Year in Review - 2012

For the last six or seven years I've documented the prior year of music listening on a mix CD. The rules I impose on myself:

-One song max. from each album, and one song max. from each artist.
-Has to fit on one CD. 
-Must mix well. I often end up with less than a CD's worth of material because of this rule.

There's no limitation on the year it was created; the song does not have to be from 2012.

Challenges this year:
-I didn't do as great a job of keeping track of what I was obsessed with this year. Most years I keep a little folder of music going on my computer, but tech issues interfered this time around and I realized at the 13th hour that I left off Coldplay (Paradise! Charlie Brown!) and Gotye. Poop!



1. "October" by The Helio Sequence from Negotiations

*Pacific Northwestern Soul*

Many of The Helio Sequence's tunes resonate with me on a visceral level, and they encourage and sustain me. I appreciate that people and connection are at the heart of their music.

In a perfect world
there would be no divide
In a perfect world
we could both open
and see the other side

2. "Life 'O' The Party" by Prince from Musicology

*You Can't Listen to it on the 'Net*

Party is right! It's impossible to remain still when this song is playing. Great grinding drum, single-note piano line, and Prince-tastic vocals, from overwrought to rap to screams to sexy-talk voice. Prince's sense of humor is on display throughout.

Favorite lines: 

Twenty five years to life
The judge sentenced me to hard labor with a knife 

makin cuts for y'all 

*OOOHH!*

3. "The Keepers" by Santigold from Master Of My Make-Believe

*Goddess*

There is no one in the music business that's better than Santigold. She can make any genre of music she wants, and it's all compelling! Furthermore, her lyrics and album imagery have many layers. She's always thrilling to listen to: Santigold for President!

What happens when you get stuck
Get to the bottom of the illusion that you're in?

4. "Broken Promise" by New Order from Brotherhood

*Exercise Music*

I went through a New Order remaster renaissance in 2011, but somehow Brotherhood got left out of the bulk of my listening. I vowed I would take it on this year...and it went to the gym with me. This album rules for exercising! And Bernard's vocal/lyrical emotions match my sassy attitude when I'm working out and feeling good about how awesome my body is for doing what I want it to (someday we will be elderly [or injured] and unable to say that).

5. "Mother Protect" by Niki & the Dove from Instinct

*Turn the Lights Low and Dance*

Recent house guests unknowingly hummed along to this song during their first listen. It's that good. Enjoy!

6. "Rowena's Theme" by Edge from Captive soundtrack

*Soundtracks Rule*

Finally got around to listening to this LP I've had sitting around for a while #obsessiveU2 fanproblem. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful/emotional the album is (kinda makes me want to see the movie), as well as by how awesome Edge is all alone. Edge could go solo. Bono knows.

I highly recommend folks checking this out if they like ambient or soundtrack music.

7. "Every Glance" by Jack Peñate from Everything is New

*Colleen's Most Listened Album of Year*

If I had to choose an album of the year according to how many times I played it, this would be the one. Everything is New is a short record, at about 35 minutes long. For a while I couldn't get past the first track (cause it was on repeat, yo!), but eventually this song emerged as my favorite. I had dreams about finding this album on vinyl before I ordered it from CD World...

This is a fun song to harmonize with and sing along to. Check out the choice ending to the track!

8. "I Go to Sleep" by Pretenders from Pretenders II

*A Band I Was Wrong About*

Alright, so I've never cared for Pretenders. Though I've been intrigued by Chrissie Hynde as a fellow animals rights activist/vegetarian, their radio-in-the-00's-played-singles cause me to change stations.

Turns out, I just hadn't heard the right album.

While I was researching songs for my F Horn player mix (which I will post here one day), I stumbled across this gem. I figured if "I Go to Sleep" is so dang good, I'd better give the album it was from a shot.

And now I can say: I like Pretenders (at least the albums from before half the band died off...sad!).

