The Award For Unpopular Album Of The Year Goes To ...
	found on Short List Music Project written by rantor, edited by Tim (Plastic) [ read unedited ] posted Tue 12 Nov 1:27pm
		"Established about a year ago, The Shortlist is an attempt to draw attention to bands whose sales haven't been astonishing (less than 500,000 sold), but whose music frequently is." rantor writes, "The 49 nominees on the Longlist were edited down to the ten on the Shortlist by listmakers including Beck, Baz Luhrman, Mos Def, Spike Jonze, and other people cooler than me, and now, from that list (which included such "indie"-types as Bjork and The Hives), a winner has been chosen: N.E.R.D. Perhaps slightly better known as the production duo The Neptunes, they have produced songs by Jay-Z, the Backstreet Boys, Britney, your mother, etc. Their rock/rap fusion album In Search of... garnered some good reviews and emerged as a clear winner (unlike last year's apparently contentious choice of the ambient Sigur Ros)."

[ more plastic... ]    

show almost all: 63 commentsbest: 8 comments by oldest first (ignore threads) newest first highest scores first oldest first newest first (ignore threads)

1.  It's amazing.   by Saint Cee       at Tue 12 Nov 1:50pm score of 2 clever     Everything The Neptunes touches reaches gold or platinum status, whereas their own album barely goes aluminum.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

11.  Re: It's amazing.   by burntfriedman       at Tue 12 Nov 6:13pm score of 1   in reply to comment 1      Everything The Neptunes touches reaches gold or platinum status, whereas their own album barely goes aluminum. that is kind of true, n.e.r.d isn't really a neptunes release although Pharrell Willams and Chad Hugo are in the group and are the producers. most neptunes releases are instrumentals thus giving them a great status as remixers. n.e.r.d. is rap rock project that's basically a party about getting paid a lot of cash and going to see some strippers.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

2.  Drowning in indie cred ...   by thomp       at Tue 12 Nov 2:03pm score of 2 funny     I own all of the albums on the Shortlist, and I've never heard of the Shortlist until now. Am I cool or what?   I would have picked Flaming Lips as the winner, though. Am I still cool even if I didn't pick the winner?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

