Golden Nuggets #18: The Guess Who- American Woman

                                          

Welcome back to the eighteenth iteration of the Golden Nuggets series, where I take a look at the Billboard number one hit singles from half a centuries' past and share my thoughts, as well as hypothesize on the success and the lasting impact, if any. I'm still a little behind as I normally like it to be fifty years to the week, but this plague has me a bit preoccupied. This time, we'll be looking at the hit song 'American Woman', by the Canadian rock band, The Guess Who. If you've never heard of the song, or want a quick listen, you can check it out here. 

If you did listen to the song I provided, you might notice that this is the album version, about a minute and a half longer than the single version, which starts just about where the main riff comes in. I much prefer the album version, the the little acoustic blues tune with the vocal riffing in the front. I understand why it was cut, as it takes a while to get started and might be too soft in the beginning to grab a radio listener, but on FM stations, I'm sure they played the full version. In my opinion, this is a great song, but one whose meaning seems to elude a lot of listeners. There have been multiple movies where I've seen it used positively, and it's anything but. Whether you believe the vocalist Burton Cummings' original statements that that was no allegory there, and it was an apolitical commentary on how American girls grow up faster than Canadians and are dangerous, to guitarist Randy Bachman now stating it was in fact political and railing against the Vietnam War and the draft, it still shouldn't a thing for a pretty woman to dance to in a movie montage.

Musically, the guitar riff is on point and has a dirty sound to it, and makes the song the kind of thing you'll hear in dive bars to the end of time. Burton Cumming's vocal performance is also very soulful, and he can go from lightly singing during the intro to practically screaming near the end, exercising an impressive range in the process. This is in stark contrast to Lenny Kravitz' garbage cover, which is as sterile as an operating room and has as much swing as a Baroque chamber piece. I find it amazing that a person so obviously influenced by Jimi Hendrix could produce such a soulless husk of a cover, while you're getting schooled in the blues by some dorky looking dudes from Manitoba.

I really enjoy the track, and whatever the interpretation of the lyrics that the listener believes or that the members want to provide this week, I feel like this tune has stood the test of time due to its killer riff and the use of 'American' in the title. It seems to give it a novelty that probably gets it tossed on tons of Memorial Day or Fourth of July playlists, whether the listener is aware of the irony or not, or whether there is irony at all, depending on which member you listen to. I myself am more inclined to side with Randy Bachman, as I probably would be turning down a girl based on her countries' "war machines" and "ghetto scenes", but maybe I'm just weird like that.

Check back in later for the next installment of the Golden Nuggets series, where I tear into the hypocritical garbage track 'Everything is Beautiful' by Ray Stevens. I'm making no bones about this one. I hate the song and I intend to state my case. Later.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #17: The Jackson Five- ABC

It's been quite a while, but I'm back to deliver the seventeenth installment of the Golden Nuggets series. With the combination of the pandemic, lack of motivation, and a broken laptop, it took me a minute to get back into the swing of things and start writing again. Now, normally this series takes on the number one Billboard hit from around the week of release 50 years prior, but it's going to take a minute to catch up now that I'm four months (yikes) behind, but hopefully I can get back into the game and start pumping these out, along with maybe some other content. Today we'll be looking at the classic track from the Jackson Five, "ABC". If you've somehow never heard the song (liar), or just want a refresher, you can check out the link here. Hopefully that link's still up; I made the draft for this post four months ago and I'm too lazy to check. Digressions aside, let's get started.

First things first, one of the many reasons I've been putting off writing was simply my uncertainty as how to tackle discussing this song. It's probably one of the most famous songs in Motown's catalog (and that's saying something), so there's obviously been a wealth of material written on just this song alone. For my part, I like the song alright. The melody is nice, lyrics are catchy and the groove is pretty tight. I really enjoy the fuzz tone on either the bass or guitar (can't really tell) that you don't really hear on a lot of bubblegum pop records, but other than that, this track doesn't hold a lot of nostalgia for me. My dad was about 14 when this song came out, and I feel like he would have been listening to stuff like Chicago or early prog stuff around this time, so I didn't really get that personal connection you get when your parents play their music to you as a kid. Admittedly, I'm not really into a lot of '60s Motown stuff, and even though this dropped in 1970, it still has a '60s feel to it. I feel like until Marvin Gaye challenged the assembly line formula of Motown with What's Going On, a lot of Motown was pretty boilerplate, meat and potatoes disposable pop. That may be blasphemy to some, but I'll take '70s Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye over a '60s girl group or Miracles record any time.

