Playlist | 31 Songs

31 songs from 2016: ashes to ashes

Posted on December 31, 2016 by stuart

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. Bowie’s influence went far beyond music yet remained anchored to the epochs defined by his albums: Ziggy, the thin white duke, a harlequin. With his passing it feels like time, itself, has been set adrift.

We have no real choice but to live. And to live means celebrating the things that make us alive. Bowie always embraced new sounds and new visions. I will honor his memory with each new song and share them with you.

31 songs from 2015: turn it up louder

Posted on December 31, 2015 by stuart

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.

31 songs from 2014: nearly all Nerina

Posted on December 31, 2014 by stuart

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 was not.

31 songs from 2013: perfect day

Posted on December 31, 2013 by stuart

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 to have been at the table when Reed, Bowie, and Iggy Pop would hold court. Even a simple coffee with he and wife Laurie Anderson would have been unbelievably amazing. Not that any of that would have happened, and I’m grateful for his music from which I have been given so much.

31 songs from 2012: dirty dozen

Posted on December 31, 2012 by stuart

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.

31 songs from 2011: Kate is back (again)

Posted on December 31, 2011 by stuart

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 played trumpet and cheered my sister on as she pursued music. Through him I came to appreciate the great vocalists of his time like Dean Martin and Mel Torme, and some new masters like Diana Krull.

More than anything, I’ll remember listening to Radio Bahrain in the 1980s when I was visiting him and my stepmom in Saudi Arabia. They’d take me to a small nearby fishing village and indulge my musical interests, spending many hours waiting for me to finish shopping for bootleg cassettes. My musical horizons grew exponentially, and I think that made him happy. It certainly made a big impact on my wellbeing.

31 songs from 2010: twenty years of fun

Posted on December 31, 2010 by stuart

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 us. Both put out awesome albums well before our official list started counting in 2000.

31 songs from 2009: does not fit

Posted on December 31, 2009 by stuart

We couldn’t quite squeeze the list down this year so everyone gets a bonus, 32nd best-of track. Who got the honor? Read on ,…

31 songs from 2008: lucky

Posted on December 31, 2008 by stuart

Travel, elections, recovery: it’s been a complicated and amazing year. There’s a real sizzle in the air and we feel it in this year’s best-of list.

31 songs from 2007: shaken not stirred

Posted on December 31, 2007 by stuart

This year we said goodbye to a dear friend. Peter often joined us for shows at local venues and shared our passion for music. He was a spectacular person who leaves a legacy of kindness and an irrepressible joie de vivre. This year is dedicated to his adventurous spirit.