We were talking here in the office about our favorite records of the year and it reminded me that I'd better get busy readying my ballot for The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll, in which I've voted for probably 20-odd years.
It also reminded me that I wanted to hear what your favorite CDs were this year. Please use the talkback feature below to share.
In the meantime, here are some records -- yes, I still call them records -- that will make my list. As you can see, there are good seats still available and others may not, in the end, make the list...
1) Glasvegas -- Glasvegas
2) Carmen Consoli -- Elettra
3) A.A. Bondy -- When the Devil's Loose
4) Moltheni -- Ingrediente Novus
5) Placebo -- Battle for the Sun
6) Neko Case -- Middle Cyclone
7) Yim Yames -- Tribute To
8) ???
9) ???
10) ???
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
