William J. Hines III

Better Late Than Never... Willie's 2004 Top 10 List

Quick View Ryan Adams -Rock N Roll
Despite the hyperbole surrounding this guy, he delivers more than he disappoints (unlike his friends and contemporaries The White Stripes). From the rave-up of "This Is It" to the somber reptiles of the title track, this is serious stuff. I wish I'd written "Burning Photographs", frankly. To the uninitiated, Ryan's a great link betWeen Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, except that he drinks more than both of them. A man after my own heart.
The Blue Nile High
What can I say? I'm just a jeepster for their love. In these most trying of times, the vulnerable and romantic confessions of Paul Buchanan and Co. are a breath of fresh air, hope and promise. Every married man should listen to "I Would Never" and find a place in their heart for tenderness. God, We need it now more than ever.
David Darling and The Wulu Bunum - Mudanin Kata
Noted ECM cellist/composer travels to Taiwan, gathers some field recordings of his experience, brings them into the recording studio and then composes an underlying melodic motif to compliment the voices. The Wulu Bunum are a tribe whose existence revolves around communal song and celebration, and Darling's orchestrations are sublime and sympathetic. Transcendental, like the Bulgarian Women's Choir recordings. Philip Glass would have a field day with their stuff.
Various Artists - Japan For Sale, Vol. 4

The J-Pop invasion continues! 16 tracks, and 14 are keepers! Now, how many albums can you say that about? From the blatant commercial and melodic offerings of L'Arc En'Ceil ("Ready Steady Go") to the melancholic and dreamlike "Last Scene" by Supercar, there is something for everyone here. What does it say, hoWever, that most of these bands have gained exposure through anime or video game soundtracks? Probably that a bug-eyed Ashlee Simpson action figure is just around the corner...
Prince Musicology

Innovative? Nope. Major statement? Hardly. Brilliant and entertaining? Absolutely. From the street funk of the title track to the grunge-like "Cinammon Girl", from the sleek neo-jazz groove of "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" to the seductive lascivious yearnings of "Call my Name", We're talking a master at the top of his game. Fads and trends come and go. Prince will stand the test of time, y'all.
The Musicology Tour
Nobody - and I mean nobody - delivered like The Artist Formerly Known As Obscure. The first show I caught had Prince doing a 20 minute workout of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", guitar solos everywhere. The second time, The Time opened, and hiis royal badness whipped out "The Beautiful Ones", a stunning acoustic medley and, of course, "Purple Rain". Duke Ellington for the new millennium.
Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell

Hey! When I like somebody, I really like `em! Actually, my love affair with this album coincided with a personal hiatus to Japantown in the heart of San Francisco. Top floor of the Radisson Miyako, Sapporo, incense, pipe in hand, gazing at the stars and skyline. "Wonderwall" and "Shadowlands" played repeatedly, non-stop , inbetWeen Tanqueray Gibsons and sushi.
Black Tape For A Blue Girl - The Scavenger Bride

The cynic in me says these guys (and gals) wanna be Dead Can Dance SO BAD, and yet there's room for more than one film noir, y'know? Kudos for their goth interpretation of Sonic Youth's "Shadow Of A Doubt", and the last four tracks fade into their romantic somnambulism that suggests a melancholy Nosferatu searching for Lotte Lenya beneath the gaslights.
Jon Brion @ Largo, L.A. (W. Hollywood)
Mr Brion's discography is getting bigger by the minute (soundtracks galore, production assists, etc.). But the truest example of his abundance of talent is to be found at a small. intimate nightclub called Largo's on any Friday night. Largo regulars include Aimee Mann, Michael Renn, Grant Lee Phillips, Neil Finn and (once upon a time) Elliott Smith. The jeWel in the crown, hoWever, is Mr. Brion. Imagine playing "Name That Tune" or "Stump The Band" with Todd Rundgren, Cole Porter and Emmit Rhodes as MCs! Mr Brion is a sonic master of styles, genres and, of all things, sampled loops! Better than Disneyland these days.
Akira Kurosawa
Domo arigato to Criterion Films for enriching my life one hundred fold since my acquisition of all available titles in the Kurosawa catalog. I had no idea what a film noir junkie I am! A romantic, too, to be sure. And that's why films like "Ikiru" and "Stray Dogs" and especially "The LoWer Depths" resonate with me so much. None of us are strangers to sorrow, alienation and heartbreak. Hopefully, all of us, at one time or another steal a glimpse of redemption. Hey, if I don't laugh... I'll cry, y'know?