Rulebook: picking 31 Songs
31 Songs isn’t super formal but we do use guidelines to help us wrangle all the music we could include into a list we can process. Here’s the criteria we use to create our playlists:
Read MoreAuthor: stuart
Danny Elfman Returns
Known for epic soundtracks and the seminal post-punk ska-pop masterwork, Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman knocked me dumbstruck with his single Happy. That, alone, was a gift but it was just a first offering. Elfman’s got a full album out now and, while it pulls from every aspect of his career, it showcases his moody angst perfectly. Neither pop nor inaccessible artsturbation, this new work comes from a space only Elman occupies. Glad he let us in.
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
Wombats Welcome Here
The Other Liverpudians, the Wombats, roar back with one of the best singles of 2022!
The Specials know
45 years of the Specials and they’re still bringing joy to protest.
Read MoreThe Return of Simple Kid
We first heard Simple Kid open for Suede at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire way back in 2002. It’s rare for us to get excited by an opening act but Simple Kid defied history and won us over. I’d thought he’d long since vanished but I was very wrong – and happily so. Love the new tracks!
Read MoreThanks, Colbert
I don’t know who books musical acts on Colbert’s Late Show but they’re good enough to merit a listen no matter what. Genesis Owusu is only one but very great example:
Thanks, Devo
I would have never discovered Sator if the Devo newsletter hadn’t called them out. It’s a perfect little album of short, tight post-punk sounds reminding me of both the Ramones and the Dickies. Fun, sharp, awesome.
Read More31 songs from 2021: mask up
Every year brings old and new faces alike, even if they all arrive masked. We’re starting to see artists adapt to the reality of a post-pandemic world where performance, recording, and fandom have all taken some strange turns. Music abides, though, and artists persevere despite significant obstacles.
Read More31 songs from 2020: we will not be stopped
Fuck Covid. Music isn’t going anywhere. Live shows may have ground to a halt. Musicians are learning entirely new skills, mastering the live streaming broadcast. And we’re seeing a whole new side of our favorite artists, often set in their living rooms.
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