I think the experimentation into other forms of music other than pop and R&B wasn't really allowed in the '60s and early '70s at Motown, and as such, there's not a lot of diversity or depth there. That being said, I feel like this song is pretty good for what it is, and I can definitely see why it became popular. This song has survived for fifty years, and endured through the dissolution of the Jackson Five, the exposure of Joe Jackson's heavy handed (pun intended) managerial "parenting" that propelled the groups, and Michael Jackson's own controversies. The public has to have a pretty big personal investment in a song for it to survive relatively unscathed through all the years and scandals like that, even if I don't really get it. A solid hit? Sure. A classic? Of course. Defining song of a generation and childhood? Maybe for others, but not so much for myself or my parents.

Next time (hopefully soon), I'll be taking a look at the song 'American Woman', by the Guess Who, which unfortunately, is just as prescient as the day it was recorded. Some things never change it would seem. 

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #16: The Beatles- Let it Be

Welcome to the sixteenth installment of The Golden Nuggets series, where I take a listen and provide a little commentary to the top song on the Billboard charts from fifty years ago. A blast from the past to get inside the heads of yesteryear's listening public. Today, we have a challenge. What am I going to say about the Beatles' 'Let it Be' that hasn't been said about a million times before over the half century since it's release. I guess we'll find out together. If you've somehow never heard this song, or need a quick refresher, you can listen to it here. I attached the single version, as the album version has a slightly different mix and a different George Harrison guitar solo, but we're talking about singles charts on Golden Nuggets (maybe I'll do Golden Albums at some point if this quarantine gets me super bored), so let's get into it.

As I've said, this song is super popular, even now, and The Beatles are one of the most famous bands in the world, even fifty years after their breakup (this song actually peaked at #1 for the first week of its two week spot at the top the same week the split was announced: April 12, 1970), so finding stuff to talk about that hasn't been mined before might prove a little difficult. I'm sure everyone is aware of the failed Get Back sessions before Abbey Road was recorded that produced this song, as well as the subsequent and controversial remix by Phil Spector. I'm sure all have at least heard of the accompanying film (seriously, can we get a rerelease of that? I know it doesn't paint a super glamorous portrait of the band, but it's history, man), and of the 2003 release of the stripped down Let it Be...Naked that stripped most of Spector's contributions (which coincidentally was released the same year he allegedly shot a woman in the face. A way to distance the Beatles from that legacy, perhaps?) I'm sure people even know that the "Mother Mary" being referred to in the lyrics is Paul McCartney's mother, and not as many people thought, Mary mother of Jesus (The Beatles weren't Catholic, they came from English Protestant backgrounds, that's a weird thing to assume). So, what's left to talk about?

I guess I might go into my personal thoughts about the record. The "words of wisdom" this song preaches may be able to be taken a couple of different ways, but to me, it kind of sounds like a just sit back and enjoy the ride and things will unfold as they should "Hakuna Matata" sort of philosophical nugget, or as the group had said previously, quoting ancient manuals and Timothy Leary "turn off your mind, relax and float downstream". I may be totally off base, but that's what I get. I can't help but feel this way during these trying times. One can take all the necessary precautions, but I feel like one also needs to relax a bit. Bad things are going to happen, and a lot of the time, they're beyond anyone's comprehension or control. It's best to sit back, relax, roll with the punches, and let it be. Plus stress has been known to reduce immune response. Just saying. 