9. "Amanaemonesia" by Chairlift from Something

*Surpasses the Sum of Its Parts*

Something is an album it takes multiple listens to wrap the brain around. While it's immediately apparent that Caroline Polachek has serious singing chops, it can take a bit longer to disassociate the ear from the recognizable 70s/80s references and just enjoy the songs.

I love the old school keyboards/dramatic wordless singing on the bridge, as well as the Nina Hagen "singing in German" vocal reference right after.

Chairlift's lyrics can be very serious or very playful ("There's a dog in the yard with a manner that's ruff"), and the uniqueness of their sound is inspiring.

10. "Walking On a Dream" by Empire of the Sun from Walking On a Dream

*Pandora find of the year!*

I am a huge fan of this album, and I must add that there are rarely four single-worthy tracks in a row opening a record (Joshua Tree is the only other one I can think of). Empire of the Sun is onto something magical, and I can't wait to hear their second album sometime this year.

This track is a danceable, good vibes, love song. Their use of falsetto, flexibility about word pronunciation (for realz! in the chorus mostly), and use of the rhythm/texture of words hugely contribute to the appeal.

11. "When the Movie's Over" by Twin Shadow from Confess

*Great song for air keyboarding!*

Um, so yeah...I love dramatic music. While I still think that Twin Shadow's debut is superior, Confess is solid and well worth the money. I appreciate the self-effacement George sings with in these songs because the amount of confidence and sex he exudes can be overwhelming (and not always in an attractive way). I can sympathize with the characters in his songs...and wowza, confess, indeed!

Here you have a tasty slice of tortured love. The keyboard touches are what make this song.

12. "Make it Easy on Yourself" by Burt Bacharach from Make It Easy On Yourself

*Nothing like Burt Bacharach singing his own songs!*

As a band geek 4-ever, I can really visualize the recording space-- and I think it's the dynamics of the song, going from loud to quiet to mid, etc.-- the instrumentalists performed this song in. "Make it Easy on Yourself" is a masterful piece of group work; each instrument has its part to play, some very brief (F Horn! Cello!), and comes in to color just the right shade at the right moment. You can tell that Burt's a master songwriter who enjoys playing with the band when you listen to recordings like this.

Also, Ryan and I listened to a Burt Bacharach cd on our way to Portland last Spring and didn't realize the disc was skipping til we looked at the dash clock and noticed twenty minutes had passed and the same chorus + bridge buildup was still on! You're devilish, Burt! Devilish!

13. "After the Gold Rush" by Patti Smith from Banga

*Best Cover Song*

The perfect closer. Not many people can get away with covering a song as famous and dearly loved as this one, much alter lyrics!

Patti's cover retains the delicate sweetness of the original, and *spoiler* that chorus of kids at the end, dear reader, really brings it home for this teacher.

PS: Patti Smith has sung about aliens in other contexts (see "Birdland"), so I think that makes Patti an even more righteous cover artist.

Year in Music - 2011

For the last five or six years I've documented the prior year of music listening on a mix CD. The rules I impose on myself:

-One song max. from each album, and one song max. from each artist.
-Has to fit on one CD. 
-Must mix well. I often end up with less than a CD's worth of material because of this rule.

There's no limitation on the year it was created; the song does not have to be from 2011.

Peculiar challenges this year:
-too many slow songs on my list of things to cram onto the CD! Usually I have the opposite problem.
-in my haste I left off an OMD song. See note on track 8.

The complete playlist is embedded at the end of this post.

1. "The Time it is Today" by The Association from Birthday

As a kid, I used to grab The Association's greatest hits LP from my parents collection and play it on my orange and tan Fischer Price record player. It's part of family legend how my dad used to play "Cherish" and pine away over his high school crush, and "Never My Love" is a classic. This year it is the pop/psychedelic track "The Time it is Today" that caught my attention. Some lines are uttered in irony, but there's not mistaking the defiance in this stanza:

They're lying, killing, they're pushing their rules
They tell you the prophets all are just fools
But I know different and I won't be used
It's they that are lost, it's they are confused 

All that feeling, and beautiful harmonies too!


