Hustle & Flow 2007 (Hogan's Best of)

So it's no lie that this blog is actually just a free place for me to either reference major life changes or to talk about music every year or so. I'm sure that's particularly hard to hear for all of you who subscribe to my blog in your RSS reader on a weekly basis (cue cricket noise and tumbleweed).

In any case.. it's that time of year again, for random people like myself to tell you what the best music of the year is. Well.. I'm not gonna do that. I'm just going to share with you my favorite songs of 2007 and to tell you why. In reality it's just a vehicle for me to share you my favorite Eric Estrada poster of the year.

Here are the liner notes for my best songs of 2007...

Keep the Car Running by Arcade Fire

I couldn't think of a better song to start out with than this one. I must admit McKinley had to twist my arm to get into these guys, but when I did.. I did big. One of the highlights of the decade (yes decade) for me was this concert. The all night road trip across Missouri with the great friends, alone made it a blast.. but to show up and see a performance with this kind of energy, musicianship and overall aura pretty much blew me away. I've seen a lot of shows and this is definately top 5 of all time. Keep the Car Running like many other Arcade Fire songs is peppered with biblical imagery. I'm not exactly sure what this song is about but lyrics like ... "If some night I don’t come home, Please don’t think I’ve left you alone. The same place animals go when they die, You can’t climb across a mountain so high. The same city where I go when I sleep, You can’t swim across a river so deep." seem to me to demonstrate a duality of fear and anticipation about the eventual end and where that will lead him, whether it be Heaven or some other place.

This is the best clip I could find of them performing this live. Unfortunately it's a BBC appearance, but hopefully it gives you some idea of how chaotically energetic this band is live. If you ever get a chance, don't miss it. Definately worth a 5 hour drive.

Play Your Cards Right by Common feat. Bilal

I admit it, I'm becoming a closet Common fan. I'm somewhat out of touch with the whole hip-hop/rap scene these days, but it's hard to refute the burgeoning talent of rapper/producers like Jay Z, Kanye and Common. For the most part, this is just a really fun song to listen to. Common, like many of his contemporaries has the ability to produce songs that utilize the best pieces of forgotten 70's and 80's obscure licks and transform them into the anthem of the night. This was the standout song from the "Smokin' Aces" soundtrack. The movie itself was so-so, but it's worth seeing just for the large array of cameo appearances (including Common himself) and the raw action that ensues. No one else can sum up so much wisdom in so few words like Common when he says "Sometime to make peace, you need a full clip!" ... So true Common, so true...

Heretics by Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird's album Armchair Apocrypha is definately one of 2007's best. Call me lazy, but I decided to put two of his songs from that album on my best of just because. So sue me, jerk! Anyhow, I don't really know much about this dude. From his Wikipedia entry it seems like he was schooled in something called the "Suzuki Method" which is some combination of total music emersion from the time you are very young and tea-sipping, tree hugging hippyness. Either way, it results in some cool tunes.

Reckoner by Radiohead

Wicked song from a good album. This one grew on me too. My first reaction to "In Rainbows" was, ehh. I still don't necessarily feel like the album is a perfect comprehensive piece, because it doesn't flow well together. It feels more like a compilation of a bunch of different kinds of songs to me, but that's cool. It results in some great tracks. Reckoner fits the typical echoey haunting sounds that Thom Yorke is a master at crooning to. Plus it has a cool beat.

For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver

Props again to McKinley for helping me stumble upon this guy. Apparently he was in a band for some time that broke up, and he retreated to a secluded cabin in northern Wisconsin for 4 months by himself to record this album. While those circumstances shouldn't matter when I'm listening to music, I can't help but think about how lonely and isolated he felt. I think it really comes out in his music in a serene and elegant kind of way. I believe Emma was his mother.

Please Baby Please by Jon Hardy & The Public

Another album that deserved multiple tracks on my best of, was Jon Hardy & The Public's "Working in Love". This album is a great collection of tunes about love had, and love lost. The amazing ability of Jon Hardy himself to layer complex emotional themes into catchy songs is astounding. Besides just song writing, just about all of the songs have a different musical feel and arrangement. I rarely feel like its just more of the same old thing when I listen track by track. The addition of a horn section was genius in particular as this song, while a throw-back to a time before the band was born, rivals it's predecessors in no small way.

