One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found (Rhino)
Another great Christmas gift: an excellent 4-cd box set of girl groups from the 1960s. It covers groups not produced by Phil Spector, and as such includes many I’d never heard before. The set’s producers used an inclusive definition of ‘girl group’, so there’s a refreshing diversity of style.
Lisa Germano – Lullaby for Liquid Pig (IMusic)
My alphabetical listening project leads to me to remember how enchanting this dark yet beautiful 2003 album is. I’m glad to hear the news that she’s signed to Young God Records for her next album, as their artist-driven approach should suit her well.
The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Sony)
Best party album of 2005? A fun, colorful good time, reminiscent at once of Jackson 5, Luscious Jackson, Belle and Sebastian, The Avalanches, and the old-school, block-party days of hip-hop.
The Snowdrops – “Sleepydust” EP (Matinee)
Gorgeous, stylish, melancholy pop music with an ‘80s sheen, one song overting alluding to Pet Shop Boys.
The Snow Fairies – Get Married (Total Gaylord/Chocolate Hearts)
It’s a shame to read this week that the Snow Fairies have broken up, especially since their second album, released in 2005, was their best. They played bright, cute pop music that also packed a bunch, and they will be missed.
Special Ed – Legal (Profile)
I just picked up a cassette of Special Ed’s out-of-print second album (from 1990) off Ebay, and at least half of it is an out-and-out classic. This then-teenage rapper had a gift with words, displayed well on tracks like the humorous James Bond-like tale “The Mission.”
Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night (Island)
I mistakenly bought this as a gift for someone who already had it, leaving me with my first CD copy of what’s always been one of my favorite Waits albums, with a great late-night mood.
Iris DeMent – Lifeline (Flariella)
r splendid 2004 album of old-time gospel songs has been getting a lot of time on my stereo lately. Her voice really shines here, as she proves that writer’s block need not halt a career completely.
Fonotone Records Sampler (Dust to Digital)
I only managed to get my hands on this one-disc sampler of the music from Dust to Digital’s 5-disc celebration of Fonotone Records, the 78 rpm folk label from the 1950s. This disc alone is exhilarating, and makes me eager to hear the whole set.
The Amazing Race – The Complete First Season DVD (CBS)
This reality TV/game show, with ‘normal’ people racing each other around the world for money, stands as one of my favorite shows ever, for the way it brings genuine human emotions to the forefront of what’s also a suspenseful competition. The first season was the roughest – the producers were obviously still figuring out how this concept would work in practice – but for that same reason it might be the best.
