I made the mistake of looking up the lineup for Coachella this year, and now I want to go. If ever there was a festival lineup that was made for me, this is it. To wit:
Blur
The Stone Roses
Johnny Marr
New Order
The Postal Service
That's pretty much a who's who of my iPod right there. And then throw in a bunch more bands/artists that I'm fond of:
Alt-J
Dead Can Dance
Dinosaur Jr.
Father John Misty
Grizzly Bear
Hot Chip
Lee Scratch Perry
Modest Mouse
Sigur Ros
Spiritualized
The Selecter
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Easy one today. "Uncertain Smile" by The The. It's such a good song -- even though it pre-dates Johnny Marr's time with the band. Every time I hear it on Sirius First Wave, it sticks in my head for days. Not that I'm complaining.
I've made it clear that I'm a huge fan of Johnny Marr. He's the most inventive guitarist of his generation -- and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better technical player in any generation. I even nod my head in agreement when I read quotes from Marr saying The Smiths "invented indie as we know it." Why, yes... yes you did. Who am I to argue?
So imagine my excitement upon hearing that Marr's debut solo album "The Messenger" is due out next month. Excitement and trepidation. After all, Marr was the brains behind The Smiths -- the wizard behind the velvet curtain. He was a hired gun for both The Cribs and Modest Mouse, though his arranging and songwriting skills were clearly in evidence on tracks like "We Share the Same Skies" and "Dashboard". But I don't know what to expect when Marr is both the brains AND the face -- After all, I never really got into the Healers -- the last project where he was the top dog. So what are we in for with "The Messenger"?
Last month, we heard the upbeat album cut "The Right Thing Right" -- which kicks off with some very trademark Marr guitar-work -- those slides against that strum -- before pumping up the energy. And you can distinctly hear parts of the song that directly relate back to Marr in The Smiths: At :56 I'm reminded of "Oscillate Wildly" and the chords are reminiscent of a song in the Marr catalog that I just can't place. But
I love that about Marr's work -- no matter how it changes, it's grounded in something so elemental.
Now, thanks to NME, we have the first single -- "The Upstarts" -- and it's a perfectly good song, but not a great one. Like any Marr song, you know it's him -- the guitars give that away -- especially during the bridges. Johnny's vocals are warmer and more melodic than I would have expected. But for whatever reason the song doesn't draw me in with a unique riff or hook. I'm happy enough to hear it, but not happy enough to love it.
So the bottom line? I'm undecided. Undecided at whether I'll like what I hear after giving it a few more plays. I'm not undecided about buying the record. The release date is late February, and I'll be there.
By the way, how did I miss Johnny Marr appearing onstage last month in New York with Dinosaur Jr. covering "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side"?? Watch:
UPDATE: After listening to the new Johnny Marr songs all weekend, I'm officially on board. "Upstarts" is a great tune, catchy and melodic. I'm very much looking forward to the new record.
I blame this completely on some stupid commercial I keep seeing when my wife is watching HGTV.
That said, there is an upside to all of this. That Isley Brothers riff was used in the fabulous
"B-Boy Bouilliabaisse" sub-track "A Year and a Day" from Paul's Boutique, on which the late, great Adam Yauch cruises through his lyric with a smooth yet aggressive style.And he manages to name checks black and tans when he sings "I'm fishing in my boat and I'm fishing for trout../Mix the Bass Ale with the Guiness Stout." I always love that line.
The 1980s were a great time for music: with Post-Punk and New Wave peaking and Hip Hop dawning. Despite the sheer breadth of genres that boomed during the 80s, the decade has a bad reputation, musically, based on the sheer number of crappy songs from one-hit wonders.
Lately I've come into contact with two such songs, neither of which I knew during their heyday. Both are British (no surprise) and both are pretty dreadful. Except I can't get either out of my head.
First up is "Wot" by Captain Sensible. The first couple of times I was unfortunate to hear this song on Sirius First Wave I thought surely this is the worst song ever recorded. Then I did a little investigating and discovered that Captain Sensible is a founding member of The Damned. I still thought it was awful, but my interest was piqued. Then I watched the admittedly atrocious video and I was hooked. Here it is now for your listening and viewing pleasure -- and pay close attention to how literal the video matches the inane lyrics.
Next up is "Harley David (Son of a Bitch)" by the Bollock Brothers. The incessant chorus of this song will stick in your head, but allow me to count the ways this song is just trash: The song kicks off with the voices of moaning girls -- always a classy touch. How about bad handclaps? Yep. Lyrics like "I like the girls who've got big t**s". A low-fi cheerleader cheer? Check. And to think, this was a Serge Gainsbourg song made popular by Brigitte Bardot.
Give me your thoughts on both songs, and if you know any others like these, please, keep them to yourself so they don't get stuck in my head.
