2019
31 songs from 2019: hits keep hitting
A solid dozen new faces this year, and another eight making their second appearance. Buckle up for some new stuff. NEWCOMERS Beirut, Billie Eilish, Brittany Howard, FONTAINES D.C., Jorja Smith, Kamasi Washington, Kate Nash, Le Butcherettes, Lizzo, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Wallows FAMILIAR FACES, FRESH TAKES Calexico & Iron & Wine SECOND-TIMERS Jenny Lewis, Ladytron, Liela Moss, Raphael…
Keep reading
Lauper Rollins?
Never thought I’d see a Cindy Lauper and Henry Rollins duet. Wonder abounds.
Keep reading
2018
31 songs from 2018: don’t boo, vote
2018 sees the return of several favorite and familiar artists: Elvis Costello, the Decemberists, Editors, Neko Case, Richard Thompson, and Metric. FIRST APPEARANCES the Beths, Sally Dige, Lucious, First Aid Kit, and Brandy Zdan bring their unique rock-and-roll takes to our 31 list. Brandi Carlisle, who should have showed up here years ago, makes her entrance with a steely-eyed rocker…
Keep reading
2017
31 songs from 2017: heavy losses
2016 was no easy year and to say 2017 is somehow better would really miss the mark. So many musicians lost across so many ages and all lost too soon: Grandaddy, Steely Dan, Husker Du, Smithereens, Tom Petty, Glen Campbell. These are the musicians of my youth, my adulthood, and my life. With their passing come new artists rising to…
Keep reading
Hello, William Onyeabor
David Byrne turned me onto this stunning psychedelia compilation from West Africa. He was moved to eulogize the passing of his friend, William Onyeabor, an amazing talent I am only now discovering. I am pretty dumbstruck by how amazing this is and I hope you are, too.
Keep reading
2016
31 songs from 2016: ashes to ashes
2016, musically, will forever be my worst. Music from the 31 list covers some tremendous acts, new and familiar. But I lost David Bowie; we all did. Not only was he my musical touchstone, spanning an entire adult life, he inspired me to listen to new artists and genres. He made it glorious to be weird and inspired unrepentant self-expression.…
Keep reading
31 songs from David Bowie: in memoriam
The world knew Bowie but every fan – from dilettante to diehard – has their own unique experience. Having hung on every new Bowie release for decades, picking 31 songs was not easy. I won’t claim my take is definitive as none are. Instead I hope to show the diversity of his genius in a way that inspires deeper exploration.…
Keep reading
2015
31 songs from 2015: turn it up louder
2015 energies were focused on my first, feature-length music documentary Turn It Up Louder. Happily the world did not come to a halt while I was holed up in the editing suite. This year brought a bounty of new and exciting albums that I enjoyed while cutting the movie. NEWCOMERS Aloe Blacc. Asleep At the Wheel, Blur, Courtney Barnett, Damien…
Keep reading
2014
31 songs from 2014: nearly all Nerina
Nerina Pallot played a large part of my 2014 world: she, and her fans, were the subjects of my under-development documentary on what makes music personal. Nerina, herself, undertook an amazing feat: releasing an EP a month for the entire year (see supplemental playlist). With so much music from her the 31 list could easily have been swamped. But it…
Keep reading
2013
31 songs from 2013: perfect day
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2TOR7QWIB9xJdOkTvn7pMw?si=ec37c78d27d24b4b 2013 was a pretty normal year. We reviewed around ninety albums, distilling the following 31 list. What wasn’t normal was the passing of Lou Reed. I was a latecomer to Reed’s brilliance, later learning how deep his influence truly was. Today I wonder what it would have been like to visit Warhol’s Factory and watched the Velvet Underground. Or…
Keep reading
2012
31 songs from 2012: dirty dozen
2012 saw a long contenders list: 104 albums! Musicians across the spectrum seem to be very active, from punk legends PiL to NYC phenomena The Rapture to new wave master Joe Jackson. Picking just 31 from this list was not an easy task. NEWCOMERS Chairlift, Dynasty Electric, Eytan and The Embassy, Gossip, Gotye, Saint Motel, Stepdad, The Shins, White Rabbits,…
Keep reading
2011
Teddybears + Flaming Lips? Yes, please
Starting out as an ironically named Swedish grindcore band, Teddybears is led by the wonderful Joakim Åhlund (from fellow awesome Swedish band Caesars). Their sound quickly evolved into electropop which is where I first became infatuated with them. The Teddybears tend to show up, from time to time, presumably whenever they feel like playing music together. This little ditty has…
Keep reading
Thanks, Letterkenny
Discovered PONCTUATION via Letterkenny: French garage-punk sitting adjacent to White Denim and The Lovely Eggs, all wild-haired great-grandchildren of The Sonics
Keep reading
31 songs from 2011: Kate is back (again)
2011 sees the return of classic artists from my youth (Duran Duran, Kate Bush) alongside amazing new artists bursting onto the scene (St. Vincent, Everything Everything). It’s years like this where music is more important than ever. My father, after a long and happy life, passed in October. He loved music, even if not always the music I loved. He…
Keep reading
2010
31 songs from 2010: twenty years of fun
This year my wife and I celebrate two decades of love, partnership, and music addiction. We’ve shared our tastes, blended as time blurs distinctions, and keep finding exciting new artists to become this year’s favorites. And this year offered many to choose from. Bryan Ferry (of Roxy Music fame) and Deco are technical newcomers although hardly new to either of…
Keep reading
31 Songs 