FINAL RESULTS FOR THE COUNTDOWN

Well it has come to an end everybody and here are the top four.

4. Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
3. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
2. Gomez - How We Operate
1. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

And here is a complete list of the Countdown

89. Secret Machines – Ten Silver Drops

88. Ben Kweller – Ben Kweller

87. The Duhks – Migrations

86. Beth Orton – Comfort of Strangers

85. Calexico – Garden Ruin

84. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time

83. Drive By Truckers – Blessing and a Curse

82. Gov't Mule - High & Mighty

81. Joshua Radin - We Were Here

80. Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing

79. Michael Franti & Spearhead - Yell Fire!

78. Neil Young - Living With War

77. Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls

76. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

75. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon

74. The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth

73. Wolfmother - Wolfmother: 

72. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River In Reverse

71. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways

70. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations

69. Rhett Miller - The Believer

68. Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela

67. Subdudes - Behind the Levee

66. The Who - Endless Wire

65. Will Hoge - Man Who Killed Love

64. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

63. Zero 7 - The Garden

62. Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream

61. Los Lobos - The Town and the City

60. Paul Simon - Surprise

59. Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler

58. Tom Waits - Orphans:Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards

57. Carbon Leaf - Love Loss Hope Repeat

56. Indigo Girls - Despite Our Differences

55. James Hunter - People Gonna Talk

54. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam

53. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Nothing But The Water

52. Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World

51. Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Colorblind

50. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

49. Alice Smith - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me

48. Donavon Frankenreiter - Move By Yourself

47. JJ Cale/ Eric Clapton - The Road To Escondido

46. The Black Keys - Magic Potion

45. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

44. Los Lonely Boys - Sacred

43. Tom Petty - Highway Companion

42. Damien Rice - 9

41. Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way

40. G. Love - Lemonade

39. M. Ward - Post War

38. My Morning Jacket - Okonokos

37. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards

36. Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning

35. Guster - Ganging Up On the Sun

34. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years

33. The Bridge - The Bridge

32. The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls In America

31. The Long Winters - Putting the Days To Bed

30. Built To Spill - You In Reverse

29. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

28. Mason Jennings - Boneclouds

27. Thom Yorke - The Eraser

26. Cat Power - The Greatest

25. The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics

24. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

23. Mat Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose

22. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun

21. Eric Lindell - Change in the Weather

20. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat

19. Amos Lee - Supply & Demand

18. John Mayer - Continuum

17. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

16. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

15. The Killers - Sam's Town

14. Alexi Murdoch - Time Without Consequence

13. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

12. Beck - The Information

11. KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope

10. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

9. Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black

8. Citizen Cope - Every Waking Moment

7. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope

6. Gnarles Barkley - St. Elsewhere

5. Keane - Under the Iron Sea

4. Snow Patrol – Eyes Open

3. Bob Dylan – Modern Times

2. Gomez – How We Operate

1. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

I hope everybody has a happy holiday season and a happy new year. Thanks for listening to 89.7 WTMD

Thursday's Countdown Results

The results of Thursday's portion of the Coundown are as follows.

20. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
19. Amos Lee - Supply & Demand
18. John Mayer - Continuum
17. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
15. The Killers - Sam's Town
14. Alexi Murdoch - Time Without Consequence
13. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
12. Beck - The Information
11. KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope
10. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

I'm also going tto sneak in what has been on the air today so far.

9. Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black
8. Citizen Cope - Every Waking Moment
7. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
6. Gnarles Barkley - St. Elsewhere
5. Keane - Under the Iron Sea

Check back in today for the entire list for the Top 89 Albums of 2006.

Holiday Weekend!

The weekend before a holiday I am either super busy with everything I HAVEN'T gotten to or trying to figure out what to do with my relatives who are in town.
So I was psyched to find out that this weekend The American Visionary Art Museum is having Sock Monkey Saturday! Could be a chance to have some fun with family/friends being crafty and getting a last minute gift taken care of!

Holiday Lights, Train Gardens and Organic Soul...

Here's the link Megan and I were discussing on WEEKEND ON THE RADIO this morning to all the holiday light displays and train gardens from all over the region...and here's a neat article on the subject.

...and if you REALLY love trains, visit the Norwegian Train Garden at Union Station in DC and catch some real ones too.

And if you're ready to celebrate the first day of Kwanza this coming Tuesday with some live music, check out Sam Sessa's article on Organic Soul Tuesdays at the 14 Karat Cabaret downtown.

AND, if you're heading up I-95, here's a great idea for a little day detour- Longwood Gardens!

Hope you get a chance to get out there and enjoy some fun things to do this holiday weekend. Cheers!