Plus Ones by Okkervil River

When, on our 3am conversation on the road back from Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem, Janous told me that Okkervil River was his top band of 06 and that midlake wasn't even on his list, i took great pause. "Outlandish!" was probably not the word I used, but you get the idea. These dudes are still growing on me, but thanks to Bryan's prodding, I really did take to this song. You'll notice it's filled with witty references to a breadth of older songs with numbers in the title. Not sure why I like it so much, but it was clever and it just stuck in my head.

Scenic World (Version) by Beirut

Once again, a 20 something acordian playing kid from New Mexico got something right. This remix of a song from his debut album appeared earlier this year on the EP "Lon Gisland" (get it?) Anyhow... this is an amazing song, and even though he put out an entire other album after it, this is still my favorite song of his this year.

Sea Legs by The Shins

I almost forgot this came out in 2007. The thing is, I think the Shins keep getting better and better. Sure, they had a much cooler feel when no-one knew who they were, but the entire "Wincing the Night Away" album is a great comprehensive piece that I can listen to front to back effortlessly. I'm not certain what this song is about, but being a big fan of nautical imagery, lyrics like... "Of all the intersecting lines in the sand, I routed a labyrinth to your lap
and never used a map sliding off the land, On an incidental tide, And along the way you know, they tried, They tried.." are not lost on me completely.




Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine

I like just about everything that Sam Beam has done. This is no exeption. Again, an album I can listen to front and back. Some critics might not like it for it's larger instrumental scope or better production value, seeing as how that's a departure from his rather low-fi soft melodies, but I love the variety and the broader musical strokes. That being said, I probably picked the simplest, but in my opinion sweetest song on the album. Most folks will pick Resurrection Fern, which is also an awesome tune, but this song makes me want to weep instantly when I hear it, and I don't even know (as usual) what the hell it's about.

The Plot by White Rabbits

It's not every day you see home boys from the same zip code start getting notable fame in indie circles. These guys are pretty talented. They performed this live on Letterman earlier this year. I'm pretty sure my wife, at some point, made out with the drummer... but hopefullly that was in middle school and not last week. I can't tell for sure. Actually that might have been her friend Sara. Whatever... it's cooler to say it was my wife.. since he's a big time rock star now. Great musicianship and stage performance. These guys have a lot of energy and are fun to watch.

Drivin' Me Wild by Common (Feat. Lily Allen)

So once again, I am a sucker for meaningless hip-hop. This is a fun song to listen to and again, amazing production value. Seems like Common is best suited to collaborate with folks, rather than do stuff on his own.

Right Moves by Josh Ritter

Not sure why it's taken me so long to get into Josh Ritter. Nate has preached to me that this guy is nothing short of genius. I'm slowly finding this to be true. Talk about a litmus test for song-writing ability. This guy weaves all kinds of metaphor and nature terminology all while making fun songs to sing along to. This song in particular resonates with me because of it's vulnerability. I think this is why I like this genre of music so much. It's raw ability to connect with real folks, with real insecurities in lyrics like... "Am I making all the right moves, Am I singing you the right blues, Is there a chance that I could call you, Just to see how you are doing?" really resonate with me.

Saltbreakers by Laura Veirs

I honestly don't know much about Laura. I know she is a pacific northwest girl (you can tell just by listening to her music) and that her recent album "Saltbreakers" was in some way produced with the help of one of The Decemberists (one of my favorite bands). Again, I'm a sucker for nautical imagery (Saltbreakers is code for "big waves"). In paticular the chorus (and the bandmates echo) remind me of a couple harrowing experiences I had in 15 foot waves on the North Shore of Hawaii in November... "Saltbreakers.. (flashing in the night, crashing all around my eyes), Saltbreakers... (throwing me down turning on the fire flies), Saltbreakers...
(the ebb and the flood, clearing all the channels of your heart)..

She had a submit your music video contest. This got 4th place, but it's my favorite...



Spare-Oh's by Andrew Bird

Oddly enough this is the second song on the mix that references a "flightless bird". What kind of tree-hugging hippy have I become? Perhaps I'm being obtuse here.. but it seems fairly ironic that a guy named Andrew Bird would have a picture of a bird on his album, sing about sparrows and swallows and robins and whistle like a parakeet in half of his songs? Anyhow.. yes.. I put two songs from this album on here. It's that good. I think he sounds like Thom Yorke in this song. He's a great crooner and as a vocalist myself, I love tight harmonies.

