The interesting thing about year end album lists is that everyone's, and I mean everyone's looks different. I have looked over so many year end lists my eyes feel like they are going to fall out, and yet here I am creating my own. The fascination with "the list" for me is that it sparks conversation and inspires thought. I didn't publicly do one last year, but I had one in my head. I hope as you look over the list you find yourself with an opinion - not so much on whether my list is right or wrong, because without a doubt it will look wrong - but your opinion on what albums you loved this year. There were a lot of good ones. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on mine. I just typed out the albums I can remember listening to a lot and not growing tired of. I guess that's what I really like about a good album - it lasts.

01.The National Boxer
02.Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha
03.Band of Horses Cease To Begin
04.Iron & Wine The Shepherds Dog
05.The Shins Wincing The Night Away
06.Vampire Weekend Blue CD-R
07.Radiohead In Rainbows
08.Pela Anytown Graffiti
09.Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova Once Soundtrack
10.Shout Out Louds Our Ill Wills
11.Feist The Reminder
12.Beirut The Flying Club Corp.
13.Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
14.David Vandervelde Moonstation House Band
15.St. Vincent Marry Me
16.John Vanderslice Emerald City
17.Sigur Ros Hvarf-Heim
18.Bowerbirds Hymns For A Dark Horse
19.Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
20.Explosions In The Sky All Of The Sudden I Miss Everyone
21.Laura Veirs Saltbreakers
22.Elliott Smith New Moon
23.Menomena Friend Or Foe
24.Electrelane No Shouts No Calls
25.The New Pornographers Challengers
26.Zookeeper Becoming All Things
27.Albert Hammond, Jr. Yours To Keep
28.Ryan Adams Easy Tiger
29.Arcade Fire Neon Bible
30.FrYars The Ides/happY 7"


Tell me who I missed out on - post a comment!!!

Also, go check out Stereogum's List of Year End Lists. Click here.

The Adventure Club with Josh Venable on 102.1 has been cancelled indefinitely. I have been a member of the Yahoo! Group for some time now and way before Dallas Does Indie, the Adventure Club was my first outlet for good quality music on the radio/internet. It's just another depiction of the madness in radio broadcasting. Josh Venable, the creator/host of the show has brought a lot of joy to a lot of musically educated folks here in Dallas and it's sad to see that all come to an end.

I just wanted to make a brief mention of my gratitude to the Adventure Club and to Josh. I am a fan like so many others who wish Dallas were a different place. Instead we are left to fight a battle no one has won yet. Dallas, on the whole, will never be a town that welcomes raw and under appreciated talent, which is what Josh really was. The last dying ember of hope in radio has been stoked out by this sad sad town.

"there's a tower in the heart of london
with a radio station right at the top
they don't make the city beat
they're making all the action stop

a long time ago there were pirates
beaming waves from the sea
but now all the stations are silenced
'cos they ain't got a government license

wanna tell your problems
phone in from your bedsit room
having trouble with your partner
let us all in on the news

if you wanna hear a record
get the word from aiden day
he picks all the hits to play
to keep you in your place all day

capital radio
in tune with nothing
don't touch that dial."

You'll be missed Josh,

Jasien
Dallas Does Indie

DDI and the Granada Theater of Dallas, TX are teaming up to give the listeners of the Dallas Does Indie Podcast a chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to the June 21st Menomena show.

Listen closely to episode 79, which comes out Monday, June 11th. On that show is when I will explain just how you could be the lucky winner. Then on episode 80, which comes out Monday, June 18th, I will announce the winners. The winners will be able to pick up their tickets at the will call window of the Granada the day of the concert.

This is the first time DDI has been able to give away tickets to a show, and what a show to start with!!! Menomena is a great band off of the Barsuk record label, and this is the first time for the band to visit Dallas since the release of their new album, Friend and Foe

Oh, and just in case you've never heard of the band, I'll be playing a new song from their album on episode 79.

So you really can't lose - the podcast is free, the winning tickets are free, and of course my witty banter is ALWAYS free. Be sure to tune in.

****For those of you NOT in the D/FW area, don't just sit and pout - contact your local venues and tell them about our show. Wouldn't it be cool if DDI were giving away free concert tickets every week?****

by jasien swords

Last night I watched Glen Hansard, of The Frames in his movie-musical, Once. It reminded me of something I seem to repeatedly take for granted. In this day and age, where aspiring artists of all media can simply teach themselves a computer program, then master it, then publish their work on the web, why is it so hard to wrap our brains around talent?

Is it because we have too many choices? Or not enough time to devote to each individual's contribution? Wouldn't that be a shame, and yet I don't think many of us care about talent. This is just my observation, so don't be offended if it doesn't apply to you, but when you take a look at what some people get away with - souless entries into the ever-maddening world of entertainment. Shall I expand my thought? Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, Pirates 3, and I'll stop there if only because I'm an optimist, or better yet, a glutton for punishment. I've seen all three of these movies, and all three disappointed me. But, they got my money. Now, I won't go so far as to say all talent was void in these new additions to their trilogies. I will however say that it is an upsetting trend to see bigger and bigger budgets yielding more mindless stories.

As I sat and watched Once unfold, it occured to me how simple of a story it was. Two kindred spirits bumping into each other and guiding each other through a period of their lives. What a concept - something that happens daily. Needless to say, I loved the film. I loved the music, but I have always like Hansard. I like that he writes about real things, things I can relate to. I like so many things that are basic.