CHECK OUT WHAT I FOUND!!!

I was doing some late night wandering on the internet and I found this video of The Shins new song Phantom Limb. This is one of my favorite songs that we have been playing at the station and I can't wait for the album to come out either. I also got a video of Margot & the Nuclear So & So's playing Skeleton Key live. Enjoy.

-Tyler

The Past Two Days of the Countdown

Hi everybody. Sorry for the wait but here's Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday:
42. Damien Rice - 9
41. Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
40. G. Love - Lemonade
39. M. Ward - Post War
38. My Morning Jacket - Okonokos
37. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
36. Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning
35. Guster - Ganging Up On the Sun
34. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
33. The Bridge - The Bridge
32. The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls In America

Wednesday:
31. The Long Winters - Putting the Days To Bed
30. Built To Spill - You In Reverse
29. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
28. Mason Jennings - Boneclouds
27. Thom Yorke - The Eraser
26. Cat Power - The Greatest
25. The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
24. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
23. Mat Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose
22. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun
21. Eric Lindell - Change in the Weather

That's all for now but be sure to tune into 89.7 WTMD on Thursday and Friday for the final 20 albums of the Countdown.

We Bust Christmas Carols...

"Beneath the mistletoe as we drink egg nogg"....hope you had a chance to enjoy my all time favorite Guilty Pleasure holiday tune from Run DMC. If not, here's a little treat for you.



...and if you're looking to ethically purchase gifts for the season, here's some info on 10,000 Villages whose young volunteer Annajane was featured on this morning's GOOD PEOPLE.

Because Patchen Can't Leave Well Enough Alone...

I've got more albums I can't resist listing for one reason or another this year. So as promised in my last post, here are a few Honorable Mentions and other nods:

Honorable Mention:
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley — Welcome to Jamrock

Best Album I Still Haven't Bloody Heard All Of:
The Pipettes — We Are the Pipettes

Best Album I've Only Heard Online:
The Fratellis — Costello Music

You can, too! Listen to the whole thing here.

Best of Baltimore:
Karmella's Game — The Art of Distraction

Best Blues:
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals — Nothing But the Water

Best Group Fighting the Power (Punk):
Pretty Girls Make Graves — Élan Vitale

Best Group Fighting the Power (Hip-Hop):
Rhymefest— Blue Collar

Best Gratuitous Use of Dave Matthews:
Jurassic 5 — Feedback

Best Video Illustrating the Song:
Lily Allen — "LDN"



Best Live Show:
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah with Architecture in Helsinki in Philadelphia

I knew going in I was going to see CYHSY, and they didn't disappoint — it was what you hear on the radio, only gleefully moreso (the vocals more slurred, the whoops almost howled, and so forth). But since a friend had snagged the tickets, I had no idea I was seeing AiH until just before they went on, and I was thrilled since I've been spinning them for years. But even as a long-time fan, nothing prepared me for their live show—drum pads, fevered instrument-switching, shifts from indie rock to calypso mid-set, and an amazingly knowledgable audience that sang along and danced till the floor bowed. If you have a chance to see AiH, do it; they're from Australia, so it's not like they can just pop into town on a whim.

Best "I Totally Know These Guys" Moment:
Last week I realized that back in college I ran a light show for The Slip in this lovely converted Gothic revival chapel.

Sam Sessa Won't Stop Bugging Me Until I Admit:
...that he's a genius for discovering Amy Winehouse's "Rehab."

My Cooler Younger Brother Is Horrified I Haven't Yet Mentioned:
The Hold Steady — Boys and Girls in America

OK, I'm done. Let's all go and make a pie. Or some cake.

Applause! for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

The sophomore album from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will hit the streets on January 30th, it's called Some Loud Thunder. We've been playing a couple songs from the release. Here's a listen:

"Love Song No. 7"

"Underwater"

Countdown Results For Monday

Well here they are, I know you have been waiting all day to find out who made the Countdown. The wait is over here they are.

53. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Nothing But The Water

52. Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World

51. Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Colorblind

50. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

49. Alice Smith - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me

48. Donavon Frankenreiter - Move By Yourself

47. JJ Cale/ Eric Clapton - The Road To Escondido

46. The Black Keys - Magic Potion

45. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

44. Los Lonely Boys - Sacred

43. Tom Petty - Highway Companion

Neko Suave

I tell you, I just cannot get enough of Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Just listen to the opening Grace Slick-like vocals on "Hold On Hold On." That first line, "The most tender place in my heart is for strangers...." kills me! What talent and guts! She's a combination of Loretta Lynne, Kurt Cobain and David Lynch. She's got the pipes to challenge any Dolly come lately, the kind in-your-face artist ethic that caused her to turn down several major label suitors and the non-linear song structure akin to of one of my favorite composers, and hers, I found out recently, Angelo Badalamenti(Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, etc). Listen to the strings and somewhat out of tune chord changes in this video for "Maybe Sparrows." (kind of reminds me of the Cold War Kids "Hang Me Up to Dry"). Neko has lived a hardscrabble life already. More on that later. Peace, for now.