2. "The Glorious Land" by PJ Harvey from Let England Shake

I simply cannot say enough good things about this album (follow the link above to see my review of Let England Shake). Here is a masterwork equivalent to any feat of rock 'n' roll storytelling brilliance. Harvey is always great, but her lyric work on this album, her vision and dedication to her theme make this album a classic.

3. "Love Etc." by The Pet Shop Boys from Yes

I refuse to feel guilty about my appreciation for PSB, and this song shows why. I find the video very enjoyable, as well!

4. "Are You Experienced" by Patti Smith from  Twelve

Living in Eugene has caused me to rebellious in some of the only ways I know how: I don't own Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, or Pink Floyd albums. I only have burned copies of Bob Marley, and I refuse to attend the Oregon Country Fair. Yes, in Eugene, this is like being a turncoat. I do own Bob Dylan records though, so I think I'm allowed to stay.


Basically, the first time I ever appreciated a number of songs from the 70s (like "Are You Experienced") is when I heard them on Patti's album Twelve. Patti is a great cover artist because she really understands what the music is about, and gets inside it. (Her cover of U2's "Until the End of the World" is stellar.)


5. "Out to Get You" by James from Laid

I went through a James obsession in the early '00s. About the middle of last school year I got discouraged and downtrodden due to the ever increasing craziness of what it means to be an educator in today's culture (less money, less personnel, more expectations, larger class sizes, etc.). I returned to the warm nesting place that is this album; it was like a vitamin B shot to get me to a positive place for the students.

Insecure, what you gonna do?

Feel so small, they could step on you.

6. "Scarecrow" by Siouxsie and the Banshees from Peepshow

The Banshees were often inspired by film in their songwriting and "Scarecrow" sounds cinematic. The keyboard sounds are fantastic (I'm feeling a little programmable-analog-keyboard research coming on!), the bass line vaguely sinister, the guitar part compelling. Hearing the many colors of Siouxsie's voice in this song is like looking over a painter's shoulder to see their color palette, whispers, growls, and high"ohs" mixed across it. This is an irresistible song, and I'm dancing in my chair as I type these words.



7. "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel from  So

There is a palpable sense of unrest and longing in "Mercy Street," with harmonies on the choruses that feel like mercy made audible. Pondering the oblique lyrics, it was neat to learn that this gentle, compassionate song is about the poet Anne Sexton, a woman whose poetry I admire, and who had difficulty with her mental health.

8. "Oh Berlin" by U2 from Achtung, Baby Sessions Bonus Tracks

or

"The Misunderstanding" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark from Organisation

My personal mix contains the song "Oh Berlin" by U2. I was bummed to discover that I couldn't find it online, so I figured the playlist of Year in Music- 2011 would just have to make the hop over it from "Mercy Street" to "The Upstairs Room." When I realized I'd forgotten OMD though-- !! -- well, it gave me the chance to make it right and include one of their numbers.

I've been listening to OMD a lot this winter, starting with the meager prior knowledge of just knowing "If You Leave," from Pretty in Pink. It's a good song, but I've been pleasantly surprised from the darker, less poppy edge of their work. It's a bit like art history, finding out who they were influenced by, what keyboards they started with, how they helped influence the sounds of other bands, and their connection to some of my Mancunian favorites (can I include Peter Saville in that?). I managed to listen to the first three records in 2011, and of them, Organisation is my favorite.

"The Misunderstanding" has some great sampled sounds, live drums alongside the keyboards, and my personal favorite...overwrought vocals! See lines like the following:

For as we get older we've become less aware
Security lies at the heart of our lives
Attaching ourselves to ourselves
We're extinguished but we're still alive

9. "The Upstairs Room" by the Cure from Japanese Whispers

Dance-y rock that gets my feet moving! "The Upstairs Room" features one of those guitar lines that I can't help but sing along with as well as a fantastic, vivid lyric.

