Very Vinyl: My Favorite Music of 2019

Definitely growing stronger as it goes along (ending with the haunting cosmic jazz of the song featured above), Bon Iver's "I,I" isn't an extremely welcoming project on first listen. But, like all of his layered songs, Justin Vernon's unique ability isn't in arranging tidy lyrics inside your head. His music etches little specks of melody in your soul, accumulating into a warm explosion as the songs bleed and morph against each other. I've listened to this album more than anything else this year. Just magical.




With "The Eraser" and now "Anima", Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has crafted two individualistic albums that feel, at once, apart of the Radiohead soundscape and wholly different. Perhaps its Yorke's reliance on more electronic beats (rather than Greenwood's thumping guitar), and "Anima" pushes his propulsive experimentation to dizzying heights.




Not only did we get a new The Natioanl album this year, but a stellar black and white short film (starring Alicia Vikander) that dispenses all the heartache, joy and crushing humanity that spills out through every lyric of their songs. I hope this band continues to make music for decades.




Emerging on the scene only a few years ago, New York rock band Big Thief have a legitimate claim to band of the year. releasing not one but two splendid albums. Hailed by fellow artists like Phoebe Bridgers as something amazing to see live, Big Thief are poised to be the indie darlings for years to come.




A commentator on YouTube said that the next decade belongs to Weyes Blood. I wholeheartedly agree. Natalie Mering has been making music for more than 8 years, but with "Titanic Rising", her cosmic pop sound combining church music, 70's Linda Ronstadt and lilting melodies culminated in a near perfect confection of mood and energy.

Serious Radio: My Favorite Music of 2017

9. Broken Social Scene, "A Hug of Thunder"

Only the fifth studio album in 18 years from this Canadian rock band, "Hug of Thunder" showcases everything resplendent about the group. Pop-driven at times..... epic arena rock at others..... ditzy experimentalism in between. I love this band so much and hope they never stop swerving between sounds and confections.

8. Max Richter, "Out of the Dark Room"

Essentially a re-packaged anthology of his best work (mostly including soundtrack bits), composer Max Richter continues to create dreamy, melancholy and heartbreaking arrangements that speak to the mind and the soul.

7. The Arcade Fire, "Everything Now"

I didn't think I could admire an Arcade Fire album more than their previous few, but "Everything Now" is so full of vital moments and heart wrenching displays of personal reflection that it feels like their most personal work to date.


6. The Afghan Whigs, "In Spades"

After a decade away from each other, The Afghan Whigs have produced two stellar albums that echo back to their strained 90's melancholy and lead singer Greg Dulli's singular ability to make pained poetry out of a voice that sounds like he's making it up on the fly. "In Spades" may actually be better than "Do the Beast" from two years ago. More listens are needed.


5. Julie Byrne, "Not Even Happiness"

New York singer songwriter Julie Byrne came streaking out of the blue and her confident voice- at once forceful and lilting- stuck something deep inside me. One of two original female singer-songwriters on this list, I'd say American folk (and music in general) will only benefit from her mesmerizing future.


4. Do Make Say Think, "Stubborn Persistent Illusions" 

Canadian instrumental post-rock is certainly not everyone's favorite genre of music, but these guys make it seem so effortless. There's nothing groundbreaking to their sound here.....just good old fashioned, lengthy wall of sound that washes over one like a waterfall of audible bliss.


3. Phoebe Bridgers, Stranger In the Alps

Much has been made this year of artist Mount Eerie and his blisteringly honest debut that lays bares the whims of his soul after his wife's death. I'd rank Bridgers' debut as just as honest and crushing and scarred. I love this album and this singer so much.


2. The National, "Sleep Well Beast" 

Each and every lyric/melody in The National's latest masterpiece uncovers a feeling of yearning, sadness or supreme bliss. It's that good. Next to Radiohead, this is the best band in the world.


