It's everywhere I need it to be. It's a Bluetooth speaker in the shower, it's the radio and an iPod (remember those?) in the car, it's iTunes and Groove Music in my office, and it's in my media players in the living room and the basement and in my hand (if it's an iPad). If I want to hear something, I can hear it in many different places in many different ways. Does ubiquity breed a weakening of desire? Not in my case. I had some good music experiences this year, from albums to songs to whatever we're calling an EP these days. And yes, I still bought a lot of CD's, because somebody has to.
Spin After Spin: My Favorite Records
John Grant – Love Is Magic
U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
Cold Cave – You & Me & Infinity EP
The Soft Moon – Criminal
Tracey Thorn – Record
Jon Hopkins – Singularity
Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
Mitski – Be The Cowboy
boygenius – boygenius EP
Spin Me 'Round: My Almost-Favorite Records
Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
BEAK> – >>>
ADULT. – This Behavior
Boz Scaggs – Out Of The Blues
Eric Clapton – Happy Xmas
Shame – Songs Of Praise
Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch EP
Moaning – Moaning
Natalie Prass – The Future And The Past
Suede – The Blue Hour
Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
Prime Cuts: Some Favorite Songs
Coldplay – "We All Fall In Love Sometimes"
This year, Amazon Prime had a documentary on Coldplay called A Head Full Of Dreams that showed the arc of college friends that worked hard and worked together to be a global pop sensation. And because of that earnest approach to getting popular and getting better, they have been ridiculed and dismissed for decades, even though they made one of the best songs of the 21st Century ("Clocks" or "The Scientist," take your pick) and some genuinely interesting sonic adventures in their work with Brian Eno.
This was a rather quiet year for Coldplay aside from the documentary, but they popped up on a compilation celebrating the music of Elton John with "We All Fall In Love Sometimes," a rather deep cut from John's chart-topping 1975 album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. It's yet another moving ballad from a band that has a bunch of those, a ballad that manages to honor the spirit of the original while bending it slightly in decidedly pleasurable ways. If you like Coldplay, you'll love this remake. And if you don't like Coldplay, why are you still reading?
Underworld & Iggy Pop – "Bells & Circles"
It sounds like the beginning of a goofy short story: Karl Hyde and Rick Smith from Underworld go to a hotel, sit down with Iggy Pop, record his stream-of-consciousness stories, and craft an EP out of the short but engaging experience. Your love of the EP will depend on your tolerance of electronic beats over the musings of Iggy Pop, Storyteller...but I could listen to Iggy tell stories of his life for days and days. And to be able to dance to one of those stories is a gift. I can't think of another human that could make "smoking on the airplane" into a vocal hook and a tale of a drug-charged American original ping-ponging through a different time and place. And when he laughs heartily, you laugh with him, while also pining for even a glimpse into that other world.
Paul McCartney – "Despite Repeated Warnings"
Not to be ageist, but let's remember that this guy is 76 fucking years old. He's been a global star -- like, paradigm-shifting generation-defining star -- for about two-thirds of his life. He is most likely high as fuck on a daily basis from the best marijuana that you'll never get a chance to sample. And every now and again, this guy with absolutely nothing left to prove as an artistic force clears his throat, summons his muse, and knocks out a multi-part rock and roll bell ringer, complete with movements and changes, recasting the narrative there and back again. If anyone not named Paul McCartney whipped up this song, that artist would have a gold star in the book of history. And you could argue that it's not even the best long-form track on his newest record. We often don't treasure artists until after they die, and I hope we remember to honor Paul McCartney while he's alive to appreciate it.
Muse – "Pressure (Marching Band Version)" / "Dig Down (Acoustic Gospel Version)"
Speaking of artists with nothing left to prove, how hard is it to be Muse -- a band that formed pre-Napster as some hybrid of Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, as I wrote in my college days -- in a world that largely has no use for traditional rock and roll? If you're Muse, you throw some sliders and breaking balls in between your money pitches. After dribbling out a few singles over the past 18 months, Muse released Simulation Theory as a "proper" album in three different iterations: the regular version, a Deluxe Edition with five extra tracks, and a Super Deluxe Edition with what amounts to a doppelganger version of the original album. And while the original is as eclectic and varied as late-era Muse albums should be, it's the songs on the Super Deluxe Edition that offer the most compelling left turns. Whether it's the UCLA Marching Band kicking "Pressure" into "Tusk"-like overdrive, or the "Rattle and Hum"-esque infusion of black gospel soul into "Dig Down," Muse is one of the only stadium bands left that can (and should) take such stylistic chances and make them pay off big. It's a maximalist approach that suits the band and suits the times. More, please.
