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If I understand this right, we’re supposed to list the 25 most important albums in our life, whether or not we are totally embarrassed by them? All right, here goes…in humbling chronological order. (This list is totally predictable, I know!)

1. Anne Murray - This was probably a greatest hits album or something, I don’t remember, but I remember loving the song “Even though we ain’t got money, I’m still in love with you honey…” There was a house in my friend’s neighborhood whose mailbox said “Murray” and every time we went by I thought of Anne Murray. About 15 years later I would become friends with one of the Murray girls who lived in that house, and she confirmed that there was, in fact, no relation to Anne.

2. PFR - Goldie’s Last Day - In middle school I mostly listened to Christian rock. My friend Andrew won this PFR tape on the local Christian radio station and since he already owned it he gave it to me. One of the catchiest pop albums ever, I’ll stand by that. The title track was a song about putting your dog to sleep… tragic!

3. Jars of Clay – self titled – Still in middle school and now in love with PFR, my friends Jessica and Desiree and I went to see them play at one of the high schools. The opening band was this brand new group called Jars of Clay. I remember feeling like I was cheating on PFR, when I bought Jars of Clay’s debut album.

4. Dave Matthews Band - Crash - In 8th grade I finally got a CD player. My grandma bought me my first CD (I picked out the Gin Blossoms) but soon after that I wanted to go out and buy one on my own. I asked my sister what I should get and she suggested Dave Matthews Band. I went to the music store and said, “Do you have anything by the David Matthews Band?” Anyway, I really got into this album, and it grew into a love of the band that lasted all the way through high school (concerts, bootlegs, posters, special code… yikes).

5. Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen - My cousin Alyssa first played this band for me, and I was confused why a trio would have the number 5 in their title. We had to play it kind of quietly because there was swearing. Soon after I heard “Brick” on the radio and ran out and bought this. My love of Ben Folds Five in high school ran parallel to my love of Dave Matthews.

6. Weezer – Pinkerton - Of course the Blue Album is great, but Pinkerton was so inventive! It was one of the few albums that all of my friends could agree on, which meant we played it a lot. I gave up on the band around the green album.

7. Built to Spill - Perfect From Now On - Admittedly this is not the very best Built to Spill album, but it was my first. I wanted to hear them after hearing Ben Folds cover Twin Falls (even though that song isn’t on this album) and I remember one of my friends warning me that they would take some getting used to. First listen, didn’t like them. Every subsequent listen, I loved them more and more. It was my first real experience with the “acquired taste.” Without this album, I probably wouldn’t have given the Pixies a shot (somehow “Doolittle” didn’t get on this list but it should have.)

8. Ben Folds – Fear of Pop – This was the solo album he recorded before he was a solo artist… It’s pretty strange, and really tested my newfound resolve to push my musical limits. The spoken word track with William Shatner is still the best. I remember listening to this album while on the treadmill at the YMCA during my adolescent “excercise phase.”

9. Elliott Smith – Figure 8 - Around the time of Goodwill Hunting when Elliott Smith was starting to get major attention, my sister bought this record and recommended I listen to him. My musical taste is always changing, but I have a feeling I’ll listen to Elliott Smith for the rest of my life.

10. Radiohead – OK Computer – I’m not a *huge* Radiohead fan but this album was/is awesome. Also played backdrop to one of the famous Weederhayft production films, “Property Line.”

11. Neutral Milk Hotel - In an Aeroplane over the Sea - This is one of those albums that I immediately wanted to sing along with at the top of my lungs. I think it started to point me in the direction of some more rattly/rowdy music.

12. Death Cab for Cutie – The Photo Album – Someone gave me this album along with a few dozen others because he was cleaning out his life. Lucky for me! This one was instrumental in pointing me toward indie/hipsterish music, which kind of dominates the rest of the list.

13. Metric - Old World, Underground, Where are you now? - Well, if you call me, a song from this album is my ringtone (Combat Baby) so I’d say it’s safe to say it’s made an impact. I got into this album when I was in the heart of art school, so for me it’s walking to campus in the peak of fall, portfolio slung over my shoulder, discman in place, staring at the doodled-on toes of my chucks as I walked to class in time with the music.

14. Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans – I heard “The Transfiguration” on Launchcast and thought I’d give him a try. I loved that he was a Christian who made music that wasn’t Christian Rock, who took very seriously his responsibility as an artist who had faith, and as a person of faith who was an artist. It’s the kind of thing I had personally been grappling with, so it was great to have him as a kind of role model, even. And come on, his music is just beautiful. And HE is a beautiful man.