Better Late Than Never Right?

Sorry for the wait everybody but here are the rusults from Sunday's portion of the countdown.

60. Paul Simon - Surprise

59. Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler

58. Tom Waits - Orphans:Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards

57. Carbon Leaf - Love Loss Hope Repeat

56. Indigo Girls - Despite Our Differences

55. James Hunter - People Gonna Talk

54. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam

I'll be back with Monday's full list in a few hours. Talk to you then.

-Tyler

Cover Me!

Just stumbled upon this and wanted to share. Cold War Kids recently recorded a live EP of covers. 6 tracks, covering the likes of Elvis Costello, Tom Waits , Be Good Taynas & more...

Download them all for yourself right here:

COLD WAR KIDS

Technology ROCKS!

It's always great to fall in love with new music, but I get more engaged when there's something special behind the scenes.
Take for instance Air Hest's new EP The Green Room Sessions, not only does it feature a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Little Lies' and some stunning originals, it is also homemade!
Ari made the album in the "Green Room" in his apartment on his Apple laptop and Garage Band software. It is amazing what can be done with a computer and a little talent and time!
Now, if I could just figure out how to play a guitar, maybe I'll put out an EP too!

Here's a song, 'Upstairs,' from The Green Room Sessions.

The New Underwriting Guy's Top 10

Hey everyone! This is Robby, the underwriting guy, and I just completed my first week here at WTMD. I'm really excited to be a part of the group here and part of such a great station. Here are my top 10 in the order in which they came into my head.

1. Alice Smith - For Lovers, Dreamers, and Me : I saw her open for Citizen Cope and she may have stolen the show...at least for me. I see good things coming her way.
2. Brett Dennen - So Much More : He looks like he is 14 years old and kind of sounds like Tracy Chapman. He also happens to write great music and put out a stellar album that I can't stop listening to. I'm looking forward to the show at Rams Head Tavern next month.
3. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun : I've been a huge fan of his for many years and this album was probably his best album since The Will To Live. Check out the song "Morning Yearning", which I think I listened to 5 times before I got to the rest of the album.
4. Rodrigo y Gabriela- Rodrigo y Gabriela : It's a fun album with two very talented guitarists whose influences are endless. Check them out on David Letterman, Monday the 18th.
5. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit : Another great album from these guys. I really don't know what else to say about this one.
6. The Slip - Eisenhower : My freshmen roommate got me into this band. This album's sound is different from what I was first introduced to, but they are still great.
7. Jonah Smith - Jonah Smith : I was lucky to catch him and his band live and I immediately became a fan. I really dig his soulful voice and his songwriting. He lists Stevie Wonder as one of his biggest influences, which raises his stock in my book. Maybe we'll see something like Inversions or Talking Book from him in years to come.
8. Tea Leaf Green - Rock 'N' Roll Band : My favorite band to emerge from the jam band scene in recent years. This live album was also made into a DVD. Check out this clip from the movie.



9. Cat Power - The Greatest : Sometimes first impression is everything. A friend turned me onto this album and I initially loved everything about it...still do.
10. Mason Jennings - Boneclouds : It took me a couple of times listening to Boneclouds before I started to like it as much as his previous albums. I guess it's not as catchy as his other work, but his songwriting ability is still there and he still makes simple songs sound great.

Let me know if any of these albums resonate with you or if you think any of them are not worth a top 10 mention. Till next time...

Before I Die....

I must see Tom Waits LIVE! Did you catch his interview on the World Cafe last week? Wow! David Dye had such a revealing chat with a soul that at first, doesn't seem to BE all that revealing. Tom would begin his answers with one word, slightly-slurred grunts, then proceed to unravel these flowing, poetic answers that really take you deep into the heart of an American songwriting and composing treasure. I adore the affection Tom has for his wife/songwriting partner, Kathleen Brennen- it's beautiful to behold. Check out a day in the life of the two when they head to work. Whether it's German opera, jazz, polkas, Burrows-inspired musings, barroom love songs...Tom can compose any style of music- and it's captured on the sprawling Orphas: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards. Listen to the interview and the live performance, especially of one of my favorite Waits songs "Tango Till There Sore." Peace.