a guy punching a side of 
meat?), 
> yet it's considerably more accessible in its song structure and 
vocal 
> style, and about as lyrically direct as Walker's ever been.

 I have The Drift but have still only sampled tiny bits of it. I'm 
so mood dependent on listening to some things and I just have not 
treaded in very deep yet.  I understand it also has the sound of a 
distressed sounding donkey and later Scott doing a weird Bugs Bunny 
voice. I have no point to make regarding this....

For any Walker Brothers fans a box set is coming out with previously 
unreleased tracks (good ones I hear). 

Like Walker, another old fav and unheard of from a long time...Tom 
Verlaine has two new releases that I like but I have not lost my 
mind over them yet. Time will tell.

From last year I've been listening to The Decemberists and enjoying 
it very much.  Seems to have staying power for me.
 

A tidbit:
Tommy Stinson is now playing with the reformed Soul Asylum. I never 
LOVED Soul Asylum's records as much as other MPLS bands but live 
Pirner was fun to watch. The idea of Stinson playing off Pirner 
might be cool to see. 

Best, Steve D
NR: Manhunt 
OT Related: today (7-7) marks the anniversary of Booth's accomplices 
being hanged. For those scoring at home. ;)