As for the song, it's enjoyable enough. Very uplifting and emotionally powerful. Seems like 1970 audiences were really into these types of tunes. It's an interesting contrast, because in 2020 every pop hit seems to have a listless, depressing tone about it, and to be honest, the political landscape is pretty similar to those days. Maybe 50 years of the same has just burned everyone out, and there's not that much positivity any more in the mainstream, which is a shame. I hope that this crisis will come to an end soon, and that some hope can come back to the world, and music can rise from the doldrums, all while side stepping the 'Imagine' covers and benefit song templates that reek on insincerity and out of touch celebrities pandering to their audiences.

So, that's it for now. I'll be back soon to take a look at the next Golden Nugget to dominate the airwaves in 1970, 'ABC' by the Jackson Five. Stay safe and stay healthy, stay inside if you're fortunate enough to be able to. As for me, I'm back to my "essential" warehouse job, supplying the tri-state area with ephemeral crap they don't need. See you next time.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #15: Simon & Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Water

Hello there, and welcome to the fifteenth edition of the Golden Nuggets series, where I take a look at the top Billboard chart hits from fifty years ago, and reflect on the listening habits of a bygone era. This time, we'll be taking a look back at the title track from Simon & Garfunkel's monumentally successful and final album, Bridge Over Troubled Water. If you're unfamiliar with the track, or just need a quick refresher, you can listen to the track here. With the introductions out of the way, we can proceed.

I feel like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a song that can make me tear up at any point in my life. It's just an amazingly powerful and uplifting song, and something that I feel a lot of people could use right now, instead of cynically, and predictably, letting R.E.M's "It's the End of the World as We Know It" climb the charts (yes, that's happening). It's a great song to hear to raise your spirits and know that someone is there for you. Plus, the string arrangements and Art Garfunkel's solo vocal performance are absolutely gorgeous. I know Paul Simon wrote the song, and he's a little regretful that he gave Garfunkel the vocal duties here, but sorry dude, it's his song now, don't care who wrote it. Paul Simon's voice is fine, and probably would have made a serviceable enough track, but it's Garfunkel's delicate timbre and higher register that really takes this song into the stratosphere. It's like listening to "I Shall Be Released" from Music from Big Pink and then listening to the Bob Dylan original that he eventually released on a compilation. Sure, Bob Dylan wrote the song, and I (unlike many others) think is voice is emotive and fine on its own, Levon Helm's falsetto is undeniable.

This song held the top spot on the Billboard charts for 6 whole weeks. That's crazy. I know we live in an era where "Old Town Road" was essentially unstoppable, but you've got to think, there was a lot more competition for pop dominance back then. What pop acts exist now? This held off the Beatles and the Jackson Five to become the top selling single of the entire year. That being said, I can't imagine this being on the radio for so long. This is not a song I'm always dying to hear. Who wants to get teary eyed every time they turn on pop radio? Especially when pop radio was what it was in 1970 (that is to say, a lot more ubiquitous in American culture than it is now). I feel like I might be a little more partial to hearing "The Boxer" off the same album on the radio, because although it's still a very powerful song (Simon opened his performance after 9/11 with it to lift New York up) it doesn't always make me cry like a total bitch.

So, that's my opinion on the song. Check back soon for my opinion on the next song in the Golden Nuggets series, the title track to the Beatles' swan song "Let it Be". I'm sure I'm the first person to ever talk about that undiscovered gem. Anyway, I'll be trying to maybe write a bit more, seeing as I don't have a lot better to do, given this whole pandemic situation. Hopefully, everybody's staying safe, staying inside, and keeping clean. Also, if you don't absolutely need to go outside, don't. As a person who by my state is considered an employee of an "essential and life sustaining" business, it kind of frustrates me to see people who could be staying inside just walking around like business as usual, or maybe even more so just to spite some unknown entity. I would love to stay inside, but my job prevents me from doing so, and I'm not getting paid that well to risk my life so you chumps can walk around all casually (warehouse workers don't exactly get paid like doctors you see). Anyway, rant over. Catch you on the flip side.


"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #14: Sly & The Family Stone- Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Welcome to the latest iteration of my Golden Nuggets series, where I take a look at the top single on the Billboard charts in the US from 50 years ago, and share my thoughts. I'm back to my lazy self again, as this post is about two weeks late, but hey, stuff happens. Anyway, this time I'll be looking at the hit single by Sly & The Family Stone, 'Thank You (Falletinme be Mice Elf Agin)'. If you're unfamiliar with the song or need a refresher, you can check it out here. Now let's dive in.

Sly & The Family Stone really pioneered the psychedelic soul and funk sounds, along with groups like Parliament/ Funkadelic and the Temptations, who I actually covered earlier in this series. However, where their hit songs were very much a cross over and a lot safer than their deep cuts a lot of the time, 'Thank You' is no such song. This song is 100% pure uncut funk with an undeniable groove, percussive guitar licks, and fat slap bass. When you look at the songs that surround it on the charts or even the number ones from the same period, it's hard to see how this song did as well as it did. I feel like the furthest the American public went down the African American music rabbit hole was stuff like Motown, which was still really geared towards a pretty safe AM radio audience, and then here comes Sly Stone and crew.

It actually took me a while to even understand the words in the parentheses, but if you speak it aloud it makes perfecrt sense. Strangely enough, this is the same way I'm finding myself reading Finnegans Wake. Anyway, all digressions aside, this song is awesome, and now that the Jackson Family Estate purchased the Sly & The Family Stone catalog, I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot more of this song aand others from their discography soon in commercials in media. After all the problems Sly Stone has had with money, drugs and the law, it's about time he and his bandmates see some capital and recognition for their great muscial contributions (they haven't seen money from their recordings in decades due to contract problems, among other things).

All in all, a great song, but a little baffling how it became so popular with the American listening public of early 1970, given what other stuff was on the charts at the time. Maybe I underestimated the couple generations prior and their taste in music. (Coughs) If only I didn't have to live with their political choices (Coughs). Before rocking the boat too much, it's my time to head out. I'll be back soon for the next installment of the Golden Nuggets, which is a song that makes me tear up like a punk pretty much everytime I hear it, and cannot believe people wanted to cry to this song on the radio for 6 straight weeks at number one, 'Bridge over Troubled Water', by Simon & Garfunkel.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #13: Shocking Blue- Venus

Welcome back to the Golden Nuggets series, installment lucky number 13, where I take a listen to the top song on the Billboard charts from 50 years ago, and share my thoughts. This time, we'll be taking a look at the song 'Venus', by the Dutch group, Shocking Blue. If you're unfamiliar, or need to get reacquainted, you can check out the song here. Now let's dive in.

Many of us may have been first exposed to this song from the '80s cover version by the girl group Bananarama. That one has a lot more busy production, with a lot of electronic drums and synths, while the original is a lot more rock based, with even a little bit of country guitar licks thrown in there. In my research for this song, the instrumental for this was actually lifted pretty much wholesale from 'The Banjo Song' by the Big 3, featuring a pre-Mamas and Papas Cass Elliott, which was itself 'Oh! Susannah' set to new music. So, people who ever say that the Shocking Blue song is the original version is kind of right, but not entirely. This song is like rip off inception, which I had no idea about until recently. This is why I do this series; for fun little facts like this.

Another fun fact: Mariska Veres, the group's lead singer, could not speak English until later, and therefore had no idea what she was singing about. In fact, she sings 'the godness on the mountain top' instead of 'goddess' in early versions of the song because the lyricist for the song as well as the group's guitarist, Robbie van Leeuwen, wrote the lyrics down wrong. This was corrected on later issues of the single.

However, as much as there are some shady things going on involving the music of the song, I feel like the group made it their own. While parts of the vocal melody and chord changes are definitely from the Big 3 song (I'm curious to when van Leeuwen admitted to the 'inspiration', before or after someone confronted him about it), the guitar licks, Veres' vocal chops, and punchier arrangement definitelybrought the track a new fire. I'd suggest you dig up this track, the Bananarama cover, and the Big 3 song (which is for all intents and purposes a reference track with different words) a listen to make up your own mind, but for me, this song is still pretty great.