7.  Re: Drowning in indie cred ...   by mino       at Tue 12 Nov 3:43pm score of 2.5 clever   in reply to comment 2     I own all of the albums on the Shortlist, and I've never heard of the Shortlist until now. Am I cool or what? I don't own any of the albums on the shortlist, because they're all way too commercial. I only buy first-pressing of albums which are only released on vinyl from bands who have never played a gig to a crowd larger than 20, and who haven't decided on a name yet. Anything else is just... like... so passe, y'know? You shortlist whore, you. (well, not really) And, um... I'm not sure that all the judges of the shortlist really have all that much indie cred, anyway, if you catch my drift...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   8.  Re: Drowning in indie cred ...   by JET24       at Tue 12 Nov 3:44pm score of 1.5 helpful   in reply to comment 2     I would have picked The Flaming Lips as the winner too, although Doves would have been a close second. Admittedly, I am a bit disappointed with Doves "The Last Broadcast", simply because "Lost Souls" is one of the best efforts in the last 5 years. It's not fair for me to expect "The Last Broadcast" to be as good, but I do anyway. And yes, thomp, you're still cool. Picking the actual winner would have made you uncool - to have indie cred, you have to always rage against the popular creed, even in indie music contests... Religion don't mean a thing; it's just another way to be right. - Spoon   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   37.  Re: Drowning in indie cred ...   by katieo       at Wed 13 Nov 2:50pm score of 2.5 clever   in reply to comment 8     Picking the actual winner would have made you uncool - to have indie cred, you have to always rage against the popular creed, even in indie music contests... You've hit on a bit of a problem there - that is, people with "legit indie cred" are never more than meta-meta credible. The rock critics all say The Strokes are cool. Meta-cred is saying The Strokes are overrated. Meta-meta cred is saying people who say The Strokes are overrated are indie-rock poseurs. Anyone who tries to go a step further and say the Strokes suck again will be grouped with the original meta-credible indie-rock poseurs. (Which is not to say that it isn't tried - usually in the vein of "but people who think The Strokes are good are only appreciating them for their kitsch value, which is so passe" - but with little success thus far.) And so the credibility game continues. But eventually they all find out it never pays to be more than ten minutes ahead of your time, anyway. Kids, you've tried and you've failed. The lesson is: never try.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   10.  THE FlAminG lipS   by burntfriedman       at Tue 12 Nov 5:54pm score of 1   in reply to comment 2     they are great, please don't get me wrong here. i've seen them a few times but i've always thought that the song that required 4 stereos extremely excessive--ridiculous in the terms of the common person trying to even attempt a listening.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   15.  Re: THE FlAminG lipS   by Brown25       at Tue 12 Nov 7:50pm score of 1   in reply to comment 10     Come on, even the "common person" has three friends with two channels of sound each at their disposal. My understanding is that is kind of what they were going for. My friends and I have done this a couple of times and enjoyed it.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   26.  Re: THE FlAminG lipS   by mischief       at Wed 13 Nov 5:58am score of 1   in reply to comment 10     Not only did the 4 of us bring our own stereos, but we all went in on an oz to commemorate the occasion! Awesome! "And then... and then... and then...", and then the man who stuttered died, his last words an echo of his life   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   19.  Re: THE FlAminG lipS   by johndan       at Tue 12 Nov 9:48pm score of 1   in reply to comment 15     Wayne Coyne of the Lips said (on KCRW, I think) that Zaireeka is a test of how many friends you have; he seemed dismayed at the number of people who said that they couldn't find three friends who'd bring their cd players over to listen to a CD. (KCRW has several Flaming Lips in-studio sessions from Morning Becomes Eclectic online in Real Media format.)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   43.  Re: THE FlAminG lipS   by TargetDemographic       at Wed 13 Nov 8:46pm score of 1   in reply to comment 19     A test of how many friends you have or a test of how many of your friends remember that "she don't use jelly" band? I'll bet I could get three of my lazy-ass friends to bring over their stereos if we were going to listen to something besides the flaming lips! Don't get me wrong, I like the new FL stuff, but the whole 4-stereo thing sounded pretty pointless. If you master an album well and mix it for surround, it should sound just as good as 4 parts of an album being played simultaneously on 4 different ghetto blasters.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   44.  Re: THE FlAminG lipS   by johndan       at Wed 13 Nov 10:03pm score of 1.5 informative   in reply to comment 43     Zaireeka's not something that anyone would participate in on a daily basis--the apparatus was too complex. But the point of the experiment (like the Lips' earlier parking lot experiments) was that four CDs playing simultaneously wouldn't sound like a well-mastered single album. In an audiophile sense, the four-player approach should be worse than a well-mastered single CD. Consumer-level CD players vary slightly in playback speed; the rhythmic beat of the songs was meant to provide a tempo that drifted in and out of phase depending on the characteristics of each CD player. And because the four CD players were distributed in 3D space, the experience of moving around a house while Zaireeka occupied it changed from listener to listener, from location to location as they moved. I've listened to mixed-down version of Zaireeka on a single CD, and the experience isn't anything like the four CD project. Now whether the effort involved is worth the intellectual wittiness is open to debate. But, hey, it's music.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   25.  Re: Drowning in indie cred ...   by chatsubo       at Wed 13 Nov 4:39am score of 1.5 witty   in reply to comment 2     I own all of the albums on the Shortlist, and I've never heard of the Shortlist until now. Am I cool or what? Cool, much like the Heinsberg Uncertainty Principle, has an important relationship with the act of observation, with said act destroying or destorting the field effect it was attempting to study. Therefore you were cool before you heard of the Shortlist, but as soon as you were aware of its existence and its relationship vis a vis your record collection, your coolness immediately evaporated. I know it is not your fault, but, that's the way it goes. Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   32.  Re: Drowning in indie cred ...   by thomp       at Wed 13 Nov 10:37am score of 1   in reply to comment 25     Therefore you were cool before you heard of the Shortlist, but as soon as you were aware of its existence and its relationship vis a vis your record collection, your coolness immediately evaporated.   Damn. Forty years of black t-shirts down the drain. You might as well pass me the Kool-aid ...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

3.  Hate to say I told you so, but...   by SickBoy       at Tue 12 Nov 2:07pm score of 1     ...I dig The Hives. It made me happy to see on an obviously indier-than-thou type of "shortlist," that they were included. They may not necessarily be original, & I don't believe they're actually saving rock-n-roll, but I think their album is great. The first time I caught their video & saw their outfits, I was like, "Oh my God, it's the 21st century version of The Knack!" You can flame me all you want, but The Hives rock. Any man with a michrophone can tell you what he loves the most.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

39.  Re: Hate to say I told you so, but...   by MinusOne       at Wed 13 Nov 4:14pm score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 3     The first time I heard the Hives I though I was listening to a relatively obscure Seattle-area band called The Fall-Outs The similarity in both instrument sound and vocal sound is uncanny. Too bad the Fall-Outs were ten years ahead of the window of popularity for their sound. That said I agree, the Hives rock.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

4.  And the winner is... me!   by ByeByeBaby       at Tue 12 Nov 2:10pm score of 1.5 astute     The very bottom people listed on the "Listmakers" page are The Neptunes, the winners of the award. (Their nominees were The Hives and The Vines.) Personally, I didn't get much at all out of the N.E.R.D. album, but I have the UK version and the rerecorded US release is supposedly much better. I would have picked the Flaming Lips, possibly The Hives out of the 10 shortlist artists, but the real strength is in the long list; dozens of albums, most of which (at least the ones I've heard) are solid. Is it perfect? No. But at least all 10 of the shortlisted albums are better than anything that will be nominated for the best album Grammy this year. "Be not afraid, people plastic on Earth / Verbal blast 'bout to burst" - Jurassic 5   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