1. Grizzly Bear, "Painted Ruins"

Another album of pure perfection, Grizzly Bear's fifth release culminates into a shattering sound of driving drum lines, evolving melodies and abrasive shifts in tempo that keep you on the edge of your seat, as if the band is pretty damn sure they're making something legendary.

Winter Musical Interlude

Shaping Up To Be a Good Year For Music

Big Band: My Favorite Music of 2016

7. Postiljonen "Reverie"





Swedish band Postiljonen is a newcomer for me, being introduced to their ethereal music by the great Gorilla vs. Bear. Culling the best parts of synth wave bands like Beach House and Chromatics while echoing Sigur Ros in small doses, their second album, "Reverie" ispure joy from start to finish.


6. Tindersticks "The Waiting Room"




English band Tindersticks (having been around since the early 90's) need no introduction. However, they still fly so far under the radar- composing lilting soundtracks scores now and then- that when they do release a full album, it's almost a minor miracle that I want to shout it from the rooftops. Every song on "The Waiting Room" is near perfect, alternating behind loud thrash and atmospheric doop-dips. It's a wondrous thing.



5. Mogwai "Atomic"




Yes, it's a soundtrack, so its audible intention is to mix with image and narrative, but Mogwai's sound is so immersive and transportive that it can exist on its own, allowing our brains to supply the images. Low key and droning one minute then full of space and room to breathe the next, each song expertly draws out unexpected emotions. I'm very curious to see the film now.



4. Mitski "Puberty 2"




An adrenaline rush of tunes that, initially, feels abstract with its crushing guitar-heavy backdrop against indie rock singer Mitski's beautiful and lamenting voice, "Puberty 2" eventually becomes an anthem about identity, self worth and, yes, pure indie rock fun.



3. Explosions In the Sky "The Wilderness"




I doubt one of my favorite bands of all time, Austin's own Explosions In the Sky, will ever release an album I don't completely fall in love with. "The Wilderness" is no exception, managing to wrangle a series of sounds and rhythms (some people aptly call it post-rock) into such a emotionally devastating swirl of sound that if often becomes the soundtrack of my life.



2. Bon Iver "22, A Million"



The first 2 songs on Bon Iver's experimental new album place his current mood somewhere between playful and alienating. The first typifies his soft, melodic side while the second bleeds into the first as if it were some 90's house song being played on fuzzy, worn out speakers at their highest volume. I knew I'd love this creation and it only deepens and absorbs upon repeat listen.


1. Radiohead "A Moon Shaped Pool"



Even though a majority of the songs on Radiohead's ninth studio album have existed in one form or another for years now, having them spruced up and officially released (with a few startling changes, looking at "True Love Waits") is a fever dream. No other band is producing music as soul-cleansing.

Musical Interlude

In Love With This Album

Music I'm Diggin' Right Now

Unlike 2015 where I had to bury deep beneath the surface to find some music I could tolerate, 2016 has been terrific so far. Of course it helps when perennial faves release new albums, but its been nice.







I think it'll be hard to top this album for my favorite of the year 8 months hence.

Serious Radio 2015: My Favorite Music

Aka the year of the female.

Less music here than usual because, quite frankly, I listened long and hard and found very little to enjoy. It seems like most of my favorite bands took the year off and the music that was produced alternated between mindless pop-rock or new variations of hip-hop/alt rock that does nothing for my senses. Still, there were a few gems in the rough, and here are five of my favorite acts in 2015:




As an unabashed fan of The National, I didn't immediately cling to lead singer Matt Beringer's side project, El Vy, but after a couple of listens, I stopped expecting the searching, pained lyrics that dot the landscape of the usual National songs and allowed this one some slack. Playful, loose and sincere, "Return to the Moon" is a great little album.




Country? Yes. Folk? Yes. Straight up female vocalist? Yes. Brandi Carlile covers it all with warmth, passion and a clear sense of pop lyrics that cut right to the bone. Her sixth album, "The Firewatcher's Daughter" also displays this wide-ranging talent and has been on my playlist since early in the year.




