Wilco "Being There" (1996)

I'm not even going to begin to do justice to this record.  It is so dense with musical references to the history of rock and country music.  Really it deserves a 33 1/3 style dissertation.  But that is a project for another time.  Suffice it to say, that this is truly an essential record from the 90s.

Eric Lindell "Cazadero" (2011)

This is an interesting album.  There's just something intangible missing.  Everything about it is solid, good sound, playing, songs.  But it's lacking that special thing that really sets a great record apart from the others. 

Eric Lindell "Between Motion & Rest" (2010)

This is a fairly pedestrian collection of contemporary blues/R&B.  While originally a Californian, "Between Motion & Rest" sounds much more Gulf Coast in sound.  I can't determine if it's ultimately the fault of the production, or the performances, but it just is very rote.  It's a shame, really, as my gut feeling is that this band would be excellent in a live setting.

Snooks Eaglin "Baby, You CanGet Your Gun!" (1987)

The remarkable thing about this album is its diversity.  Eaglin was called a "human jukebox", & a quick sampling of just this album shows why.  You have everything from straight ahead blues cuts to latin tinged instrumentals to funk.  While a pale imitation to his live shows, "Baby, You Can Get Your Gun!" is still a worthwhile listen.

Van Morrison "Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl" (2009)

I'm having trouble coming up with a rationale for this album that isn't cynical.  There's been a trend in recent years for artists to perform entire albums in concert.  Well, that's not entirely accurate.  This isn't like the prog era, when a group might perform a concert entirely of their new double album.  What they're doing is revisiting older, much beloved material.  Turning themselves into a tribute act, of sorts.  So apparently Van Morrison decided to do a couple of concerts playing the Astral Weeks material.  This album is a from a concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

There are some minor changes to the material.  The track order has been shifted a bit.  Arrangements have been altered to accommodate changes to Morrison's voice.   Some tracks have been lengthened.  But in terms of the overall take on the material, it is the same.

Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago" (2008)

The cover foreshadows the music itself, quiet with a wintery sheen.  Vernon's falsetto vocals soar over simply strummed guitar.  It's a wonderful debut.

Despite that, it really is shocking to me that this record became such a big deal.  I like it, don't get me wrong, but I don't know that it's not any better than quite a few simple lofi indie albums since the first Iron & Wine release.

Akron/Family "Akron/Family" (2005)

Well, this is a weird one.  It's more than a bit all over the place.  Tape manipulation, soundscapes, some indie rock a la Radiohead, some Faheyesque folk.  The more structured pieces seem to work best.  It's a difficult listening experience.  The fractured nature of the material means that the listener can never really settle for any particular mode of listening.