Ryan Adams- "Shining Through the Dark" on Conan

I have to admit I've been down on Ryan Adams and the last few records he's put out. So much so that I apparently completely slept on his most recent release Ashes & Fire. Long story short, I went to see the new Judd Apatow movie, 'This Is 40' the other night and I found myself completely falling in love with Adams' music all over again thanks to their placement. The film & soundtrack feature two tracks from Adams, "Lucky Now" off of Ashes... which closes out the film, and "Shining Through the Dark" a reworked track that appeared before on a charity compilation. Catch him playing the latter track on a recent appearance on Conan O'Brien last week.

Ryan Adams performs "Oh My Sweet Carolina" w/ Laura Marling

It's fitting that Ryan Adams recently performed a duet with UK songbird Laura Marling. According to Adams he was sent her record, I Speak Because I Can while working on his latest, Ashes & Fire, and he drew inspiration from the young singers music. Adams said "For fuck’s sake I literally threw out 80% of what I had. And it felt good to ask ‘What am I really capable of?’ I felt competitive again to write great songs.”
He recently appeared on 'Live From Abbey Road' with Marling to perform the '00 Heartbreaker classic "Oh My Sweet Carolina."

Paste lists Top 50 albums of the decade

It's that time of year again where magazines and the like start compiling their year end lists. But as 2009 rolls to a close we not only have the usual year end lists but we are also closing out the first decade of the 21st century, so it's time to go way back in your collection and see what still grabs your attention from the 00's. The latest site to weigh in with their thoughts on the decade in music is Paste Magazine, here's what they came up with.

50 Björk - Vespertine (Elektra, 2001)
49 Libertines - Up The Bracket (Rough Trade, 2002)
48 Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (Interscope, 2004)
47 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino, 2006)
46 Once - Music From The Motion Picture (Columbia, 2007)
45 Radiohead - In Rainbows (self-released, 2007)
44 The Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music (Lost Highway, 2003)
43 Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian, 2007)
42 Jay-Z - The Blueprint (Roc-A-Fella, 2001)
41 LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (Capitol, 2007)
40 TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (Interscope, 2006)
39 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge, 2007)
38 Gentleman Jesse - Introducing Gentleman Jesse (Douchemaster, 2008)
37 Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop, 2004)
36 Pedro The Lion - Control (Jade Tree, 2002)
35 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino, 2009)
34 Various artists - O Brother Where Art Thou? (Mercury, 2001)
33 Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Capitol, 2002)
32 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Warner Bros., 2002)
31 Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism (Barsuk, 2003)
30 Damien Rice - O (Vector, 2003)
29 Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar, 2008)
28 Paul Westerberg - Folker (Vagrant, 2004)
27 Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day (New West, 2003)
26 Over the Rhine - Ohio (2004)
25 Sigur Rós - Med ud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (XL, 2008)
24 The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop, 2003)
23 Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker (Bloodshot, 2000)
22 The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (Capitol, 2006)
21 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL, 2008)
20 The National - Boxer (Beggars Banquet, 2007)
19 Beck - Sea Change (Interscope, 2002)
18 Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (Universal Republic, 2007)
17 Kanye West - The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella, 2004)
16 Rufus Wainwright - Want One (Dreamworks, 2003)
15 Patty Griffin - 1000 Kisses (ATO, 2002)
14 The Strokes - Is This It (RCA, 2001)
13 Josh Ritter - The Animal Years (V2, 2006)
12 Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (Merge, 2002)
11 The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America (Vagrant, 2006)
10 M.I.A. - Arular (Interscope, 2005)
09 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You (Columbia/American, 2009)
08 OutKast - Stankonia (Arista/LaFace, 2000)
07 Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) (Acony, 2001)
06 The White Stripes - Elephant (V2, 2003)
05 Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek, 2005)
04 Radiohead - Kid A (Capitol, 2000)
03 Arcade Fire - Funeral (Merge, 2004)
02 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch, 2002)
01 Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)

This Weeks New Releases: WK 2/10/09

Another short list this week , but with some real quality releases. Definitely recommend the new Point Juncture, Wa, as well as the new solo disc from Dan Auerbach.

New Releases WK 2/10:

Ryan Adams- Extra Cheese EP
Lilly Allen- It's Not Me, It's You
Dan Auerbach- Keep it Hid
Autopilot- To The Wolves
Beastie Boys- Pauls Boutique (20th Anniversary Addition)
The BPA- I Think Were Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Damnwells- One Last Century
Delta Spirit- iTunes Live
Emmy the Great- First Love
Hot Panda- Volcano.. Bloody Volcano
Ingrid Michaelson- iTunes session
Point Juncture, Wa- Heart to Elk
Joshua Radin- Bonus Material (demos) EP
Miranda Lee Richards- Light of X
Angus & Julia Stone- Mango Tree (single)
Vox Jaguars- Powerhouse EP
Wavves- self titled (Bonus track version)

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: new album plans

The man notorious for a seemingly never ending supply of new material (see: 2005's 3 releases), Ryan Adams, has announced plans for the follow up to last years 'Easy Tiger' and 'Follow The Lights' EP. His newest album titled Cardinology, will be coming out on October 28th via Lost Highway Records and features Adams and his longtime backing band The Cardinals. Adams recently wrapped up touring with Oasis' feuding Gallagher brothers and will be embarking on a headlining tour of his own, with dates beginning on Sept. 25th in Albany, NY with more to be announced soon.


Ryan Adams & The Cardinals upcoming tour dates:

Sept 25 Albany, NY – The Egg
Sept 26 Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theater
Sept 27 Rochester, NY – Auditorium Theater
Sept 29 Columbus, OH – Palace Theater
Sept 30 Cleveland, OH – Palace Theater
Oct 2 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Oct 3 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theater
Oct 4 St. Louis, MO – Fox Theater
Oct 5 Madison, WI – Overture Hall
Oct 7 Ames, IA – Stephens Auditorium
Oct 9 Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
Oct 10 Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater
Oct 11 Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theater
Oct 13 Austin, TX – Paramount
Oct 14 Houston, TX – Verizon
Oct 16 Tuscaloosa, AL – Bama Theater
Oct 17 Atlanta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater