This was the year that was ... my new music from 2016 #2016Music #2016inReview

This year I'm going to start off by listing my favorite releases of the year. It was a hard year to make top picks. Some releases by classic artists who then died, some simply classic (or future classics.

First, let me note that both David Bowie (Black Star) and Leonard Cohen's (You Want it Darker?) could easily vie for my top spot. Likewise, The Rolling Stones (Blue and Lonesome) and Green Day (Revolution Radio) turned in albums that will eventually lodge in the top of their all time best. Another veteran, Bob Weir (Blue Mountain) waxed a stellar low key album. And since he's for a wristband, let's not forget to name check  Rhymin' Simon's Stranger to Stranger.

In the more recent artist category, Bastille's Wild World and Regina Spektor's Remember Us to Life stayed on my frequent play list from the time they were released. 

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released Skeleton Tree, a simply brilliant addition to their work.

But the top album for me was the sprawl-y, hooky, sloppy, brilliant mess (in the mold of Exile on Main Street) that was Miranda Lambert's Weight of These Wings. Forget about the soap-opera that was her life the past year, forget it's "Country" if that turns you off, forget she's "Hell on Heels" or "Platinum" or even a "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend", Weight of These Wings is full of brilliantly executed music ... 

In a year that, as the meme says, was like a dumpster fire, there was some pretty good music. There were significant losses over the year, so let's look back at them first before we get to the full list:

• David Bowie (January 10, 2016)
• Glenn Frey (January 18, 2016)
• Paul Kanter (January 28, 2016)
• Maurice White (February 3, 2016)
• Dan Hicks (February 6, 2016)
• Vanity (Denise Matthews) (February 15, 2016)
• George Martin (March 8, 2016)
• Keith Emerson (March 11, 2016)
• Frank Sinatra, Jr. (March 16, 2016)
• Gato Barbieri (April 2, 2016)
• Merle Haggard (April 6, 2016)
• Prince (April 21, 2016)
• Tomita (May 5, 2016)
• John Berry (May 19, 2016)
• Rob Wasserman (June 29, 2016)
• Scotty Moore (June 28, 2016)
• Pete Fountain (August 6, 2016)
• Jimmy Levine (August 9, 2016)
• Jean Shepherd (September 25, 2016)
• Bobby Vee (October 24, 2016)
• Leonard Cohen (November 7, 2016)
• Leon Russell (November 13, 2016)
• Sharon Jones (November 18, 2016)
• Florence Henderson (November 25, 2016)
• Greg Lake (December 7, 2016)
• Rick Parfitt (December 24, 2016)
• George Michael (December 25, 2016)
• Debbie Reynolds (December 28, 2016)

* * * * * 

But on a happier note, here's my music year in review. I'll also add as a bonus, one I missed at the end of last year, The Hollywood Vampires' The Hollywood Vampires (September 15, 2015) -- most excellent!

If I had to name a Top Fifteen, this would be it (in order of release):

1. David Bowie, Black Star (January 8, 2015)
2. Bonnie Raitt, Dig in Deep (February 26, 2016)
3. Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression (March 18, 2016)
4. Paul Simon, Stranger to Stranger (June 3, 2016)
5. Jeff Beck, Loud Hailer (July 15, 2016)
6. Ingrid Michaelson, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense (August 26, 2016)
7. Bastille, Wild World (September 9, 2016)
8. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree (September 9, 2016)
9. Devendra Banhart, Ape in Pink Marble (September 23, 2016)
10. Bob Weir, Blue Mountain (September 30, 2016)
11. Regina Spektor, Remember Us to Life (September 30, 2016)
12. Green Day, Revolution Radio (October 7, 2016)
13. Leonard Cohen, You Want it Darker? (October 21, 2016)
14. Miranda Lambert, Weight of These Wings (November 18, 2016)
15. The Rolling Stones, Blue and Lonesome (December 2, 2016)

Honorable Mentions:

1. Loretta Lynn, Full Circle (March 4, 2016)
2. Radiohead, Moon Shaped Pool (May 8, 2016)
3. Paul Simon, Stranger to Stranger (June 3, 2016)
4. Phish, Big Boat (October 7, 2016)
5. Pretenders, Alone (October 21, 2016)

In the list of re-releases or "from the vaults", I'll add:

• Allman Brothers Band, Live from A&R Studios (April 1, 2016)
• Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Miss Sharon Jones! (August 19, 2016)
• The Beatles, Live at the Hollywood Bowl (September 9, 2016)
• Bob Dylan, The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert (Live) (December 2, 2016)

Let's not forget a couple of singles:

Singles:

• "No," Meghan Trainor
• "Used to Love You," Gwen Stefani

And now, the complete Albums of 2016:

JANUARY

• David Bowie, Black Star (January 8, 2015)
• Megadeath, Dystopia (January 22, 2015)
• Aoife O'Donovan, In the Magic Hour (January 22, 2016)
• Dressy Bessy, Kingsized (February 5, 2016)

FEBRUARY

• Bonnie Raitt, Dig in Deep (February 26, 2016)

MARCH

• Gwen Stefani, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (March 18, 2016)
• Loretta Lynn, Full Circle (March 4, 2016)
• Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression (March 18, 2016)

APRIL

• Allman Brothers Band, Live from A&R Studios (April 1, 2016)
• Graham Nash, This Path Tonight (April 15, 2016)
• Santana, Santana IV (April 15, 2016)
• Ace Frehely, Origins, Vol. 1 (April 15, 2016)
• Brian Eno, Ship (April 29, 2016)

MAY

• The Rides, Pierced Arrow (May 6, 2016)
• Cyndi Lauper, Detour (May 6, 2016)
• Meghan Trainor, Thank You (May 2016)
• Bob Dylan, Fallen Angels (May 20, 2016)
• Eric Clapton, I Still Do (May 20, 2016)
• Mudcrutch, 2 (May 20, 2016)
• Radiohead, Moon Shaped Pool (May 8, 2016)

JUNE

• Paul Simon, Stranger to Stranger (June 3, 2016)
• Neil Young, Earth (June 17, 2016)

JULY

• Heart, Beautiful Broken (July 8, 2016)
• Jeff Beck, Loud Hailer (July 15, 2016)

AUGUST

• Dolly Parton, Pure and Simple (August 19, 2016)
• Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Miss Sharon Jones! (August 19, 2016)
• Ingrid Michaelson, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense (August 26, 2016)

SEPTEMBER

• Soundwalk Collective with Jesse Paris Smith featuring Patti Smith, Killer Road (September 2, 2016)
• Wilco, Schmilco (September 9, 2016)
• Bastile, Wild World (September 9, 2016)
• The Beatles, Live at the Hollywood Bowl (September 9, 2016)
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree (September 9, 2016)
• Daniel Lanois, Goodbye to Language (September 9, 2016)
• Meat Loaf, Braver Than We Are (September 16, 2016)
• Devendra Banhart, Ape in Pink Marble (September 23, 2016)
• Bob Weir, Blue Mountain (September 30, 2016)
• Marianne Faithfull, No Exit (September 30, 2016)
• Van Morrison, Keep Me Singing (September 30, 2016)
• Regina Spektor, Remember Us to Life (September 30, 2016)

OCTOBER

• Phish, Big Boat (October 7, 2016)
• Lisa Loeb, Feel What U Feel (October 7, 2016)
• Leonard Cohen, You Want it Darker? (October 21, 2016)
• Pretenders, Alone (October 21, 2016)
• Green Day, Revolution Radio (October 7, 2016)
• Kacy Musgraves, A Very Kacey Christmas (October 28, 2016)

NOVEMBER

• Miranda Lambert, Weight of These Wings (November 18, 2016)
• Bridget Medler, Nemesis (November 18, 2016)

DECEMBER

• The Rolling Stones, Blue and Lonesome (December 2, 2016)
• Bob Dylan, The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert (Live) (December 2, 2016)
• Neil Young, Peace Trail (December 9, 2016)

Music of Madagascar, some things I was listening to

Some music of Madagascar

• The Truth (1995) by The Justin Vali Trio              
• The Music of Madagascar by The Legendary Mama Sana   
• Beneath Southern Skies (1996) by Tarika Sammy              

I also took advantage of some classic anthologies of music from "the Big Island":

• Tulear Never Sleeps (2003)             
• A World Out Of Time (1992)               
• World Out Of Time, Volume 3 (1996)

"Tulear Never Sleeps" is an example of the tsapiky style, recorded in late 1999. The two "World Out of Time" volumes were brought about by a visit to Big Red by the American guitarists Henry Kaiser and David Lindley. They recorded a wide variety of music and musicians that generated three albums (the first and third were the most highly rated).

Sources and more information:

• Music of Madagascar (Wikipedia)
• Justin Vali (Allmusic)
• Tarika Sammy (Allmusic)

Some musical selections from Kenya, what I was listening too

Got to see some live music (as part of the TDWG 2015 conference, here's what was on the heavy rotation on the trip over and there.

What I was listening to:

• D.O. Misiani and Shirati Jazz. The King Of History - Classic 1970s Benga Beats From Kenya  (2010)
• D.O. Misiani. Club Oasis (2006)
• Kilimambogo Brothers. Mwitu Mbethi (2015)                            
• Migori Super Stars. Remo Gi Remo  (2012)                                      
• Various Artists/The Bomas Of Kenya. Tribal Dance From East Africa (2006)
• Various Artists. Kenya Special (Selected East African Recordings From The 1970s & 80s) (2013)
• Various Artists. Music From Kenya Volume 1 (2008)

Sources and more information:

• Kilimanbogo Brothers info and discography
• Kilimanbogo Brothers (Amazon)
• D.O. Misiani and Shirati Jazz info and discography
• D.O. Misiani and Shirati Jazz (Wikipedia)
• D.O. Misiani (Allmusic)
• Shirati Jazz (Allmusic)
• Benga Music (Wikipedia)
• Music of Kenya (Wikipedia)
• Migori Super Stars (Amazon)

This was the year that was ... my new music from 2014 #2014Music #2014inReview

Whoops, never got the new One Direction album!

A review of the year that was in new music I listened to. Notables are described below, and best of the best (or at least the ones that got multiple plays from me) are highlighted. I've also noted a few other "honorable mentions" (or disappointments). For the full list, go to the end of the post.

If I had to name a Top Ten, this would be it (in order of release):

1. Rosanne Cash, The River and the Thread
2. The Caribbean, Moon Sickness
3. Broken Bells, After the Disco 
4. Beck, Morning Phase
5. Ingrid Michaelson, Lights Out 
6. Sarah McLachlan, Shine On 
7. Tori Amos, Unrepentant Geraldines 
8. Jack White, Lazaretto 
9. Robert Plant, lullaby and ... The Ceaseless Roar 
10. Taylor Swift, 1989

The first album out for the year I'll highlight comes from Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wig Out at Jagbags. Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes was an  interesting and curious album. Remakes of various songs ("Ghost of Tom Joad", "American Skin") that rival the originals. Some cover songs ("Dream Baby" and the title song) that are quite good. Bit of a hodge-podge from The Boss, but one that holds together pretty well.

By far, one of the best albums of the year was Rosanne Cash's The River and the Thread. Cash delivered a fabulous set, one of the many highlights is "A Feather's not a Bird."
Cash was joined by step-sister Carlene Carter on the new album list and her Carter Girl a pleasant and root-sy album. Johnny Cash brought us the posthumous release of Out Among the Stars produced by countrypolitan star Billy Sherrill.

David Crosby's Croz saw Crosby's voice is still holding up pretty well considering all it's been through over the years. If you close your eyes and concentrate, you can almost hear the early 1970s as you listen to the album. "Find a Heart" (the closer) is one of the best on this set.

I can't say enough about the Broken Bells' After the Disco. Wow, another stunning album by the Bells. Incredible mix of songs without a loser in the bunch. Likewise, a new band to me, the Temples' Sun Structures was very good, sort of "retro" (sounds like spacey 60s UK pop). Still not quite sure of the album (or the sound), very Donovan-like at times (which is good), but gets a bit repetitive over the course of the album. Does grow on one after a number of listenings.

Moon Sickness was The Caribbean's stunning 2014 delivery to fans of the DC-based group. From Beck in 2014 dropped Morning Phase. An album that takes a few spins to grow on you. The album found Beck in a mellow mood, "Heart is a Drum" one of my favorites on the album.

Chet Faker's, Built on Glass was a great debut by the Australian singer. Aimee Mann joined up with Ted Leo as The Both and put out a good self-titled album (The Both). How did I miss Ingrid Michaelson all these years? Her Lights Out was full of great songs. I'll make note of Ian Anderson's Homo Erraticus as an interesting entry in his post-Tull canon and Santana's Corazon (the biggest disappointment of the year).

May saw a trio of very good albums, starting with Lykke Li's I Never Learn, Sarah McLachlan's Shine On and an amazing new album by Tori Amos's Unrepentant Geraldines.

Neil Young had two albums this year, the Jack White collaboration A Letter Home (in May) and  Storytone (in November). As always with Young, both were interesting, but I preferred the novelty of A Letter Home over the double-takes of the solo/string version of Storytone.

Two of the Pistol Annies released solo albums, Miranda Lambert was out of the gate first with Platinum (a sassy fun album from June)  Angaleena Presley followed in October with American Middle Class (a sassy fun album too!). There was some new style punk (is that what it was?) from Jack White's Lazaretto and old style from Chrissie Hynde's Stockholm .

After a five year hiatus, Phish released a very engaging Fuego that was highlighted by the title song. Oh, "Chandelier", do I need to say anything else about Sia's 1000 Forms of Fear? I'll note that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers gave yet another solid album with Hypnotic Eye and yet another incarnation of Yes delivered Heaven & Earth (July 22, 2014).

Robyn Hitchcock continuously delivers albums that I simply love, this year it was The Man Upstairs which was a great mix of originals and covers. U2's Songs of Innocence made me feel old because I did really like it, thus fulfilling a demographic I suppose. Likewise, Robert Plant's, lullaby and ... The Ceaseless Roar came from an even more ancient rocker who has let his music grown older gracefully. 

John Mellencamp's Plain Spoken was a good albums and Lee Ann Womack's The Way I'm Livin' was a nice comeback album, from one of the original "new Nashville" women.

In the, "I was really hoping this would be better category" was Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett's Cheek to Cheek. The collaboration had a number of high spots, but couldn't sustain an entire album. Bennett was joined by new other octogenarians in releasing albums, Leonard Cohen's Popular Problems (September) proved that Cohen can still growl out a great song; likewise, Willie Nelson's Band of Brothers (June) brought us the ageless Nelson and some great new songs. Speaking of growlers, Marianne Faithfull gave us Give My Love to London (with a catchy title song and a number of other winners). 

1970s SoCal superstars Jackson Browne and Stevie Nicks both delivered in October. Jackson Browne's Standing in the Breach was highlighted by "Yeah, Yeah". Stevie Nicks's 24 Karat Gold - Songs from the Vault was a release of 1970s era tunes that still play well in 2014. Johnny Marr followed up his 2013 solo debut with Playland.

Taylor Swift proved to all the haters that she's one of the biggest stars of the decade with a transitional 1989 that was full of catchy tunes (starting with the lead off single, "Shake it Off").

2014 saw the first official full release of Bob Dylan and The Band's "Basement Tapes"; it also saw the release of The New Basement Tapes' Lost on the River, an all-star group helmed by Elvis Costello who put Basement Tape-era lyrics to new music, close to something, but not quite.

And ending the year, was Bryan Ferry's Avonmore and Billy Corrigan delivery of a new Smashing Pumpkins album, Monuments to an Elegy.

Singles:

• Sabrina Carpenter, Rowan Blanchard, "Take On The World ("Girl Meets World" Theme)"
• Britanny Spears, "Alien" (actually from late 2013)
• Taylor Swift, "Shake It Off"
• David Bowie, "Sue (Or in a Season of Time)"

And now, the Albums of 2014:

• Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wig Out at Jagbags (January 7, 2014)
• Blank Realm, Grassed Inn (January 13, 2014). 
• The Pixies, EP2 (January 13, 2014).  
• Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes (January 14, 2014). 
• Rosanne Cash, The River and the Thread (January 14, 2014)
• David Crosby, Croz (January 28, 2014)
• Broken Bells, After the Disco (January 14, 2014)
• Temples, Sun Structures (February 11, 2014)
• The Caribbean, Moon Sickness (February 18, 2014)
• Benmont Tench, You Should Be So Lucky (February 18, 2014)
• Beck, Morning Phase (February 25, 2014).
• Luther Dickinson, Rock 'n Roll Blues (March 18, 2014)
• Jon Langford & Skull Orchard, Here Be Monsters (April 1, 2014)
• Carlene Carter, Carter Girl (April 8, 2014)
• Chet Faker, Built on Glass (April 14, 2014)
• The Both, The Both (April 15, 2014)
• Ingrid Michaelson, Lights Out (April 15, 2014)
• Ian Anderson, Homo Erraticus (April 15, 2014)
• Johnny Cash, Out Among the Stars (March 25, 2014)
• Lykke Li, I Never Learn (May 5, 2014)
• Santana, Corazon (May 6, 2014)
• Sarah McLachlan, Shine On (May 6, 2014)
• Tori Amos, Unrepentant Geraldines (May 12, 2014)
• Neil Young, A Letter Home (May 12, 2014)
• Miranda Lambert, Platinum (June 3, 2014)
• Jack White, Lazaretto (10 June 2014)
• Chrissie Hynde, Stockholm (June 10, 2014)
• NRBQ, Brass Tacks (June 17, 2014)
• Willie Nelson, Band of Brothers (June 17, 2014)
• Phish, Fuego (June 24, 2014)
• Sia, 1000 Forms of Fear (July 8, 2014)
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Hypnotic Eye (July 28, 2014)
• Eric Clapton and Friends, The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale (July 29, 2014)
• Yes,  Heaven & Earth (July 22, 2014)
• Sinead O'Connor, I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss (August 12, 2014)
• Robyn Hitchcock, The Man Upstairs (August 26, 2014)
• U2, Songs of Innocence (September 9, 2014)
• Robert Plant, lullaby and ... The Ceaseless Roar (September 9, 2014)
• John Mellencamp, Plain Spoken (September 16, 2014)
• Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems (September 22, 2014)
• Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett, Cheek to Cheek  (September 23, 2014)
• Lee Ann Womack, The Way I'm Livin' (September 23, 2014)
• Marianne Faithfull, Give My Love to London (September 29, 2014)
• Annie Lennox, Nostalgia (September 30, 2014)
• Jackson Browne, Standing in the Breach (October 6, 2014)
• Stevie Nicks, 24 Karat Gold - Songs from the Vault (October 6, 2014)
• Angaleena Presley, American Middle Class (October 14, 2014)
• Johnny Marr, Playland (October 14, 2014)
• Taylor Swift, 1989 (October 27, 2014)
• Neil Young, Storytone (November 4, 2014)
• The New Basement Tapes, Lost on the River (November 10, 2014) 
• Bryan Ferry, Avonmore (November 17, 2014)
• Smashing Pumpkins, Monuments to an Elegy (December 8, 2014)

"Thank you for the music" / A visit to the site of the famed Polar Studios in Stockholm

So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me
- "Thank You for the Music" - ABBA

Polar Studios was the home base for ABBA. Located at Sankt Eriksgatan 58-60 on Kungsholmen in Stockholm, Sweden, Polar Studios was founded by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA in 1977.

Many others used the studio, most notably Led Zeppelin (for their last album, In Through the Outdoor), Genesis (Duke), and Roxette (various albums). I had to drop by the location (as part of my musical tours!) and took that albums mentioned above (plus ABBA of course) along on the iPod. The studio moved to a new location in 2004.

2013 in review: new music I was listening

2013 was a very good year for some new tunes. 43 new stax of wax hit my turntable this year (metaphorically speaking). It would be hard to pick out my favorites, but I'm going to list those top ten (in release order) that got heavy rotation (I'm also not going to count compilations, archives releases, etc.):

• Lady Lamb and the Beekeeper, Ripley Pine (February 19, 2013)
• David Bowie, The Next Day (March 11, 2013) (and the extended EP released later in the year that might even be better)
• Steve Martin & Eddie Brickell, Love Has Come for You (April 23, 2013)
• Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park (March 19, 2013)
• Saturday Looks Good to Me, One Kiss Ends it All (May 20, 2013)
• Black Sabbath, 13 (June 11, 2013)
• Dave Davies, I Will Be Me (June 4, 2013)
• Elvis Costello, Wise Up Ghost (September 17, 2013)
• Yoko Ono, Take Me to the Land of Hell (September 24, 2013)
• Paul McCartney, New (October 15, 2013)

From the world of singles, a few stuck in my Earwom land:

• Katy Perry, "Roar"
• Cher, "Woman's World"
• Capital Cities, "Safe and Sound"
• Bruno Mars, "Count on Me"
• Ylvis, "The Fox (What the Fox Says)"

And here's the full list, in chronological order:

• Ashley Monroe, Like a Rose (December 18, 2012) 
  Ok, not quite a 2012 album, but pretty close. Plus, I wanted to say that Monroe's "You Ain't Dolly" (a duet with Vince Gill) is a really great song. For Monroe's true 2013 entry, see her work with Pistol Annies that came out in May. 
• TORRES, TORRES (January 22, 2013)
  Very nice, if a bit too "moody" indie record by the solo chanteuse. Highlights include "When Winter's Over," "Don't Run Away, Emilie," and "Honey." Will be interesting to see what TORRES (aka Mackenzie Scott) comes up with next.
• Lady Lamb and the Beekeeper, Ripley Pine (February 19, 2013)
  Not a group, but an amazing multi-instrumentalist Aly Spaltro. Only 23, Spaltro crafts a fabulous set from the kick-off "Heir to the Ferris Wheel" to the epic "You are the Apple". One of the best albums of the year. Really, a great album, I can't say enough about it! Go buy it now!
• Golden Grrrls, Golden Grrrls (February 25, 2013)
  Some catchy, indie-style pop tunes from the Scottish trip. Interesting tunes.
• Johnny Marr, The Messenger (February 26, 2013)The Smiths' guitar-man came up with his second true solo album this year and it was quite good. His jangly guitar of course calls up the work of The Smiths, but this is all Marr, no Morrissey. "The Right Thing Right" (the opener that most resembles a Smiths' song), "I Want the Heartbeat" (my favorite on the set), and "Generate, Generate" were my faves.
• Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Old Yellow Moon (February 26, 2013)
  Emmylou rarely disappoints and this collaboration with Rodney Crowell is another winner from the Red Dirt Girl. "Hanging Up My Heart," "Black Caffeine," and "Old Yellow Moon" are all standouts as is the faithful reading of Patti Sciafla's "Spanish Dancer." 
• Los Originales De San Juan, Mariachi (March 4, 2013)
  Nothing like some nice mariachi music to get you in a good mood. The "Norteno Quartet" based in Southern California has been around for a while. This album is a god introduction to the group and their sound. 
• David Bowie, The Next Day (March 11, 2013)An unexpected surprise from Bowie, The Next Day is quite good; a nice follow up to Reality and Heathen (both of which I enjoyed). Standouts include "Valentine's Day," "Where are we Now?," and "(You Will) Set the World on Fire." 
• Eric Clapton, Old Sock (12 March 2013)A very nice and comfortable album, literally, an "old sock" with mostly old songs (real old ones). Standouts are "Gotta Get Over It" and a cover of "Goodnight Irene". Slowhand also brings in Paul McCartney to duet on "All of Me" (McCartney had warmed up his coversmithing with Kisses on the Bottom last year)
• Boz Skaggs, Memphis (March 15, 2013)
  Skagg's amazing smooth voice is a little rougher around the edges these days, but his mature phrasings more than make up for it on this great album. Mostly covers (paying tribute to the Memphis sound), Skaggs brings along Ray Parker, Jr. and Willie Weeks for the ride. "Rainy Night in Georgia," "Love on a Two Way Street," Steely Dan's "Pearl of the Quarter," and Moon Martin's "Cadillac Walk" are standouts.Oh, and "Mixed up, Shook up Girl".
• Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park (March 19, 2013)
  Wow, really great pop/country album. Musgraves pulls off a number of catchy tunes including "Merry Go Round," "Dandelion," "Blowin' Smoke," "Follow Your Arrow," are all standouts. Looking forward to more from Kacey.
• Beth Hart, Bang Bang Boom Boom (April 2, 2013 US)
  Great album from the bluesy rocker. Title track is great and the bonus live cover of "I'd Rather Be Blind" is a great closer.
• Peach Kelli Pop, Peach Kelli Pop (April 23, 2013)
  Super peppy poppy Peach Kelli Pop brings an infectious and fun set of tunes. Ten songs, with none breaking the 3 minute mark (and four under 2 minutes), all are great fun. Probably my favorite is "Tucson Song" (the album closer) that has some nice ukulele (?) strumming set over video game bleeps/boops (with some background songs of airport announcements) and a tune vaguely reminiscent of The Kink's "Waterloo Sunset." 
• Steve Martin & Eddie Brickell, Love Has Come for You (April 23, 2013)An excellent collaboration. Martin's banjo playing and Brickell's voice work very well together. A number of standouts from the opener, "When You Get to Asheville," through "Sarah Jane and the Iron Mountain Baby," through "Remember Me This Way." Highly recommend.
• Tom Jones, Spirit in the Room (April 23, 2013)
  I sometimes wonder if TJ would have been better off if he was less pretty. I mean, look at all the respect Eric Burdon gets as a singer. TJ, while not quite in that same league, has a great voice. Standouts on the set include his interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song," Tom Waits' "Bad as Me," and Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down." [note: released in 2012 in the UK, the US release wasn't til this year].
• The Beaches, She Beat (May 3, 2013)
  An interesting, low key album. 
• Noah and the Whale, Heart of Nowhere (May 6, 2013)
  Saturday Looks Good to Me's One Kiss Ends it All, this was my favorite album(s) of the summer. Great songs.
• Natalie Maines, Mother (May 7, 2013)
  The Dixie Chick flies solo with a curious set of tunes, e.g. a cover of Pink Floyd's "Mother". Best cut, "Silver Bell." Overall, a bit disappointed with this album, I was, perhaps, expecting more Dixie Chicks and for that I had to look to Pistol Annies.
• Pistol Annies, Annie Up (May 7, 2013)
  The follow up to Hell on Heels, the sophomore outing by Ashley Monroe, Miranda Lambert, and Angeleena Preseley hits many of the same marks that made the first album so fun, though not quite as fun. A hybrid of Tanya Tucker sassiness and Dolly Parton depth, topped off with some wicked bass-bluesy-ess, it's a great album. Highlights, "I Feel a Sin Comin' On," "Hush Hush," "Girls Like Us," and more and fun plus tunes.
• Saturday Looks Good to Me, One Kiss Ends it All (May 20, 2013)
  A creation of Fred Thomas more than a band, this turned out to be one of my favorite albums of the year. Loved "Sunglasses" and "Polar Bear". Spent a lot of time listening to it during summer vacation, so this, along with  Noah and the Whale's, Heart of Nowhere were my summer of 2013 albums.
• John Fogerty, Wrote a Song for Everyone (May 28, 2013)
  Not too much to say about this album; comprised mostly of classic Fogerty tunes done with other stars (and Fogerty's kids), it's a mostly pleasant trip down memory lane. The collaboration with Foo Fighters ("Fortunate Son") is great, but the most compelling duet is "Who'll Stop the Rain" with Bob Seger. Two new songs are added to the mix, but they don't quite stand up to the amazing past record Fogerty compiled.
• Various Artists, Ghost Brothers of Darkland  County (June 4, 2013)
  So, let's say Stephen King gets together with John Mellencamp to write a musical. And then they get Elvis Costello, Dave and Phil Alvin, Neko Case and a cast of many other A-listers to sing (oh, and T-Bone Burnett to produce). So what do you get? Can't say as I'm sure ...
• Black Sabbath, 13 (June 11, 2013)
  Three-fourths of the classic Sabbath line up participate in this album (minus original drummer Bill Ward). Ozzie is in fine voice, Geezer still plays amazing bass, and Iommi never lost his way with a guitar. Sure, it's hard to take lyrics like "Blood on my conscience / And murder in mind / Out of the gloom / I rise up from my tomb / Into impending doom / Now my body is my shrine" ("God Dead?") or "Indoctrination by a twisted desire, / The catechism of an evil messiah." ("Dear Father") seriously after The Osbournes reality show, but the group can still conjure up some black magic.
• Dave Davies, I Will Be Me (June 4, 2013)
