tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69188445060811127862024-03-16T11:51:11.626-07:00McQ's Best Of...One Fanatic's Take on the Best in Rock n' Roll, Year By Year!McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.comBlogger679125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-21640868199304531542024-02-04T07:05:00.000-08:002024-03-09T10:08:33.449-08:00McQ's Favorite Albums Of 2024<div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Starting in February 2024, McQ's Best Of will be updating its best of 2024 album rankings throughout 2023 and 2024, and also updating which albums are in the listening pool below. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Highest Recommends</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Strong Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">NONE TO DATE</div></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Solid Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mild Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2024 Albums In The Pool (# listens in/• strong early impressions)</b></span></div>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Harm's Way (1) -</i> Ducks Ltd. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>I Got Heaven </i>(1•) - Mannequin Pussy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>lechyd Da</i> (1) - Bill Ryder-Jones</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Letter To Self</i> (1•) - Slint</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Liam Gallagher & John Squire</i> (1•)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Little Rope</i> (1) - Sleater-Kinney</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>People Who Aren't There Anymore</i> (2•) - Future Islands</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Phasor </i>(1) - Helado Negro</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Prelude To Ecstasy</i> (3•) - The Last Dinner Party</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She</i> (1•) - Chelsea Wolfe</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Past Is Still Alive </i>(1•) - Hurray For The Riff Raff</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Wall Of Eyes</i> (1•) - The Smile</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last Updated 03.09.24</span><br />
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</div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-74800438646801760402023-11-05T12:52:00.005-08:002024-01-13T08:07:00.458-08:00Handicapping 2023's Album Of The Year Race<p>There's eight weeks left in the calendar year, but <i>Rough Trade</i> and <i>Decibel</i> will likely release their best albums of 2023 lists sometime in the next week, officially kicking off the year-end aggregate tallies.</p><p>Which albums will finish in 2023's top ten when all the various worldwide publications have had their say? </p><p>Here are my official guesses. </p><p><i>•••Update 01/13/24 - Actual Album Of The Year aggregate rankings included in parentheses at the end of each description - Was pretty close on a lot these guesses, though totally underestimated Lana Del Rey's year end grower appeal after the first wave of reviews were unspectacular, and overvalued Foo Fighter's dad rock appeal to a critical pool that now mostly skews much younger than the band.•••</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Shoe Ins</span></b></u></p><p><i><b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/22PkV1Le9P3X4RY4xtmK0q?si=G7NGHW7_Sw2THet6xee3jA">Desire, I Want To Turn Into You</a></b></i><b> - Caroline Polachek: </b>The year's most acclaimed art-pop record is almost guaranteed to finish top-five, something I would fully support.<i> (AOTY #2)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0e9GjrztzBw8oMC6n2CDeI?si=Zv0-9mVwSvqX2g24SH1H6w">The Record</a></i> - Boygenius:</b> Personally not as high on this one as their earlier EP, but another album I can't imagine landing outside the top five for this year. <i>(AOTY #1)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1xJHno7SmdVtZAtXbdbDZp?si=EyCfDgAgTaW2tNOrQO3PkQ">Guts</a></i> - Olivia Rodrigo:</b> Dad rockers around the world prefer Olivia Rodrigo to Taylor Swift, which is just enough to land <i>Guts</i> ahead of <i>1989 (Taylor's Version)</i> when all is said and done. <i>(AOTY #5)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5X0MAnUVN7eEZyO1LjprIk?si=v3P1UI5TSMe2P1ZcLU_OaA">Javelin</a></i> - Sufjan Stevens:</b> One of the indie world's biggest darlings of last 20 years + an album focused on real life death of a romantic partner = 2023's likely album of the year. <i>(AOTY #4)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1oTR3aC0jYmwUlr9duBi05?si=XPueK5_7RtWnCxyaWp-G_A">Rat Saw God</a> </i>- Wednesday:</b> Greater number of indie-oriented and foreign press fans boosts Wednesday's breakout album over Foo Fighter's <i>But Here We Are</i> for title of 2023's highest ranking straight-up rock release. <i>(AOTY #7)</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: medium;">Very Likely</span></u></b></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17g3sAeWfpHSJlqMHuRAr6?si=0tQnnNXaSjOeHZWF3ehOrA">That! Feels! Good!</a> </i>- Jessie Ware:</b> Hands down the best pure disco release of 2023 is almost as good as her masterful 2020 release For Your Pleasure and even more fun. <i>(AOTY #16)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1dCATYrVa8hV0sbVGBGacz?si=o2I1oPjqQ5mEtzpKufmSew">My Back Was A Bridge For Your To Cross</a></i> - Anohni & The Johnson:</b> My personal favorite each year usually lands somewhere in the 11-15 spot, but I'm hoping this super soulful <i>What's Goin' On</i> crossed with <i>In Rainbows</i>-like effort by and for the Trans community ends up with a top-ten finish. It's my favorite album of last two years. <i>(AOTY #12)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4wp4aWWpoYfNcspimVAnel?si=HVo1cvwuRpGsMUDGlFTCbg">But Here We Are</a></i> - Foo Fighters:</b> Like I said, Wednesday gets all the Indie and Euro-rocker votes, Foos dominate the mainstream American and hard rock oriented pubs, and deservedly so - the bands best album in a long, long while. <i>(AOTY #51)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3dKdkVeR6hPjAOH5K2nYTh?si=dxaePgdNTNab4qOr3barlQ">Fountain Baby</a></i> - Amaarae:</b> Though a lesser known artist, I'm guessing the chipmunk-voiced New Yorker, whose album presently sits number one on Metacritic, dominates the year-end neo-soul vote along with my last very likely 2023 pick... <i>(AOTY #19)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/07w0rG5TETcyihsEIZR3qG?si=NTTbC2aNQMeDAK0Bo5zPxw">SOS</a></i> - SZA: </b>Which though a late December 2022 release I feel has enough fervent champions to break into the 2023 ranks. <i>(AOTY #18)</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Twenty Most Likely Spoilers</span></b></u></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1KeJzjoh4vHrJif6BsYKRg?si=zIKILVLsTCi1IbCj_M0hXQ">The Greater Wings</a></i> - Julie Byrne</b> - Singer-Songwriter <i>(AOTY #32)</i></p><p><i><b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2JVEwFxlm2BcTtEeYnB5zr?si=cpu4uhrcQJGxcWAKNyygtg">Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (world war)</a></b></i> - Jamie Branch - Jazz <i>(AOTY #56)</i></p><p><i><b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/741jF1Njwj0i1dQAPdvKZ1?si=9Amu-VpBTXyX2v36vd6TZg">Black Rainbows</a></b></i> - Corrine Bailey Rae - R&B, Punk, Pop<i> (AOTY #43)</i></p><p><b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1o59UpKw81iHR0HPiSkJR0?si=rBs4eeMlTAe4v-7_pZ-2VA"><i>1989</i> (Taylor's Version)</a> </b>- Taylor Swift - pop <i>(AOTY - Did not rank)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3VoX4iyvy7et6Qt47e2XwS?si=IChbjLrASdO4a4F1l9cM3g">Maps</a></i> - Billy Woods:</b> A year-end top ten without a single genuine hip-hop title? Has yet to happen this century - but I think it's very likely this year, unless Travis Scott's <i>Utopia</i> gets huge mainstream press support (cause it won't get votes elsewhere), or one of a quartet of underground hip-hop releases, starting with this title here, manages to slip in. <i>(AOTY #8)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2lu7c86G1ptjMJVL9upG1H?si=-pINlfOtQUKquw1v9zqNbg">False Lankum</a></i> - Lankum</b> - Folk <i>(AOTY #9)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1tpzmjEeH5oO5Ninfxqer2?si=Pkvm_MVKRgao1vadL2V62g">Sanguivore</a></i> - Creeper</b> - Glam-Rock <i>(AOTY #61)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0o5pPvWlsSeZBVAR08y3mR?si=0aaSeOybTC-XWP1obNEjbQ">I Am Not There Anymore</a></i> - The Clientele:</b> Jangly Brit-pop comeback sure to score high in the UK pubs, will it be enough? <i>(AOTY #91)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2jSmcj39eQiU76EbMGuxS0?si=A_mUBeT9SsmDnFfu-rQKAA">Everything Is Alive</a></i> - Slowdive:</b> Shoegaze instead of jangle-pop but otherwise see above. <i>(AOTY #21)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1RThtoZbeE7OQHMBzaBCJt?si=DaMWiRwpQFuQmQyjNoKdpQ">Sundial</a></i> - Noname</b> - Hip Hop <i>(AOTY #22)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2Cn1d2KgbkAqbZCJ1RzdkA?si=pQDONTlERbK5giP1Eu_M7g">The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We</a></i> - Mitski</b>: Probably the most likely top-ten spoiler - singer-songwriter. <i>(AOTY #6)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3t5PKVYlbYXIiLIRDPPkp4?si=Qru7Y3-IQbSqb0iA9SCXfw">Wait Til I Get Over</a></i> - Durand Jones </b>- Soul <i>(AOTY - Did not rank)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5GuWww4OaildzkmTTlfMN3?si=KQp2wgDGQ1mvapRqbYFcbA">Lahai</a></i> - Sampha</b> - Neo Soul <i>(AOTY #24)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2VYo0PSqdxVTMI0ydKUtoL?si=BQ9lWglMQXu4KI3UlX52uA">Everything Harmony</a> </i>- The Lemon Twigs</b> - Beatlesque Pop <i>(AOTY #89)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3xtJ7J0TyOaMqslZdKGkoh?si=-VAZ0sBzSZSqpNuOI7cRNw">We Buy Diabetic Test Strips</a></i> - Armand Hammer</b> - Underground Hip Hop <i>(AOTY #37)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6CmlLROLOUJZnZ8QeCCpqD?si=yINyGz-VQP2WPxEsLZLVxg">Heavy Heavy</a></i> - Young Fathers</b> - Psychedelic Soul/Rap <i>(AOTY #11)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2VYo0PSqdxVTMI0ydKUtoL?si=ch2NdhbcR8eKFUf34WrXXQ">With A Hammer</a></i> - Yaeji</b> - Art Pop <i>(AOTY #44)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3u20OXh03DjCUzbf8XcGTq?si=ZKmpHN_CSMSuKT35ztWK4w">Scaring The Hoes</a></i> - JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown</b> - Underground Hip Hop <i>(AOTY #10)</i></p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6tG8sCK4htJOLjlWwb7gZB?si=ERPjjr6ARomO6ECExjHKEA">This Is Why</a></i> - Paramore</b> - rock. (AOTY #15)</p><p><b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0kvmLk15RUoNqsn8acxqf4?si=Qmr8sjDiRyqhI2TV_i4w2w">12</a> </i>- Ryuichi Sakamoto</b>: Legendary electronic music pioneer's final release <i>(AOTY - Did not rank)</i></p><p><br /></p>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-76489761453736687072023-09-21T07:03:00.005-07:002024-03-09T10:05:01.146-08:00McQ's Favorite Albums Of 2023<div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">McQ's Best Of will be updating its best of 2023 album rankings throughout 2023 and 2024, and also updating which albums are in the listening pool below. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Fever Ray's consistently engaging <i>Radical Romantics</i> is the latest addition to our rankings.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Highest Recommends</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NqAf91ZPnIL8Q5nDkV4iF?si=ea40e4d388824822">My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross</a></i> - ANOHNI & The Johnsons</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1xJHno7SmdVtZAtXbdbDZp?si=TRTtqPM3RN-fTHNifkZbCQ">Guts</a></i> - Olivia Rodrigo</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Strong Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17g3sAeWfpHSJlqMHuRAr6?si=lWZ4iGIGTl2Yk9dT3tnMxQ">That! Feels! Good!</a></i> - Jessie Ware</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/22PkV1Le9P3X4RY4xtmK0q?si=pJKSmZHIR7iRTOuhgiCkWg">Desire, I Want To Turn Into You</a> </i>- Caroline Polachek</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4wp4aWWpoYfNcspimVAnel?si=QJWxQAmzQdaNC09eCPFXDw">But Here We Are</a></i> - Foo Fighters</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2lu7c86G1ptjMJVL9upG1H?si=43wDiY0fTqa75YJgpMRTYA">False Lankum</a></i> - Lankum</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6jkHto9kw0tfs59PFEIO0c?si=bULYobwVQi2v_r1f8IjwoA">like dying stars, we're reaching out</a></i> - Runner</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2KqSL3vLfyVO7rrZJL9tUs?si=0w1aCjyLTxGzPAdRYY-w9w">Javelin</a></i> - Sufjan Stevens</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/62VSZ71LvrUh1VoSuPgzXd?si=i8BBQmmDSn-hfFBfk24Shg">EVERY LOSER</a></i> - Iggy Pop</div></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Solid Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5Mc6uebYtKnRc5I7bjlNB6?si=lCQmQxzFSc-OYgK8k36mnQ">First Two Pages Of Frankenstein</a></i> - The National</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45kQjflvHtVbIHcg0Mn5sA?si=29d231bb842d4121">SOS</a></i> - SZA</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0e9GjrztzBw8oMC6n2CDeI?si=maDM8yrdR8eRxUjXUGDHPQ">the record</a></i> - boygenius</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3dKdkVeR6hPjAOH5K2nYTh?si=kRya4iWcSBKUT7WkGbWL7Q">Fountain Baby</a></i> - Amaarae</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2gL0IM5SYhCxJebPaKdDkx?si=2mnrsll_QyGKqeO6o_wo5A">Weathervanes</a></i> - Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0GSARUUhweinQufLR663b4?si=vQ3JOryfQGa6eM-LDD7F6Q">Radical Romantics</a></i> - Fever Ray</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5HOHne1wzItQlIYmLXLYfZ?si=cRkQL49IQzS6uXmhA-fwcw">Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.</a></i> - Lana Del Rey</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vRM9X4cOBg0aI6EbjKgRf?si=6305515a4d8c4a6f">everything is alive</a></i> - Slowdive</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6tG8sCK4htJOLjlWwb7gZB?si=5rGI9oP7Tw-Ur3QQylf6-A">This Is Why</a></i> - Paramore</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3t5PKVYlbYXIiLIRDPPkp4?si=_D5c4C6bRD-s0vaoc9uGdw">Wait Til I Get Over</a></i> - Durand Jones</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6CmlLROLOUJZnZ8QeCCpqD?si=-FSCl-wbSxaYiu3rfOem-A">Heavy Heavy</a></i> - Young Fathers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">21. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0kRucvv6YTD7EJ0jduNmD0?si=a4aMzDIsRD2-3YnLcf96RA"><i>MERCY</i> </a> - John Cale</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1oTR3aC0jYmwUlr9duBi05?si=DZ2w8FT-Tay7rUIk5UjGlg">Rat Saw God</a></i> - Wednesday</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/28VGPTYyQhSBsbn6Yz0DIK?si=ftxygprZQu2qWF8HJvodyQ">I Inside The Old Year Dying</a></i> - PJ Harvey</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1KeJzjoh4vHrJif6BsYKRg?si=ls83oGlURxyY2vBKskOgOw">The Greater Wings</a></i> - Julia Byrne</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5LIlFbWpjACyQFNW0nYvUC?si=Ka7Br8uDQ_m41MPHVR0cJg">Praise A Lord Who Chews But Does Not Consumer: (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)</a></i> - Yves Tumor</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0o5pPvWlsSeZBVAR08y3mR?si=1O3moB5dTQGb4ktf8OwFZQ">I Am Not There Anymore</a></i> - The Clientele</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/00uBw9yvlIJOHzsNgUzcvA?si=f022856afe164602">In Times New Roman</a></i> - Queens Of The Stone Age </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0PhjFcIDPt9cBRfYSJou3v?si=exD2u9dhQgm54m6Jt4KD_Q">ATTA</a></i> - Sigur Ros</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mild Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZbeAO3P5TePTAeA0hgfVP?si=KRI1VYNtSkCMyvDTji_fYQ">Turn The Car Around</a></i> - Gaz Coombes</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37hcV1zxzf2zfl1pkyHEjv?si=d55f11bdb260408b">The Ballad Of Darren</a></i> - Blur</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZbJKlwcSja0MbKg2dQQLJ?si=B1kBRryHT4e0Y33eBwEXaQ">Gigi's Recovery</a></i> - The Murder Capital</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3VoX4iyvy7et6Qt47e2XwS?si=i_C-Jq7JSIuOpsAxyzQMpg">Maps</a></i> - Billy Woods & Kenny Segal</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">33. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3LaJpJFSY3cmLFEHJl2z6E?si=kNutq76PQ9SzhjSH8s4MBQ"><i>This Stupid World</i> </a>- Yo La Tengo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0IzgQa9rNXzaEdj0bmHvpr?si=tHvQn-oKQvaPfxOTJXSLqA">Everyone's Crushed</a></i> - Water From Your Eyes</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3AKXwyhAg6K9HDftXwNXIV?si=3fe799c6fb3c472c">Sea Of Mirrors</a></i> - The Choral</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2VYo0PSqdxVTMI0ydKUtoL?si=KTTvWRgoS-2Tc9LVNLJ4ow">With A Hammer</a></i> - Yaeji</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2023 Albums In The Pool (# listens in/• strong early impressions)</b></span></div>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>10,000 gecs</i> (2•) - 100 gecs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>12</i> (1•) - Ryuichi Sakamotp</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>1980s Bubblegum</i> - The Particles</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>3D Country</i> (2•) - Geese</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>A Kiss For The Whole World</i> (1) - Enter Shakari</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Angel Numbers</i> (2) - Hamish Hawk</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Angels & Queens</i> (2•) - Gabriels</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Art Dealers</i> (1•) - Low Cut Connie</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Atlas</i> - Laurel Halo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?</i> - McKinley Dixon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Bird Machine</i> (2) - Sparklehorse</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Black Classical Music</i> (2•) - Yussef Dayes</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Black Rainbows</i> (2) - Corrine Bailey Rae</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Bless This Mess</i> (1•) - US Girls</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Blomi</i> (2) - Susanne Sunder</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Blondshell</i> (3•) - Blondshell</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Breaking The Balls Of History</i> (1) - QUASI</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Cartwheel</i> (1) - Hotline TNT</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Chaos For The Fly</i> (4•) - Grain Chatten</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Cousin</i> (1) - Wilco</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Crazymad, For Me</i> (1) - CMAT </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Danse Macabre</i> (2•) - Duran Duran</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Desire Pathway</i> (2•) - Screaming Females</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Erotic Probiotic 2</i> (1•) - Nourished By Time</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Euphoric Recall</i> (2•) - Braids</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Everything Harmony</i> (2) - The Lemon Twigs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))</i> (2•) - Jaimie Branch</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>For That Beautiful Feeling</i> (1•) - The Chemical Brothers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Formal Growth In The Desert</i> (2) - Protomartyr</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Fuse</i> (2) - Everything But The Girl</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Get Up Sequences Part Two</i> (2•) - The Go! Team</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>God Games</i> (1) - The Kills</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Hackney Diamonds</i> (2•) - The Rolling Stones</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Heaven Is A Junkyard </i>(1) - Youth Lagoon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>HELLMODE</i> (2•) - Jeff Rosenstock</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Hit Parade</i> (2•) - Roisin Murphy & DJ Koze</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>i/o</i> (1) - Peter Gabriel</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>I Killed Your Dog</i> (1) - L'Rain</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Integrated Tech Solutions</i> - Aesop Rock</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Intercepted Message</i> (1) - Osees</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>i've seen a way</i> (1) - Mandy, Indiana</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Jaguar II</i> (1) - Victoria Monet</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Jenny From Thebes</i> (1) - The Mountain Goats</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Lahai</i> (1) - Sampha</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Laugh Track</i> (2•) - The National</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Let's Start Here</i> (1) - Lil' Yachty</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Life Under The Gun</i> (1) - Militaire Gun</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Lucky For You</i> (2•) - Bully</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Madres</i> (2•) - Sofia Kourtesis</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Medicine</i> (2) - Goat</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Memento Mori</i> (1) - Depeche Mode</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Mid Air</i> (2•) - Romy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Milk For Flowers</i> (1) - H. Hawkline</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>My 21st Century Blues </i>(2•) - Raye</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>My Big Day</i> (2•) - Bombay Bicycle Club</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>New York City</i> (2•) - The Men</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Nothing Lasts Forever </i>(1) - Teenage Fanclub</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Nothing's Gonna Stand In My Way Again</i> (2•) - Lydia Loveless</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>O Monolith</i> (3•) - Squid</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>One Day </i>(1) - Fucked Up</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>PetroDragonic Apocalypse: or, Dawn Of Eternal....</i> (1) - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Raven</i> (2•) - Kelela</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Raving Ghost</i> (1) - Olivia Jean</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Red Moon In Venus</i> (1•) - Kali Uchis</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Relentless</i> (1) - The Pretenders</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sanguivore</i> (1) - Creeper</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Scaring The Hoes</i> (2•) - JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Seven Psalms</i> (2) - Paul Simon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Shadow Kingdom</i> (1•) - Bob Dylan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Shook</i> (1•) - Algiers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Social Lubrication</i> (2•) - Dream Wife</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Something To Give Each Other </i>(1) - Troye Sivan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sticks And Stones</i> - Lukas Nelson And Promise Of The Real</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Strange Disciple</i> (2•) - Nation Of Language</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Strays</i> (2•) - Margo Price</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Struggler</i> (1) - Genesis Owesu</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sundail</i> (2•) - Noname</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sus Dog</i> (2•) - Clark</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Take Me Back To Eden</i> (1) - Sleep Token</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Tension </i>(1) - Kylie Minogue</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Age Of Pleasure</i> (2) - Janelle Monae</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Beggar </i>(2•) - Swans</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Chicago Sessions</i> (1•) - Rodney Crowell</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light</i> (1) -The Streets</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons</i> (2•) - The Hives</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte </i>(2) - Sparks</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Hypnogogue</i> (2) - The Church</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We</i> (3) - Mitski</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess</i> (2•) - Chappell Roan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Window</i> (2•) - Ratboys</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Time Will Wait For No One</i> (2•) - Local Natives</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Toxic Positivity</i> (1) - The Used</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Tracey Denim</i> (2) - Bar Italia</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Unreal Unearth</i> (1) - Hozier</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Utopia</i> (1•) - Travis Scott</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Valley Of Heart's Delight</i> (1•)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Villagers</i> (2•) - Califone</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Volcano </i>(1) - Jungle</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>We Buy Diabetic Test Strips</i> (1) - Armand Hammer</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love</i> (2•) - Kara Jackson</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Zach Bryan</i> (2) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Other Good 2023 Releases Listened To In Part But Not Explored In Depth</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Afternoon X</i> - Vanishing Twin</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Ain't Giving Up</i> - Chris Duarte</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Beware Of The Clown</i> - The Damned</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Blues Deluxe Volume 2</i> - Joe Bonamassa</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Brothers & Sisters</i> - Steve Mason</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Bunny</i> - Beach Fossils</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Cracker Island</i> - Gorillaz</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Council Skies</i> - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Death Wish Blues</i> - Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Fantasy</i> - M83</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Get Up Ep 2</i> - Newjeans</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Girl In The Half Pearl</i> - Liv.e</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Food For Worms </i>- Shame</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Furling</i> - Meg Baird</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Heaven Knows</i> - Pink Pantheress</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Henry St.</i> - The Tallest Man On Earth</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>History Books</i> - The Gaslight Anthem</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Honey</i> - Samia</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>I Came From Love</i> - Dave Okumu</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>I Des</i> - King Creosote</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>I Thought I Was Better Than You</i> - Baxter Dury</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities</i> - James Holden</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Is U</i> - Good Lies</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>I've Got Me</i> - Joanna Sternberg</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Joy'All</i> - Jenny Lewis</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Late Developers</i> - Belle and Sebastian</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>LaVette!</i> - Betty LaVette</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Live In London</i> - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Love In Exile</i> - Arooj Aftab • Vijay Iyer • Shahzad Ismaily</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Manana Sere Bonito</i> - Karol G</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Melusine</i> - Cecile McLaurin Salvant</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Multitudes</i> - Fiest</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>My Soft Machine</i> - Arlo Parks</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Nails</i> - Benefits</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>New Blue Sun</i> - Andre 3000</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>No Thank You</i> - Little Simz</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Norm</i> - Andy Shauf</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Orpheus Descending</i> - John Mellencamp</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Perfect Saviors</i> - The Armed</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Phantomine</i> - Ghost</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Pure Music</i> - Stranger Ranger</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Quaranta</i> - Danny Brown</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Ridin'</i> - Eric Bibb</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sit Down For Dinner</i> - Blonde Redhead</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Smalltown Stardust</i> - King Tuff</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Softscars </i>- Yeule</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Some Of It Was True</i> - The Menzingers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Space Heavy</i> - King Krule</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Stereo Mind Game</i> - Daughter</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Candle And The Flame</i> - Robert Forster</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Deep and The Dirty</i> - Eric Johanson</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Great White Sea Eagle</i> - James Yorkston</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Harmony Codex</i> - Steven Wilson</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Price Of Progress</i> - The Hold Steady</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Tomorrow Never Comes</i> - Rancid</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Triplove... ???</i> - Tizrah</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>UK Grim</i> - Sleaford Mods</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Writing On The Wall</i> - Coco Montoya</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last Updated 03.09.24</span><br />
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</div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-2051415649615754502023-07-03T12:10:00.100-07:002023-07-03T16:17:43.050-07:00McQ's Best Of 1972 Vol 1 - Best Of The Best (Albums Only)<p>The write-up for Nancy and I's <a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2023/06/mcqs-best-of-1972-mix-collection.html">overall 1972 mix collection</a> already addresses our biggest thoughts on the amazing, transitional music year that was 1972, so we're just going to dive right in into this collection of representative tracks from Nancy and I's favorite '72 albums following eighteen months of listening and reappraisal.</p><p>Our choices include a lot of familiar titles (it was a year loaded with well known classics), but also several mostly forgotten stunners we had never heard in our own listenings or on the radio until we started digging back in - records like <i>Bonnie Raitt</i>, <i>Blacknuss</i>, <i>Only Visiting This Planet</i>, and <i>Keine Macht Fur Niemand - </i>so hopefully there's a few songs/album titles here that will be new to almost every one.</p><p>And now, until next summer's retrospective when we'll look back on the 1983 hey day of the MTV era, enjoy!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="152" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7q1glrpvPgFgZ2Ki1SH784?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><br /></p><p><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">ABOUT THE ARTISTS, ALBUMS AND SONGS ON THIS MIX:</span></b></u></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2UtACloIBV4DftKNjL8nuvZ4KMcyZCWXEnzpZII_hl6MU3ozWEUzJ0cOX5-r6jsmUQzsP5CmC2j9g2oI5weUJRr8SOplwPSOTW-qNMFeG5J5vDZg__sxRWTozSexisoQG4Wh4iqJbQaOIaJgR9M2pgHBUqi8mNWRv7ADpsKQ2ABPDEZo4ok3qjOOEQ/s600/Stevie_Wonder_Talking_Book_cover_art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2UtACloIBV4DftKNjL8nuvZ4KMcyZCWXEnzpZII_hl6MU3ozWEUzJ0cOX5-r6jsmUQzsP5CmC2j9g2oI5weUJRr8SOplwPSOTW-qNMFeG5J5vDZg__sxRWTozSexisoQG4Wh4iqJbQaOIaJgR9M2pgHBUqi8mNWRv7ADpsKQ2ABPDEZo4ok3qjOOEQ/s320/Stevie_Wonder_Talking_Book_cover_art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4N0TP4Rmj6QQezWV88ARNJ?si=95be6c110e004956">Superstition</a></i> - Stevie Wonder:</b> The song and album that would kick start Stevie Wonder's extraordinary run of 1970s Grammy wins, <i>Superstition</i> from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3PResMqFgQYBfzTnqTKwQw?si=TZDGXq5ERwWdrarKFIUdZw">Talking Book</a></i>(Strong Recommend) is the critics' consensus choice for the <a href="http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/year/1972s.htm">best song of 1972</a>, and my guess is the general listening public views <i>Superstition</i> in a similar light. But even though Stevie would soon one-up <i>Talking Book</i> with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5jgI8Eminx9MmLBontDWq8?si=ZyW_WlRcTUeqOzajpbMCNw">Innervisions</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6YUCc2RiXcEKS9ibuZxjt0?si=sIhExdjWQ5Wu4C8P1a4RcA">Songs In The Key Of Life</a></i>, this is the album where Stevie's influence as an early (and beyond imaginative) adapter of the synthesizer really takes hold (honed on his previous one-man 1972 effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7n0bcoRDylRw5PUKn2PlRJ?si=wRyNNs4RRtiVc3AKgkjkpw">Music Of My Mind</a></i>), driving not just <i>Superstition</i>, but a number of other unforgettable classics like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0n2pjCIMKwHSXoYfEbYMfX?si=751ac44c6ff542e1">You Are The Sunshine Of My Life</a></i>, the understated <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5EQlqS41fwTJE40wtF1NGk?si=b0726dae35fa42da">Big Brother</a></i>, lovely closer <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4P3R9J5VGPyAPx9T6ZXAcF?si=710e15c0f53f4163">I Believe (When I Fall In Love With You It Will Be Forever)</a></i>, and funky skronk-fest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0x3jYUWbnbygky6JSnoSpX?si=78976e4b12a84642">Maybe Your Baby</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXvO-giQw14jI7_4RaJHzS4prbBorHkByq3U_SFxVxj6sdXEEnRM0E34mfFM4ABlMqZkXZAItgMsIeiD2b1YX8b4Nl6H2oF_4uldOpTPLf_Txb77zqd9_c5L6A8DRxtv3U9RlIL9JXKlbF1nam36blhkqkt6wrMnd9e86ShSTpbebJKvtYh06-v3hNQ/s600/Steely%20Dan%20-%20Can't%20Buy%20a%20Thrill.