Someone Great by LCD Soundsystem

There is a reason why Pitchfork Media has two songs from "Sound of Silver" in their top 10 of 2007. I believe "All of My Friends" is actually their number one of the year. Great song, but I like this one better. Maybe it's my long-time affection for electronica, or the fact that I saw this performed right before the Arcade Fire show in KC, but this song does such a great job of being experimental and melodic all in the same song. Usually it's one or the other. Plus, you can tell this song is embattled with heart ache and lessons learned which shows emotional depth and a capacity for more than just bloops and bleeps. If you had to pick up 2 albums for all of 2007, buy LCD Soundsystem's "Sound of Silver", and Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible". I love this song!

Cassius Clay by Jon Hardy & The Public

The best song on "Working in Love" hands down. Perfectly demonstrates Jon Hardy's ability to write great music. I think you just have to listen to this song to really appreciate it. Obvious remnants of an empassioned love-worn song-writer, demonstrate the paradox of the being a band front-man while struggling desparately not to lose the humility and earnestness that got him there in lyrics like... " I'm like Cassius Clay, but you're the name that we all say!"

The Thanks I Get! by Wilco

The only downside to this song is that it was used in some stupid car commercial. Not sure why this wasn't the lead single for Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky", instead of it simply ending up a bonus track on early releases. Definately my favorite by Wilco in 2007. Sure it's poppy, but it's still got all of Wilco's grit and grime, all wrapped up in a catchy tune. I think a lot of people are ashamed to like a band's more mainstream sounding songs. This song is right up there for me with "Kamera," "Theologians," and "Jesus etc.". I just really think they make some great pop songs, alright? Quit judging me!"

Deep Blue Sea by Grizzly Bear

These guys sound like they're from some remote corner of Canada with their weird low-fi sound. Most of the stuff sounds like it was recorded in a big warehouse or something. I love it though. "Yellow House" was their debut album in 2006. Definately worth investing in. I ran into this song earlier this year because they apparently woke up one morning and sent the word out that they wanted to play a song for their fans on the beach, so they performed this cover of the old tune "Deep Blue Sea". The video below is actually better than the track on the CD, because the band harmonizes so well, which is lost on the track itself. Note: Yet again, another nautical reference. I love this stuff. Watch this, it's worth it...

Campbell Rebecca Hogan

Hey everyone! Thanks for all of your love and support of the Hogan family over the last few days. Looks like we're all doing pretty well. Still trying to get adjusted to life with 3 kids under the age of 5.

















Let me introduce to you our new addition, weighing in at 6lbs even and a mere 18 1/4 inches long... Campbell Rebecca Hogan was born on Friday, March 2nd at 9:16am!

06' Hustle and Flow (Best of 2006)

I'm such a blogger - poser. I sorta forgot about this whole thing. Mostly because no-one read it in the first place, but i don't care. It's a nice place to come back to every now and then. I'll have to be more diligent moving forward.

So, I'm no music aficionado or anything, but in the last year and a half, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of music that I had been ignoring for some time. Getting married, having kids, being in grad school and working have all contributed to my lack of connectedness in the music world. Thanks to friends like McKinley, Woodard, Janous and Peel I've been able to get re-connected to my old passion of finding and listening to really good music that isn't the typical mainstream BS.

In any case, here's my track list for my best of 2006 CD. Take it or leave it, it's what I'm listening to and really enjoying at the moment. These aren't necessarily in any order, or have any great lyrical value. I just really like listening to each. Some have better stories than others, some are just fun to listen to, and some are good representatives of a greater album. Hope you enjoy.

Roscoe by midlake

Easy favorite for one of the best songs of the year by most blogs and music enthusiasts. These guys are from Denton, TX and have a sound that's reminiscent of a Fleetwood Mac meets something cool from the 80's sound. The intro reminds me of the "MASH" theme song. There's something hauntingly familiar about their songs. They make me think of small Irish rural farming towns at the turn of the century with stone barns on overcast days. Their album "Trials of Van Occupanther" is easily my favorite album of 2006. PS-- These guys look like what Mike Kuhn and Nate Woodard would look like if they were in a band.

Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela

Thanks to Janous, I learned about these guys only weeks ago. I haven't even heard their whole album, but what I've heard is amazing. They're actually Latinos living in Ireland or something like that. She has a very flamenco guitar style while he jams faster than anything I've ever seen. Check out the video of them performing live..

Sukie in the Graveyard by Belle and Sebastian

The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian is probably my second favorite album of the year. I listened to their stuff in the past and never really liked it, but for some reason all of a sudden, I really do. They're clever, talented musicians with Scottish accents and alltogether kind of silly, a perfect combination for me. Here's a video of them performing this live...

Online by Gnarls Barkley

Even though I refused (for way too long) to believe the hype that this album could be a best of 2006 (especially after being worn out on "Crazy", I finally listened to it in full and it's actually really good. My daughter and I have a game we play to this song oddly enough. It's only 1:48 minutes long, but it's got a great groove and something I wanted to squeeze in to give "St. Elsewhere" the props it deserves.

Postcards from Italy by Beirut

Quirky, polka sounding, sometimes accordion based music isn't normally on the top of my play-list, but there's something strangely clever and pleasant about Beirut. Wikipedia classifies his sound as "gypsy-folk-pop". Hmm. I'd qualify this as one of the better songs on the album, but the entire album "Gulag Orkestar" is really nice to listen to. I don't know much about the one-man band. But you can learn more here.

Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn and John

These guys are a bit wack, but they're Swedish, what can you expect? This song is pretty quirky. It annoyed the hell out of me at first, but now I can't get it out of my head. I don't think their whole album is that good, but this song is fun. Check out the music video of this song. It actually made me like the song even more...



Panic Open String by Calexico

It never occurred to me to listen to Calexico without Iron and Wine, but I did this year, and "Garden Ruin" is actually a pretty good album. I saw them perform on ACL Concert Series on PBS and I was amazed by their musicianship. This song is kind of chill, but i like it. Sorry, don't have much more to say, it's just a nice song to listen to. Sue me!

Summersong by The Decemberists

"The Crane Wife" is a great album. I still like "Picaresque" better, but I'm looking forward to seeing this show live in April. This song is more of an homage to the album. It's not my favorite song or anything, but it has a nice sound. (again, sue me)

That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! by Sufjan Stevens

By far my favorite artist in a long time. I'm so mad I missed his concert in STL. Just about everything he does is gold. "Illinois" in 2005 is one of the best all time albums in my opinion, and "Seven Swans" before it was pretty solid. I know this song is probably several years old, but it showed up on his 2006 Christmas Music compilation. It's vintage Sufjan: melancholy and soft, but it has powerfully conflicted themes of trying to enjoy the holidays amidst the turmoil that is family chaos. I identify with this song more than just about any other Christmas song sadly. It ends with an uplifting, and somewhat convicting sentiment as he convinces himself "In time, the Lord will rise... In time the Lord will rise!" Great reminder when life's circumstances suck.

Game Theory by The Roots

I admit it. I'm a new Roots fan. This title track really takes a turn at :56. Be patient. It gets good! Many critics are saying this is their best album yet! Hoping to see them live in March. The song is part of a huge mix, so it ends really abruptly. Sorry about that. Never really got into their stuff before. Questlove was featured frequently on Dave Chapelle which is where I first started listening to him. He even did an awesome skit with Dave and John Mayer on the ways different races respond to music. It's hilarious. I would've posted it, but Comedy Central sued You Tube for posting their stuff, so they had to take it down. Bastards!

Song for You by Alexi Murdoch

Would've never heard of this Nick Drake-sounding chap, but thanks to Zac I'm a big fan. Great chill out album, that really does sound like the late great Nick Drake from the 60s-70s. This song makes me think of my wife. She probably hates the song, knowing how keenly receptive I am to her sensitivities, but in any case it's got a sweet melody with a calming overtone.

The Blues Are Still Blue by Belle and Sebastian

Another great example of a song that I now like better after seeing the video. Very clever, and spritish and finally a video I don't feel like I have to repent after seeing. From "The Life Pursuit"...

Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic) by The Raconteurs

Friends from Detroit, Jack White, The Greenhornes and Brendan Benson got together to form "The Raconteurs" and they've made a pretty big mark all of a sudden. The original of this song is great, but I really like the acoustic version too. Not as many people have heard this version. I love the herky-jerky strum pattern in the intro that's carried out thru the song. I think Brendan Benson's poppy-ness is what got me interested in this. I'm not really a huge fan of The White Stripes (sad to say) or The Greenhornes on their own, but putting em all together, I really like their sound.