Yes, talent is everywhere. I was perusing all of my weekly blogs when I came upon this young girl singing and playing the Sufjan song, Chicago. She's not just dabbling, she is blowing it out of the water...and in a bathroom, no less.

I don't know what my point is, really. I guess I am blogging just to say I care about talented people who may or may not be heard. If you feel that way too, then the next time someone you know or see is pouring themselves into something really impressive, say thanks.

I apologize for the audio quality on this weeks show. I am going to reupload the audio. Thanks!

jasien

Hi everyone,

I know it's early, but the one year episode will be here before you know it. I would really love it if those who want, would send me your voice recordings of "happy birthday DDI or Dallas Does Indie from [blank]!"

I plan on playing them throughout the show. Just use a simple voice recording software, whichever you like, be creative as you want to, and send it to me in .mp3 format - jasienswords[at]gmail[dot]com Thanks!!!

jasien

As you probably picked up on, Tv on the Radio will NOT be playing at the Gypsy Tea Room, nor will the Tapes N' Tapes. At the time I recorded I wasn't sure, or maybe I was just lying to myself. Sadly no one will ever be playing the Gypsy Tea Room/Ballroom again. Both shows have been moved to the Granada. All tickets purchased for Gypsy will be honored at the Granada.

Thanks,
jasien

I wanted to bite my tongue, or in this case temper my fingers from typing angrily. Alas, I cannot temper anything. The stakes are too high. It's Sunday morning. On Sunday mornings I walk down my street to the newsstand on the corner and buy a Dallas Morning News. I peruse the sports, check out the Best Buy adds to see if that 61" I've been coveting has magically dipped a thousand dollars, and I save the Guide for last to read up on what happened in the music world the night before. As expected, an article was waiting about the closing of the Gypsy Tea Room - perhaps the most notable concert spot in the DFW area since it's opening in 1998. Thor Christensen, a music beat writer for The News shared his opinion about Gypsy and all of it's flaws. Poor Thor, hopefully those who hide your flaws for you are much kinder than you were to the Gypsy with your article.



Mr. Christensen chose to focus on all the Gypsy lacked rather than all the small venue has done for Dallas and Deep Ellum. With the Gypsy gone, I can hardly think of a reason to visit the quickly fading D.E. How many of us have sung along with our favorite budding artist as they filled the room with songs we were just beginning to love? How many times has an artist or band returned to Dallas/Ft. Worth, bigger than before, and credited Gypsy as the experience, which brought them back? Enough, I think, to have Mr. Christensen save a paragraph in his article to mention it.

Sure, Gypsy was smoky, drunks were prevalent, and you couldn't see a darn thing. Wait to go Thor, you pointed out what we already knew - small venues suck. But where else would we go to hear the artists who would've passed over Dallas without Gypsy? I have a love hate relationship with Dallas and music. It seems like for every one person you meet who would dance the night away with you at an inspired rock show, there are 20 people crying about how they don't have a comfy chair to sit in. We kill our ears with the regurgitating radio stations playing what Major Labels hand out. It's nearly impossible to be creative in Dallas. With Gypsy on the way out, I'm afraid for the next guy, the one who comes in to replace this gap being left in our American Idol-loathing hearts. I can only say a prayer that the truly talented, underappreciated feel like they still have a home - a place they can find solace. If I had a bigger house I would invite them over, but I don't. The Gypsy was my home too.

Shame on Whit Meyers for saying that Gypsy Tea Room wasn't for the fan who wanted to "focus 100 percent on the music." He is wrong. Perhaps it was just a business to him. Perhaps the cumbersome square bar made more money than the bands on the stage. But something bigger was taking place. Dallas was worth visiting. For a band on the road, no place is happened upon by accident - they choose to stop and play because they believe it's worth it.

Everywhere you go as a rock fan, there is going to be something that bothers you. Whether it's the opening act, the tool that is booty dancing with his girlfriend in front of you, the smoking, the drunken fools, the reverb, etc. Let's be realists, that's part of the experience. If we wanted comfy chairs and a great view, we'd slap our headphones on and close our eyes. How you choose to react to all those distractions determines your enjoyment of the show. When it was crowded and hard to see at Gypsy, I would put the girl I was with (who was shorter than I am) in front of me, spread my legs to make some space for us, and we'd just sway to the music. When it was too smoky, I would move. And when someone was attempting to ruin a show with their song requests, I would secretly unite with everyone else around me, and we would all send hate vibes to that guy. I never left Gypsy feeling ripped off, but that was me. I guess Mr. Thor Christensen represents a piece of Dallas I will never get - that entertainment should be comfortable. It's a pivotal moment in the DFW music scene. As we say goodbye to the Gypsy Tea Room, are we saying goodbye to an open stage for uniqueness as well? Cast your votes America.

Jasien Swords, The Dallas Does Indie Podcast

ps, I encourage anyone who reads and has an opinion to send an email to Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News. His email address is tchristensen@dallasnews.com.

I simply and enthusiastically loved the Andrew Bird show. His live performace was superior to anything he does on disc....and I love everything he's done. I got caught up in the moments he was caught up in his melody. It was amazing! The only pitfall to the night was the Mavericks unexcusabley allowing the Suns to leave Dallas with a victory.

Hey, I thought it might be fun to give those who want to the opportunity to leave DDI a message. So go for it.