Holy crap: [link]

The data there isn't misleading so much as it's ambiguous. I'm not sure what the graph is charting, exactly. My best guess is that it's saying that the average bestseller isn't selling as highly as in previous years, but the lack of complete data for the second half of this decade skews everything (provided the spreadsheet, which I can't wrap my brain around, doesn't explain that). Also, it can only be good news for non-mainstream music, which is, as far as I'm concerned, as close to objectively "good" news for music as you can get.

I admit, I didn't look at the list that closely, but if that list tracks the sales of all the albums over the intervening years of course older albums have an overall numbers advantage; plus, you just can't look at a sales trend by looking at the biggest selling albums of all time-- talk about your outliers.

I'm not sure what the graph is charting, exactly.

The number of albums in the top 100 that were released in a particular 5 year bracket.

What's surprising to me is not that the most recent bracket only has 2 of the top 100 (edit: because of what Bon Bon said), but that so many (43 all together) were released in the 90's. But the idea that this is somehow a sign of "how bad it's getting in the music industry" is absurd. If there's a problem, it's that the majors are too obsessed with having blockbusters, and not trying instead to nurture artists (see also TV, Movies).

Ooh: Music Trivia Writer Wanted

I've been lately listening to the Hold Steady

Ah, Craig. I gave it to someone for a Xmas present and his two-listens-later review was "Well, it certainly has a theme ." (For folks who have not heard it - the H.S. like to sing about the drugs. A lot.)

Two late-but-just-squeaked-in additions to my best of 2005:

Dungen • Tad Det Lugnt - Now, I know this was released in 2004 in Europe but it was released in the U.S. this summer (with a bonus disc), and I just got it last week. I cannot believe I missed them at the Intonation Festival this summer (they were just a dusty baseball field away from me - changing lives while I was just sitting there drinking warm, flat beer). This album is fantastic and I must see them (of course they played Chicago again since Intonation and I missed that as well). This is a genre-busting, rockin' out, sweeping epic album of crazy Swedish psych-pop fun.

The Wilderness • s/t - This album was also released this summer and nobody told me. These guys are from Baltimore and this is their first album and it's available on emusic. I recommend trying the first track "Marginal Over" or "Your Hands." You can either take the lead singer's voice or you can't - period. But if you can, it's quite an inspiringly raw and different album with unbelievably good drumming and guitar. I don't know what the hell this guy is talking about (I think he's mad about computers) but I like it.

What else? Let me consult the pod....

Black Mountain • s/t - Black Mountain are label-mates of The Wilderness but are much more psychedelic (what's with me and the psych-pop?) and are from Vancouver. For as sick as I am of retro stuff right now - I love their references and the whole album is this fun Velvet Underground/Stones/Galaxie 500 (I know, it's weird, but it works) Led Zeppelin but kind-of-totally-different-too thing.

I bought the new live Wilco, Kicking Television, and it is worth the steep double-disc price just for their Guthrie numbers "Airline to Heaven" and "One by One." "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" is even better than the album version. Come to think of it, all of those tracks are on disc 2 actually. The whole thing is a good listen though and make me wish that first off, I wasn't so poor back in May that I had to miss this show that was like 3 miles away from me while I probably sat drinking warm, flat beer and that secondly, Tweedy hadn't decided to go into rehab the same night I had tickets to see him wayback last September so that I could have seen Nels Cline play with them because, lo, he surely does rock on these tracks.

Finally, I am amazed and in wonder of the several tracks on the new Blackalicious album, The Craft, though I have not heard it all because the songs I have heard are unbelievably funky and awesome.

In more disturbing news, a week with my adolescent nephews (two are 12, one 15 and one 19) spent hanging at the Lawrence skate park, drinking Red Bull and watching MTV has resulted in more Eminem and Kelly Clarkson on my iPod than I feel comfortable with, frankly (though, I'll admit I listened to "Since U Been Gone" like four times the other night by myself).

Just came back from working work/trade at the music store. I only went $35 in the hole on purchases, but since I was able to get stuff at cost, it was still the thing to do.

I acquired not only the Will Bradley I backed out on at Amazon last night, but

Scat Singing: The Art of Vocal Jazz

LeRoy Shield's Our Relations - The Beau Hunks & The Metropol Orch.

The Very Best of Swingin' Jive Guitarists

Radio, Gimme Some Jive - The Delta Rhythm Boys 1941-45

Takes Two To Tango - Pearl Bailey

Start Jive Talkin' - The Cats & The Fiddle

Jazz Vocal Groups NY, LA, Hollywood, Chicago 1927 - 1944

The Dynamite TX Diva Live - Ella Mae Morse

Hot Harmony Groups 1941 - 1949 Vol. 3

Hec: I love that Classics label but they were out of bot the Fats Waller and the Cleo Brown as well as the early Louis Prima. When I asked the buyer, he said Classic was still putting out R&B stuff but was slowing up on the jazz.

Scat Singing: The Art of Vocal Jazz

I've got a volume of that with Leo Watson doing "Nagasaki."

The Very Best of Swingin' Jive Guitarists

Oooh, that sounds good.

The Dynamite TX Diva Live - Ella Mae Morse

I love Ella Mae to bits. She's one of the coolest cornfed gals ever.

Hec: I love that Classics label but they were out of bot the Fats Waller and the Cleo Brown as well as the early Louis Prima. When I asked the buyer, he said Classic was still putting out R&B stuff but was slowing up on the jazz.

Dang. I've got some Fats in that series. Also Count Basie, most of my Slim Gaillard and early Louis Jordan.

If you had any of the jazz stuff you had your eye on, you might want to bump it up on your queue. I can still get the Cleo Brown from Amazon, but the Fats Waller has disappeared for the time being. I assume it'll turn up used somewhere eventually. Although I should see if Amoeba has any of them hanging around their bins.

I was trying to think of things I probably ought to own chronological of because I end up rebuying certain songs with all the comps I'm buying. On that list fall:

The Mills Bros (early mostly)

The Ink Spots (early mostly)

The Boswell Sisters

Will Bradley Orch.

Freddie Slack Orch.

Fats Waller

Louis Prima (although there's definitely some dodgy stuff in his career)

The Foursome (if only anyone'd any issue them)

Cliff Edwards

Bing Crosby

Bob Wills (I've gotten close to achieving this)

Ella Fitzgerald (although I'd never have enough $ to buy it all)

Cab Calloway

And several artists in totally unrelated genres. ( I don't have easy access to check it right now, but I wonder if the Leo Watson track you mention is rather on The History of Jazz: Scat Singing [or something similarly named]? It's a different French label...)

but I wonder if the Leo Watson track you mention is rather on The History of Jazz: Scat Singing

Probably. Actually let me check....

Anthology of Scat Singing: Volume 3 1933-1941 on Masters of Jazz / Media 7.

Cab Calloway, Leo Watson, Tiny Bradshaw, Mills Brothers, Five Spirits of Rhythm, Svend Asmusson.

Oh, since I've got you on the line Spidra, where can I get "Mr. Ghost Is Going To Town" by the Five Jones Boys on CD? You know the version I want - from the Human Orhcestra LP comp. One of the greatest Halloween songs evah!

I need some more early Mills Brothers and Boswell Sisters.