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXvO-giQw14jI7_4RaJHzS4prbBorHkByq3U_SFxVxj6sdXEEnRM0E34mfFM4ABlMqZkXZAItgMsIeiD2b1YX8b4Nl6H2oF_4uldOpTPLf_Txb77zqd9_c5L6A8DRxtv3U9RlIL9JXKlbF1nam36blhkqkt6wrMnd9e86ShSTpbebJKvtYh06-v3hNQ/s320/Steely%20Dan%20-%20Can't%20Buy%20a%20Thrill.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1I7zHEdDx8Ny5RxzYPqsU2?si=f4be2dfd644f4068">Reelin' In The Years</a></i> - Steely Dan:</b> Sirs Walter Becker and Donald Fagan would prove even more adventurous on nearly every recorded collaboration that followed, but powered by <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3IvTwPCCjfZczCN2k4qPiH?si=399abed4efee46cb">Dirty Work</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2LXISHBkx8FyoxCBkckh19?si=ab73312a74e94ec6">Do It Again</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7GVvj4zJNVuBJSl6StEfn5?si=8e89900c19e3440b">Only A Fool Would Say That</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7y5nJToPWMjtJLcLEGxyGf?si=1be184d84bc44d98">Midnight Cruiser</a></i>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0t9IrTpcOWuTBKfjlQhuyF?si=de05f90674874f37"><i>Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)</i></a> and all-time personal fav <i>Reelin' In The Year's </i>here, no album in the studio-ensconced lounge lizards' seductive, R-rated discography tops their full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Gh6pRaXqXTtJx4plAJbBw?si=8VDkyfU6SMaBztED_rUhjA">Can't Buy A Thrill</a></i> (Highest Recommend) for sheer pop-chart punch. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkokMREZ8QJTeBsTYPIQWj6W-bfh3NJmeX4yGM5l7j4hDv-hncqzzrSAgLCn9kvCDjM8yOeOJI7SXnfc-OlOqUv7_nQvxaqfqo5jp0VeOtnfihLBiwE9r2cHcmsxW9hH80kQh7pXyalZvO6frGYbEENzeMuvngyxwkrUXso-rkQe48hp4cn7vM3Ri3Q/s600/Lou%20Reed%20-%20Transformer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkokMREZ8QJTeBsTYPIQWj6W-bfh3NJmeX4yGM5l7j4hDv-hncqzzrSAgLCn9kvCDjM8yOeOJI7SXnfc-OlOqUv7_nQvxaqfqo5jp0VeOtnfihLBiwE9r2cHcmsxW9hH80kQh7pXyalZvO6frGYbEENzeMuvngyxwkrUXso-rkQe48hp4cn7vM3Ri3Q/s320/Lou%20Reed%20-%20Transformer.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5p3JunprHCxClJjOmcLV8G?si=11557a07d51849ae">Walk On The Wild Side</a></i> - Lou Reed:</b> Just weeks off his success with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/48D1hRORqJq52qsnUYZX56?si=x4IrXuMSQQeYoVsFhUvPtw">Ziggy Stardust</a></i> and a career-resuscitation effort producing Mott The Hoople's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3LdlOZcV0dp7ePBXe2KAGa?si=NCulsbmPQAa1ipVIrdJt0A">All The Young Dudes</a></i>, David Bowie, along with Spiders From Mars guitarist Mick Ronson, set their sights on elevating the profile of another of the their late 60s rock 'n' roll heroes, Lou Reed, who was just coming off the disappointing commercial and critical failure of his lame, self-titled, Velvet Underground songbook-pilfering, Yes-backed <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ujzADWoLeEejykOuNWy4R?si=BwoP83LMSn-lxJ5yfr6d5w">solo debut</a>. Ronson would prove the more active contributor than Bowie this time out, delivering a significant portion of the album's arrangements and recorded instrumentation, but Bowie's convert-to-glam strategy proved the savvy choice once again and a easy shift for the already androgynous, preening Reed, making <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5SqbMEyAt8332ISGiLX0St?si=l1thPHLGTYC8YmzJ89TB6A">Transformer</a></i> (Highest Recommend) and <i>Walk On The Wild Side</i> the best selling album and single of Lou Reed's career. Today, fueled by the enduring adoration of the Warhol Factory-referencing <i>Wild Side</i> and other Reed solo staples like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4A48NL57P16zSRaq3yoYry?si=48cb081abdfd4c3b">Vicious</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4TOMI010Sd4ZAX4aZ5TS85?si=76d81f7cc0304ebc">Perfect Day</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5WyuRWUcOOhAic0tj9Pl28?si=15cdc995ffe94aef">Satellite Of Love</a></i>, <i>Transformer</i> is consider a high point of the brief glam era and remains a borderline top-100 resident on most all-time album lists.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdgOi5DUz9zEFHxVvQCAu2YgtWH3sl3NQKYOy_mEVyfYH7oe7DJ729QfoleZSDPykWgGbMyfNHHcHLpbIcH_tZ94EvtquNoJUY1DeSzN9whvlIGy27-GoUbLgZ_gfi1hsmyXSymMkhPmDVCeteK5vKSv3CZLPTFo2FoIcYPKhNXi0Ia4nfB56Mh_VHg/s768/Alice%20Cooper%20schools-out.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdgOi5DUz9zEFHxVvQCAu2YgtWH3sl3NQKYOy_mEVyfYH7oe7DJ729QfoleZSDPykWgGbMyfNHHcHLpbIcH_tZ94EvtquNoJUY1DeSzN9whvlIGy27-GoUbLgZ_gfi1hsmyXSymMkhPmDVCeteK5vKSv3CZLPTFo2FoIcYPKhNXi0Ia4nfB56Mh_VHg/s320/Alice%20Cooper%20schools-out.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5Z8EDau8uNcP1E8JvmfkZe?si=fd4affd8f8cb4172">School's Out</a></i> - Alice Cooper:</b> One of the most iconic hard rock songs of all time (so popular even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0shW6qZDzM">the Muppets</a> took a stab at it) the title track to Cooper's fifth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0zKjnOsXxs63unPR6TWoHq?si=igZKYrYsQ1a6amjgYMFkGw">School's Out</a></i> (Solid Recommend) would become the band's biggest hit and the most played live song of their career. But the same cannot be said for the rest of the record, which while a solid and playful concept album in its own right, went in too progressive and soft rocking a direction for the band's fans, making <i>School's Out</i> the album Alice Cooper's least-performed-in-concert release ever.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZox8-tZF5H1Q7GdWropmuf7isRafDm43nZGCFyCRF0b792CGumM1WQJ_8mW5gU2AOoRvtoxk3vxZai-R7ip--efsGnQSxSYnfr1CkgKo2D80grl_cb0vxNHPQ-5FRmLCrIL1q4eBSa0nK6WgqVXiq4JA0XMM3xW00vfBx3gOBRaG2mWlVB5LWaoAmg/s820/Staple-Singers-Be-Altitude-Respect-Yourself-album-cover-web-optimised-820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZox8-tZF5H1Q7GdWropmuf7isRafDm43nZGCFyCRF0b792CGumM1WQJ_8mW5gU2AOoRvtoxk3vxZai-R7ip--efsGnQSxSYnfr1CkgKo2D80grl_cb0vxNHPQ-5FRmLCrIL1q4eBSa0nK6WgqVXiq4JA0XMM3xW00vfBx3gOBRaG2mWlVB5LWaoAmg/s320/Staple-Singers-Be-Altitude-Respect-Yourself-album-cover-web-optimised-820.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5YLnfy7R2kueN0BRPkjiEG?si=9bc48188058e4622">I'll Take You There</a></i> - The Staple Singers:</b> Though well into their third decade as a recording act by 1972, the Muscle Shoals backed <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5p37E64oAYyCKVSW5Kg9Z0?si=W-KNBJezQvyOTlnVtCGETw">Be Altitude:Respect Yourself</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is widely regarded as the Staples' finest individual album, buoyed by three of the family act's biggest hits - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2PcEe7qt51HtKeZyZ7BFjM?si=6c87b8a3bd1f4abd">This World</a></i>, the title track, and the quintessential <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/46JKtJ4Ws9VgtUVxFjcDlQ?si=63721039707344d6">I'll Take You There</a> included here - as well as stellar deep cuts like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5967WkJ51788SDyP3hSWAL?si=3a565949117f4e2e">This Old Town (People In This Old Town)</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0PHyYiRRHPW1jtaqMyBT4M?si=3aa623b1082a4b37">We The People</a></i> (a track Joe Biden called on repeatedly in his 2020 election campaign). Gospel doesn't comes much more appealing than this, and yes, it's not a oversight, I do prefer <i>Be Altitude</i> to Aretha Franklin's landmark gospel outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5pIUimaQ6XePPXbMUi3te0?si=JRIa1QJFQ5qIxj9F71WkVw">Amazing Grace</a>,</i> which was also released in 1972 but just missed making the cut for this mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOeVFhN3SfZP-xv2cKJ8jRQXjIetQ9kQ-l4QQn4jZ8gQRRq5i7qa4IzVMdOOwuauXr9Vj_LiWbVQ6ByRg6dQwlzAa0ps-01elIlbdt5rchgtzWhAcFb9zf2zfmtEuNgLVjF2X1IbRaZ-DtuQLxkyi8v-8FYk3kalJ7M65tVJeYPko2NxHKZeSeWzz7A/s599/Nick%20Drake%20-%20Pink%20Moon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="599" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOeVFhN3SfZP-xv2cKJ8jRQXjIetQ9kQ-l4QQn4jZ8gQRRq5i7qa4IzVMdOOwuauXr9Vj_LiWbVQ6ByRg6dQwlzAa0ps-01elIlbdt5rchgtzWhAcFb9zf2zfmtEuNgLVjF2X1IbRaZ-DtuQLxkyi8v-8FYk3kalJ7M65tVJeYPko2NxHKZeSeWzz7A/s320/Nick%20Drake%20-%20Pink%20Moon.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4KROoGIaPaR1pBHPnR3bwC?si=633b8096a933430e">Pink Moon</a></i> - Nick Drake:</b> No musical artist of the last seventy-five years is more worthy of the label "the Van Gogh of popular music" than Nick Drake. Sure, The Velvet Underground were completely ignored in their prime, but Lou Reed/John Cale & co. all lived long enough to see the fruits of their influence blossom across the popular music landscape and the band's critical reputation reach today's Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame-caliber heights. Nick Drake received no such moment of redemption in his lifetime. A shy recluse who refused to do interviews or play live to promote his three poorly selling albums (two of which were never even released in the States in his lifetime) and a lifelong battler of depression, he would die of an anti-depressant overdose in 1974, five years before the 1979 retrospective compilation <i>Fruit Tree</i> would trigger a reassessment of his work, and twenty-five years before that magical November 1999 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-kqUkZnDcM">Cabriolet commercial</a> would introduce Drake to the majority of his present-day American listeners (a group to which Nancy & I shamefully belong). Which brings us back to Drake's final album, 1972's</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5mwOo1zikswhmfHvtqVSXg?si=0dCMl8QbRA254METYynULA">Pink Moon</a></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"> (Strong Recommend), one of the most strikingly spare, calm and melancholy folk albums in existence. Recorded in only two late night sessions with just Drake and trusted engineer John Wood present, the brief twenty-eight minute work consists of nothing but Drake's soft vocals, guitar, and every once in a while, as on the title track here, the lightest touch of piano. The song quality drops a tiny but noticeable bit on the album's back half, the only reason for the our strong versus highest recommend, but a greater late-night mood album is hard to find, which is why it's affectionately referred to as the "dishes album" in our household, so frequently was it played during those after-midnight kitchen cleanups in our early parenting years. Not for everyone, but a singular album everyone should hear in full at least once.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9kWilK0vjz4i0rdeAVTaG1FCLvoVSju9K5RYlM7Hwtyg_ula4QZwthwgxIejJ5k3bOOLAkP0A7LuWV2jnYhb8hl60kd4qpxD_KWazmmSJRs2KwzAyeqtchZzm8y3tgXtUJqrSgmLHCHAN8J3jdCWcbEkRhdJoM49bveHOdJmgJcTzUp8NyG1fOtgOA/s640/Deep%20Purple%20-%20Machine%20Head.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9kWilK0vjz4i0rdeAVTaG1FCLvoVSju9K5RYlM7Hwtyg_ula4QZwthwgxIejJ5k3bOOLAkP0A7LuWV2jnYhb8hl60kd4qpxD_KWazmmSJRs2KwzAyeqtchZzm8y3tgXtUJqrSgmLHCHAN8J3jdCWcbEkRhdJoM49bveHOdJmgJcTzUp8NyG1fOtgOA/s320/Deep%20Purple%20-%20Machine%20Head.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5SAUIWdZ04OxYfJFDchC7S?si=68dac0f478bf4ed7">Smoke On The Water</a></i> - Deep Purple:</b> Exhausted from two years of straight touring, the members of Deep Purple were eager to spend some time catching up on rest and recording their next album </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1EK3a0Yctg4d3nGQzE4Uty?si=-5BPNwrcTymOEE53SgdfhA">Machine Head</a></i> </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Strong Recommend)</span><span style="font-size: large;">, but finding a place to record <i>Machine Head</i> </span><span style="font-size: large;">would prove to be a near-sisyphean task, and a recount of the band's struggles in this regard became the lyrical bedrock for the band's biggest hit. Eager, like every other UK act at the time, to record outside Britain and avoid their home country's higher labor taxes, Deep Purple rented the mobile recording van used to record <i>Exile On Main Street</i> from The Rolling Stones, and set out for Switzerland's Montreaux Casino, a legendary performing space with which they had brokered a deal to use after it shuttered for the winter. But the day before the Casino was to close, a fan at the last live concert of the season (Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention obviously) fired a flare gun into the casino's ceiling, "burned the place to the ground," and the rest is 70s AOR-radio history. But neither the recording headaches or the song's story were over for Deep Purple. Next location, a nearby theatre called the Pavilion, quickly became unworkable as it wasn't soundproofed and neighbors routinely called in the police to shut down the after-curfew noise, so the band finally ended up at Montreaux's Grand Hotel, also shuttered (and unheated) for the winter. But after some serious rigging of sound insulting mattress and remote communication devices (so the band wouldn't have to waste time walking back outside to the recording van between takes), the space proved workable and the rest of the recording sessions were by all accounts relaxed and untroubled. As for <i>Machine Head</i> the album, while sonically it feels more dated today than some of the other harder rocking records represented on this mix (<i>All The Young Dude's</i> whip-smart glam metal and the no-frills working-class party rock of Slade's <i>Slayed?</i> in particular), it remains an influential heavy metal classic housing a number of iconic songs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpMWnRjI6MwYqR7aZzlqKqVd4RZ3OzMnnhMPTvEjEhTK1kzHy2nd_-2n_505OVlTvxmoFHQJL0ROeMwHAhLjW2Ek_Y8-n_a2BidygqYa-ST28vrYEmbSwq1M9jJdqJyjWOq_NTNYxApkoIPyBzeW0QL0X8chcFfWA952GnyunxKtGeRiY2_S0sTs-zg/s600/Captain%20Beefheart%20-%20Clear%20Spot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpMWnRjI6MwYqR7aZzlqKqVd4RZ3OzMnnhMPTvEjEhTK1kzHy2nd_-2n_505OVlTvxmoFHQJL0ROeMwHAhLjW2Ek_Y8-n_a2BidygqYa-ST28vrYEmbSwq1M9jJdqJyjWOq_NTNYxApkoIPyBzeW0QL0X8chcFfWA952GnyunxKtGeRiY2_S0sTs-zg/s320/Captain%20Beefheart%20-%20Clear%20Spot.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1TzUVJVzOPkX5i8BpoAiu4?si=1806022504244eb1">Too Much Time</a></i> - Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band:</b> Ever since he hit the scene in 1967 with his fantastic, Ry Cooder-powered debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0DFhGsFKG7G58cke33GlAh?si=I80joY82Sgm6VJBUwCPchg">Safe As Milk</a></i>, Captain Beefheart had always had a large set of detractors (or at least a large set of the handful of people who who actually listened to the Magic Band's music) who argued Beefheart, with his over-five-octave caterwaul, had the potential to be the greatest white blues singer of all-time if he would just scale down the weird. 1972 was the year he begrudgingly met those detractor's halfway. Determined to finally make a few cents and get his band off welfare-stamps and parental handouts, Beefheart produced the two most accessible albums of his career, the plodding slow-blues workout <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2yBGak7HYVxKmVwZBVcxbX?si=tn2H1CwhR_-P0IJVgVAf5w">The Spotlight Kid</a></i> (Mild Recommend), and the still blues-anchored but better in every way <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3m2ltFkbJ34zxghz9vlY6p?si=J9OPCmMDTdCKnGAiL-NWbg">Clear Spot</a></i> (Strong Recommend). In the end, neither album did much to change the band's financial fortunes, but for curious listeners interested in checking out Beefheart's oeuvre, these two releases are the best gateway albums to ease yourself in before taking on legendarily difficult titles like 69's <i>Trout Mask Replica</i>. And so, in that spirit, we're representing the "<i>Spots</i>" with the most mainstream track Beefheart ever recorded - <i>Clear Spot's</i> nearly normal R&B crooner <i>Too Much Time</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRQoZf-ciex0SqsI2U4eoS3YRhHwV3jQC8gZGAO1FGYGFshNjNCy8ZCzrxnbYFqSo0R4C6Sj-fhI2gLGjwE_TifJo9_as0WeyY5MQm0alO3FAe1WdPcrkaQ0YG9a2DO9DdvBFiVssctWqRmmlUVEdbaIo1IRXJxwITgODuBGubAqVFJXLxcd2f7O-PA/s500/Todd%20Rundgren%20-%20Something%20Anything.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRQoZf-ciex0SqsI2U4eoS3YRhHwV3jQC8gZGAO1FGYGFshNjNCy8ZCzrxnbYFqSo0R4C6Sj-fhI2gLGjwE_TifJo9_as0WeyY5MQm0alO3FAe1WdPcrkaQ0YG9a2DO9DdvBFiVssctWqRmmlUVEdbaIo1IRXJxwITgODuBGubAqVFJXLxcd2f7O-PA/s320/Todd%20Rundgren%20-%20Something%20Anything.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3gHFKiDanj4d2rqgHlRFFc?si=d720bedff5d64d22">Hello, It's Me</a></i> - Todd Rundgren:</b> Ex-Nazz frontman Todd Rundgren had already released two solo full-lengths and become one of the most in-demand producers in the biz by 1972, and yet none of that prepared listeners for the kaleidoscopic one-man tour de force that was <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3fRCOoTbBsOITBWlCRCJQr?si=LaP_yRE9Sx-yV_waRBzoQw">Something/Anything</a></i> (Strong Recommend). An aptly named double-album that touches on every style imaginable (and then creates a few new ones for good measure), it's best known today for its soft-rock hits <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0B1zVsLqmV9ibIFdNS5tGs?si=bd7ab2e3ff7249bc">I Saw The Light</a></i> and <i>Hello, It's Me</i> included here, and the influential early power-pop number <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/02jZSvPG0SNsBwj6g9yRCo?si=074cb930b5e64680">Couldn't I Just Tell You</a></i>, but these three tracks convey only a fraction of the record's varied brilliance. Divided, like Stephen Stills' <i>Manassas</i>, into four distinct sides, Rundgren played and sang everything on side one's "bouquet of ear catching melodies" side two's "cerebral" explorations, and side three's "heavy" throw downs, before recording side four's mini pop operetta "Baby Needs a Pair of Snakeskin Boots" live in the studio with a full band. And while admittedly, there is some material scattered among the record's twenty-five tracks that almost feel like filler (especially on the slightly weaker first two sides), overall, album's rarely come more "one of a kind" than this.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2akfywH6I7IUZZ7Rh7F28g_W5ZD395tsSlSdc5IoSAZpBjSB_ygAJP5z9jfQUn1-XQn07XWm_lnqJy9h0vEQSd99txrFFYD2m1XUY8NUE6CDYPma8krUjHOwZL5r9an8klNbuYoFEGTJZd9uOqW6I-M2HdI86LPmRv-adx5-d8rfmuD0-PqcaHD7gPw/s225/Curtis%20Mayfield%20Superfly.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2akfywH6I7IUZZ7Rh7F28g_W5ZD395tsSlSdc5IoSAZpBjSB_ygAJP5z9jfQUn1-XQn07XWm_lnqJy9h0vEQSd99txrFFYD2m1XUY8NUE6CDYPma8krUjHOwZL5r9an8klNbuYoFEGTJZd9uOqW6I-M2HdI86LPmRv-adx5-d8rfmuD0-PqcaHD7gPw/w320-h320/Curtis%20Mayfield%20Superfly.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2PemGQvxBjEwmrfwVtvTkX?si=c7357fa4e7744453">Superfly</a></i> - Curtis Mayfield:</b> One of the few soundtracks in history to out gross the film that spawned it, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/295ykF5lEp4sZseuob1qTu?si=GNVvXHBZToGFT6hYAzb6Ww">Superfly</a></i> the album (Strong Recommend) stands as a high point in 70s soul in general and a key release in the Blaxploitation soundtrack movement in particular. Powered by nuanced, slinky grooves and Mayfield's grounded, socially conscious lyrics that tackled the harm caused by inner-city drug trafficking in a way the ambivalently toned film itself did not, the album produced two top-ten US hits in <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Ll3h8nTJKRjaYaQyAcCZs?si=f96344e7034d43e6">Freddie's Dead</a></i> and the title track included here, along with revered deep cut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0WFUAv1zBYlyu3SgoY8VQm?si=2f0240bb5a6c4862">Pusherman</a></i>. Some of these tracks, along with other '72 Blaxploitation touchstones like Marvin Gaye's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3qCgqVpz0EPi9zz0R3WhJA?si=06e757ccb9c2486b">Trouble Man</a></i> and Bobby Womack's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2zyTP97uGsIc1C4KNNEkyn?si=4a49f708c0474e3c">Across 110th Street</a></i>, can all be heard on our <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4MfPIcs4mSqEQZELQNUurk?si=fa2706fd621a4335"><i>Vol 8 -</i> <i>The Never Ending Soul Down</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61y2aixv4vAgUUqa5_fvr1_R3Qz_KDoQ5eFNfx5ii5HPLVEITMAsMm7rT9pfvL9JCo_hQWx4ODOBCYMWLTxNsnO1gaPBXpqmRwUB59hb0UHbOOWVeeAIZ2COqHu5oF_GgixDYnpk7uTy6THAbTANJ_dkJUbmAMCJBIAzHfNyWPN1_a2d4HqIpNkkVEw/s600/Big%20Star%20-%20%231%20Record.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61y2aixv4vAgUUqa5_fvr1_R3Qz_KDoQ5eFNfx5ii5HPLVEITMAsMm7rT9pfvL9JCo_hQWx4ODOBCYMWLTxNsnO1gaPBXpqmRwUB59hb0UHbOOWVeeAIZ2COqHu5oF_GgixDYnpk7uTy6THAbTANJ_dkJUbmAMCJBIAzHfNyWPN1_a2d4HqIpNkkVEw/s320/Big%20Star%20-%20%231%20Record.