As I commented in a post previously, I felt a little disconnected to the newer music of 2012. After looking at Court's list, I went back over my notes, downloads and purchases to find a few songs I liked from the past year. Since I only have a few, I called it my "EP." Tragically, I do not think many of these tracks will stand the test of time like previous "Best of's." So, here it goes.
Craig Finn - "Honolulu Blues."
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady always reminded me of a schizophrenic Bob Dylan or younger, diarrhea-mouthed Bruce Springsteen. Very wordy - to the point of being rambly. When I saw his record was released, I wasn't crazy about the single, but I liked the second track.
The Lumineers - "Ho Hey"
Here is my radio-friendly choice. I've been hearing it a lot lately. Much like stated in one of the previous "Best of" segment, lo-fi, alt-folk seems to be the trend; unless your gravitate to indie-hipster synth rock - see Court's best of. This is probably the best of the bunch. Especially since Mumford & Sons second release sounds like their 1st record, part 2. Besides, these guys are American.
Low Cut Connie - "Say Yes"
I can't even find a video for this one, so I chose a performance from Philadelphia's North Star Bar. I like rockabilly, especially when it spurns out of control with the likes of the Revered Horton Heat or the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. These guys are a little different, they have a piano player who sounds like Jerry Lee Lewis emerged inside a punk band. Something different.
Jack White "Sixteen Saltines"
People rag on Jack White, but I like him. I think he is a talent. His solo debut didn't disappoint. I think Blunderbus is one of the better albums of the year. I liked the chaos and the randomness of eating saltines becoming a song.
Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"
Probably not a mainstream best of, but I'm sure it made many "alt" best of's. It got a bunch of radio play on Sirius XMU & Alt Nation. It rocks, and is one of the bands (much like, say Gaslight Anthem) that are still holding on to balls out rock and roll.
The Vaccines - "Teenage Icon"
A cool little punk band that has some roots in the Ramones and the Strokes. The album, Coming of Age was one of my better finds. I liked this, their second release off the record.
Also in consideration were: Howler's "Beach Sluts," Pond's "Fantastic Explosion of Time, " and Toy's "Colours Running Out."
These albums and songs made a huge impression on me this year. Hope to add videos when I can.
Even though I am a devout Springsteen fan, I can't agree with Rolling Stone putting "Wrecking Ball" as the #1 album of 2012 and leaving "Handwritten" off completely (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2012-20121205). The Gaslight Anthem is doing now what Bruce was doing back when he released "Darkness," being innovative and making songs with a message that you can actually enjoy. Albums
2012 was a tough year for me, musically. There just wasn't a whole lot that I deem worthy of being on a best-of-the-year list. It seems like a lot of the genres that have taken root in what used to be called alternative music have been done before -- I'm talking to all of you neo-folk people out there -- and there isn't a lot of innovation.
That said, there were a few standout tracks that warrant mention. Whether they stand the test of the years -- or even the months -- remains to be seen. They may not even warrant the title "Best of 2012" but rather "A few songs from 2012 that intrigued me"... hardly a ringing endorsement. In any case, here are the songs that I enjoyed most this year:
"The Descent" - Bob Mould
2012 found the ex-Husker Du and Sugar frontman at the top of his game. Even if he's singing about the end of his relevant life. In doing so, perhaps he's maintaining his relevance. Either way, "The Descent" has the drive and snarl that marks Mould's best work. And it may well be my favorite song of the year. It's a great video, too.
"Motion Sickness" - Hot Chip
I resisted Hot Chip for years. I'm not entirely sure why -- after all, they're British, they're dancey, and they use lots of synths. Sounds good to me. But for whatever reason, they never grabbed me. Until now.
"Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" - Father John Misty
This former Fleet Fox is a neo-folky that I like. There's nothing terribly new here -- FJM borrows heavily from people like Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Nick Drake, Harry Nilsson and the Laurel Canyon scene -- but I like the emotionality of this track.
"Dreamin'" - Twerps
Sounding a lot like 2010's breakthrough band Real Estate (from Ridgewood, NJ!), this Australian quartet breezes through this jangle-pop gem, and even sticks in a lovely little surf-rock guitar lick.
"Little Talks" - Of Monsters and Men
Probably the poppiest thing on my list -- or at least the most commercially successful. I think I first heard it played in a Barnes and Noble. It's probably unfair to compare it to Bjork or Sigur Ros, but there must be something in the icewater up there in Iceland.
"The Puritan" - Blur
Who would have though Damon, Graham, Alex and Dave would get back together. Perhaps we have the London Olympics to thank for that unlikely reunion, and the two new songs that resulted from it. Unlike the brooding piano ballad "Under the Westway", this is a full-speed-ahead rocker that wouldn't be out of place on Blur's best albums.
"Cherokee" - Cat Power
Another artist I never got into, that is until she started using synths. Everyone seems to have Sun on their Album of the Year lists, and no wonder. She started experimenting with synthesizers and the result is undeniable. This is a well-conceived and well-executed effort.
