The Best Playlist for September 2015

  September has always had that schizophrenic nature of being placed in the middle of the year, yet it's the month that represents the beginning of many new things in our culture.  September is the month that a new school year begins, it's the month when TV shows begin their new season and new TV shows debut, and it's the beginning of the award season for Golden Globes, Oscars and Grammys. It's also the time of the year when record labels begin releasing their biggest albums of the year, gearing up for the holiday season.  There are more new album releases in the first two weeks of September than in July and August combined.  (I just made that up but it sounds accurate.)  To kick off this new start as we head into the end of the year, I've concocted a playlist for such a time.  I've chosen a wide variety of music from old artists, new artists, rock to hip-hop to dance and everything in between.  Some of these are new songs to debut this month, others are from albums that will be released in the coming weeks.  Sit back, enjoy, while watching the new NFL season. The Best September 2015 Playlist This Month:

1. The Arcs - Outta Of My Mind
2. New Order - Restless
3. Neon Indian - Annie
4. Disclosure - Willing & Able
5. The Weeknd - In The Night
6. Small Black - No One Wants It To Happen To You
7. Big Grams - Fell In The Sun
8. The Libertines - Gunga Din
9. The Dead Weather - I Feel Love
10. Silversun Pickups - Nightlight
11. Chris Cornell - Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart
12. Metric - The Shade
13. Empress Of - How Do You Do It
14. Baio - The Names
15. CHVRCHES - Leave A Trace
16. Mac Miller - 100 Grandkids
17. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
18. Craig Finn - Maggie I've Been Searching For Our Son
19. HONNE - No Place Like Home
20. Lana Del Rey - High By The Beach
21. Glen Hansard - Lonely Deserter

     

The Best Albums of 2012 (1-11)

It's the end of the year.  2012...and we survived.  Unless some mad Mayan rises from the grave in the next three days and turns us all into zombies and the inevitable Irwin Allen disaster picture.  Anything's possible.

So here are my top pics for favorite albums of 2012.  It's really a toss-up between Jack and Corin.  I went with Corin in the final coin flip because I find myself going back to the record more than JW.  It's honestly the strongest thing she's put out since the heart of the Sleater-Kinney years...if not better in some ways.

Now it's your turn.  Send in your top album pics for 2012 and I'll compile them in my super 111 best album list that I'll post about a week from now.

Remember it doesn't have to be twenty.  It can be any number of albums you liked.  Just post them in the comment section or email me.

Have a great new year!

Here are the Best Albums of 2012 (1-11):

1.  The Corin Tucker Band - Kill My Blues
2.  Jack White - Blunderbuss
3.  The Big Pink - Future This
4.  Lana Del Rey - Born To Die/Paradise
5.  Passion Pit - Gossamer
6.  Shins - Port of Morrow
7.  The xx - Coexist
8.  Delta Spirit - Delta Spirit
9.  The Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits (Bonus Track)
10.  Niki & Dove - Instinct
11.  Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods

Buy these albums and more...now!!!

The 11 Best Albums of 2012...so far

As you probably know from my rantings this year, finding great music has been in short supply.  I feel like I want to like more music than I actually do.  I follow the new releases pretty religiously...to the point that Tuesday is as sacred in my house as Sunday is in most of middle America.  I'm always looking for the next Bon Iver, the XX, or Arcade Fire.  But with the mediocre batch of releases this year...I'll settle for the next Motion City Soundtrack at this point.  (Okay, maybe not that)

This batch of releases is actually fairly solid...just nothing mind blowing...not yet.  Great music does have to grow on you.  And maybe some of the highly-touted releases (The Men, Torche, Kelly Hogan, Sharon Van Eten, Liars, Father John Misty, Ceremony, Daughn Gibson, Pallbearer, Dexys, Screaming Females, or The Walkmen) will grow on me.  Until then...this is what we have to work with.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2012...so far:

1. The Big Pink - Future This
2. Jack White - Blunderbuss
3. Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions
4. Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
5. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
6. The Cribs - In The Belly of the Brazen Bull
7. The Shins - Port of Morrow
8. Japandroids - Celebration Rock (only $2.99...limited time!!)
9. Joey Bada$$ - 1999  (this one is free!!)
10. Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls
11. Jay Farrar - New Multitudes

What are your favorites this year?  

The 11 Best Songs By The Silversun Pickups

Here's the deal about this post which kind of indicative of my life right now.  I ranked the songs on Tuesday.  I put it together on Wednesday.  And I'm finally addressing the post tonight (Friday).  I had every intention of doing a post each night this week, but then craziness happened at work being a hands-on parent is sometimes important...plus things like sleep and eating, and not necessarily in that order.  I guess it's fitting with the Silversun Pickups that I address this.  I've had this band pushed on me for a long time and have never given them a fair listen until recently.  It wasn't because I didn't like them...it was that I just never had the time to fully listen to them.  I always thought they were just some jangly indie rock band with a loose obsession for Billy Corgan.  But with the lack of strong music coming out this year...I've finally had the time to go back and explore those bands who have fallen through the cracks.  The Pickups are my favorite so far.  The Smashing Pumpkins influence is there...Jimmy Chamberlain's ghost might as well be sitting behind the drum kit.  But aside from a few stray melodies here and there, that's where the SP influence ends.  I hear more Sunny Day Real Estate and Triple Fast Action in their music than 90s grunge.  Honestly, I hear more 80s song structures in their music than anything from the 90s. Regardless of who influenced them, they are one of the most interesting rock bands out there.  They manage to weave together complex rock into short blasts of audio pleasure.  The only negative thing I have to say about them is that I wish I more time to listen to them sooner.

And here's what's even more disturbing, I finished this post Friday night...forgot to post it and am finally getting to it Saturday morning.  

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Silversun Pickups:

1. The Royal We (Swoon)
2. Panic Switch (Swoon)
3. Well Thought Out Twinkles (Canvas)
4. Sort Of (Swoon)
5. Broken Bottles (Seasick)
6. Kissing Families (Pikul)
7. Seasick (Seasick)
8. Lazy Eye (Canvas)
9. There's No Secrets This Year (Swoon)  
10. Comeback Kid (Pikul)
11. Growing Old Is Getting Old (Swoon)

Buy Silversun Pickups new album, Neck of the Woods...only $4.99 now!!!