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3BQLTtpQOYGXQY2lT3ZZeU?si=1a1c8cb99b204d87">Thirteen</a></i> - Big Star:</b> Though a major-league critical darling from day one of its 1972 release, Big Star's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1BumwwIEw1EC3xAHyf1ive?si=wQzvVmjTRUG1qXnPjyI6YA">#1 Record</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) was so out in front of the musical zeitgeist of the day with Beatles-loving co-founders Alex Chilton and Chris Bell's herky-jerky, melodic power pop and achingly innocent acoustic balladry, and so mismanaged by the band's label (soul giant Stax), that it sold less than 10,000 units of its original pressing. Second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3mtVgumHx6y9I2UvW4lUd5?si=Etdu2haFQlu9FVkqX__Iqg">Radio City</a></i> would suffer a near identical fate a year later (through-the-roof reviews, disastrous label support), downbeat third album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0NJYYhhvOATAkUipSJEBDb?si=lYfk1eJ7T3qrjfVsUvRdTQ"><i>Third</i>/<i>Sister Lovers</i></a> so turned off execs it wouldn't even get released, and within two years of <i>#1 Record</i>'s initial drop, the Memphis act was done. But then, a 1977 repackaging of the band's first two albums took hold in the UK, and within a few years, countless bands - especially college rock/alternative acts like Minnesota's The Replacments, Atlanta's The B-52s and REM and </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>90s brit-rockers like Teenage Fanclub </span><span>- were citing Big Star as a primary influence on their sound. Today, the album feels as fresh as ever, and is a must hear for any fan of smart, idiosyncratic guitar-driven pop.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2MySneAKV0GAi39Lap6ys1YTjqqNX5JurgE2s7sAaEOfIAkOCDRLq0x-ofbZBZ21FKj7RtnixrMKiWWWmNmaOz_AuMm_DvxDvWoErn9ynolZD7vrFKJTy6Vvn_fW55oaLI97G7m3xiPXTXZeA-Hea2Z50-U6RnNONrGkjRnd-9Lr32pqzI1Up3PGNw/s1024/Gumbo-by-Dr.-John.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1022" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2MySneAKV0GAi39Lap6ys1YTjqqNX5JurgE2s7sAaEOfIAkOCDRLq0x-ofbZBZ21FKj7RtnixrMKiWWWmNmaOz_AuMm_DvxDvWoErn9ynolZD7vrFKJTy6Vvn_fW55oaLI97G7m3xiPXTXZeA-Hea2Z50-U6RnNONrGkjRnd-9Lr32pqzI1Up3PGNw/s320/Gumbo-by-Dr.-John.jpg" width="319" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/15jDv2HgLoilWgd4KWaLQn?si=qzGg4L4-TTKvb-ZoLAlfNA">Iko Iko</a></i> - Dr. John: </b>Dr. John has made slightly better albums (his trippy, voodoo-drenched, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Heart">Angel Heart</a></i>-soundtracking 1968 debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1yBoaVrgcup2hX2DCYUajs?si=9dXB1yR3ToySvDnBR9MZ0A">Gris-Gris</a>;</i> late-career efforts like 2012's Dan Auerbach-produced <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2HhSjSa5X3TQSIkS4CpFyu?si=4IHiERP5SVSsYCQTF1unMA">Locked Down</a></i>), and he's made better-selling albums (1973's<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1b1ljTXAkcugOLAHkIi7Eq?si=OHP6Mf0RSlWJv8qU5Y6LQA">In The Right Place</a></i>), but for pure Tipitina-boogie fun, nothing in the good doctor's discography tops his celebration of the classic New Orlean's songbook <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/15jDv2HgLoilWgd4KWaLQn?si=HjfuKmRRQC6gp7EWJShkmw">Gumbo</a></i> (Strong Recommend). Brimming with rollicking cajun-jamboree standards like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5QepcFT1p5DRzhtL0Bv3ix?si=f09f096e05da4e6a">Big Chief</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2R21arNkBDa9eSm1LJ2RGk?si=e84fa91b18824579">Mess Around</a></i>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6d1irliH1b7P2cBAaPqc4g?si=0437948221694c1b"><i>Junko Partner</i>,</a> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4sKfTcskxZBNTILQ5jrMfl?si=7459d78184ad4a1b">Stack-A-Lee</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/40ETT4qj43sjkUKElApc0K?si=1933efe0d0bf4ef7">Let The Good Times Roll</a></i>, <i>Iko Iko</i> included here, and of course, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5bkLurqPBpM0Yu8F05PkDJ?si=1c4feeb68e82439b">Tipitina</a></i>, it's the best good-time album of 1972.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rZISRC0pV1gpQI49-CJEafHBl7Ias98FDYLMSl9Ej5WT4aa-l4CJ_Ef4mWZ-IRwhlZFjD9T-KTyiMDWqMT7ZBbS8iuQebo_RUMD56b9iaUuEKMqdnKtCuF-wF2tSTg-npbqJsHG0zLH5CRIRH0XKAmPE0FkRCARDwI62CCVxY1w363Uzm2fRg0vtZg/s600/Jackson%20Browne%20-%20Saturate%20Before%20Using.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rZISRC0pV1gpQI49-CJEafHBl7Ias98FDYLMSl9Ej5WT4aa-l4CJ_Ef4mWZ-IRwhlZFjD9T-KTyiMDWqMT7ZBbS8iuQebo_RUMD56b9iaUuEKMqdnKtCuF-wF2tSTg-npbqJsHG0zLH5CRIRH0XKAmPE0FkRCARDwI62CCVxY1w363Uzm2fRg0vtZg/s320/Jackson%20Browne%20-%20Saturate%20Before%20Using.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3QcuZo6WLcFkqqLmDs0d95?si=d28332a3e59c4d23">Doctor My Eyes</a></i> - Jackson Browne:</b> Though it made little impression at the time of its release outside of top-ten single <i>Doctor My Eyes</i>, ex-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band picker Jackson Browne's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0n93YRc9GP3ZgREgTHvP5u?si=lcvaM8MDRNiO5VyLH9Ojhg">self-titled debut</a> (Solid Recommend), often mistakenly referred to as <i>Saturate Before Using</i>, is a restrained (compare Browne's understated original version of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0cF09PKK8obAf7hAUZXD8W?si=af7466f4a4f7413a">Under The Falling Sky</a></i> to Bonnie Raitt's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2wRnK8Rmj4Q7ht4ywSE8lS?si=bee195e52e814207">ecstatic cover</a> of the same year) and often apocalyptically dark (suicide, depression, drug addiction and an inability to feel hopeful in the aftermath of the 60s are all pondered) but ultimately timeless album that gradually earned a legion of fans (and enhanced critical standing) as the singer-songwriter's reputation grew, going gold in 1976, and platinum in 1997.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qJcWIIeKSyPL_1b-ks5aoiDR2UiaSvIK8hjVkoDKZKHoBDwoKiLnhPa2SsS-i1IHPEz4m-H0cDJf3h_PwPr2RrfrL9SakzsOX5XsDPxtlMUgLA5C56vfTXoWWtXkAAx2SBch5OFh2jrr1i0TrCzVwr6BNOvNwECVdLF39wjZbGBghbZaxyacbDaqrg/s510/T%20Rex%20-%20The%20Slider.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="510" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qJcWIIeKSyPL_1b-ks5aoiDR2UiaSvIK8hjVkoDKZKHoBDwoKiLnhPa2SsS-i1IHPEz4m-H0cDJf3h_PwPr2RrfrL9SakzsOX5XsDPxtlMUgLA5C56vfTXoWWtXkAAx2SBch5OFh2jrr1i0TrCzVwr6BNOvNwECVdLF39wjZbGBghbZaxyacbDaqrg/s320/T%20Rex%20-%20The%20Slider.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4KcE3At063Xyleg2xGzVYz?si=4d43ea3256134af9">Metal Guru</a></i> - T. Rex:</b> King of glam T. Rex's victory lap following the huge success of their sixth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Yw5uS8at8GkWmH2gZmLY0?si=YXWbs90-TwaAkebge5CJfA">Electric Warrior</a></i>, seventh release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5lL8N073N1d9ENpzM9Wtj5?si=vo0piWqCSN2o4tBWLm9hlg">The Slider</a></i> (Solid Recommend) covers the exact same musical territory as its <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3u4LegCSV70aXLNiTgrxCH?si=d5f861bd0e0347e8">Bang A Gong (Get It On)</a>-</i>wielding predecessor, and fans ate it up. The album charted high in the states, but owned the U.K for a stretch, with both the album and its two singles <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4hdKgDxQMLEoiNwzL1Wu5y?si=fc3a0303fd614ecd">Telegram Sam</a></i> and personal fav (and Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr's stated favorite song ever) <i>Metal Guru </i>all hitting number one and relagating similarly timed releases <i>Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars</i>, <i>Roxy Music</i> and Rod Stewart's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1V0trkg3Pt4pGCyxfztFLZ?si=93OxsGgpQ4CIYp0FHk71Fw">Never A Dull Moment</a></i> to lower status positions on the charts<i>. </i>Like most of T. Rex's work, it's a supremely shallow affair, but fun.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpgWLRx6UmCqNOlb0PLMjVC-8-vq41WnbWpK0RAMZCHT8jllsQI_rgQbiStbFv5jZA6JFGWfFjtSLJTy1V6TCtOn0qUdwCtSPzxSgjlxDcU64-xVVFAd-J-HCcasFK-Sbu7rk3ju2s4XPd1qelBlKHJIUgBoRTg2c8sBlQgSWQN441xH3rLkEOnzYtA/s1230/Allman%20Brothers%20-%20Eat%20A%20Peack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1230" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpgWLRx6UmCqNOlb0PLMjVC-8-vq41WnbWpK0RAMZCHT8jllsQI_rgQbiStbFv5jZA6JFGWfFjtSLJTy1V6TCtOn0qUdwCtSPzxSgjlxDcU64-xVVFAd-J-HCcasFK-Sbu7rk3ju2s4XPd1qelBlKHJIUgBoRTg2c8sBlQgSWQN441xH3rLkEOnzYtA/s320/Allman%20Brothers%20-%20Eat%20A%20Peack.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2yeYpHdw8IvG0QxrkfxJ2F?si=ef63d381dbc24597">One Way Out</a></i> - The Allman Brothers Band:</b> The last Allman Brothers Band album to feature slide-guitarist/band leader Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle crash during the middle of recording, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6D9I7GZsqc3pwDg3DFrtjs?si=6TKmjNv0Se6QJm2u3nIwgA">Eat A Peach</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is simultaneously, out of necessity, a patchwork affair, and also the group's last true classic, a fitting tribute to the the brother and friend the band lost. With Duane gone, the band scrambled to find ways to enhance his presence posthumously, so in addition to the three already completed tracks featuring Duane that end the record (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6l6ObuVjdZbc900Q2WgO7K?si=014d28f6f1964806">Stand Back</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6iX1QW1gGIVNEItnqyvFfH?si=91f641afb79d4fc4">Blue Sky</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2WPLFvAldG0GG6Ad3Xa0TO?si=be06ff37adea4c88">Little Martha</a></i>), the band recorded three more songs in Duane's honor (the album's opening trio of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4euYSSvpQZSAQ4gThyL2QD?si=1950592cd0ae46fb">Ain't Wasting No More Time</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Ir0qn7wNZ636Q4WUHKZZp?si=0219faae15784ea8">Les Bres In A Minors</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/30St98Bok3jJmXdkkHVPQe?si=1484c645daa64a28">Melissa</a>,</i> a song of Gregg's that Duane had always loved but Gregg had previously refused to record because he felt it was too soft for the band) and three stellar, unused leftovers from the Fillmore East performances (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3i5m63j2chfkDu3qmcb9m3?si=cf2915f677364ae5">Trouble No More</a></i>, the thirty-three minute <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5CahDIpRZSLStfqNdznMoE?si=4d069378f4734950">Mountain Jam</a></i>, and the blazing cover <i>One Way Out </i>featured here). The band's original lineup may have come to an end, but the Southern fried rock movement Duane helped create was just getting started.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWN8vw1eAvl0_WOm05CipjhgkAfPDIHGliFO4CtME7-o4RqdIHjenDR1OoUU1HzWLeUNpSEv-UP7H7zKc5us1fRpVklCzE6OBJhPbvcf98xVy7PnNDLL0ePuW4XzOTQ4qrKt1MO-VVLjFXjsL-A_FJza_K73xP1pUV8yApadZiOBVWqBY9mduu7nNFA/s820/Elton-John-Honky-Chateau.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWN8vw1eAvl0_WOm05CipjhgkAfPDIHGliFO4CtME7-o4RqdIHjenDR1OoUU1HzWLeUNpSEv-UP7H7zKc5us1fRpVklCzE6OBJhPbvcf98xVy7PnNDLL0ePuW4XzOTQ4qrKt1MO-VVLjFXjsL-A_FJza_K73xP1pUV8yApadZiOBVWqBY9mduu7nNFA/s320/Elton-John-Honky-Chateau.