5.  N.E.R.D.? Really?   by 6percent       at Tue 12 Nov 2:17pm score of 1     Honest question for the group here: was anyone really, honestly impressed with N.E.R.D.'s album? I respect their work as producers, and they certainly have a unique take on the musical vision of other artists. Having said that, I thought their own album was short-sighted enough that I wasn't willing to spend $7 on it, and that says a lot for me . . . as a dj, I pretty much eat and breathe music. I don't care if you love the album because of the street cred involved with loving their album, or because it made the short list, or because of their work as the Neptunes. Who here was impressed with their first release on its own merits? And for God's sake, why? sixpercent.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

6.  Re: N.E.R.D.? Really?   by OneWingedAngel       at Tue 12 Nov 3:38pm score of 1   in reply to comment 5     Didn't dig it either. Lapdance turned me off quick...was a rather drawn out and boring track. But I dug Clipse, which the Neptunes produced as well, so it might be Pharrel on the mic that turned me off. The stories about the album being recorded, leaked out to the Internet, then re-recorded made it sound like the music industry's version of Pluto Nash. It was about as successful as Nash in terms of sales. And for once, I agreed with the charts. I'm bored with rap-rock now. Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park took it as far as they could, and the image of rap-rock being an industry marketing creation is catching up with it. Even Linkin Park (the best of the bunch, by far) is moving toward hip-hop proper than stay in fusion mode. Personally, the closest thing to rap-rock I'm looking toward is the new Roots album, Ben Kinney has a nice blues rock sound that haven't been used much in hip-hop.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   12.  Re: N.E.R.D.? Really?   by scotay       at Tue 12 Nov 6:18pm score of 1   in reply to comment 5     I think the NERD props are more of a "lifetime achievement" type of award misdirected toward an album that is just okay. The NERD record is at its worst in the rap/rock gangsta mode. NERD is way too smart to be able to pull off the hardcore gangster motif on the front end. They could play rap clown princes or do a fine new-millennium Pharcyde, but they should confine the blinging and the attempted thuggery to production credits. NERD has a love for music beyond hip-hop. Rather than redo In Search Of with a live band, they should have given us a totally new and different record. If you check out Chad's work on the Kenna record, NERD could have shocked the world with an all-electronic or new-wave record, rather than come off as failed street-thug wannabes.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   21.  N.E.R.D.? Yes. Really.   by Leviathant       at Tue 12 Nov 11:46pm score of 1.5 interesting   in reply to comment 5     Here's my background in music: I love Nintendo music. Shamelessly. Later on, the first 'band' I really got into was The Art of Noise, and I was maybe 13, it was '93 I believe. Then I found Nine Inch Nails. Listened to them way too much, eventually expanding my catalogue to the likes of Aphex Twin and similar WARP artists. All along the side, I had a thing for punk. Like, Crass and Bad Religion and Dead Kennedys and so forth. I despise rap-rock. I didn't like it when Ministry tried it on The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste, and a decade later, may Fred Durst choke on his own vomit. I don't listen to much rap, in general, or hip hop, but I don't blatantly hate it like so many of my peers. I just never got into it. I was introduced to NERD because Trent Reznor did a remix of Lapdance. At first, I thought it was a bit of a yawner, but it really grew on me with repeated listenings. I downloaded the electronic album from a friend of mine and ended up listening to it on my computer a few times, but never really being enticed by the whole thing. Found out NERD was a group comprised of producers - the Neptunes. This didn't mean jack or shit to me, I didn't know who the Neptunes were. But I did some research, and my interest piqued. So I kept my eyes peeled. Well, sometime later, the album is released in the states. I have a listen to it, and it's pretty catchy. I pick it up, because it's under $10. Kudos to the guys for putting out a full album and charging all of ten dollars for it. In fact, someone took my copy a few months later, and I went to pick up a new copy and it was still $10. Fucking cool. Just like it should be. The album doesn't strike me as rap-rock so much as well produced, sort of like a steely dan album. There's all kinds of music going on there, and it's catchy, and while the lyrics were intially off-putting, but eventually I woke up and realized you really have to take some of this tongue in cheek. I'm really glad they didn't keep the inter-song banter on the album, that was super lame on the electronic version. Anyhow, it's not a rap album, and it's not a rock album. It's an album by a couple of producers who primarily produce rap, but cite inspiration from AC/DC to Queen to Tears For Fears. Check out their bio if you haven't already, it's kind of interesting. And though I still haven't picked one up, I'd love to get a N*E*R*D tshirt to sport. Cheers to these guys for at least trying to make nerds seem cool, even if the album didn't do so well. A bunch of kids from Virginia taking over the music world end up using their cash to put together well assembled music that they like. Right on. I am Leviathant, and I approve this message.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   24.  Re: N.E.R.D.? Really?   by lewis458       at Wed 13 Nov 3:29am score of 1   in reply to comment 5     Man, I couldn't agree more. I downloaded it because the Neptunes bring addictive hooks on almost every track they produce. Moreover, Lapdance is a pretty hot track with a real skanky beat. But I certainly didn't expect what I got. Not a single song outside Lapdance could tear my attention away from Snood. Really disappointing... I was hoping they could enter the realm of Dre, Missy, Outkast and the Automator, but no such luck... guess I'll give Deltron another spin.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

9.  who's for the Dark Canuck?   by timnet       at Tue 12 Nov 5:01pm score of 1.5 interesting     Once again, Canadian bands not in a trendy genre don't get any love. At the top of the list should be The Tragically Hip's magnificent In Violet Light. (Saw them live in Philly this summer and they seriously kicked my ass.) Honorable mention to Newfoundland's Great Big Sea for Sea of No Cares. But I have to pick off the longlist, yeah, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Beth Orton's Daybreaker were good, albeit not as great as the preceding album from either. Haven't heard all of the new Clinic or Aphex Twin discs, but from what I've heard I suspect both deserve the notice they earned. "I feel like I wouldn't like me if I met me." -- Tegan and Sara   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

40.  Re: who's for the Dark Canuck?   by landonair       at Wed 13 Nov 5:25pm score of 0.5 obnoxious   in reply to comment 9     What Canadian bands are trendy? Canadian music seems to me to be ten years behind the rest of the world, stuck in an overly sincere classic rock rut. I know that saying this is heresay to any Canadian supporter of local music, but I think the real reason Canadian bands get big is that local radio and Muchmusic is forced to play a certain quota of Canadian product. They seem to be allergic to sequencers and technology, or just coming up with any kind of distinctive, original sound. Sloan, Tragically Hip, Matthew Good Band, Nickleback, Alanis Morrisette, Blue Rodeo,etc, etc. Boring. If Canadians would set their standards higher and expected our bands to have some kind of originality instead of just supporting them because they're Canadian then it would force them to try harder. "It's so easy to say things that are so idealistic without reasoning and thinking them out in the big picture"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   52.  Re: who's for the Dark Canuck?   by timnet       at Thu 14 Nov 6:03am score of 1   in reply to comment 40     I'd argue that Nickelback is an example of the trendy genre (all those people in the States who bought Silver Side Up can't be too wrong), what with their nu-metal-with-a-pop-sheen sound fitting in with plenty of others (albeit outselling them). And don't forget Sum-41, selling well as it spoofs the rock-rap trend. Most Canadian bands seem to develop organically to avoid niche categorization. How would one categorize Blue Rodeo? Rock? Country? Blues? Or Philosopher Kings? Jazz? Soul? Rock? Pop? R&B? I'm sorry if you find that stuff boring, but it's a hell of a lot more original than almost anything that gets played in the United States. "I feel like I wouldn't like me if I met me." -- Tegan and Sara   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   66.  Re: who's for the Dark Canuck?   by landonair       at Sat 16 Nov 12:01am score of 1   in reply to comment 40     Yes, Plastikman is great. I was going to mention him as a counterexample but left it out to make my post more obnoxious. Bran Van 3000 and Kid Koala as well. I just really wish a band from Canada could be innovative and modern and take the world by storm. It just never happens. "It's so easy to say things that are so idealistic without reasoning and thinking them out in the big picture"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

13.  my shortlist.   by burntfriedman       at Tue 12 Nov 6:54pm score of 1.5 informative     1. Aesop Rock it was in every hiphop backpacker's walkman or car stereo 2. Zero 7 oh wait, they made the list. well, they were the air albulm that i wanted. 3. The Flaming Lips a great story about a girl battling robots. i've returned...but i won't give you the prize, its an honour to make it this far. 3. Koop a really, really pretentious, airy, breathy, jazz like thing. 4. Boom Bip the albulm cover had coffee mug stains all over it, and they look perfectly in place!! 5. Ursula Rucker why let a dubpoet's voice go to waste as vanity tracks for other artists' albulms(jazzanova, the roots, 4 hero) 6. Yukihiro Fukutomi sadly, this guy has had too many 12"s this year for him not to be noticed 7. Dj Marky/Dj Patife thank you two bringing light and life back to drum'n'bass--especially the brazillian injections. 8. Smog bill callahan should have had a major career boost with high fidelity's soundtrack so i'm hoping that will someone take notice. 9. Roots Manuva dancehall dub while the britt' raps 'bout "drinking ten pints of bitter" 10. Blackalicious I started off with Aesop Rock and i had to note that this was the disc right next to it. honourables: RJDJ--moveover dj shadow gotta make some room for... Tweak-very nice downtempo/nujazz grooves that everyone will ignore Frederic Galliano--superb afrohouse without capitalizing on fela kuti or tony allen.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