Oh, the kiss!
So alcoholic and slow

10. "Too Late" by M83 from Saturdays = Youth

M83 is my Pandora find of the year. Of course I'm a bit behind as they've a whole new album out now, but this album is just SO good. Usually ballads aren't my territory, but this one takes my breath away, the woodblock at the beginning and the keyboards building into the chorus tickle my ears pink.

11. "Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution" by Cut Copy from  Zonoscope

Feel good, sound good, musical revolution! My only complaint is that the video does not feature more of Dan Whitford. Just sayin.

If you are a keyboardist and lead in a band, go see Cut Copy live and take notes on Dan's moves. I have never seen a better lead singer for getting a crowd involved...and the man knows how to telegraph hand clapping and jumping to the crowd...all from behind a keyboard!!

12. "Suzanne and I" by Anna Calvi from Anna Calvi

It is fitting that Calvi's visual persona is that of a (male) flamenco dancer. Her music is dark, precise, and moody, filled with quietness and roaring passion. You can hear Jeff Buckley and Edith Piaf playing heavenly backup as her inspiration.

13. "Cuddle Up" by the Beach Boys from Carl & the Passions

Dennis Wilson...wow. When you think of folks writing heart-melting love songs, you don't think of drummers. This song was on my iPod when I went to England, and listening to it made me think of my boy. It's a warm note to go out on, 2011. You were a good year.



Below, for those of you who might prefer to listen to the mix as intended-- one song after another!-- a youtube playlist is embedded. The notable exception is track 8 ("Oh Berlin" from the Achtung, Baby Sessions); it has been replaced with OMD's "The Misunderstanding."

Year in Music - 2010

For the last four or five years I've documented the prior year of music listening on a mix CD, created every January. The rules I impose on myself:

-One song max. from each album, and one song max. from each artist. If I didn't follow the second part of that rule I would have an album full of New Order this year!
-Has to fit on one CD.
-Must mix well. I often end up with less than a CD's worth of material because of this rule.

There's no limitation on the year it was created; the song does not have to be from 2010.


2010 Brought the Goods! 15 Tracks o' Awesome

1. Converter- Helio Sequence B-side
This is a fantastic song. Thank you Record Store day 2010! It's a shame the world doesn't know more about Converter; this song motivates me to keep trying to make a difference. Take a listen.





2. With a Shout- U2 October
When I was gone for a month with YCEW high schoolers in Aguascalientes, Mexico, all I had was my 2GB iPod shuffle. It was filled with early U2 songs. Angela E. I get why October was (is?) your favorite U2 album. Took me a while, eh? :)





3. Stretch Out and Wait- The Smiths from The World Won't Listen

I've liked this song since I first attained Louder Than Bombs in high school. This is the version that has lyrics that start with

"All the lies that you make up/
What's at the back of your mind?/
Oh, your face I can see and it's desperately kind/
What's at the back of your mind ?"

Who can't relate to this song? And isn't Morrissey adorable in the picture below?

4. Suffer the Children- Tears for Fears, The Hurting
I know that everyone on the planet knows who this group is, but mostly for a couple of songs...and Tears for Fears deserve to be held up with all the best groups of the 80s. Also, as Ana Boyd can attest, they still got it! ;)

If you know/like them, listen to "Suffer the Children" again. Love the chorus of kids!





5. Kingdom- Working for a Nuclear Free City, Business Men & Ghosts
I found out about this Mancunian band listening to Pandora. Some great stuff on this two-disc collection. This was a song I found particularly appealing.





6. Many Moons- Janelle Monáe, Metropolis
A five foot, bundle of music GODDESS! Watch her live, that's all I've got to say. 