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3gdewACMIVMEWVbyb8O9sY?si=6514b6507be04a0f">Rocket Man</a></i> - Elton John:</b> Regarded by many as his tightest and most focused record (despite some truly wide-ranging eclecticism) Elton John's fifth full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ei2X6ghPnw7YRwQtAH075?si=9b__f_SYRkejO42K9xr7KA">Honky Chateau</a></i> (Solid Recommend) was titled after the nickname John and crew gave to the 18th century French manor Chateau H'erouville where the album was recorded. Stuffed with signature songs, from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5XY9FK0mB0BS0u8YB2ehN9?si=da2ffde2c4fd4342">Mona Lisa And Mad Hatters</a></i> to <i>I <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4q7tMaar2kUMweKu6N5bZz?si=3ec9455dd3e446ff">Think I'm Going To Kill Myself</a></i> to <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1plcM0XlbKdjND7Ufokuzb?si=208af82a4c4e4933"><i>Honky Cat</i> </a>to the iconic <i>Rocket Man</i> here, <i>Honky Chateau</i> was the first album John's label Uni allowed him to record with his regular touring band instead of assigned studio musicians, and also his first of many successive albums that would reach number one on the US charts. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5nJhSMW1nzbEZB9-VSPZxQrgDMYh35T7e2cqD4PoUhINDS7ivw4f9kI15K84OsBqdIhQ98ZgnFo_a4LdxHZir_nshVtldCvjpRxmJPOrsZLBbsYLtlteKPj9df3wsR_n7cA4qwZwCrqLzGumM6LqkgRND9Av8ILucmxht8mjt9OcP14nRkKqnqKIzQ/s225/Nitty%20Gritty%20Dirt%20Band%20-%20Will%20The%20Circle%20Be%20Unbroken.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5nJhSMW1nzbEZB9-VSPZxQrgDMYh35T7e2cqD4PoUhINDS7ivw4f9kI15K84OsBqdIhQ98ZgnFo_a4LdxHZir_nshVtldCvjpRxmJPOrsZLBbsYLtlteKPj9df3wsR_n7cA4qwZwCrqLzGumM6LqkgRND9Av8ILucmxht8mjt9OcP14nRkKqnqKIzQ/w320-h320/Nitty%20Gritty%20Dirt%20Band%20-%20Will%20The%20Circle%20Be%20Unbroken.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>17.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6nIe3dnG1mvW3EM93NmxEE?si=4e81bea43b844d9f">I Saw The Light</a></i> - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band:</b> Arguably the 20th century's standard-bearing album for cross-generational collaborations, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's triple-album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1dfvcFHSox0YKcPMxDrLIs?si=RiM-KYJDTfutuFWe6MCgOg">Will The Circle Be Unbroken</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is widely considered one of the late-60s/early-70s country-rock movement's greatest classics (even if the rock side of the equation is nary to be found). The gargantuan record's beginnings were actually humble. Wanting to improve the band's pure country bonafides, banjo player John McEuen asked fading Nashville legends Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson if they would want to join the group on their next album. But word got out amongst other Grand Ole Opry old-timers who had been gently pushed aside with the rise of the slicker 60's Nashville sound, and soon the Nitty's list of collaborators had grown to include Roy Acuff, Norman Blake, "Mother" Maybelle Carter, Pete Kirby, Randy Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Merle Travis and legendary session fiddler Vassar Clements. To keep the sessions moving and the record feeling raw and spontaneous, most of the album's forty-two songs were recorded in just one or two takes, while a separate tape-recorder ran continuously, capturing all the banter between takes, and the liberal inclusion of those between-takes moments that is one of the album's greatest charms. The Maybelle Carter-led <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6uLCZwMwVlOUgLkdXnoBBR?si=1e8c6e2aac754f2c">title track</a>, the Doc Watson-fronted <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7y4n6DR00OatQpzp33IZby?si=6b610da240bf421f">Tennessee Stud</a></i>, and the Roy Acuff-powered <i>I Saw The Light</i> included here are the record's most enduring numbers, but personally I also love the all-instrumental side four, where the Nitty's step back out in front of their elders and just let it rip in eight rapid-fire two-minute bluegrass jams.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol_x_FsZO5DKpSQwojMKd_-h1gHnEOFCUUNKX7Xygjcglj0cu0eofG8UQKo9hmQiAydwBEZy57iwmxONAuC5U-g6YTkQBbe4Mgetk6P17y7EkzyVy-DVPZMchehVtvhuzh1jvP4VRwfqbaSqqC4oeIldqUahxHRLG_zPlSNg2hJzpcylEO0jplJ7mJA/s1000/Faust%20-%20So%20Far.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol_x_FsZO5DKpSQwojMKd_-h1gHnEOFCUUNKX7Xygjcglj0cu0eofG8UQKo9hmQiAydwBEZy57iwmxONAuC5U-g6YTkQBbe4Mgetk6P17y7EkzyVy-DVPZMchehVtvhuzh1jvP4VRwfqbaSqqC4oeIldqUahxHRLG_zPlSNg2hJzpcylEO0jplJ7mJA/s320/Faust%20-%20So%20Far.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Y8A0fZ8VKmiHFXJLXCdTi?si=0cf72439aabd416c">Mamie Is Blue</a></i> - Faust:</b> The weirdest song of this mix (if not also all of 1972) and completely unlike any other cut on musical mad scientists Faust's deranged but often brilliant second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/62dqL9uBwUqz6TwhQ3QFFh?si=9L7Nej0gRBW6GykRyWkqMA">So Far</a> </i>(Strong Recommend), <i>Mamie Is Blue</i> stands in here as our representative cut for all of 1972's great Krautrock releases (which you can explore in further detail on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5owF4qMU61CWaeveco4kqV?si=97c61fa07d9d49a5">Vol 9 - Wolfgang Worshippers And Chaos Engineers</a></i>). But this amazing, jarring track - which boasts an insanely cool opening two minutes - also has a significant historical claim to fame; many consider it to be rock's very first industrial song, recorded when Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor was only seven-years-old.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBU9ALc7Hbfui7NTZTR3UMFsHNSmg4Q9FDzlhF41sYvu6aKgJmMunlMm8kRYif5gVqYN47DF1HLxsrXjtX2L7NXBJQJrsIJbGQdbq4hag8ct_9TcCLCS3JDB0D2RlEvwnI4qgjplSif0dA4szcqhxzzlZhEVtLZEo6T62a__gM5mxhP_vMjgeRNzu8eg/s1500/eagles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBU9ALc7Hbfui7NTZTR3UMFsHNSmg4Q9FDzlhF41sYvu6aKgJmMunlMm8kRYif5gVqYN47DF1HLxsrXjtX2L7NXBJQJrsIJbGQdbq4hag8ct_9TcCLCS3JDB0D2RlEvwnI4qgjplSif0dA4szcqhxzzlZhEVtLZEo6T62a__gM5mxhP_vMjgeRNzu8eg/s320/eagles.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4yugZvBYaoREkJKtbG08Qr?si=9a9d27a348e549bd">Take It Easy</a></i> - The Eagles: </b>While one of the last five albums to crack this mix and by no means a consistent effort, the <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/51B7LbLWgYLKBVSpkan8Z7?si=6v-npPMwQS-Vq41RsjVC3Q">Eagles</a></i> (Solid Recommend) self-titled debut makes the cut based on the good will generated by its three monster singles, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/40h65HAR8COEoqkMwUUQHu?si=0685654af9f041e3">Peaceful Easy Feeling</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/436yrzQWA32vb1sTZKXg9r?si=209c2023e54f436d">Witchy Woman</a></i>, and best of the bunch <i>Take It Easy</i> featured here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIJHuHHDvdbP4W9CVQjEckGU-95vXsPg4Ryu2MiQTwtMwhvAdgNnEB7XkZ1ysn4Syl2Apsxg6Wyi12iwE5bbQMIgeK9fN1ZdHcfbiz8ufTMrIp4F9WGEkmJsSQfaMsOR7PquJ-nbpc_dx59amEgWQai57dedZzT2blAMqqRbQW3mB8XQRsbG2Gg1_mQ/s700/Roxy%20Music.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIJHuHHDvdbP4W9CVQjEckGU-95vXsPg4Ryu2MiQTwtMwhvAdgNnEB7XkZ1ysn4Syl2Apsxg6Wyi12iwE5bbQMIgeK9fN1ZdHcfbiz8ufTMrIp4F9WGEkmJsSQfaMsOR7PquJ-nbpc_dx59amEgWQai57dedZzT2blAMqqRbQW3mB8XQRsbG2Gg1_mQ/s320/Roxy%20Music.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6pUfi8uawZnCK2T0hatNwR?si=4aa58eb62d6944f4">Re-Make/Re-Model</a></i> - Roxy Music:</b> Personally, I've always felt Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno both benefitted from Eno's Roxy Music departure following second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6gKMWnGptVs6yT2MgCxw29?si=7vUwrBMhSqKBUPBelfEsng">For Your Pleasure</a></i>, as each were then freed to follow their own sharply defined muse without compromise, but man, the band's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4KjUgJn22cmBRQC0AHcjI3?si=_9brE5eOQF-ZpyN4UOOepA">Roxy Music</a></i> (Solid Recommend) still generates a wild, bizarre, glammed-up art rock thrill regardless of the chaos that stemmed from trying to accommodate two visionary creative leads. And while tracks such as <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZgNecJcN9SSopnmCTlpXs?si=f4a570f8884c419b">Virginia Plain</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5XW47WwVu7vgP4cNcMEqWZ?si=44d6c6f695fd474d">If There Is Something</a></i> remain fan favorites and live standards, that creative chaos was never more thrilling than on pastiche-y album opener <i>Re-Make/Re-Model,</i> which throws down quick breakdown passages of <i>Ride Of The Valkyries</i>, <i>Peter Gunn</i>, and <i>Day Tripper</i> in the instrumental bridge and where guitarist Phil Manzanera only plays single note leads all song long (except in his brief solo, comprised only of bar chords) between band shouts of "CPL-593H," the license plate number to the car of some random hot babe Ferry eyed on his morning drive to the studio the day the song was recorded.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnzWsRKml-Rpdm9rlKKfMRjF8Eh5qISb7yuMkYEtGvnKJ_fTJQnHZxk3KA_NzMGrTIPLfIrZJqmMUs7gJxVLtoERYu3ZIA9651NeffRrGYu2Gcc0WHo2BDvu20yEKlLzr_3R9l1MOLb1kQzQGZZ0ASTxnOJ4ha9sjbDqhp9qWUN7RioWcMpfyjnJ1Cg/s1024/The%20Band%20Rock%20Of%20Ages.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnzWsRKml-Rpdm9rlKKfMRjF8Eh5qISb7yuMkYEtGvnKJ_fTJQnHZxk3KA_NzMGrTIPLfIrZJqmMUs7gJxVLtoERYu3ZIA9651NeffRrGYu2Gcc0WHo2BDvu20yEKlLzr_3R9l1MOLb1kQzQGZZ0ASTxnOJ4ha9sjbDqhp9qWUN7RioWcMpfyjnJ1Cg/s320/The%20Band%20Rock%20Of%20Ages.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2MWY97TqaAQBpYiBoF4iMy?si=GF1SWA8SQI6QgInSxfw9QQ">Don't Do It</a></i> - The Band:</b> One of my favorite live tracks ever from an absolute gem of a live recording, <i>Don't Do It</i> is the irresistible opener to <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2MWY97TqaAQBpYiBoF4iMy?si=LpNX1-TfQ4W5rXlGh8lAAg">Rock Of Ages</a></i> (Strong Recommend), a double album which captured highlights from The Band's epic 1971 New Year's Eve concert where for one night only they added a full Allen Toussaint-led horn section to the mix. Rowdy, bawdy, joyous and somehow still tight as live albums come, <i>Rock Of Ages</i> doesn't hold the same cultural cache today as 1977's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7uqVE9qWdqjtDeLpdHyMxP?si=I95WBrvcR6SwnbU7d4SnGg">The Last Waltz</a></i>, what with that final show's </span><span style="font-size: large;">accompanying Martin Scorsese documentary and rolling parade of legendary guest star turns, but from a purely musical standpoint, it remains the superior, definitive document of The Band's live prowess.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQrBBaR8tjiISO3tUS1pwjuWCHlstjTAqpNjUhZOwTMURqtc-lcelb4u5emnpEasv1EFBQP8X3mHlL87aaExDVFOifvhdaxU_DG8sksBxuOs_OsuKUIAhfQtewS8ra_-bpdJR2lsytNQVUSwb5q8vULGPD7piTtX7RxLGtbJsqWgCkcQwbRIRg1WwFw/s600/Al%20Green%20-%20Let's%20Stay%20Together.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQrBBaR8tjiISO3tUS1pwjuWCHlstjTAqpNjUhZOwTMURqtc-lcelb4u5emnpEasv1EFBQP8X3mHlL87aaExDVFOifvhdaxU_DG8sksBxuOs_OsuKUIAhfQtewS8ra_-bpdJR2lsytNQVUSwb5q8vULGPD7piTtX7RxLGtbJsqWgCkcQwbRIRg1WwFw/s320/Al%20Green%20-%20Let's%20Stay%20Together.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/63xdwScd1Ai1GigAwQxE8y?si=0e3b7e36dedc47c0">Let's Stay Together</a></i> - Al Green:</b> Reverend Al gets stiff-armed here a bit as he released not one but two of 1972's forty best albums with the smooth-soul classics <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7hI0QCwcx9GB8MZK24IfTT?si=uIER0t4-QjuFDX7uhN73WA">I'm Still In Love With You</a></i> (Solid Recommend) and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/58eMx3QrTkiRmGGbSz2XL0?si=pa-jucvKQTeZuH0umGHWHw">Let's Stay Together</a></i> (Strong Recommend), but only gets one representative track. Tough break, but by dropping <i>I'm Still In Love With You's</i> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6SMHgPgNkhe9lneNTbgtel?si=eab099d8cbaa464d">Love and Happiness</a></i> at the eleventh hour, I was able to squeeze two other worthy artists/albums onto this mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTKh7o5QphKTLmAR4kDypLHQETY61_Ck-JE10jzEbkN85x522_q4L6B-0SdGWKfMoRK-sMkQuNDZchtnXfkSlRbfVJKWucO-nJQ-AT0Xx8QkpdNQFwq6rz4EO3drUz2ux_qLL5SDz3fuymJS2YeY9kSZUQvxR-6227FCGxikRPuwWXpceJZQZJ9rDNg/s599/ELP%20-%20Triology.