  After all these years Dave Davies can still crank out great guitar parts. Yes, he's channeling some great Kinks songs of the past, but with enough new twists (and guest appearances from various hard rock friends like Anti-Flag and the Jayhawks). Starts of with a great, Kinky song, "Little Green Amp" and rocks on from there.
• James McCartney, Me (June 18, 2013)
  It's hard to imagine the weight of a name like McCartney must inflict on the young James (son of Sir Paul). The voice, the perfect melodies, the charming lyrics, all show the son following closely in his father's musical footsteps. It's hard to listen objectively (especially when Sir Paul released an album this year), but overall, this is a powerful album. "Strong As You" is a great song; "Butterfly" is perhaps the most "Paul-esque" (and the weaker for that). "Snap Out of It" and "Wisteria" are nice rockers and "Life's a Pill" toe tapping sing along. After a few listenings, you are left waiting this McCartney's next outing. 
• Grant Hart, The Argument (July 22, 2013)
  I confess that of the 1/3 of of Husker Du, Grant Hart was my favorite. Hart's great songes on Du's Candy Apple Grey hit home for me whereas it took me a long time to warm up to Bob Mould. I was looking forward to Hart's The Argument, but it turned out more curious than I thought. A mashup of Milton's Paradise Lost and William S. Burrough's Lost Paradise, the concept album is complex and maybe that's not a good thing (?). Standout song is the lovely "Morningstar."
• Van Dyke Parks, Songs Cycled (July 23, 2013)Yet another quirky album by the king of quirky albums! No real standouts, the album is not only "cycled" but "re-cycled" with songs from his curious debut, Song Cycle.
• Elvis Presley, Elvis at Stax (August 6, 2013)
  A collection of the highlights from 1973 sessions Elvis did at the famed Stax studios in Memphis. An overall good album with the standout being "Promised Land" (one of my favorite Chuck Berry tunes).
• Sam Phillips, Push Any Button (August 13, 2013)
  Good, solid album from Phillips. Highlight for me was "When I'm Alone."
• Bob Dylan, Another Self-Portrait (27 August 2013)
  An interesting take on Dylan, circa 1969-1971. The release covers much of the Self-Portrait album and New Morning period. Now, Self-Portrait has always been one of my favorite Dylan albums (and yes, I know I'm in the minority there). The alt-takes on the Self-Porrait cuts (eliminating many of the odd overdubs) brings out even more nuance in the (mostly) cover tunes. The New Morning cuts offer even more from one of Dylan's best album. I got the deluxe edition which includes as a bonus the entire Isle of Wight concert with The Band. The one GLARING omission from the release is any hint that the excoriated album Dylan ever existed. That album, released by Columbia in anger of Dylan's label jump, probably reflected the bottom of the barrel Self-Portrait sessions, but to totally ignore was a bit odd.
• Neko Case, The Worse Things Get ... (August 30, 2013)
  Case is the darling of the alt music set and this just might be her breakthrough. She pretty much delivers on this set, full of interesting (heavy on the interesting) tunes, I liked the lead off "Wild Creatures" and the hard to pigeonhole "Man." 
• Arctic Monkeys, AM (September 10, 2013)
  With AM, the Monkeys really hit their stride and make a move into a larger sphere of music. Quite impressed with this hard, sometimes sludgy (that's a good thing) set. Hard to pick out standouts since the album plays well as a whole. If I had to pick one, I might go with the lead off track, "Do I Wanna Know?"
• Elvis Costello, Wise Up Ghost (September 17, 2013)
  Costello teams up with The Roots for a great album. The title song is a standout as is the opening track, "Walk Us Uptown." I also have to give a shoutout to the remake of "Pills and Soap" which breathes new life into a great song.
• Sting, The Last Ship (September 23, 2013)
  Well, a curious album from Sting. A song cycle about shipyard workers with various others joining in on certain parts. Slightly odd (weird?) to hear Sting with various accents (Irish? Cockney?). Almost like demos for a Broadway show (Titanic II? Ragtime II?). That said, there were two outstanding songs, "Practical Arrangement" and "Language of Birds."
• Yoko Ono, Take Me to the Land of Hell (September 24, 2013)
  Wow. Yoko really hit the mark on this one. Now I know that Yoko is an acquired taste for most, but I've always appreciated her work, back to my first introduction to her, which was Sometime in New York City. On her new album, the 80 year old Ono can still do both hip songs ("Bad Dancer") and experimental songs like "Moonbeams" and "Cheshire Cat Cry." A great album.
• Lorde, Pure Heroine (September 30, 2013)
  "Royals" was the big hit from the Kiwi teen singer, but "Tennis Courts" was pretty good too. Lorde can be a little droning for a whole album, but has potential!
• HAIM, Days Are Gone (September 30, 2013)
  Pleasant set up contemporary pop songs; my favorites on the set include "The Wire" (nice bouncy pop) and "My Song 5" a darker, guitar-driven bit of grunge.
• Steve Nieve, ToGetHer (October 8, 2013)
  Joining The Attraction's bandleader Elvis Costello with a 2013 release, Nieve turns in a eclectic release. Nieve brings in some friends to help out, including Costello and Sting. A worthwhile listen. 
• Paul McCartney, New (October 15, 2013)
  An excellent new album from Sir Macca; Paul hits many notes that will be familiar to his years of fans. At the same time, he continues to innovate and brings in new sounds to that familiar voice (which is still pretty good after all these years). Highlights include the title track, "On My Way To Work" (another edition in Paul's observations of the minutia of daily life), "Appreciate" (a very hummable rocker), and "Queenie Eye."
• Arcade Fire, Reflektor (October 28, 2013)
  Arcade Fire followed up its super hit from 2010 (The Suburbs) with Reflektor. A double-disc in the physical realm of CDs, Reflektor joins the ranks of Sandinista!, Exile on Main Street, The Beatles, The River, Tusk, Blonde on Blonde, Out f the Blue, Melon Collie & Infinite Sadness, Electric Ladlyland, Quadraphenia, London Calling, Zen Arcade, Songs in the Key of Life, The Wall, Goodbye Yellowbrick Road, Physical Graffiti, All Things Must, Pass, Sign O' the Times, Freak Out!, Tommy, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Eat a Peach, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, English Settlement, 1999, Something/Anything, Aerial (those are mostly pretty good!)  on the spectrum of successful double albums (though at 75 minutes, it's just a bit longer than many digital albums. Standout songs are the title track and "Supersymetry."
• David Bowie, The Next Day Extra EP (November 1, 2013)
  An excellent add-on to the Next Day album; include a number of songs - and of course mixes - of not on the album. Stand out is the lead track, "Atomica" that fades into a 10 minute plus remix of "Love is Lost". Highly recommended. 
• The Beatles, On Air: Live at the BBC. Volume 2 (November 11, 2013)
  A perplexingly long time to wait between volume 1 and 2 of the BBC sets by the Beatles. This set focuses on 1963 and early '64, unlike the first set which spanned the whole BBC radio career of the Beatles. There is still a lot of tracks unreleased, so I hope we don't have to wait nearly 20 years for volume 3! Oh, wait, what about the album? Well, it's the Beatles, and it's very very good. Hearing them run through their well known songs with minimal production gives you a hint of what they sounded like without screaming fans. 
• Neil Young, Live Cellar Door (December 6, 2013)
  An amazing solo set from 1970 at Washington's Cellar Door. The release has fabulous sound and a great selection of songs (heavy on the just released After the Goldrush, but many Buffalo Springfield and not-yet-released songs ("Old Man"). 

Albums I never got around to during the year:

• Pearl Jam, Lightening Bolt
• Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City
• Belle and Sebastian, Third Eye Centre
• Elton John, The Diving Board
• Sigur Ros, Kveikur
• Dave Stewart, Lucky Numbers
• Joan Jett, Unvarnished
• Hank Williams III, Brothers of the 4x4
• Billy Bragg, Tooth and Nail
• Iggy & The Stooges, Ready to Die
• Hero & Leander, Tumble
• Beady Eyes, Be
• Queens of the Stone Age, ... Like Clockwork
• Jillete Johnston, Water in a Whale 
• Julian Cope, Revolutionary Suicide

Oh, and here's a peek back at a few of albums from 2012 that I missed in last year's roundup:

• Donald Fagen, Sunken Condos
• Yoko Ono, YOKOKIMTHURSTON
• Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
• Taylor Swift, Red
• Jack White, Blunderbus

QotD: "Now there's some sad things known to man / But ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown / When there's no one around"

It was this week in 1970 that "Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles hit number one on the Billboard charts. The song (written by Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Hank Cosy) stayed at number one for two weeks (preceded by The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" and replaced by George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord").

Interestingly, the song was written in 1967 and released on the Make It Happen album of that year; but it wasn't til September 1970 that it was released as a single!

OMG! Harry Styles @ Durham Marriott!!!

Guess that means Taytay Swifty won't be here

Happy Birthday, Yoko Ono (オノ・ヨーコ)

The Dakota, NYC

And a very happy 80th birthday to one of the more important artist of our time, Yoko Ono. Ono, of course, had her career as an artist and musician overshadowed by her marriage to Beatle John.

A member of the Fluxus art movement and the "book" (or is it a compilation of performance art), Grapefruit. Some samples from Grapefruit include the the famous "Cloud Piece":

Imagine the clouds dripping.
Dig a hole in your garden to
put them in
(1963 Spring)

and then even more minimalist pieces such as ""Water Piece":

Water
(1964 Spring)

Grapefruit

Though I found the early Yoko/John collaborations challenging (I do still have my copy of Two Virgins on vinyl though!), her later solo work was well ahead of her time.

I had tickets to see Ono during her 1986 "Starpeace" tour, but the show was cancelled (I think I still have the tickets somewhere).

Yoko is celebrating this year with another dance single, "Hold Me" (from Soundcloud):

ONO kicks off the 2013 New Year with a fiery new dance single HOLD ME - a searing collaboration co-written and produced by EDM A-lister DAVE AUDÉ (whose discography includes remixes and productions for U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Depeche Mode, Coldplay and Pussycat Dolls, and an unprecedented 83 #1 Billboard Club Play Chart hits). The single finds ONO as vibrant and compelling as ever, continuing her streak of dance floor and club chart domination.

2012 in review: new music I was listening to

Well, I don't think I'll be getting any 2012 albums before the end of the year, so ... here are the (new) albums and songs that I was listening to in 2012:

• Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (by far the album with the longest title! Nice "comeback" set from Fiona).
• The Beach Boys, That's Why God Made Radio (Wow, this was just such a great album).
• Bob Dylan, Tempest (Dylan just keeps cranking out new classics in the 21st century, "Duquesne Whistle" was fabulous; I was less impressed by "Tempest" than the critics)
• Aimee Mann, Charmer (Aimee gets all pop-y with some real "charmers")
• Rush, Clockwork Angels (a simply amazing album, the best by Rush in years; probably the set of songs I listened to most this year; "Caravan" is great)
• Smashing Pumpkins, Oceania (post-grunge for the 21st century as Bill Corrigan returns to form)
• Patti Smith, Banga (very good album that is highlighted by the stunning and epic, "Constantine's Dream")
• Ringo Starr, Ringo 2012 (Ringo puts out yet another pleasant set of tunes)
• Sufjan Stevens, Silver & Gold (another set of Christmas songs by Stevens; the standout is "Christmas Unicorn"
• The Wallflowers, Glad All Over (very good album by the reunited Wallflowers; standout song is the opener, "Hospital for Sinners"; also includes some collaborations with Mick Jones, of The Clash)
• Neil Young, Americana (critically mixed reception for this set, but I thought it worked well as a warm up for ...)
• Neil Young, Psychedelic Pill (... which was released just a few months later; with one song nearly as long as Ringo 2012, NY stretches the bounds of "album")
• Adele, "Skyfall" (Best Bond theme in years)
• The Rolling Stones, "Doom and Gloom" (great classic riffing single from the Stone's greatest hits package)