Silver City by Ghostland Observatory

Ok, so this is a blatant rip-off of McKinley's "Best of 2006" , but he did introduce it to me after The Black Keys show that we went to (and after having a brisk pee in the Mississippi River just for kicks). Clips of these guys live look awesome. They own the stage. This guy is very Freddy Mercuryish, and this song probably doesn't show the energy that they seem to have onstage, but it's still my favorite. Cool electro-acoustic blend. McKinley claims they were the stand-out performance at last years ACL. Ok, I know I've You Tubed you to death, but this is a clip of them performing live. Check out this dude's moves on stage!

Multiply (In a Minor Key) by Jamie Lidell

Woodard introduced many of us to the original in 2005. This remix came out last year on a separate EP. At first I hated it, because it was different, but I really like how completely different the song sounds and I actually like it a lot now. Can't get it out of my head.

The Iliad by Tapes 'n Tapes

I had to pick just one song from Tapes N' Tapes "The Loon". "Cowbell" is a great song, but for some reason, I like this one better. Very strange but cool sound. It's a mysterious message filled with mythical undercurrents (code for, I have no idea what this song is about) but my favorite lyric is the chorus: "The Burning Sighs of Sirens Lies". huh?

Rootless Tree by Damien Rice

Damien Rice's sophomore debut long-awaited follow up from "O" is an album called "9". It was one of the most disappointing albums of the year. Mostly whiny, depressing music. This song however is a great paradox demonstrating what can only be the echoes of this guy's bipolar back and forth between whisper quiet and angry screaming. I like the song because it sounds like a nice little radio song for the first 30 seconds and then the chorus is him screaming "FU! FU!". Warning, it's explicit, but that doesn't mean it's not a good song.

Chips Ahoy! by The Hold Steady

It took awhile for me to like "The Hold Steady". Josh "the dirt" Lang convinced me to give it a listen. It's actually pretty good. This song is about a horse named "Chips Ahoy" i guess. I don't really care, it's just kind of a cool sounding rock and roll song.

Young Bride by midlake

This is my favorite song by midlake (earlier mentioned). This song is actually a lot more depressing than I thought. Looks like it's about a young wife with some horrible bed ridden illness. Watching the video for this helps me understand why I visualize what I said about "Roscoe" above. For other terribly depressing, but amazing sounding songs, reference Sufjan Stevens "Casimir Pulaski Day" about his girlfriend who died of bone-cancer. Sheesh! What a pick-me-up! Check it out. These guys are incredible...



The Crane Wife 3 by The Decemberists

Couldn't think of a better song to end the CD with. What a great tune! Definitely my favorite on the whole CD. I think there was a Scrubs episode that ended with it too. Well done Zach Braff, well done! If you don't know the fable of the Crane Wife, see the Wikipedia entry on it here.

Music Notes: New Order Covers

I was excited to see that one of the coolest new groups on the scene, Iron & Wine did a cover of Love Vigilantes by (one of my favorite all time bands) New Order. This prompted me to do a little research to see what other New Order covers were out there. I was suprised to find a bunch. Check em out... (Looks like Love Vigilantes is more popular than I thought)...

Love Vigilantes - Iron & Wine

Love Vigilantes - Trawler

Love Vigilantes - Zach Ashton

Love Vigilantes - Love Seed Mama Jump

Love Vigilantes - Poi Dog Pondering

Love Vigilantes - Lake Holiday

Age of Consent - Arcade Fire

Love Will Tear Us Apart- Arcade Fire (Joy Division Cover)

A Father's Joy & Other Random Items

We were quite intentional about giving our kids biblical middle names. My daughter's middle name in hebrew means "A Father's Joy". 98% of the time, that's right on. But when she's hungry, watch out man, she'll bite your leg off! Before Food After Food PS - Yes, that is my daughter holding a loaded 9MM Beretta magazine. Parent of the Year, here I come! Random Tidbits... Check out this new Honda Civic UK Ad . It's pretty cool. May take a second to load... freaking Redcoats and their crappy bandwidth! Finally, for all of my friends who saw Brokeback Mountain, just a quick reminder.