7. Appalachian Memories- Dolly Parton, Burlap and Satin
I have always liked Dolly, but 2010 marked the year of making a point to start buying her early music. Anything before 1977 is consistently great. Sadly, a lot of the songs she performed from then on were not so good...to put it mildly. Go listen to "Potential New Boyfriend" if you don't believe me. What I can deduce is that the songs others wrote for her were dreck, while her own songs (like this one and "A Gamble Either Way" from Burlap and Satin) were gems in the commercial garbage her music drowned in during the 80s.





8. Seal it With a Kiss (demo)- Grant Lee Phillips, Little Mono
Little Mono is a collection of demos for the album Little Moon. Only Grant would sing a line like "Now you know my loving is/ deadly serious." If you ever get the chance to see him live, you should. He's a great live performer with funny and endearing dialogue between songs. (Oh, and I SHOOK HIS HAND ONCE!)





9. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)- Shakira, 2010 FIFA World Cup Theme
I sang this song in Mexico with wonderful Esther...I didn't know the Spanish version, she didn't know the English version, but BOY you should have heard us on the chorus!

10. 10 Mile Stereo- Beach House, Teen Dream
I really enjoyed this album, and it was hard to narrow it down to one song to include in my mix. A warm album with catchy melodies and a great singer. The Beach Boys have grand children, folks! (yeah!)





11. Take Me Over- Cut Copy first song released from Zonoscope
I pretty much live for Cut Copy. I'll be writing a whole entry about In Ghost Colours one of these days, and I'm loving Zonoscope. These guys have such charisma, love, and joie de vivre (French! Watch out multilinguists- what now!?)...and it's catching. Hands down, Cut Copy are the best live show I've ever seen...and that's saying a lot.  This song doesn't disappoint, it's just as catchy and warm and full of heart as any of their songs.

"Do you hear the voice inside your head/

Whispering to live your dreams instead?/

Some people cling to what they know/

But I woke up and now it's time to go"

PS I love Dan Whitford. Ryan knows and accepts this. :) 

PSPS Cut Copy are more grandchildren of the Beach Boys...but not related to Mike Love, thank you very much.

12. Tyrant Destroyed- Twin Shadow, Forget
Now here's an incredible find (thanks to Tutt and Ian for spreading the love to Ryan, and therefore me)! George Lewis, Jr. played every instrument on this album when he recorded it...the guy is amazing, especially considering that there's a lot going on in the songs, much of it pretty subtle. The whole album is great. The songs are catchy, moving, warm. Very 80s inspired, very now. HIGHLY recommended- the best album of 2010!





13. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)- Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
I'm turning 30 this year. I'm at an age where I've seen a lot of people give up their dreams and ideals, give up on themselves. It's important to acknowledge the places we're not listening to ourselves, to nurture ourselves and stop listening to the people who tell us it's all over. Go you!

"They heard me singing and they told me to stop/

Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock/

These days my life, I feel it has no purpose/

But late at night the feelings swim to the surface."

14. Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away- Stevie Wonder, Fulfillingness' First Finale 
When I was making a mix for Ryan's birthday, I knew I had to add some Stevie Wonder. As I was listening to this album, "Heaven..." especially struck me. A beautiful song full of yearning and faith.

"Tell me people
Why can't they say that hate is 10 zillion light years away
Why can't the light of good shine God's love in every soul
Why must my color black make me a lesser man
I thought this world was made for every man
He loves us all, that's what my God tells me
And I say it's taken Him so long
'Cause we've got so far to come..."

And we are still traveling to that destination...





15. Face Up- New Order, Low-Life
Last year was the year of New Order re-issue listening. Low-Life might be my favorite...but I would hate to be forced into a decision. New Order is a band that can explore all shades, from dark to light, and sometimes the darkest and lightest at the same time. Need I mention "Ceremony"? How can that song make me feel so good when the lyrics are so horribly depressing? Also, Hooky is one of my favorite bassists of all time...nobody plays bass like he does. Melody bass, I tell you! Fantastic!

Face Up appeals to me because it makes me dance, it makes me happy, and it tells the world off with a swagger despite some prior, nebulous hurt or loss. This is perfect for where I work. Nothing is going to get me down!