Formed from the ashes of the indie rock band Women, Cindy Lee is like listening to Tommy James and the Shondells with a bit of Nico and 60's girl groups thrown into a blender. Constantly staggering in the way their music shifts tempos and moods, the album "Act of Tenderness" is a heartbreaking experiment.




On any given day, Hop Along's album "Painted Shut" could be in the number 1 spot on this list. I love it that much. As I said earlier in the year, lead singer Frances Quinlan's voice sounds as if its going to shatter into a million pieces at any minute, giving every song a pensive edge.




I completely understand Bjork is an acquired taste. She's been surprising and challenging me for over 20 years now. Her latest album, "Vulnicura", continues that fascination with a streak of artistry that's melodic, frustrating, brilliant and moving. And, like the best albums, it just grows and grows on repeat listens.

Continuing the Strong Year for Female Rockers

New band Hop Along certainly rocks, mostly due to lead singer Francis Quinlan's sharp, pained voice that sounds as if it's going to shatter into a million pieces at any second. Terrific new album.




I'm not sure what else can be said about indie darling St. Vincent that hasn't already been printed in every music publication and online web source. Being a local girl Dallasite certainly helps in the exorbitant praise, but her latest track called "Teenage Talk" (from her self titled 2014 release)  is simply brilliant songwriting that encapsulates so many moods, sounds, emotions and remembrances that it plays like a musical memoir. Don't let her icy, choreographed stage presence scare you away. Just listen and absorb.

Tunes For A Blood Moon Night

One of the better songs so far this year.





Continuing the strong year for female singer-songwriters. Carlile deserves her hard sought attention.






Massive love for Dallas band The Toadies (and short lived band Comet), but centro-matic/Will Johnson are a close second.


And here's Comet, such a shame these guys never broke through. Like Explosions In the Sky but a bit more off-kilter in their epic arrangements.

Musical Time Out

Mixed feelings on Father John Misty's latest album, "I Love You, Honey Bear", but this track is the absolute best.






Always a good time for Blur.

Deep Stax: My Favorite Music of 2014

I seem to say this every year, but I listened to ALOT of music this year. Maybe it's the fact I finally accepted the viable and gratifying vehicle of online distribution for new music, making it easily consumable. I think this is the first year in m life when I didn't buy a single cd. YouTube, Spotify and Pandora opened up whole new worlds of music for me while my own resurgance with vinyl as a musical medium not only got me buying LP's again, but also prompted me to fill in the gaps of my already pretty large record collection with odd Van Morrison and Neil Young selections. I feel comfortable doing a music list now, sampling a wide variety of highly noted releases that have consistently cropped up on other 'best of' lists from worthy publications and online friends. My only conclusion- there's a lot of awful music out there as well that has people doing cartwheels that I just don't get. Regardless, that's what makes us unique as individuals and consumers.


10. Jessy Lanza- Hyperdub



Vocalist Jessy Lanza is new to me. I don't usually fall for this level of pop, but the hyperdub retuning of certain songs feels like an awesome throwback to the 80's. Her song "Strange Emotion" is a show stopper and the entire album is full of unique surprises and small miracles.

9. From Indian Lakes- Absent Sounds



Another introduction this year was Northwestern area band From Indian Lakes. Gaining acclaim when singer/songwriter Joey Vannuchi utilized MySpace (remember that!) to introduce some of his songs in 2009, the band formed soon after. “Absent Sounds”, their second album, lapses a bit into pop and even old-school ‘emo’ at times, yet its commitment to strong lyrics and a full sound won me over and had me playing it continuously throughout the year.


8. Interstellar soundtrack- Hans Zimmer



At least one soundtrack grabs hold of my senses each year, and this time it was Hans Zimmer with his "Interstellar" soundtrack. Yes, there was plenty of caterwaling about the sound mix during early scrennings of the film, but I heard none of this on any of my three trips to the theater in experiencing Nolan's masterpiece- even in IMAX. Zimmer's score is loud at times, but it never dulled the emotion of the film or its dialogue, instead creating a resonant and enveloping accentuation to the film.