14.  A long, boring opinion   by ratnerstar       at Tue 12 Nov 7:22pm score of 1.5 astute     I suppose I like the idea of having a "real" music award, one that would reward actual talent rather than sales magnitude. But I think it's stupid to say they're exposing little known artists to a wider audience. The kind of people who would pay any attention to this probably already know about pretty much everyone on the short list and most of the long list. I mean, N.E.R.D. is pretty cool and all, but it's also been massively hyped; even Wilson and Alroy have done a review. And Byork, for all her talent, only seems cutting edge to 30-something yuppies who listen to her with the smug feeling that they're expanding their musical horizons (I call this the "Portishead Effect"). Similar points can be made for The Doves, The Hives (my God, I bet my grandfather can sing along to "Hate To Say I Told You So"), DJ Shadow, Aphex Twin and, to some extent, The Flaming Lips. Now, the fact that these artists are popular and well known in indie circles doesn't make them bad or less deserving of praise. To some degree or another, they're all quite talented. But, believe it or not, there are talented artists who also manage to get a Gold Record. Why exclude them from consideration? Case in point: last year "White Blood Cells" by the White Stripes was not a contender. It's common wisdom by now that the White Stripes were massively overhyped. But WBC is still a damn good album, and deserved to be on the list. Why leave it off just because it happened to sell moderately well? Still, I suppose the concept is sound. But since when did Alanis Morissette become an arbiter of taste? My God, have people forgotten that this woman inflicted "Jagged Little Pill" on an innocent and unsuspecting world? And Spike Jonze? Because he makes music videos we're supposed to take his opinion seriously? The long list isn't a bad rundown of good records, except that it excludes the kickass new Sleater-Kinney album ("One Beat"). "Song Islands" by the Microphones probably belongs in there, even if it's far from Phil Elvrum's best work. Overall, not too bad a job. But the short list, ugh. I haven't heard Zero 7 or Cee-Lo, so I can't comment. But anyone who thinks The Hives or The Doves belong on a top 20 list for the year hasn't been listening to enough new music. Meanwhile, absolutely amazing albums like And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead's "Source Tags and Codes," Belle & Sebastian's "Storytelling," Built to Spill's "Ancient Melodies of the Future," and (especially) Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" are left to wither away on the long list. For company, they have Andrew WK. Andrew freakin' WK! "I Get Wet" should be on the short list for worst albums of the year! Okay, I'll stop ranting now. Yes, I take popular music too seriously. There is no.sig, only Zool....   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

33.  Re: Andrew W. K.   by nickdrake       at Wed 13 Nov 11:31am score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 14     I love this guy. There's so much perplexingly wrong about "I Get Wet." It confounds me every time I put it on. I think it's amazing in the way that some of the best Aphex Twin is amazing: there's something in my body and brain that goes, "NO! WRONG!" when I listen to it. Fascinating album. Cannot even be put on a "best" or "worst" list without putting it on both.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   48.  Re: Andrew W. K.   by kingraoul3       at Thu 14 Nov 4:41am score of 1   in reply to comment 33     I find it hilarious. It's like he dropped a 70's early 80's era ass rock album 20 years too late. I mean these songs should be part of the cannon on the classic rock station that plays "Bad Company". Am I right? Holy shit, I wonder if they'll retroactively add him into thier dinosauric rotation...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   56.  Re: Andrew W. K.   by SickBoy       at Thu 14 Nov 9:28am score of 1.5 succinct   in reply to comment 33     I agree, I do love Andrew WK, ever since I heard "Party Hard" for the first time. The guy is such an unapologetic goofball, that it make me like him even more. He's like the Seinfeld of music - everyone else is doing "something," & he's doing "nothing." Any man with a michrophone can tell you what he loves the most.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   58.  Re: Andrew W. K.   by zico       at Thu 14 Nov 11:40am score of 1   in reply to comment 33     Agreed. His interview with The Onion is one of my favorites because you're almost sure that he is putting on some sort of Spinal Tap-ish hoax and yet he's so damn sincere. It's a real trip. O: Who else do you like in music today? AWK: I like tons of stuff, really. Lots and lots of songs, because above all I like melody and rhythm. If it has that, especially if there's some sincerity and honest hard work and genuine passion put into it, I'm there. I love it. I just look at it as freedom: I have the freedom to like so many things and be excited about so many different things on all sides. A great song is that friend that will be there in the morning. You put it on first thing and it sets the day straight, it organizes things in your head, it makes you happy, it's comforting. And then you get home at night and it's there to put you to sleep. It's right there smiling and waiting for you. The minute you turn your back on it and don't want to listen to it, it's still there waiting for you. The minute you come back to it, it's there with open arms, never in judgment. And that's what this is, and that's what I am, and that's what we're doing. We will always be there. I will never let people down. I promise I will always do what I can. Have the faith to believe in this, and I will, too. In a world of confusion and pessimism, we can maintain some sort of clarity and truth. Every word is like a stain on silence and nothingness   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