15. The Decemberists – Picaresque - I guess the thing I love most about the Decemberists is that their songs tell a story. Also, Colin Meloy has a formidable vocabulary. That said, this album is probably the least influential of the list, and probably I should have cut this one in order to include the Pixies. Whoops.

16. Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous – This record defined my senior year of college. Jenny Lewis’s voice touched a certain nerve in me and I couldn’t get enough. We went to see them play an AIDS benefit in Eau Claire and I had a totally awkward photo taken with Blake Sennet (who is totally awkward). Anyway, this record also has some great storytelling.

17. Half-Handed Cloud - Thy is a word - I gave this band a listen because it was on Sufjan Steven’s label (asthmatic kitty) and sang songs about God’s love and Bible stories and other sunday-school-type fare. This record has some great (and some really disturbing) songs about old testament stories, and fit right into my college listening habits. Due to some personal reasons I didn’t listen to them for a couple years, but just recently I put this album in again and it’s as good as I remembered!

18. Mates of State - Team Boo - This was just a nice little pop record that I loved in college. Besides that, it’s significant because it created a little fantasy in me to be in a husband/wife band.

19. Dear Nora – We’ll Have a Time – THIS is one of my favorite records. I got it when I was living in Northern California, so it totally takes me back to the days of driving through the mountains and redwoods and that crazy fog. It’s SO catchy!

20. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat - Since Jenny Lewis is my favorite thing about Rilo Kiley, it makes sense that I’d love her solo stuff. I was skeptical about this album, though, and even though I bought it when it came out it wasn’t until a few weeks later when I saw her sing in San Diego that I realized how amazing it was. Lyrically I don’t swallow it all up (I mean, it’s kind of an anti-gospel record) but it is so nice on the ears. And it’s super honest, which is respectable.

21. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods - Holly gave me this record when I moved back to Wisconsin. I listened to it a lot the summer that I spent painting pictures in my Grandma’s garage and playing drums with Holly in The Art Table. It was inspiring.

22. The Dears - Gang of Losers - So I got this album right about the time of a break-up, and there was something so comforting about Murray Lightburn’s voice, even as he was singing about racism and war. It was one of the first albums I really got into when I had recently moved to Madison, so I’m pretty sure it will always bring me back here.

23. Quasi – Featuring “Birds” – This was the other album I got at the time of my break-up, and it was exactly the bitter, sneering rock music I needed. “If I kept things inside, at least I never lied,” became my defense. Janet Weiss became my hero.

24. Tegan and Sara - The Con - I didn’t like Tegan and Sara the first hundred times that I heard them (with the exception of You Wouldn’t Like Me). And THEN I heard The Con and it was awesome, and I saw them in Minneapolis and it was awesome, and decided I would like them. This album was proof that staunchly held musical taste can change, in the blink of an eye (or battering of an eardrum). Nickleback, that means there’s hope for you yet! (eesh!)

25. The Welcome Wagon – Welcome to the Welcome Wagon - If you’ve somehow managed to avoid hearing me rave about this record in the past three months, well, you got off easy. Until NOW… just kidding. It’s a terrific bit of gospel music though, and if I hadn’t exhausted all of my compliments in previous reviews, and exhausted my interest in this topic altogether by #25, I might say a bit more about it. It’s the most recent record on this list, but I can already tell it’s going to have a lasting impact.

Bonus album…26. TV On the Radio - Dear Science… It’s only been in my possession a week, but I have a feeling it could kick off the next round of 25 albums (which I’ll write 25 years from now).

Easel Ain’t Easy mix (to the max!), Volume 1, January 2009

1. Dear Nora – Fargo
2. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
3. Jenny Lewis – Barking at the Moon
4. The Decemberists – Los Angeles, I’m Yours (in honor of my recent L.A. day-trip!)
5. A.C. Newman – Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer
6. Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes (XXXchange mix, ft Movado)
7. Mates of State – My Only Offer
8. The Smiths – Asleep
9. The National – The Thrilling of Claire
10. Bon Iver – Blood Bank
11. Vetiver – Everyday
12. The Acorn – Crooked Legs
13. Andrew Bird – Fitz and Dizzyspells
14. Okkervil River – Lost Coast Lines

Let me know if you want it.

Deep breath, here goes (in order remembered, no special hierarchy). 