Ghost – "Dance Macabre"
Sometimes, you wake up and wish for a band that blends the mythology and showmanship of Kiss and Rammstein with the melodic touches of Blue Oyster Cult and Scorpions. And every now and again, the universe grants you the joys of a track like "Dance Macabre." Succinct and catchy, while still sticking to the faux-Satanic brand, it almost makes you want to wear all black at the office Christmas party, handing out pentagram coasters as holiday gifts. Ghost has made better albums, but this is the best single to date from the Papa camp. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
Spin After Spin: My Favorite Records
John Grant – Love Is Magic
U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
Cold Cave – You & Me & Infinity EP
The Soft Moon – Criminal
Tracey Thorn – Record
Jon Hopkins – Singularity
Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
Mitski – Be The Cowboy
boygenius – boygenius EP
Spin Me 'Round: My Almost-Favorite Records
Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
BEAK> – >>>
ADULT. – This Behavior
Boz Scaggs – Out Of The Blues
Eric Clapton – Happy Xmas
Shame – Songs Of Praise
Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch EP
Moaning – Moaning
Natalie Prass – The Future And The Past
Suede – The Blue Hour
Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
Prime Cuts: Some Favorite Songs
Coldplay – "We All Fall In Love Sometimes"
This year, Amazon Prime had a documentary on Coldplay called A Head Full Of Dreams that showed the arc of college friends that worked hard and worked together to be a global pop sensation. And because of that earnest approach to getting popular and getting better, they have been ridiculed and dismissed for decades, even though they made one of the best songs of the 21st Century ("Clocks" or "The Scientist," take your pick) and some genuinely interesting sonic adventures in their work with Brian Eno.
This was a rather quiet year for Coldplay aside from the documentary, but they popped up on a compilation celebrating the music of Elton John with "We All Fall In Love Sometimes," a rather deep cut from John's chart-topping 1975 album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. It's yet another moving ballad from a band that has a bunch of those, a ballad that manages to honor the spirit of the original while bending it slightly in decidedly pleasurable ways. If you like Coldplay, you'll love this remake. And if you don't like Coldplay, why are you still reading?
Underworld & Iggy Pop – "Bells & Circles"
It sounds like the beginning of a goofy short story: Karl Hyde and Rick Smith from Underworld go to a hotel, sit down with Iggy Pop, record his stream-of-consciousness stories, and craft an EP out of the short but engaging experience. Your love of the EP will depend on your tolerance of electronic beats over the musings of Iggy Pop, Storyteller...but I could listen to Iggy tell stories of his life for days and days. And to be able to dance to one of those stories is a gift. I can't think of another human that could make "smoking on the airplane" into a vocal hook and a tale of a drug-charged American original ping-ponging through a different time and place. And when he laughs heartily, you laugh with him, while also pining for even a glimpse into that other world.
Paul McCartney – "Despite Repeated Warnings"
Not to be ageist, but let's remember that this guy is 76 fucking years old. He's been a global star -- like, paradigm-shifting generation-defining star -- for about two-thirds of his life. He is most likely high as fuck on a daily basis from the best marijuana that you'll never get a chance to sample. And every now and again, this guy with absolutely nothing left to prove as an artistic force clears his throat, summons his muse, and knocks out a multi-part rock and roll bell ringer, complete with movements and changes, recasting the narrative there and back again. If anyone not named Paul McCartney whipped up this song, that artist would have a gold star in the book of history. And you could argue that it's not even the best long-form track on his newest record. We often don't treasure artists until after they die, and I hope we remember to honor Paul McCartney while he's alive to appreciate it.
Muse – "Pressure (Marching Band Version)" / "Dig Down (Acoustic Gospel Version)"
Speaking of artists with nothing left to prove, how hard is it to be Muse -- a band that formed pre-Napster as some hybrid of Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, as I wrote in my college days -- in a world that largely has no use for traditional rock and roll? If you're Muse, you throw some sliders and breaking balls in between your money pitches. After dribbling out a few singles over the past 18 months, Muse released Simulation Theory as a "proper" album in three different iterations: the regular version, a Deluxe Edition with five extra tracks, and a Super Deluxe Edition with what amounts to a doppelganger version of the original album. And while the original is as eclectic and varied as late-era Muse albums should be, it's the songs on the Super Deluxe Edition that offer the most compelling left turns. Whether it's the UCLA Marching Band kicking "Pressure" into "Tusk"-like overdrive, or the "Rattle and Hum"-esque infusion of black gospel soul into "Dig Down," Muse is one of the only stadium bands left that can (and should) take such stylistic chances and make them pay off big. It's a maximalist approach that suits the band and suits the times. More, please.
Ghost – "Dance Macabre"
Sometimes, you wake up and wish for a band that blends the mythology and showmanship of Kiss and Rammstein with the melodic touches of Blue Oyster Cult and Scorpions. And every now and again, the universe grants you the joys of a track like "Dance Macabre." Succinct and catchy, while still sticking to the faux-Satanic brand, it almost makes you want to wear all black at the office Christmas party, handing out pentagram coasters as holiday gifts. Ghost has made better albums, but this is the best single to date from the Papa camp. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
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