16.  Define "Emerging"   by perrin       at Tue 12 Nov 8:09pm score of 2.5 clever     The Shortlist Music Project was formed in the Summer of 2001 to honor the most adventurous and creative albums of the year across all genres of music, focusing on emerging artists rather than established hitmakers. I am unconvinced that Bjork is an "emerging artist." Nor are the Flaming Lips, or Aphex Twin. I like the idea behind the Shortlist: have a bunch of professional musicians tell you who they're listening to. However, I'd like another restriction (other than selling under 500,000 albums): Every album on the list must have been made by musicians who still have day jobs. C'mon, it's not like Bjork is short for cash, or unappreciated, let alone unknown. Let's find out about some amazing people who are actually struggling to make it in the music business. "How very strange that would feel, to be so well understood."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

18.  Re: Define "Emerging"   by stankow       at Tue 12 Nov 8:43pm score of 1.5 funny   in reply to comment 16     Every album on the list must have been made by musicians who still have day jobs. I see only one possible problem with your criterion, perrin.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

17.  Namedropping   by This Eloquent Fool       at Tue 12 Nov 8:29pm score of 1 clever     Gee, with this kind of article, I feel like I'm on one of those indy-emo message boards where everyone name drops bands that no one's really sure exists and then whine about how the lyrics (which, because the mixes are so bad, aren't even audible anyway) changed their lives and how they cried at the past 15 shows in a row that they went to blah blah blah... Well, I suppose if we're name dropping... MR. BUNGLE - incredibly cool music for those who aren't afraid to listen to something different.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

20.  More namedropping   by mad_clown       at Tue 12 Nov 11:09pm score of 1   in reply to comment 17     Painkiller. Godflesh. Swans. Society had become divided into two ideologically hostile camps, and each viewed the other with suspicion. -Thucydides   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   22.  Re: Namedropping   by ratnerstar       at Tue 12 Nov 11:53pm score of 1   in reply to comment 17     Plato & The Republicans. Just kidding. That isn't an actual band. But it would be a cool name for one, wouldn't it? There is no.sig, only Zool....   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   35.  Re: Namedropping   by SimpsonsQuoteBot       at Wed 13 Nov 12:44pm score of 1   in reply to comment 17     Scared of Chaka - Dirt garage more fun than any of the other garage revivalists Dillinger 4 - Hardcore with all sorts of musical and vocal complexity Atom and His Package - Neo-new wave. But it doesn't suck. I can't get my head around it. WWD4D?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   38.  Re: Namedropping   by pylbug       at Wed 13 Nov 4:04pm score of 1   in reply to comment 17     On the subject of Mr. Bungle, some related bands that released equally cool albums more recently: Fantomas Secret Chiefs 3 Tomahawk   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

23.  This list has credibility...   by PeteDMeat       at Tue 12 Nov 11:57pm score of 1     Well, at least Beck had some say in this list. But any list with Lars Ulrich and Alanis Morsette as deciding factors on it honestly has to suck. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead... should have at least made the shortlist. And this did remind me to pick up a copy of the new Sigur Ros album. (Self titled, none of the songs have names) I've listened to my friends copy on the way to the last John Vanderslice show we went to (how underground a reference is that!) and it is extremely excellent. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

27.  Re: This list has credibility...   by asthmaticeog       at Wed 13 Nov 6:03am score of 1   in reply to comment 23     Hey, were the Mountain Goats on the bill for that John Vanderslice show you went to? Now THEY (ok, he) ought to be topping the damn Shortlist, ditto for openers The Baptist Generals. I'd never heard either Vanderslice or the B.G.s before that night, and I've honestly never been so completely blown away by a bill of bands I'd never heard before. Perfect is the enemy of good.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   42.  Re: This list has credibility...   by PeteDMeat       at Wed 13 Nov 7:08pm score of 1   in reply to comment 27     A little known band from Indiana named "The Rutabega" opened. Excellent in my opinion. "The Baptist Generals" played next, and they completely bored me. I actually went to get something to eat at that point. Then was "John Vanderslice". I was blown away by the performance. "Mountain Goats" were up next, but I decided to take off, as what I have heard of them really disappointed me. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   51.  Re: This list has credibility...   by asthmaticeog       at Thu 14 Nov 4:59am score of 1   in reply to comment 42     Hmmmm... I'm in Ohio, not far from Indiana (no, really, I looked it up!), so I'll keep an eye out for The Rutabega, assuming they travel. Thanks for the heads-up. Curious as to what Mountain Goats you heard - was it the new, orchestrated stuff or the old lone prophet crooning into a shitty tape deck stuff? Perfect is the enemy of good.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   34.  Re: This list has credibility...   by gordie       at Wed 13 Nov 12:29pm score of 1   in reply to comment 23     Anyone looking for a hit of Sigur Ros can get a free 2 hour one at Just Concerts. Make sure to also check out the other artists, especially Martin Tielli. Once again, the CBC demonstrates its superior cultural kung foo. Dead is the drunkest that you can get.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   61.  Re: This list has credibility...   by Travis Garrett       at Thu 14 Nov 6:12pm score of 1   in reply to comment 23     Made the shortlist? And You Will Know Us beats the snot out of everything on it. Seriously. Although I do like some of that other stuff too... A conscious mind, growing unbounded in time - the infinite structure   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