7. Mogwai- Rave Tapes



Honestly at this point in the game, there's probably not a Mogwai release I won't love. Their latest, "Rave Tapes" doesn't break any new ground, but it carries on their tradition of low-fil chill and full post-rock sound that's made them famous.


6. Strands of Oak- Heal



As Strands of Oak, singer-songwriter Tim Showalter assembled a minimal supergroup, including Dinosaur Jr guitarist J Mascis, and put together this album. At its core, "Heal" is another brilliant confessional by a hugely talented songwriter (like Matthew Houck and "Phospherence" last year) that doesn't play by the rules of established 'groupdom', choosing to stitch together talented people whenever possible and almost guerilla produce their intentions. "Heal" succeeds on every account.


5. Sun Kil Moon- Benji



Talk about tortured confessional. Sun Kil Moon's (real name Mark Kozelek) sixth album under that nomenclature reaches intimate heights. "Benji" blazes through a range of staggered emotions, such as when he sings about the various deaths of family members by spontaneous combustion or the way the death of his grandmother elicited laughter in him due to the pent up stress. The album is honest and painful in ways that most music simply avoids.

4. Beck- Morning Phase

All I can say about Beck is that between this album and 2002's "Sea Change", he's quietly become the slacker Willie Nelson. We always need slacker Willie Nelsons.

3. Ought- More Than Any Other Day

A punk band that sounds like a cross between The Violent Femmes and Sonic Youth is the most apt description I can imagine for Ought. Their debut album is a packed swerve through a variety of sounds.... made all the more impressive when I read they created the album by just grooving in the studio and molding songs out of that improvisation. I look forward to whatever they create next.

2. The Afghan Whigs- Do the Beast



As a fan of the Afghan Whigs since I discovered thir landmark 1993 album "Gentleman" way back in the day, "Do the Beast" is the most happy reunion in ages. Leader/frontman Greg Dulli has always pissed around with various other groups, never straying too far from the Whigs patent sound, but "Do the Beast" is something special. There's a concept here as songs bleed into one another and lyrics repeat themselves in different songs. It also feels like an album from somewhere deep in the band, wandering around in the musical world for so long and finding their place together again.


1. The Antlers- Familiars



"Hospice" and "Burst Apart" hovered near the very top of my favorites in their respective years as The Antlers continually create transcendetal music. With "Familiars", they've outdone themselves, infusing each and every song with heartbreak, doubt and a strong sense of memory that feels like one can picture the people and places they sing about. When Peter Silberman says "well you're already home but you don't know where to find it. It's not a house we remember but a feeling outside it when everyone's gone and we leave the lights on anyway...." the magnitude of going home never felt so prescient. It's a towering masterpiece.

Late Summer/Early Fall Songs

With fall around the corner.... its a high of 70 this weekend, finally... some songs that have been turning me on lately.



Can't wait for her new album. Her voice is just transfixing.




One song from an album that already ranks as one of the best of the year. And J Mascis on guitar! Long live 1997.




My unabashed song of the summer. Yea, call me weird, but I love it.

Tuneage Again

This song just screams to be used in some big movie moment...... From one of the best albums of the year so far... a curious mixture of Sonic Youth and The Violent Femmes.....

Tuneage

Serious Radio: The Best Music of 2013

Admittedly, I dropped off the radar with music last year in 2012. I didn't listen to new artists.... seemed to glaze over with the music selections on my XM dials.... and downloaded/bought the least amount of music in a long time. With 2013, I made a vow to reverse that trend and I'm glad I did. My favorites of the year listed below (with videos included) are a mixture of new talent and old stalwarts. Also, consider this the kick off to some great end of the year stuff that will culminate in mid January. Enjoy.