Thanks to my middle-schooler, I also get to hear various pop tunes:

• Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe"
• PSY, "Gangnam Style"
• Flo Rida (and Sia), "Wild Ones"
• Wanted, "Glad you Came"
• One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
• Bridgit Mendler, "Ready or Not"
• Taylor Swift, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
• Maroon 5, "Payphone"

Banga, "let me die on the back of adventure"

While I was in Berlin last month, I was excited to see posters up for a couple of soon to be released albums, one by Neil Young and the other by Patti Smith, Banga.

I was especially excited about the latter since it's been eight years since she's released an album of original music. And it was worth the wait!

The single most impressive song on the album is "Constantine's Dream." Smith's as ever rich imagery float over the band's* apocalyptic grunge, a slow building cacophony like Physical Graffiti being channeled by Crazy Horse.

Smith's lyrics tell a complex story of  Piero Della Francesca, St. Francis, the Emperor Constantine, and Columbus that all weave together and crash into a finale that reminded me a bit of Allen Ginsberg's readings of Howl.

Here's hoping Patti won't be "Wave"ing goodbye anytime soon.

 * with the great Lenny Kaye on guitar and Tom Shanahan playing some amazing bass! And oh, yes, Tom Verlaine

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why, You had to hide away For so long where did we go wrong.

Blue sky, a photo by martin_kalfatovic on Flickr.

Sun is shinin' in the sky,
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin'
Everybody's in a play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day.

Runnin' down the avenue,(Pant, Pant, Pant)
See how the sun shines brightly
In the city on the streets
Where once was pity,
Mr. Blue Sky is living here today.

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why,
You had to hide away
For so long where did we go wrong.

Hey there Mr. Blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do,
Everybody smiles at you.

Hey you with the pretty face,
Welcome to the human race
A celebration Mr. Blue Sky's
Up there waitin' and today
Is the day we've waited for

Mr. Blue you did it right,
But soon comes Mr. Night,
Creepin' over, now his
Hand is on your shoulder,
Never mind I'll remember you this way.

- Jeff Lynne, E.L.O.

Charmaine Neville at Snug Harbor

Musical thoughts of San Francisco, Boom Boom at the Fillmore, what do you want from life?

Staying in Japantown for this trip to San Francisco, I was in a hotbed of the musical scene. Just down the street from my hotel was the fabulous Fillmore Auditorium and the famed Boom Boom Room of John Lee Hooker.

I brought along the following California tunes to keep me in the right groove:

- A Postcard from California by Al Jardine
- Mad Dogs and San Franciscans and Glazed Popems by Mushroom
- A whole bunch of The Tubes

So, speaking of The Tubes, tell me, what do you want from life? What about ...

"Well, you can't have that, but if you're an American citizen you are entitled to:
a heated kidney shaped pool,
a microwave oven--don't watch the food cook,
a Dyna-Gym--I'll personally demonstrate it in the privacy of your own home,
a king-size Titanic unsinkable Molly Brown waterbed with polybendum,
a foolproof plan and an airtight alibi,
real simulated Indian jewelry,
a Gucci shoetree,
a year's supply of antibiotics,
a personally autographed picture of Randy Mantooth
and Bob Dylan's new unlisted phone number,
a beautifully restored 3rd Reich swizzle stick,
Rosemary's baby,
a dream date in kneepads with Paul Williams,
a new Matador, a new mastodon,
a Maverick, a Mustang, a Montego,
a Merc Montclair, a Mark IV, a meteor,
a Mercedes, an MG, or a Malibu,
a Mort Moriarty, a Maserati, a Mac truck,
a Mazda, a new Monza, or a moped,
a Winnebago--Hell, a herd of Winnebago's we're giving 'em away,
or how about a McCulloch chainsaw,
a Las Vegas wedding,
a Mexican divorce,
a solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot,
or a baby's arm holding an apple?"

The Tubes. "What do you want from life?"

Radio Head

2010-07-24 20.48.49
Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

So, as long as I can remember, I've had an interior jukebox. There's always a tune running around up there ... sometimes I even hum under my breath and on occasion, in a quiet room, the humming gets loud and I've been caught!

So, what's on B17 up there you may ask (note: that's an obscure Olivia Newton-John reference)?

Well, it changes all the time, but there are a few persistent tunes that always seem to be there and up they pop up all the time. What are they, well ...

• "No Reply" by The Beatles
• "Let It Rain" by Eric Clapton

Those to are pretty regular and have been on heavy rotation for years (especially "Let It Rain"). In the past fifteen years or so, "Wonderwall" by Oasis has been popping up at the oddest moments (what's that all about????). 

And remind me to tall you about that Jade Transistor Radio box sometime!

"and maybe, you're gonna be the one to save me ... 'cause afterall, you're my wonderwall ..."

Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac

AS 2408 : SEA to YVR
Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Nope, I'm not in Seattle, but rather listening to some Robyn Hitchcock (Jewels for Sophia), specifically, "Viva Sea-Tac" ... not too many songs specifically about airports out there, but then Hitchcock often has songs about the oddest things ...

But the Space Needle points to the sky
The Space Needle's such a nice guy
But you never know...
Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac
Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac
Viva viva viva viva viva Sea-Tac
They've got the best computers and coffee and smack

Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac
Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac
Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac
Viva Seattle Tacoma, viva viva Sea-Tac