1. Jenny Lewis at Epiphany Church | Chicago, Illinois | September 19, 2008 – This show was partly great because of the adventure that surrounded it, but it was mostly great because Jenny Lewis is great.  I’ll say this item on the list also includes the release of Acid Tongue, but we heard the live versions of all the songs first and the album was a tiny bit pale in comparison (just a tiny bit).  This show also gave my my first taste of new favorite drummer, Barbara Gruska.     …stay for the breakdown!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIn1jmjrfyk&hl=en&fs=1]

2. Tegan and Sara at State Theater | Minneapolis, Minnesota | October 11, 2008 – Half the fun of this show, as I said in my original “review” was how funny these girls are!  The grow-to-love-it Twin-Rock was pretty great too, I mean, that’s the thing that gets you there.  Lots of songs from The Con which I love.  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15tuXd0ejgI&hl=en&fs=1]

3. The Art Table Reunion Show at The Eagles Club | Green Bay, Wisconsin | September 20, 2008 

- A year in the making, The Art Table finally got together to make gentle the masses still quaking with mourning. This was a fun show, if a bit rough (my crash cymbal stand was stripped and just about useless) and we played a few new songs inluding Door Mat and Break Up River which will possibly someday be recorded.  There is some video from this show that I almost forgot about, which I will put up when I get a chance. 

 The piggy-back to this item is The Art Table mini-show, when Holly and I played a couple songs at Kristin and Nathan’s wedding at The Train Museum.  We both had shiny happy fits of rage…

4. The return of purchasing CDs (forget you, iTunes!  I want album art!) Some of my buys in 2008 included: Jeff Hanson – Madame Owl | Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs | Bon Iver – For Emma Forever Ago | Nedelle – From the Lion’s Mouth |Dear Nora – 3 States | The Welcome Wagon – Welcome to the Welcome Wagon | Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue.  I would recommend all of them (although I haven’t actually received the Dear Nora discs yet, I pre-recommend them.)  This can also include my list of albums on backorder, The Dears – Missiles | TV on the Radio – Dear Science | She & Him – Volume One | Nicole Atkins – Neptune City.

5. Discovery of old Elliott Smith bootleg.  Increasing love for Quasi.

6. Growing bored of Mates of State, Tilly and the Wall, and Rilo Kiley.  I think this is a significant corner being turned in my musical taste, personally.  Of course it could turn right back just as easily (I’ve been known to fall in and out of love) but for right now the power-pop is a little more grating than it is fun.  Performances like this do not help their case:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CArOvfEfZ_E&hl=en&fs=1]

Granted I never picked up MoS or TatW’s new albums, and only “acquired” Rilo Kiley’s disappointing Under the Black Light, but the point isn’t that they aren’t still good bands, just that I have started losing interest in them.  It’s not you, it’s me.  Speaking of, check out Milwaukee’s own, our friend Mike Mangione! (I think we saw him at The Cup at some point  in 2008, so he can legitimately be on this list)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXIOIaa5oa4&hl=en&fs=1]”

7. Threatening to grow bored of Sufjan Stevens… (also here) Of course I will never really give up on Sufjan Stevens, but we had been getting a little antsy for some sign of life.  This was before I knew anything of The Welcome Wagon, though, whose debut Sufjan was busy producing.  Yay, Sufjan!

8. The Welcome Wagon – Welcome to the Welcome Wagon – I really do love this.  I’ve posted enough links to this band by now, but since this IS my exhaustive year-end list I’ll post it just once more.  It’s gospel music!

9. Seeing a free Ra Ra Riot show at The Union | Madison, Wisconsin | I don’t even remember the date.  This just kind of fell into our laps, we had never heard of the band, it was before their ship had taken sail, or at least before The Rhumb Line was released.  It was awesome.  It was totals fun.  The Virgins opened.  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGuP6ZN8Qxo&hl=en&fs=1]

 10. Handel’s Messiah at Christ Presbyterian | Madison, Wisconsin | December 14, 2008.  NOT just because I needed to find a number 10, this really was great!  I’ve always loved the music at this church, and this performance came at a time when I really needed an angel choir to shout praises in my ear.  It’s Advent, y’all!  But ah, I didn’t bring my video camera, so watch some other folks perform it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-KyP4bvWk&hl=en&fs=1]

Oh, there is one other thing that will make this list (I guess at top 11) but it’s not ready to go up here yet.  Stay tuned.