So, that's it for this installment. I actually learned a decent amount about a song I was aready pretty familiar with, which is a fun side effect from doing this series. I was originally going to compare and contrasrt this song with the Bananarama version, but this angle definitely seemed to be the road less traveled. In today's sue happy climate, I doubt that Shocking Blue would have come away clean. Next time, I'll be lookin at the track by Sly & The Family Stone, 'Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #12: The Jackson Five- I Want You Back

Hello all, and welcome to the twelth installment of my Golden Nuggets series, where I take a look back, 50 years back in fact, to listen to the top song on the Billboard charts from the time. This go around, we're taking a look at 'I Want You Back'by the world famous and iconic Jackson Five. If you need to reacquaint yourself with the song, or just dug yourself out from under that rock, you can listen to the track here. With that out of the way, let's dive in. 

Let's get one thing crystal clear up front: I've never been a huge fan of Michael Jackson's work. It had nothing to do with his legal problems, or even his eccentric mannerisms; I just never found his brand of pop all that engaging. I was born in the early 90s, after his career had peaked, and the industry definitely wasn't pushing his music like they used to. Plus, no matter how old he was, I couldn't get into his vocal delivery. As a kid, his voice was preccious and grating, but as an adult , it was even worse, bordereing on incomprehensible. With all that being said, this song still slaps.

That late '60s/ early '70s soul sound is pretty irresistible, and the bass line and guitar licks are classic. Lyrically, its more of the same boilerplate stuff, but that doesn't get too grating, unlike the pap another family band would churn out in the near future (I'll be taking a look at the Jackson's Mormon knockoff, The Osmonds, before too long. I'll save most of my bile for when that moment comes around). 

I can definitely see why this took off with the American public. It was bright bubblegum pop with a fat groove, and every housewife ever loves a child singer, and while that sound bugs me, a child Michael Jackson is far more tolerable than a child Donny Osmond. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that the Jacksons did all right for themselves, pumping out hit after hit, and even becoming a bit of a pop dynasty for a minute. All in all, a pretty good track, and the beginnings of a musical juggernaut.

Check back in soon for the next post in the series, where I look at the song 'Venus' by the band, Shocking Blue.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Golden Nuggets #11: B.J. Thomas-Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Hello all. Back to my perpetually late self in delivering this, the eleventh installment of the Golden Nuggets series, where I take a look at the top song from the Billboard charts on or around the 50th anniversary or achieving the position. Then I'll share my thoughts on the track and reflect on the listening habits of the America of yesteryear. In this installment, we'll be taking a look at 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head' by B.J. Thomas. You can listen to the track here to acquaint yourself. Ready? Great. Here we go.

I have actually been listening to this song for a long time, and I actually really enjoy it. It's kind of one of those songs that has some bittersweet kind of tone, but the lyrics are all about overcoming the tough times and being happy. It's definitely something I like knowing exists, and I wish I were better at having that kind of attitude. What I didn't know is that this song was written by Burt Bacharach for the Butvh Cassidy and the Sundance Kid film, and B.J. Thomas wasn't the first choice (thankfully, the first choice, Ray Stevens, either turned it down or was unavailable, since I would hate to see what he would have done to it. An installment on 'Everything is Beautiful' is unfortunately coming sooner rather than later). 

I really like what B.J. Thomas brings to the table. He was a pretty popular singer songwriter type who had some pretty popular hits during the late 60s/ early 70s (he actually did the first version of 'Hooked on a Feeling') before going into rehab for drug abuse and finding Jesus. He mostly did religious music after that. I feel like his voice really taps into the hopeful yet slightly melancholic tone of the song, and I really love this rendition. Whenever I'm feeling down, I like to play it, and sometimes that hopeful outlook is enough to pull me out of the bad mood I'm in.