10. The Appleseed Cast "Illumination Ritual"

Alongside Explosions In the Sky, The Appleseed Cast are the best, grossly unknown post-rock band out there. Their latest album, "Illumination Ritual", came and went in the spring without any notice. A bit derivative of their previous stuff, yet their sound is still stately and epic.




9. Bill Callahan "Dream River"

I'm not trying to sound snobbish, but either one gets Bill Callahan or not. His slow, baritone voice either hits you where it hurts or bores you to tears. His latest album, full of small ballads and love lorn lyrics hits me where it hurts, again.




8. Zola Jesus "Versions"

The idea of a singer re-inventing and re-playing certain older songs mixed in with new ones, backed by a shrieking classical orchestra can be risky. Mysterious singer Zola Jesus did just that and it reached haunting proportions.





7. Pearl Jam "Lightning Bolt"

Even sub par Pearl Jam is better than most straightforward rock out there. Yes, I understand that doesn't feel like a resounding endorsement, but "Lightning Bolt" is ragged, linear rock and roll performed with soul by the boys.




6. Grizzly Bear "Shields Expanded and B sides"

Like Zola Jesus, this release is a variation on an earlier release (from last year), but one that deserves to be mentioned. It also boasts the best single song of the year with "Will Calls".





5. Fuck Buttons "Slow Focus"

As someone who admires but rarely buys into the trance techno scene, my adoration for the English duo known as Fuck Buttons is surprising. Just listening to this album- which I've done ALOT over the past three months while driving- and you feel the vibrance of something new and exciting.




4. Daft Punk "Random Access Memories"

Part house party, part top 40 FM dance music... but mostly just great Daft Punk. After this album and their moody contribution to the "Tron: Legacy" film a few years ago, Daft Punk shows no sign of lessening their grip on the electronica crown.




3. Phosphorescent "Muchacho"

Earlier in the year, I called this album dark, introspective and something close to great. Nothing's changed. Singer/songwriter Matthew Houck has fashioned a host of songs that touch on the modern recesses of life with wit and, at times, extreme sorrow.




2. The National "Trouble Will Find Me"

The indie rock scene kings scored again this year with "Trouble Will Find Me", an album that zig zags from the depressing to the uplifting with verve, all led by Matt Berninger's self reflexive lyrics. As a longtime fan of this band, not only am I glad they've finally hit it big, but hope their stardom never diminshes their energy.






1. Volcano Choir "Repave"

Back around the first of the year, I finally discovered Bon Iver and his many permutations. This band, yet another of his, released their second album after a very mysterious and offbeat debut one. "Repave" sounds a little more like classic Bon Iver, but it has a reputation all its own. Not only has this been the defining album for me this year, but one that seems to grow and evolve with each listen. If that's not the sign of timeless art, then I'm not sure what is.

Musical Interlude

One of the best songs from one of the year's very best albums.... Volcano Choir's "Repave". And if you love you some weird, antique found footage videos performed to the best electro-pop and chill wave bands, then daviddeanburkhart's you tube channel is the best.




Just hooked on the new Zola Jesus offering.....





a bit trippier than I usually like, but damn this band just puts me in a groove.....

Top 5 List: Best Use of a Song In a Scene

5. Roy Orbison's "In Dreams", "Blue Velvet"





4. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglov, and a record producer slowly realizing the greatness, "Once"





3. Nina Simone and just a sublime finale, "Before Sunset"




2. Ryan Gosling hitting rock bottom, timed to Broken Social Scene and "Shampoo Suicide"




1. How could it not be Phoebe Cates and The Cars.....

Music I'm diggin' right now....

I'm a sucker for any female who sounds like Nena, and Natasha Kahn aka Bat For Lashes is the real deal...

 

 



 

Any new music from The National is a really, really good thing....






Holy shit, new The Appleseed Cast!






Still exploring this album.... dark, introspective and something close to great.