"Womyn" - Himanshu
If the premature death of Adam Yauch was
the year's worst news, the dissolution of the Beastie Boys' spiritual progeny Das
Racist may have been the runner up. But up from the ashes comes DR's Heems, who released his solo mixtape Nehru Jackets.
Like the best of Das Racist, this track will have you laughing out loud with lines
about women like "They like to watch shows/Some of them don't/They like
to read prose/Some of them like to date pros/That's professionals/Others
don't." If you want to Heems kill it with something a tad more serious,
try "Kate Boosh featuring Kool A.D. & Despot", which features a sample of Kate Bush's 1982 single "Suspended in Gaffa".
"Gawd Above" - John Fullbright
Let's get past all the hipster wanna be folk people out there and get right to this guy -- a farm-raised Okie who blew up at this year's SXSW festival.Watch this video and you'll know why.
"Yet Again" - Grizzly Bear
Another very strong release from Brooklyn's favorite hipsters.
"Only in my Dreams" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Nice
jangly guitar work on this sweet-sounding track that actually is a bit
creepy when you give it a good listen. Ariel Pink is one weird dude.
"Tessellate" - Alt J
Leeds
band Alt J -- the name is the Mac keystroke for how to make a Delta --
won Britain's coveted Mercury Prize for its trippy brand of minimalist
synth pop.
"Dreamers" - Savoir Adore
More weird pop -- music that sounds perfectly fine for the radio only to realize there's a certain strangeness just beneath the surface. This Brooklyn duo calls itself purveyors of "fantasy rock", and as if the flamboyantly ridiculous video doesn't convince you, other songs on their album Our Nature are about things like being seduced by monsters. I mean, really.
"Birmingham" - Shovels & Rope
Now were back on terra firma with this roots country duo from South Carolina who are as much punk as they are country. The band consists of married couple Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst who claim as their influences everyone from Woody Guthrie to the Cramps. The raw and raspy-voiced Hearst is the kind of singer that makes you wonder if she's going to hit her notes but she always does -- and together they do great harmonies. For further listening, check out the great track "Gasoline" from a few years ago.
"Hey Jane" - Spiritualized
My brother is one of the biggest Spiritualized/Spaceman 3 fans I know. As a longtime fan, he became disillusioned by some of the band's recent efforts, but he was happy to report that this year's Sweet Heart Sweet Light was among their best.And this track certainly does hit all the Spiritualized hallmarks. Allmusic called it "one of the most transcendant things [Jason] Pierce has recorded in years" and notes -- like the band's best work -- it has a dark undercurrent beneath that poppy melody.
"Angels" - the xx
I have a soft spot for this band because they played at the cafe at my work. I actually got tied up and didn't get to see them -- but I did make it in time to watch them pack up their own gear. Sad, really. But maybe that's an analogy for their whole schtick: They do more with less than any other band out there, and this track features their trademark minimalism.
"You Call Me On" - Twin Shadow
I think I Soundhounded this song somewhere, and for good reason. George Lewis, Jr makes 80s-inspired synth pop but is equally at home with chillwave and R&B. He may have more dimensions than fellow 80s aspirant Neon Indian, though Alan Palomo might be the better songwriter. .
"Michael Praytor, Five Years Later" - Ben Folds Five
Another Soundhoud find, I probably haven't thought too much about Ben Folds since 1997's ubiquitous "Brick"
"Glide" - Pinback
I've always liked this San Diego band and their 2012 effort doesn't disappoint. It's hard to believe these guys aren't bigger than they are.
"Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns" - A.C. Newman
Some of the best power pop ever recorded (and I'm serious about that) is from the Vancouver band The New Pornographers. Great riffs, great chord structuring and terrific harmonizing from A.C. Newman and the great Neko Case. Case returns on Newman's 2012 solo album Shut Down the Streets.
"Better" - TEEN
Is anyone getting tired of synth-pop from Brooklyn? Not if sounds like this. (But seriously, if Seattle was the center of the 90s, Brooklyn is the center of today. No kidding.) This female foursome's debut album was produced by Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 fame, so it has pedigree, too.
"How Can I Tell You" - Madness
Hats off to Camden's Madness, still going strong after 36 years. Unlike here in the states, where they're remembered for 1982's "Our House", they've been consistent hitmakers at home in England. After a five-year hiatus, followed by sporadic reunions, 2009's The Liberty of Norton Folgate put them back on the map, and back in the critics' good graces. And this year's Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da, Da keeps the streak going.
UPDATE: I forgot one of the cleverest songs of 2012 -- "Greatest Hits" by Mystery Jets. The song is about a couple breaking up and how they divide their joint record collection. And with each mention of an iconic album, there's a little homage -- musically -- to the album itself. My favorites -- perhaps not surprisingly -- are the references to "This Nation's Saving Grace" by the Fall, "Country Life" by Roxy Music and "Village Green" by the Kinks.