28.  -1 Irrelevant   by electroboy       at Wed 13 Nov 7:17am score of 2 funny     This story made me think of the opposite of cool, uncool: very, very, uncool. I saw the uncoolest thing on TV this morning; I saw Celine Dion singing You Shook Me All Night Long this morning on VH1. I was shocked and appalled. Actually slightly physically ill too. I think that was from the skeletal pelvic thrusts rather than my offended sensibilities. I'm still kinda creeped out. Keep your eyes open and your wallet in your front pocket --Raekwon the Chef   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

29.  Re: Celine Dion singing You Shook Me...   by xombii       at Wed 13 Nov 7:44am score of 1   in reply to comment 28     Just reading your description of it send a shiver down my spine and brought on involuntary gagging and convulsing. Thank god I missed it.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

30.  Got Indie   by eyebrow606       at Wed 13 Nov 9:09am score of 2 interesting     While the Shortlist itself didn't make any sort of claims to "indie cred", this thread certainly went in that direction..... For your consideration.... Aphex Twin = Sire/WEA Avalanches = WEA Bjork = WEA Cee-Lo = Arista DJ Shadow = MCA Doves = Capitol Flaming Lips = WEA Hives = WEA (believe they just signed) N.E.R.D. = Virgin Zero7 = Palm Pictures (multimedia empire started by founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell) Now, short of making subjective statements about the quality of music in relation to the size of label said music is sold/distributed by, I find it interesting that the ten finalists are all cozy with major label contracts. I'm not always the most cynical guy in the room, but for whatever reason, this shortlist reads a lot like major label artists who's latest offerings didn't sell up to the labels' hopes and marketing schemes first time around. That the finalists were picked by other artists on many of these same labels isn't shocking in the least. Finally...a couple of those ten albums are pretty darn good....more than a couple of those albums aren't the best of the past year, let alone the best of the respective artists' catalogs..... My two cents.... Quit cogitating, Steinmetz!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

36.  A bit on the Hives   by SimpsonsQuoteBot       at Wed 13 Nov 12:49pm score of 1   in reply to comment 30     As I remember it, the Hives Vedi Vidi Vicious was first released on Burning Heart records in Europe in 1999 or so. Then Epitaph distributed the record in the USA starting in mid-2000. Finally, this year the band signed to Epic and re-released (for the third time) Vedi Vidi Vicious. That's a lot of mileage out of one, shortish, disc! WWD4D?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   49.  for this sir...   by kingraoul3       at Thu 14 Nov 4:47am score of 1   in reply to comment 30     you deserve a point. Unfortunately I haven't got one; but it's the thought that counts they say.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

31.  Indie or Corporate is Irrelevant   by NoCureForFools       at Wed 13 Nov 9:45am score of 2 astute     i just want good music. i could care fucking less if they make a mint or only sell 500 copies. anyone who feels the music they like is somehow better or more relevent because it came out on Drag City or Matador rather than WEA or Sire is an idiot. i just want good sounds, i could care less where they originate from or how much money is made on them. for instance, Radiohead is on a major label and they are, hands down, the most inventive art rock group around today... and they are far more interesting and pleasing to listen to then the obscenely overrated God Speed You Long Winded Emperor... please, put the fake politics down, they are incredibly silly...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

46.  Re: Indie or Corporate is Irrelevant   by postbear       at Thu 14 Nov 2:29am score of 1   in reply to comment 31     i don't think i could disagree with your post any more than i currently do. good grief. radiohead released two good albums, three if you count the live semi-bootleg recorded at the rpm (the bends tour). by the time ok computer came out, it seems they had lost the ability to write songs. kid a is a major disappointment for the same reason -- there are song structures, but no real songs. while i don't mind art rock, i find that radiohead are failing miserably in their last attempts at creating albums. their success comes in the form of sales, though -- perhaps it's what they wanted all along. calling godspeed you black emperor! "obscenely overrated" is absurd. they are relatively unknown (invisible, you might say, compared with radiohead and the bands from the short list) and not considered by very many to be the darling of many critics. that you do not find them interesting or pleasing to listen to is more revealing of your own tastes and ability to enjoy complex, non-traditionally structured music. your comments remind me of the criticism other pioneers have faced when they have released new and challenging music to the established canons. ornette coleman and john coltrane, to name but two tremendously influential individuals, both were dismissed as boring, pretentious noodlers at points in their careers. perhaps you ought to put down your copy of amnesiac (the most tedious audio experiment yet released by radiohead) and listen again to slow riot for zero kanada or any other godspeed! release before tossing out silly opinions. oh, and about your major label apologizing: could you keep it down? a few of us like to support the artists who actually bother to work to produce their efforts, rather than have a marketing department hack and a cocaine-addled super-producer pick which songs will get recorded, released and played on the radio.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   50.  Re: Indie or Corporate is Irrelevant   by kingraoul3       at Thu 14 Nov 4:52am score of 1   in reply to comment 46     first of all, if you're going to say that there's no pretentious noodling in Coltrane, you yourself are towing a party line. I love Coltrane, but come on man... Second Godspeed whatever get a LOT of press.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   57.  Re: Indie or Corporate is Irrelevant   by hilker       at Thu 14 Nov 10:19am score of 1   in reply to comment 50     Godspeed whatever get a LOT of press. Rolling Stone has published more than thirty news stories and features about Radiohead in the last five years, not counting reviews. Godspeed You Black Emperor, on the other hand, have been reviewed three times in RS, and have had no news stories or features published about them. Spin doesn't seem to have archives online, but their site points to Yahoo's Launch, where the pages on Radiohead and GYBE tell a similar story. Here's MTV's news archive for Radiohead. I'd include a link to their GYBE page, but a search for "godspeed" at mtv.com turns up no hits.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   59.  Re: Indie or Corporate is Irrelevant   by kingraoul3       at Thu 14 Nov 1:10pm score of 1   in reply to comment 57     A lot of INDIE press. That may not mean feature articles in rolling stone; however it probably puts them in the hallowed company of bands that don't have to work to support themselves. Are you saying that you must sell out stadiums in order to be considered a successful musical act?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   60.  Re: Indie or Corporate is Irrelevant   by hilker       at Thu 14 Nov 3:29pm score of 1   in reply to comment 59     A lot of INDIE press. That may not mean feature articles in rolling stone; however it probably puts them in the hallowed company of bands that don't have to work to support themselves. Are you saying that you must sell out stadiums in order to be considered a successful musical act? I'm saying no such thing. The original claim was that Godspeed are "invisible, you might say, compared with radiohead," which you disputed by stating that they "get a LOT of press." You've given no evidence for your assertion; I offered evidence to the contrary in my previous comment.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   63.  two points.   by postbear       at Fri 15 Nov 1:15am score of 1   in reply to comment 59     1. the members of godspeed! do work other jobs. if you knew much about the band, you'd know this. 2. they may get a fair amount of indie press where you are, but most backwater places either do not have indie scenes/mags or have no alt. scene to speak of. on a recent vacation through the western coast of canada and the u.s. i found that few people in even the large cities had heard of them, any of the side projects, bands associated with them, or their record label. even the hipsters in the heavy alt. record shops tended to be a little uncertain or outright blank when i asked for godspeed! releases, not to mention set fire to flames or molasses. in fact, the only related band i stumbled across was do make say think, on a poorly advertised concert tour.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

41.  Thanks for the band names   by thomp       at Wed 13 Nov 6:47pm score of 1     I'm always hunting for nuggets of gold buried in the muck of rock and roll. However, I don't have much time anymore to scour the record stores, so thanks for adding to my list of bands to look for.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

45.  Namedropping   by davslack       at Thu 14 Nov 1:25am score of 1     Tiddlywink Plaid NukuNukuFuku Gods Guts My Angry Flesh Dusty Bunny Hunters way more indie than you... "I liked you better before you sold out." -Indie Rock Pete   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

53.  Re: Namedropping   by mekon       at Thu 14 Nov 6:12am score of 1   in reply to comment 45     Well, if we're name dropping: Mekons. Sonia Dada. (is Billy Bragg obscure?) Hem "I heard Tom DeLay's blood was in the water and the sharks were encircling, but unfortunately, it turned out a metaphor   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   54.  Re: Namedropping   by mekon       at Thu 14 Nov 6:29am score of 1   in reply to comment 53     Because I can't stop: Calexico Melaniejane Pss does this spellchecker not autocheck words that are capitalized (or are bandnames actually in the the spelling db?). Lets see : Froobish (actually a good name -da mekon, now with sulfides "I heard Tom DeLay's blood was in the water and the sharks were encircling, but unfortunately, it turned out a metaphor   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

55.  Music is a world within itself   by blueflower       at Thu 14 Nov 8:30am score of 1     Heh. Just felt like quoting Mr. Wonder. Anyway, I'm too old to give a fuck about cred of any sort. Music is a balm for my soul, so all this credibility stuff is academic and pointless to me. You like what you like and that's that, really. Now, with those little caveats out of the way, I read both the long and short lists. Were I to pick just from the list, it would've been a tie for the top between Erase Errata and Clinic. It's too bad Wire's latest, the Read and Burn EP's didn't make the list. Those old guys can still rock you. And I hope more people take a chance on hearing The Ex-Models from New York City. I went to a show not knowing who they were (or Erase Errata at the same show, for that matter), and just in the mood not to go straight home after work. I was thoroughly rocked! And for only $10! Off to Pollstar.com, then.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]