Stop in again soon for the next installment where I'll be touching on 'I Want You Back' by the Jackson Five.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Year End 2019: Top 10 Favorite Albums of the Year

Welcome to the final part of the 2019 year end lists (actually didn't get them out too late this year). Feel free to drop your list in the comments or discuss or whatever, but just remember this is my personal list; it's all subjective. I had to make quite a few painful cuts this year, which means it was a pretty good year for music.

10. Bon Iver- i,i

Jusin Vernon and company always manage to amaze me with how their albums can be so out ther but display such raw emotion. The first time I heard the record, I was like, "what is this?", and in spots, I'm still like that. Ireally like a lot of the weird production techniques that are utilized all over the record, and hearing Vernon talk about his process and the work that goes into making his kind of music on the Song Exploder podcast really helped me appreciate the sound of the record even more.

9. Thee Oh Sees- Face Stabber

I had been apprehensive about diving into the Oh Sees discography until this year; the sheer size was very intimidating. However, I took the plunge, and was pleasantly surprised. My deep dive happened at the perfect time, as I was going through their albums around the time that this beast dropped. Striaght from 'The Daily Heavy' with its squeaky toy sample in the beat, I knew this album was going to be crazy. Psychedelic garage rock meets pop and krautrock in a perfect meld, and for my money is one of the more ambitious outings for the band. I hope they keep going in this direction, as I think they're doing stuff that not a lot of other people are doing.

8. black midi- Schlagenheim

I love how people go crazy for the minimal mathy elements of Tool's new record, but when one of the most innovative and crazy math rock records comes out, it barely gets any coverage outside of snobby sites like NME. black midi's record is a very unpredictable stop and start ride, with incredibly dense arrangements. The members must be able to read minds to follow each other so closely and pull off some of the feats that they do on this record. I feel like prog metal people might get into this if they can get over the lack of shredding and see what the band is doing is just as technical, if just a little more subtle.

7. Swans- leaving meaning.

This is Michael Gira's first record since the dissolution of the last iteration of Swans, though probably 90% of the band shows up on this album anyways. This is definitely a return to their more gothic folk sound of the late '80s and early '90s, if not the Angels of Light side project, but with most of the same ambition that fueled their mammoth reunion albums. This is probably Swans most accessible album since The Great Annihilator, but it retains all of the darkness and depth you've come to expect from Swans. It's Swans stripped down, but it's with all the punch. They were just trimming the fat.

6. Nodding God- Play Wooden Child

This was one of David Tibet's two projects this year, and I chose this over his installation soundtrack Invocations of Almost mostly for its more experimental and sonically diverse nature. Tibet teams up with Andrew Liles for an album whose lyrics are all performed in Akkadian, a long dead ancient language. Tibet has showed a love for old tongues, even earning a ph.D researching Sahidic Coptic texts, and it's cool to see him incorporate that love into his music. My only complaint is that there is no lyric sheet or translations with the vinyl pressing. Maybe it's better that I don't know what's being said. It's more mysterious that way.

5. Ceschi- Sad, Fat Luck

I feel like this probably the best thing that I've heard from Ceschi. The first part of a planned trilogy (the second part San Soleil came out later in the year, with the third part yet to be released), Ceschi puts his best foot forward and gets super introspective, melding his hip hop side with his indie folk side more perfectly than ever before. This is such a shot in the arm to hip hop for me, and I feel like people that say hip hop doesn't have messages anymore aren't looking hard enough. It's also good to know that there are fast rappers who actually say things in their verses too, not just garbage (looking at you Logic and Eminem).

4. Tyler, the Creator- Igor

This is quite a departure for Tyler, but one he has been building to for a long time. This record sees him mostly leaving hip hop for the soul and R&B sound he had worked in to his last few albums (and the fact that the Grammys only gave him one nomination, for Rap Album of all things, shows how reductive and closed minded they are). This is also probably one of the best breakup albums of the decade and really hits you in the feels. Probably the most unexpected but welcome musical about faces since Childish Gambino dropped Awaken, My Love!

