It's December, which means it's time for the onslaught of best of lists. They've been pouring on hot and heavy over the past few days. I will get to my annual best of list this week...including my massive 111 best of list with help from all you pretty people. But I like to wait a couple weeks and scour other "best of" lists in case there's an album out there I've missed. You never know...the new Smashing Pumpkins and Charli XCX are supposedly pretty epic. Here's the last of my catch-up list
My first introduction to TV on The Radio was on a bachelor party trip about 10 years ago. Strangely, that marriage is over but TVOTR is still rocking stronger than ever. When I first heard the feedback-laden caterwaul that would become TVOTR's staple sound it made my skin crawl in the way a trailer for an exciting new movie can give you a rush. (think the Millenium Falcon racing onto the screen in the
new Star wars trailer) Sadly, I was the only one on the trip who loved what we were listening to. After three songs from Desparate Youth, the guys in the car voted to remove the CD and move onto something more palpable like...Dave Matthews (yes, it was hell). All I wanted to do was get home so I could listen to the album...but I was stuck at the bachelor party enduring fancy dinners, drinking, and strip clubs. Even though Tom Petty may disagree, the waiting isn't always the hardest part.
Here are the 11 Best Songs By TV On The Radio:
- Dancing Choose (Dear Science)
- Wolf Like Me (Return To Cookie Mountain)
- Staring at the Sun (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
- Crying (Dear Science)
- Second Song (Nine Types of Light)
- Dreams (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
- DLZ (Dear Science)
- Hours (Return To Cookie Mountain)
- No Future Shock (Nine Types of Light)
- Halfway Home (Dear Science)
- Don't Love You (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
Buy TV On The Radio's new album,
Seeds!!!
Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome book
The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s. Available now! (featuring TV On The Radio)
At the end of the day, the top albums came down to the ones I found myself listening to the most. There were albums I respected but I never had the urge to play, so they ended up lower on the list. These were the albums that kept finding themselves in my heavy rotation. These albums deserve top billing.
Probably the biggest surprise here is the U2 album. I have no idea why so many people criticized its delivery method. People have been complaining that the old system doesn't work anymore; labels and bands need to try new things. U2 did. They gave the fans exactly what they asked for and the people still complained. People didn't complain this much about Zooropa (which deserved it). My favorite criticism of the band is now they're corporate. I hate to break it to you all, any band on a record label is corporate. U2 took a risk and I commend them for it. I'd rather a band take a risk and fail then play it safe and be ordinary. If people stopped complaining and listened, they might actually be surprised.
Here are the 55 Best Albums of 2014 (1-11):
Lots of guilty pleasures on the list today. And I may be the only one on the planet who liked the Foster the People album.
There have been questions about this year's countdown...to answer the big one: I did not do a poll this year. Though I promised, I ran out of my time in my life, day job, and parenting duties. So, this year, you're just going to have to live with my list and my list only. Enjoy the kitty.
2014 was filled with 90s superstars, indie rap reinvention, 80s throwbacks, and some of the best EPs to come out in recent memory.
Back from vacation and back on the horse. I will be attending Sundance next week and will keep on top of all the music shenanigans happening. Until then, let's finish off 2014 the right way.
Twenty-five years down the road, the Pumpkins continue to kick ass.
This evening my kids attended a dance party at their elementary school. When you're dealing with kids from as little as five up to the age of eleven, you want to be sure the music is as PG-rated as possible. I was blown away by the DJs and their lack of discretion in the music. It's not the bad language that bothered me as much as the content. I'd rather my kids hear Eddie Vedder grumble a "harmless little fuck" than have them listen to "Blurred Lines." But the content wasn't a total back breaker as much as the lack of content was disappointing. Most of their selection was very narrow. A majority of the music fell purely in the rap sector and primarily focused on crunk. It's fine for a few songs but when 4 out of 5 songs is the same narrow genre, it feels lazy. The most variety was a Meghan Trainer or Taylor Swift song. They played one Michael Jackson song which was the highlight of the night. It made me realize how difficult (and it's shocking to say this) being a good DJ is. A great DJ can mix rap, pop, rock, and even country. A DJ who knows what their doing can mix Lil Wayne and Nirvana. A DJ is supposed to appeal to everyone in the crowd, even the back row. About half way through the dance, people started leaving. Part of it was bedtimes, the other part was a boredom in the music. That's the opposite of what a good DJ should do. So tonight, go out, dance, and if there's a good DJ playing, give them a big hug.
A couple weeks ago, I did a comprehensive break down of Wilco's b-side collection and what were the best tracks from the package. Like Wilco, Soundgarden has released a collection pulling all their b-side and rare tracks from their epic career. Also like Wilco, 90% of these tracks were all previously released and have been readily available on CD singles, soundtracks, and compilations. So here's a look at the best of the extra songs that Soundgarden has to offer that never made it to a proper album.
In making the perfect Thanksgiving holiday mix, I have realized one very important thing: there are no Thanksgiving songs. How is it possible in the most capitalistic country in the world that the mass marketing propaganda machine never exploited the Thanksgiving holiday (which is America's own unique holiday) with tunes to celebrate the day? There are more songs celebrating Festivus (which is a fictional holiday created by George Costanza) than there are songs about Thanksgiving. Today, that changes.
Websites have attempted to make Thanksgiving playlists in the past, but there are always glaring issues with them. Because of the lack of overt Thanksgiving songs, songs that potentially encompass the Thanksgiving theme are selected even though they have nothing to do with the mood or feeling of this day. Playlists tend to pick songs with Thanksgiving food in the title but songs like Dee Dee Sharp's "Mashed Potato" is not about the dinner staple but about a dance. Ray Charles' "Sweet Potato Pie" is about a girl not a dessert. Also, just because a song has "Thanks" or "thank you" in the title doesn't instantly make it Thanksgiving worthy. Andrew Gold's "Thank You for Being a Friend" or Dido's "Thank You" are nice gratious songs but only borderline set the right mood. Or even Drive-By Truckers "Thanksgiving Filter" is dead-on accurate but not appropriate for a family setting. Some songs have major religious themes but ultimately Thanksgiving isn't a religious holiday. Too many of them feel out of place. And lastly, some of the Thanksgiving-esque songs just plain suck.
So I have challenged myself to make the best Thanksgiving playlist ever. In making the list, I wanted to encompass what is truly at the core of the holiday. Having gratitude is a major component, but I believe more than anything, Thanksgiving is about family. Thanksgiving is about bringing together the family and celebrating our differences as much as our simularities. And being thankful for having them in our lives.
I have scoured the internet and my personal library to create a playlist that is as ecclectic as a Thanksgiving meal and as diverse as the dinner guests. Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving.