Hi there! My name is Thad, I work here at the ‘Prints. I really enjoy the new album from Jolie Holland, titled The Living and the Dead put out by the wonderful folks at ANTI Records, and think you might want to give it a listen. Sure am glad I did. Have been a fan of Ms. Holland’s work after being exposed to her previous solo effort, released a couple of years ago, and have since dug into her back catalog and work in various projects. Jolie has a genuine feel to her vocal delivery, refreshing to me personally in our fast-paced day-to-day pushed onward by bright lights and plastic. A gentle smoky tone (think Lucinda Williams, only not so aggressive) to her voice along with a round Texan accent (which I find delightful) shaping some of her words, making her phrasing more expressive with respect to the lyrical content and mood of the songs on this record. The music is undoubtedly American, in the best way. Songs of loss, hope and travel. A consistent mellow feel throughout this one, and I have found it great for my quiet times, of which there are unfortunately few. The cast backing her up on this record is nothing less than phenome al, too. M. Ward is all over this thing, along with his usual drummer and Marc Ribot playing some intriguing and tasteful lead guitar. If you are unfamiliar with either Marc or M., I highly suggest digging into their work after you give The Living and the Dead a listen. Here’s the deal, if you listen to 3 minutes of the opening track of this CD (“Mexico City”) and don’t like the hell out of it, then I won’t ask you to listen any further. This record is not for you. Which would not make you a bad person, just thought I’d give you my two cents on new music I like. If you DO sit down with The Living and the Dead and DO like it, allow me to suggest these albums you might dig, too:
    - Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
    - Drive By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
    - Willie Nelson (w/ Daniel Lanois) - Teatro
    - Ryan Adams - Cardinology

Three albums in and Ray still isn’t a household name...it’s just wrong. If you don’t know Ray, you just click right here right now. It’s breathy, introspective, emotional, and about as real as music comes (think a bit of an Otis Redding meets Van Morrison, if you aren’t reading this near a computer). He’s playing The Wiltern on the 30th, and yes, it would be great if he’d come back here, but it’s probably unlikely at this point - his lack of a household name not-withstanding. This one gets our highest recommendation. Also available on vinyl.

Okkervil River is the place called home by Will Sheff and Seth Warren, but along the way it's also been home to Jonathan Meiburg, leader of Shearwater, who many of you will recall from their outstanding in-store here at the shop. Okkervil touches a lot of the same bases as Shearwater, with a bit more angst and a lot less prog influence (and substantially less avian imagery).

As in, Live at Fingerprints & Live at Park Ave. This indie store exclusive release offers a glimpse at why Matt Nathanson has accrued an ever-growing legion of fans over his career.

It's never too late to celebrate all the good things in a year, so here we offer our best of the best lists from our humble staff here at the Finger. We'll be adding these in a bit at a time, so check back often for more of the best.

Top Three Reissues
1. Richard Twice - Richard Twice
2. J Dilla Rough - Draft
3. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

Favorite Newcomer
School of Seven Bells (SVIIB)

Most Welcome Return
Os Mutantes

Best Live Shows
1. Os Mutantes - El Rey
2. Cocorosie - El Rey
3. School of Seven Bells - Low End Theory

Favorite In Store Performance
Anthony Shadduck

Favorite Album Artwork
VA-Artdontsleep Presents: From LA With Love

Best Soundtrack
Juno

Top Three DVDs
1. Jud Apatow Anything
2. Children of Men
3. Beatles- Help

Favorite Music Video
Busdriver - Casting Agents and Cowgirls

Guilty Pleasure
Jodorowsky Box Set

My Favorite Things
Blank Blue
My apartment
Coconut Milk Soup
Yen
Touring
Whole Foods

Top Three Reissues
1. Pink Floyd - Piper At the Gates of Dawn
2. Richard Twice - Richard Twice
3. Harmonia - Deluxe

Favorite Newcomer
School of Seven Bells (SVIIB)

Most Welcome Return
Os Mutantes

Best Live Shows
1. Os Mutantes - El Rey
2. School of Seven Bells - Low End Theory
3. Battles - Slims

Favorite In Store Performance
"The one with Nels Cline" (Anthony Shadduck)

Favorite Album Artwork
Colleen Les Ondes Silencieuses

Best Soundtrack
Darjeeling Limited

Top Three DVDs
1. The Office - Season 3
2. Jodorowsky Box Set
3. Nirvana - Unplugged

Favorite Music Video
Mars Volta - Askepios

Guilty Pleasure
Apocalypto

My Favorite Things
Blank Blue
Star of Siam
Tivo
Yen
Whole Foods
Yes

Top Three Reissues
1. Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
2. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
3. J Dilla - Rough Draft

Favorite Newcomer
Blank Blue

Most Welcome Return
Mary Weiss (shangri Las)

Best Live Shows
1. Daydream Nation - Greek
2. Mike Watt and Guests - Track 16 Gallery
3. White Stripes - Icky Thump Records

Favorite In Store Performance
Film School

Favorite Album Artwork
Celebration

Best Soundtrack
Deathproof/Darjeeling Limited

Top Three DVDs
1. Jodorowsky Box Set
2. Blade Runner
3. Stranger Than Fiction

Favorite Music Video
Beirut - Flying Cup

Guilty Pleasure
Feist

My Favorite Things
Provence Boulangerie
Tim Hawkinson Exhibit at the Getty
Yo Gabba Gabba
Eccentric Soul
Seattle
Whole Foods
Hole Mole
Pike
Brass Knuckle Zipper Pull
Kid Robot- Things That Hurt
Fastdragon