3. JPEGMafia- All My Heroes are Cornballs

I don't know why Peggy expected us to be disappointed. Sure, the album is quite a departure from his last, incorporating a lot more melody and singing, but this record still allows his personality and politics to shine through, and his production chops have improved in my opinion. The beats are a lot more varied and I love the sudden switch ups and transitions. It's definitely a record that keep you on your toes, holds your interest and makes you curious for what might be coming from JPEGMafia in the future.

2. Xiu Xiu- Girl with Basket of Fruit

While Forget was probably Jamie Stewart and company's most accessible, poppy and spacey album, Girl With Basket of Fruit is the exact opposite. This record is uncompromising, inpenetrable, and clautrophobic, dominated by chaotic Haitian percussion, dark moods and unspeakable violence. This is an incredibly harrowing and disturbing record, with tracks like 'Mary Turner Mary Turner' illustrating how little America has come from the days of public lynchings. It's a truly ugly thought, but it's also a reality for millions of people in this country and I wish people would listen to this album, and maybe get the shock to their system that they need, but I unfortunately feel like Xiu Xiu might be preaching to the choir. Not a lot of MAGA hat Xiu Xiu fans is all I'm saying.

1. Lingua Ignota- Caligula

If apparently was in the mood to be disturbed this year. Caligula is an absolutely bleak and despondent look at abuse, and is packed with enough throat rending shrieks to make your blood run cold. This album is truly one of the most disturbing things I've ever listened to not involving Steven Stapleton or Peter Sotos. That's not to say this album is not without moments of absolute beauty. Kristin Hayter, the voice behind Lingua Ignota, sings with an absolute operatic purity in front of sparse piano accompaniment before rending your psyche with truly chilling and blood curdling screams. This is not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach the pain and the sorrow, you'll find this album truly rewarding.

So, that's it for my year end lists. I'll be back to my Golden Nuggets series before too long, and I've made a resolution to commit more time to writing, so maybe you'll see more content in the future. As for now, have a happy new year, and all that entails. Hopefully 2020 will provea good year for music as well.


"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Year End 2019: Top 10 Albums That I Discovered/Rediscovered This Year

Welcome to part 3 of my 2019 year end lists. For this section, I'll be talking about ten albums that were heavy in my rotation this year that I either discovered this year or rediscovered in the depths of my collection. These are not albums that came out this year. For that, stay tuned for the final entry in my 2019 lists, coming soon.

The Caretaker: An Empty Bliss Beyond this World

I first came across this record in my Youtube suggestions after a long run of listening to ambient records. This record, along with a majority of the Caretaker discography, is derived from heavy sampling and editing of old '30s and '40s ballroom records to create a dreamy, nostalgic, and sometimes disheartening feel. This, according to the artist, is meant to be a commentary on Alzheimer's disease, and the slow warping and degradation of the samples over time into general confusion illustrates this masterfully. Very interesting stuff.

猫 シ Corp: Palm Mall

In my internet travels, I was made aware of vaporwave and the scene years ago, but never really deep dived into it until this year. This album, along with the video that turned me on to the album, Pad Chennington's Mall Soft video (like and subscribe to him, he really deserves it) are really responsible for my infatuation with the genre. I just listen to the mall ambience and the soft jingles in an echo chamber, and I can almost smell the coffee from the cafe and the chlorine from the fountains of my childhood mall. This really evokes an incredible nostalgic response for me.

Corrupted Data Corp: クリスタル Bepis

Another vaporwave (ish) record Pad Chennington's channel turned me on to (seriously, subscribe). I really enjoy the chilled out atmosphere to the record, and it has a very syrupy and reverb heavy trap sound that sounds almost like drinking the refreshing beverage seen on the cover. I feel the sound of this album and the overall aesthetic (there's that word) of the presentation complement each other perfectly, and I wish a lot more trap production could be this spacey and chilled out.

