The Red Circle

48. Electric Owls – Ain’t Too Bright (2009)
Electric Owls’ Ain’t Too Bright is a dangerously literal collage of past and present that wins big on its stylistic gamble thanks to songwriter Andy Herod’s understanding that musical magic has to be inspired as well as formulated. Jeff Lynne soaked arrangements and production definitely don’t hurt the band’s further ELO likeness and the songs often contain that same exuberance in music for music’s sake. Electric Owls’ greatest strength though is that their ear for pop is all inclusive, incorporating elements of Smashing Pumpkins, Violent Femmes, New Order and Daft Punk into single segments of songs. Pink Floyd and the Mars Volta tag team a song about the Delta Queen with a full on psychedelic freakout at the end. Crosby, Stills & Nash take on The Pixies and the Shins in a country ballad battle royal for the ages. Tom Waits and Jack White suck helium and commit a backwoods musical murder. The album spans many moods, styles and ages without the translation of time and works anyway because each song from opener “Magic Show” to closer “Kallispell” is its own little piece of pop perfection.

47. Ben Folds – Ben Folds Live (2002)
Ben Folds may have spent the better part of this decade stumbling through studio albums and self-released EPs, but this document of his outstanding live show carefully weaves some of his better solo material with hits and fan favorites from his days as part of his eponymous power pop trio Ben Folds Five. Anti-record company b-side “One Down” may suggest that, like most live albums, this was released to fulfill contractual obligations, but Folds doesn’t know how to phone it in. The album succeeds because the setlist and format are tailored to highlight Folds’ two greatest strengths: His phenomenal musicianship and his sense of humor. Whether out of necessity or pure ego, Folds struck out on his own for this 2002 tour and it’s almost shocking just how effective one man and a piano (and a minor assist on one track from Cake’s John McCrea) can be. High points are frequent and range from Folds’ utilization of the audience to create grand choral harmonies and brass accompaniment in “Not The Same” and “Army” respectively to an improvised musical response to an audience member’s demand that he “rock this bitch,” aptly titled “Rock This Bitch.” Both elements have since become part of his live act by popular demand, a testament to both Folds’ effortless musical brilliance as well as his rabidly loyal fanbase. The inclusion of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” is a bit unnecessary and album closer “Emaline” is admittedly anti-climactic but the performance, recording and editing make this album as brilliant a document of live music as was made in the last ten years.

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