Most Welcome Return
Roky Erickson

Best Live Shows
1. Neko Case - Henry Fonda w/ Porter Wagoner, Dwight Yoakam
2. Hold Steady - Henry Fonda
3. Wilco - Greek

Favorite In Store Performance
Bob Dylan Tribute/Open Mic Night

Favorite Album Artwork
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

Best Soundtrack
Once/Disc 2 of I'm Not There

Top Three DVDs
1. Once
2. Flight of the Conchords
3. Tift Merritt - Live From Austin TX

Favorite Music Video
Josh Turner - Your Man

Favorite Newcomer
Charlotte Gainsbourg

Most Welcome Return
Os Mutantes

Favorite Album Artwork
Dungen

Best Soundtrack
Superbad

Top Three DVDs
1. Planet Earth Series
2. Simpsons Movie
3. Nirvana - Unplugged

Favorite Music Video
Beck - Cellphone's Dead

Guilty Pleasure
Toto - Africa (still)

My Favorite Things
All the Numero Re-Issue Series 7 in 2007

Top Three Reissues
1. J Dilla - Rough Draft
2. Amnesty - Free Your Mind
3. Betty Davis - Betty Davis

Favorite Newcomer
Blank Blue

Most Welcome Return
Wu-Tang

Best Live Shows
1. Arcade Fire - Greek (Berkeley)
2. Sharon Jones & DapKings - El Rey
3. Entrance - Low End Theory

Favorite In Store Performance
Dr Dog

Favorite Album Artwork
Animal Collective

Best Soundtrack
Black Snake Moan

Top Three DVDs
1. The Office - Season 1 2 3
2. Inside Man
3. Lucky Number Slevin

Favorite Music Video
Portishead - Only

My Favorite Things
Started working at Fingrprints
right hand dog Beau
not working on Xmas
going to events w/ free food

Favorite Newcomer
Flight of the Conchords

Most Welcome Return
Ocean 11 @ the Dave Fuentes Tribute Show

Best Live Shows
1. Bad Manners - Safari Sams
2. Aquabats - House of Blues SD
3. Aggrolites - Glasshouse w/Gogo13 and Polysics

Favorite In Store Performance
Aggrolites

Favorite Album Artwork
Menomena

Best Soundtrack
Deathproof/Walk Hard

Top Three DVDs
1. This is England
2. Hot Fuzz
3. Metalocalypse

Favorite Music Video
Hives - Tick Tick Boom

Guilty Pleasure
M.I.A. - Kala

My Favorite Things
Kid Robot Toy - Yo Gabba Gabba
Comedy Album - Patton Oswalt
Compilation - Eccentric Soul
Remixed Album - Gorillaz D Sides

Top Three Reissues
1. Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
2. Betty Davis - Betty Davis
3. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

Favorite Newcomer
Pet Sweater

Most Welcome Return
Led Zeppelin and Roky Erickson

Best Live Shows
1. White Stripes - Icky Thump Records
2. Roky Erickson - El Rey
3. Sharon Jones & DapKings - 100 Days 100 Nights

Favorite In Store Performance
Minus the Bear

Favorite Album Artwork
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna

Best Soundtrack
Deathproof/Control/Black Snake Moan

Top Three DVDs
1. Youre Gonna Miss Me
2. Prestige
3. Nirvana Unplugged

Favorite Music Video
Chocolate Rain

Guilty Pleasure
Super Mario Galaxy

My Favorite Things
Instrumental - Budos Band/Beastie Boys
Box Set - Brit Pop
Packaging - Heavy Metal Box Set
Festival - Vegoose Las Vegas

Top Three Reissues
1. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
2. Modern Lovers
3. Thanksgiving - Welcome Nowhere

Favorite Newcomer
Lake

Most Welcome Return
WuTang Clan

Best Live Shows
1. Calvin Johnson - Microfest w Kickball, Typhoon, BlackBlackBlack
2. Animal Collective - Henry Fonda w/ Wizard Prison, Eric Copeland
3. One Am Radio - Tangier w/ Daedelus

Favorite In Store Performance
Peter Bjorn & John

Favorite Album Artwork
Little Wings - Soft Pow'r

Best Soundtrack
I'm Not There

Top Three DVDs
1. Wire - Season 4
2. Kinky Friedman - Live From Austin TX
3. Ingmar Bergman - Eclipse Collection

Favorite Music Video
Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction

My Favorite Things
Burger Counter
Should've Sucked, Was Awesome - Killers w/ Lou Reed
Couldn't Afford - Mount Eerie Book
Way to Eat For Free - Playing BBall w Thad
Radio Song - Umbrella- Rhianna JayZ
Hole Mole

Favorite Newcomer
Peter Bjorn & John

Best Live Shows
1. King Kahn & the BBQ Show - Pink Elephant SD
2. Sharon Jones & DapKings - Galaxy Santa Ana
3. Black Lips - Detroit Bar Costa Mesa

Favorite In Store Performance
Peter Bjorn & John

Best Soundtrack
Darjeeling Limited

Top Three DVDs
1. Beatles - Help
2. Transformers
3. Extras - Season 2

My Favorite Things
Rob
Thad
Dodgers
Chris - the Hand
Goodfoot/Dennis
Arsenal