Deathpile: GR

And now for something completely different. Around the beginning of the year ( I go through a lot of musical kicks throughout a year where I'll listen to one genre obsessively for a while) I got really into power electronics, and this record is one of the more notable for me in the genre. It's not very notable that a power electronics record focuses on a serial killer, in this case the Green River Killer, but to put the majority of the vocals from his perspective and the overall vibe of the album is a lot more creepy than a lot of these albums get. Most of the time, it's just abrasive noise and bombast, which this album definitely has, but it also knows how to create a bit more of an atmosphere of dread and discomfort. Subtlety is not always a focus of noise music, but it definitely doesn't hurt when it is.

Funkadelic: Maggot Brain

This summer, I had the opportunity to see George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic in concert, which, apart from a bum sound guy, was amazing. In preparation, I listened to a lot of their albums to get psyched, with this record and probably Mothership Connection being my favorites. But this one has to win out, if just for the amazing title track, which was amazing to see Clinton's current guitarist rip through. If only the venue had a better sound guy (seriously, 'Maggot Brain' is pretty much an extended guitar solo. Don't bury the lead guitar in the mix, my guy). 

Mort Garson: Plantasia

I like to listen to a lot of ambient records when I'm doing music around the house. As such, I'm always scouring Youtube and Bandcamp for different ambient projects to mix it up (you can only listen to lo-fi hip hop beats to relax/study to so many times before patterns begin to appear). That's how I came across this gem, which coincidentally, Sacred Bones just happened to rerelease on vinyl this year. Score. It also got me down the Mort Garson rabbit hole, who has a whole series of records for the 12 zodiac signs, among other Moog and modular synth based projects. This one is meant to be played to your house plants to foster healthy and happy growth, which is pretty weird, but studies actually exist about music and plant growth so who knows. Either way, it's a pretty great record.

Meat Puppets: Too High to Die

Early in the year, I had some problems with my car that messed with the center console. Long story short, my aux in doesn't really work, so I was on the hunt for used CDs, since most of my collection is at my parents house. At a garage sale, I picked this up, having heard of the band and a few of their songs being performed on that Nirvana Unplugged special, but not knowing a whole lot about them. The CD has yet to leave my disc changer. This is a pretty ineteresting mix of alt rock, punk, and country that I can't really compare to a whole lot. I feel like it's pretty unique and out there, but still manages to be catchy as all hell.

Joni Mitchell: Ladies of the Canyon

At some point during the year, I had an obsession with early '70s California singer songwriter types (Neil Young, CSN, the Eagles to an extent), but I was really taken by the talent and songwriting of Joni Mitchell. I was going between putting this record or Clouds on the list, but this one won out to me because of 'The Circle Game'. It's just such a great song, and it really captures the passage of time, and the magic of being young, and remembering that time fondly. I had listened to this record in the past, but I never really gave it much of a chance outside 'Big Yellow Taxi' until this year, and that was a massive mistake on my part.

The Used: In Love and Death

This was another CD that I picked up for my car. I liked a decent amount of the scene bands from back in the day, but I never really listened to the Used back in my teens. That was a mistake. This record has so many great songs, and I feel like it's a lot more dynamic of an album than a lot of the "emo" records coming out at the time were. Bert and company knew that not every song had to be three chord chug fests with the amps cranked to 11. Sometimes the emotion could be more than just anger or melodrama. The only part i don't like on the record is the cringey spoke word section at the beginning of 'I'm a Fake'. I get secondhand embarassment just listening to it.

Whitehouse: Bird Seed

I don't think it's possible to go on a power electronics kick without at least listening to a few of the records by the group that coined the term in the first place. I feel like this record is one of their best, balancing the abrasiveness of their earliest stuff with the super disturbing (too disturbing in spots) subjects they delved into on their albums produced by Steve Albini. I just love the absolute hatred that William Bennett spews on every track. It's very cathartic to hear that much black bile vomited up with that much vitriol and violent anger. Plus, it's honestly pretty accessible as far as noise stuff goes. 'How You Never Became a Dancer' is hardly a hit single or anything, but it's definitely quotable, at least.

Well, that's it for now. Stay tuned for my top 10 albums of 2019 list, coming very soon.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."