THE SKYLINE 50: OUR FAVORITE SONGS OF THE YEAR, PART ONE

OH SNAP! This has been such a whips year for local releases. The beautiful people that we all rub elbows with on a daily basis have put out a slew of aces recordings, both those barely registering on the local radar and ones getting good reviews in publications across our mighty and rarely making erroneous foreign-policy decisionsish nation. Therefore, in the week leading up to the announcement of our first ever SAMMIES AWARDS (you’ve voted, right?), we are pleased to unleash upon you our fifty favorite tracks 0f 2007. To qualify, the songs need only have been released on some media or another (LP, CD, CDR, tape – whatever) and be really really party call me.

So, without further ado, we present the 2007 Houston 50, in totally non-biast alphabetical order:

Alien Abduction – Linus Pauling Quartet
All Things are Light
What better way to start our countdown than with a nearly nine minute album-opening opus by one of the 713’s has-been-around-but-definitely-not-has-been stardog champions. Combining the big fuzz that got you listening to Soundgarden in the first place with enough of a groove to tempt Herbie Hancock, Abduction rides out her parts to the last exit for Roswell and then loops back around to enjoy the drive a little longer.


Ankstiyeti – Cop Warmth
Centaur Cop Top
We remember in High School there was this total dish of a photographer who wrote angry editorials in the school paper and once took this picture of a rack of girl’s clothes, all identical and neatly placed next to each other, under a sign that said “Be an Individual.” We freely admit that we were not yet sophisticated enough to immediately understand a pictorial representation of the irony of wanting to be different just like everyone else. In a sense, Anksiyeti is similarly satiric of that part of life, with its demand that no on/every stop looking. It baffles us to no end how a song so chaotic can be so catchy at the same time.


Art of Malnutrition – Bring Back the Guns
Dry Futures
A friend of The Skyline (and BBTG) asked the question, can a song that’s been played live for so long really be considered one of 2007’s best? Yes. Absolutely. Even if it had taken another five years for this record to finally come out, this song would have been one of 2012’s best. A band notorious for not riding out any of the gunch-busting riffs that pack their songs like a wet burrito, Malnutrition is one of those rare exceptions where an almost, dare we say it, conventional approach to rocking out pays off like Casa Ole green dip. Pass the salt.


Ashes – Balaclavas
Inferno
When we first heard this ep, we immediately got in touch with Chris Ryan over at Dead City Sound to ask how he recorded the bass on it. While we won’t reveal his secret, we will say that in terms of the tone it’s a complete departure and total breakthrough for the band. It slinks around heavily and without hard edges, like a gigantic scorpion’s tail stabbing about with unknown intentions in the dark. On Inferno especially, it adds a new form of pleasurable disquiet to what was already one of the most unique sounding acts in town. It gives us the creeps and we love it.


At a Second Glance – Balaclavas
Balaclavas
Sometimes, you’re supposed to avert your eyes and not look directly at something, even when it might be polite to look just as though there were nothing shameful, awful or disturbing about what you’re seeing -because you know that, if you look away, every muscle in your neck and ocular sockets will try instinctively to go back for that second, perversely satisfying glance. For us, this song isn’t about that second look – it’s the struggle not to, and the bit of self loathing when you do.


Beatle Battle – Golden Axe
Kill Them Allah
If Golden Axe had put out a 50 song release, they would be the only band in the top 50 this year. Fortunately for everyone else who poured blood, sweat and tears into their Tele’s f-holes during 2007, Golden Axe did just a Grey Ghost single this, which means that there isn’t an overwhelming amount of material evidence that your band is not as good as Golden Axe and that you really should stop practicing right now and start spending more time planning for what the world will be like when it is ruled by James and Warren’s benevolent co-dictatorship.


Bird – Jana Hunter
There’s No Home
We iTuned this album, as it came out on the net a few weeks before the actual release, and we needed something that reminded us of home to listen to while we walked aimlessly around the akward Stevedore paradise of Long Beach, California. As such, we’ve never (to this day) seen the credits for this song and who all it is that’s singing and strumming along with our city's favorite daughter-in-exile. Even if there isn’t one, this track always sounds like home to us, and every few months we’re both surprised and not to learn of someone else we know who was sitting around the campfire when the gentle romp got put to tape. Come home soon.


Bruise the Paper – The Western Civilization
Letters of Resignation
Aside from platinum selling and prematurely deceasing rappers, Houston is generally know for bands that ride in a very different bumper car from bands like The Western Civilization. Bruise the Paper, in spite of lyrics that might get a troubadour down, is pure pop bliss. But this syrup is anything but factory processed maple that’s never seen the inside of a tree – so far from it. This taste of Karo doesn’t have a lot of local contemporaries, but they’ve sure got the pancakes to put them on.


Cuttin’ a Rug – Arthur Yoria
Handshake Smiles
We’ve heard the studio chatter lead-in to this song, “I do need a click for this one,” so many times this past year that we’re more than a little astonished it hasn’t become a catch-phrase around the newsroom along the lines of the now ubiquitous “oh word?” Frankly, we wonder why Arthur Yoria isn’t more ubiquitous either. It doesn’t speak very highly of the music industry that Cuttin’ a Rug hasn’t cut its way up the charts of some sort. Maybe it’s for the best, as it means we get to keep our local treasure around just a little longer. Party call me.


Drugs and Drawing – Wicked Poseur
Wicked Poseur 7”
Arthur Bates is a weird weird weird dude. We’re not really convinced that this song is about drugs or art. Seems too obvious and, well, not weird enough. That’s pretty subversive, to write a song about the role of chemical substances in artistic expression and spell it out plainly but still have people wondering "yeah, but what is he really talking about here.” Weird.

BE THERE: SHOWS TO CATCH TONIGHT

The live music inclined have four pretty decent outing to pick from tonight, and it’s a sure thing that you’ll be able to get to atleast two. Check it:

MAN MAN, The Extraordinaries, Spain Colored Orange @ The Proletariat – Happy Hour
Philly natives Man Man, whose music has been described as “Viking-vaudeville punk-wop rock-and-soul” bring their own particular kind of meyham (particular enough to have landed three of their songs in an episode of Weeds) to the prolo for an early show.

Carribou, Born Ruffians @ The Engine Room
Forget the Press’ dismissive tone, Andora is one of our favorite ’07 releases to date, in fact, we’re so enthralled with it that we’re honestly considering skipping this show so that we aren’t left with a bad taste in our mouths on behalf of the Room’s notoriously un-subtle sound (this is a total headphone album, and we love the little tiny nothings on it that are sure to get lost in the bassyness of the space).

Ryan Adams @ Verizon
You know if you want to see this show or not. Probably the best option if you’re in the contemplatively dreary mood and would rather a banjo than a pick-me-up. Real talk, if there’s a someone special missing from your life, this is the place to try and meet them tonight.

Golden Axe, Satin Hooks @ Boondocks
This is a free show. Allow us to explain the event in precisely one thousand words:


Rusted Shut, iAlarma! @ Rudyards
It will be loud, it will be drunk, it will be destructive, you will not get to sleep on time.

PHOTOS: ANNA + MARIA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

While many of you were no doubt up the street rocking it out at the Battles Show (or perhaps shakin it at the Pride Parade), a whole sweaty mess of party time party timers were over at Leon's Lounge where Anna and Maria were having a birthday party with a little help from some DJs, Raddage, AWESOME! and Golden Axe. We've got the scoop for you with some LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY PHOTO CAPTURES shots hot and fresh from the flickrs of Oak Forrest Hustla' Carrie Murphy (AWESOME!) and the eternally stylish Diana Perez (Las Panteras Negras).


THE REASONS FOR THE SEASON (CM)


Shaggy (Bring Back the Guns) plays one of your favorites in AWESOME! while James Love (Golden Axe) looks on (CM).


IMPOSSIBLE?! Carrie Murphy is back in AWESOME! (DP)


Golden Axe makes funny faces while melting yours (CM).


Ben Murphy (Bright Men of Learning) demonstrates his patented Double Kick Workout Routine to the sweet sounds of Golden Axe(CM).


DJ LIVE FREE and DJ OR DIE set the dancefloor on fire. Diana, Shu (Danseparc - who also played some hits)and Anna find relief by dancing on the bar. Some shirtless dude who no doubt wandered around the corner from the Red Door looks on and thinks about cheeseburgers(CM).


BALLOONS! (DP)

GOLDEN AXE CLEVES AGAIN

We are not afraid to show a bias. Nope, no way. There are some bands that we love more than others, and one of those is the shredertaining hypermetal instrumentalism that is Golden Axe. Though earlier this year they were as much a staple of nightlife as disappointing co-ed interactions, this turned into somewhat of a hellacious hiatus as Warren (he with the fingers of The Flash) went on tour with Valiant Thor and James concentrated on Act of God-like duties. Well la de dah – you know we wouldn’t be writing about them if we weren’t able to use the words “stoked” “playing again” and “this Saturday.” And whattya know – turns out that the terrorizing twosome of terrible terror are wrecking shop at none other than the party which we shamelessly plugged the other day. Yep – Saturday night at Leon’s Lounge with Raddage, AWESOME! and some WHIPS DJs, including our very own adr.


IN OTHER NEWS. Perhaps you were one of the folks who, like us, saw the above picture of Mr. Warren while he was on tour and assumed the worst: Loss of eye due to guitar pointeyness, fan insanity, groupie indiscretion or other hazards in the World of Metal. Turns out, quite the opposite. You’ll be relieved to know that he has retained both eyes. Awesome. And you’ll be deviled to learn that the patch was due to a scratch on his eye that was caused by a particularly deadly bit of bread on a sandwich he was eating one day. Metal.

Exclusive: Golden Axe talk Recording

It seems we can't go a week without offering up some juicy tid-bit or another about one of our favorite duos, Golden Axe. We've gotten word that they have, are, or will soon be recording with Terry and Jeff (of Walter's on Washington fame) at the new studio they built next door to Pamland's final outpost. According to drummer James Love, the recordings will be pressed onto a limited, colored vinyl 7", due out sometime this summer. Also, we've heard that Mr. Love has been seeking out some drum machines, which, frankly, sounds like the beginning of something fairly whipass. Stoked.

Visual Aid: Buckingham vs. Hatfield

If you're like us at the Skyline Network, you were fortunate enough to see two world class revealers of riffage friday night, Lindsay Buckingham (formerly of Fleetwood Mac) and Warren Hatfield (currently of Golden Axe). And, if you consumed enough libation (as we did), you might likewise find yourself unable to remember who is who and what is what. To assit, TSN is pleased to present the following visual aid chartographic.

Golden Axe to Record, Go on Hiatus

Friday's Golden Axe show at Rudyards will be the shredessential duo's last live gig for quite some time, according to a post on the band's blog. Warren, the Weilder of the Wooden Warrior Wand, will be going on tour with Valient Thorr this spring and our heros of hermes plan to do some recording before he leaves. That leaves time for the opus alone, and sadly not much for the stage.

As for the studio, no details as yet as to where/with who they will be recording and whether or not they plan to remake some of the smokers from the old Torches of Fury cd that they still perform live. You'll know when we know.

Also on the bill this Friday are The Jonx, whose new record No Turn Jonx Red is apparently so good that they have to keep it behind the glass at Sound Exchange. Seriously, it's kept behind glass. Also on the $5 lineup is 500 Megatons of Boogie.