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="599" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTKh7o5QphKTLmAR4kDypLHQETY61_Ck-JE10jzEbkN85x522_q4L6B-0SdGWKfMoRK-sMkQuNDZchtnXfkSlRbfVJKWucO-nJQ-AT0Xx8QkpdNQFwq6rz4EO3drUz2ux_qLL5SDz3fuymJS2YeY9kSZUQvxR-6227FCGxikRPuwWXpceJZQZJ9rDNg/s320/ELP%20-%20Triology.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Ll60pqkEBHqzdeclRHdnl?si=15183084558e4436">From The Beginning</a></i> - Emerson, Lake & Palmer: </b>1972 was a landmark year for progressive rock, one of its top years ever, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Swf9iftTTaoEPbPXyxxUQ?si=RoXs0WY0TpW9wPVfx9IEJw">Trilogy</a></i> (Mild Recommend), while a regularly mentioned standout, is in no way the best prog release in a year that also included Yes's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/252LyflX4wUeISSzgL392F?si=ww0lTyAzSY6Z5IYu791dzg">Close To The Edge</a></i>, Jethro Tull's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1ZxChDw03SUFGUz0RC8A8M?si=UvO5L8QaTziG5fCabSS5Pw">Thick As A Brick</a></i>, Genesis's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3y67YB3vSbaopIg1VoAO1n?si=T61rNRS_QnCoBH9_mAxWMQ">Foxtrot</a></i>, and Wishbone Ash's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7xEluvnbmFtRB5g66CJ2ND?si=wkdxC5djS6S3DLg3aj3t1Q">Argus</a>. </i>But given that my favorite cuts from those albums clock in at 8:55, 22:40, 23:06 and 9:42 respectively, <i>Trilogy's</i> anomalous, FM-radio regular <i>From The Beginning</i> with its manageable 4:13 run time gets the genre's representative call here. And a reminder, cuts from all those other prog classics can be found on our 1972 theme mix <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5owF4qMU61CWaeveco4kqV?si=b315d11534304f28">Wolfgang Worshippers & Chaos Engineers</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW935XtCgW0GvMDQ4V0zk1FIN8J5durXW_1zcScpRYQFnmsl0cJkE1cTlIEI-vOf6i4jv0eTI8DVp8pwLdENo5Cacj2h1OtYIh2TkDhCXs1RGh5z1fmiGFIe4SuhVRg5siqjHjrrYCljFeNsOKXrA2xwQyR3W9y95wh6KB9GOqrnlk5dwNmPES21UpHw/s1000/David%20Bowie%20-%20Ziggy%20Stardust.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW935XtCgW0GvMDQ4V0zk1FIN8J5durXW_1zcScpRYQFnmsl0cJkE1cTlIEI-vOf6i4jv0eTI8DVp8pwLdENo5Cacj2h1OtYIh2TkDhCXs1RGh5z1fmiGFIe4SuhVRg5siqjHjrrYCljFeNsOKXrA2xwQyR3W9y95wh6KB9GOqrnlk5dwNmPES21UpHw/s320/David%20Bowie%20-%20Ziggy%20Stardust.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5IyL3XOaRPpTgxVjRIAxXU?si=f9da5dad24c14c71">Ziggy Stardust</a> </i>- David Bowie:</b> Fans and critics will be arguing which David Bowie album is his best until the end of time, but I think there's little argument that <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/48D1hRORqJq52qsnUYZX56?si=Lt2SquNfSxSeeJiNx-u5uQ">The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars</a></i> (Highest Recommend) is Bowie's signature album. Landing smack dab in the middle of an insanely productive 1972 stretch that started with the release of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6fQElzBNTiEMGdIeY0hy5l?si=8jJJo53wQvShKZ3VTwgjBA">Hunky Dory</a></i>, included active producer roles on Mott The Hoople's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3LdlOZcV0dp7ePBXe2KAGa?si=9YRxI7wbTIyZLC4YwoCb_Q">All The Young Dudes</a></i> and Lou Reed's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5SqbMEyAt8332ISGiLX0St?si=J4MwZ5ZARleJm_KoqUR_YA">Transformer</a></i>, and closed with the recording sessions for <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3HZKOk1knxrUU3y5ZIOdbz?si=xgHtCAtqSnSktlk_mG4dAg">Aladdin Sane</a></i>, <i>Ziggy Stardust's</i> loosely structured tale of bi-sexual aliens, the apocalypse, and the artificiality of rock stardom brought a twisted glam theatricality to rock 'n' roll rarely witnessed up to that point in time, and served up several of the tracks Bowie remains best remembered for today - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1JIzFhI9Lt5FyslawmHCBi?si=829897e35e2d4bc0">Five Years</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0pQskrTITgmCMyr85tb9qq?si=61dafe4e28c74e48">Starman</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6mib3N4E8PZHAGQ3xy7bho?si=944657201ed94d9d">Moonage Daydream</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3YZa4IzxK2UtEKTvdTgsi8?si=73f163b165fc4504">Suffragette City</a></i>, and of course, the title track included here.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3v5up7TgoMjfO-IQHl43c_OOyrDG4ZPVuBvq1C2Oq_ZQ1iu4I0a_bKEalFyQixK5K4cyeUCC4XhGSguslairAdLiHCbFT0VMnOjpfDeJNAB7mibCJB2uni-4BIL9wXThAr2hOtyow5HTg8VWtJ-_LeDJEFHfcG4fiBGdlySwqLQiBA9x9ug2PMcEpng/s226/The%20Harder%20They%20Come.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3v5up7TgoMjfO-IQHl43c_OOyrDG4ZPVuBvq1C2Oq_ZQ1iu4I0a_bKEalFyQixK5K4cyeUCC4XhGSguslairAdLiHCbFT0VMnOjpfDeJNAB7mibCJB2uni-4BIL9wXThAr2hOtyow5HTg8VWtJ-_LeDJEFHfcG4fiBGdlySwqLQiBA9x9ug2PMcEpng/w320-h316/The%20Harder%20They%20Come.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2XIr0KTybGQsC1SFfeaZhI?si=801bdd0ea8264757">The Harder They Come</a></i> - Jimmy Cliff:</b> In many critical circles, two of the ten best movie soundtracks of all time were released in 1972, and while some hold Curtis Mayfield's <i>Superfly</i> in slightly higher regard (not me) since the entire soundtrack was composed of original material, there's no question that the <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4oxdKcC9epGo9viy1j8fN7?si=F_hVyfQnSgO0C0Ykojl3aw">The Harder They Come</a></i> soundtrack (Highest Recommend) was the more culturally impactful of the two, and arguably the second most culturally impactful movie soundtrack ever after <i>Saturday Night Fever</i>. Simply put, this collection of career-best reggae hits circa 1967-1972 from the movie's star Jimmy Cliff - as well as Desmond Dekker, Scotty, The Melodians and Toots And The Maytals - was the album that lifted reggae off the island of Jamaica and delivered it to the world. Going with the title track (the soundtrack's only original number) as representative track, but the album as a whole is a must listen for anyone who has yet to hear it. IMHO, it's the greatest reggae album ever.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJo7Cmr7tFb9LyTgzPpfL4J5PzOk-o4jEFDDRexZAQveUATHFmnXZ6vhplE8h5fGSHLHdb1l5TvDMdJ3BItSl85rpmukijanrSYbAApQG1iSnqePVCEUmc1LhksHm6YAk9WvYJ-flQL_-deQxnhchyLyxcSdllCy_VFiJ1bgZJbHu9MI_M25-iFdGuA/s600/The%20Kinks%20-%20Everybody's%20in%20Showbiz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJo7Cmr7tFb9LyTgzPpfL4J5PzOk-o4jEFDDRexZAQveUATHFmnXZ6vhplE8h5fGSHLHdb1l5TvDMdJ3BItSl85rpmukijanrSYbAApQG1iSnqePVCEUmc1LhksHm6YAk9WvYJ-flQL_-deQxnhchyLyxcSdllCy_VFiJ1bgZJbHu9MI_M25-iFdGuA/s320/The%20Kinks%20-%20Everybody's%20in%20Showbiz.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/708xeWab4oPLrnWVVewUkI?si=afc5e73f534f4267">Celluloid Heroes</a></i> - The Kinks:</b> For original 60s-era Kink's fans who were growing alarmed by the increasingly vaudevillian concept-record vibes of 1970's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/70kpGi2o0I7NY4DfwIN2p0?si=ge0Kcoy1SXyYpPkIxZ2SQw">Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround, Pt. 1</a></i> and 1971's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wcs9G440sXWqxboqbBdLm?si=h9g5j0mCSpakJW2blYKVUQ">Muswell Hillbillies</a></i>, 1972's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5l5NprVV6sgV8K4gUVIwBl?si=QAo7mpE7QHiPz1SIPIpRpQ">Everybody's In Showbiz</a></i> (Solid Recommend) must have felt like the death knell of the band they once loved, the album where Ray Davies' campier tendencies were fully unleashed and would never be reigned back in. A double album exploration of life on the road, the just okay disk one digs into the spiritual grind of touring - a never-ending string of bad food, bad hotels, more bad food, and bad night's sleep in unremarkable towns - culminating in the band's last true classic <i>Celluloid Heroes</i> included here, where Davies, wizened by his own grueling experiences, empathizes with the private pain past cinema legends endured to achieve their own measure of fame. The much better live disk two presents the fruits of the band's pained labors with a spirited set of selections from a two night Carnegie Hall stand. Hardly The Kinks' best album, but for all intents and purposes, their last notable one. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnrJX-J1VmPbDX3ZB5l-nGgtrSMxflbt5gFMi2mIjS1P7LAKIsVu4xiZkOcsRv2EsqT-LqKzhfevZcZw3fr5JvLf1D5AAwJgDwFu71uAoYjEuc9RHr6FmKtayLq20ZCx25wg3KLo_BJZVJycma8J_M1QMPxHMZmQaIIe0KHY_d39jBOzn__KbRhD5CA/s224/Paul%20Simon.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnrJX-J1VmPbDX3ZB5l-nGgtrSMxflbt5gFMi2mIjS1P7LAKIsVu4xiZkOcsRv2EsqT-LqKzhfevZcZw3fr5JvLf1D5AAwJgDwFu71uAoYjEuc9RHr6FmKtayLq20ZCx25wg3KLo_BJZVJycma8J_M1QMPxHMZmQaIIe0KHY_d39jBOzn__KbRhD5CA/w320-h320/Paul%20Simon.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5vZ1BKMSLgrxxPYGMR904n?si=b96a78f7c2374dbc">Mother And Child Reunion</a></i> - Paul Simon:</b> Okay, I half lied. From a critical consensus perspective, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7npBPiCHjPj8PVIGPuHXep?si=P_CE99rFRHeJ6ZWK2yJakQ">Paul Simon</a></i> (Mild Recommend), the singer's self-title second solo outing, absolutely belongs here on a mix celebrating 1972's best albums, ranking 21st for the year and 749 all-time on <a href="http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/album/A259.htm">www.acclaimedmusic.net</a> and coming in at 425 on <i>Rolling Stone's</i> 2020 poll of the 500 greatest albums of all time. I, however, have never shared the critic's overall enthusiasm, finding certain stretches of the record maddeningly dull. But I do love its best two songs (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6vxHp3CDNo0afgKGp2yi1E?si=8abe566b5afe4482">Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard</a></i> being the second), hence the inclusion of <i>Mother And Child Reunion</i> here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEpRaJOXMqVO2BhgoeZfVDQbdC_fseCnJlmKg4iRSWDH3lVOYwjCahzW7yD9LREIID53rLackBzywwr4PS_poBr4BMPiLF_sIyNKb9cHFchej9O99fr9BhZAKZ621r-nDaGcDV1UHj8-xaQjmPwkH0r4iJvk60Y4HG_vTvsbOVf3yHwrfeMdDpJwnfQ/s601/kirk_rahsaa_blacknuss.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="601" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEpRaJOXMqVO2BhgoeZfVDQbdC_fseCnJlmKg4iRSWDH3lVOYwjCahzW7yD9LREIID53rLackBzywwr4PS_poBr4BMPiLF_sIyNKb9cHFchej9O99fr9BhZAKZ621r-nDaGcDV1UHj8-xaQjmPwkH0r4iJvk60Y4HG_vTvsbOVf3yHwrfeMdDpJwnfQ/s320/kirk_rahsaa_blacknuss.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1lA8lhBkH8tXY6kZoOyxeq?si=2b0c604ce1a44919">Old Rugged Cross</a></i> - Rahsaan Roland Kirk:</b> OMG, what an insanely fun discovery this was for me. Standing in for all the great jazz releases of 1972 (which can be explored in further detail on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6wUhbQ8FRUAmjG9jljz76d?si=aaf37fbc8a2f46a7">Vol 4 - Jammy Jazz</a></i>) Rahsaan Roland Kirk's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1OnXBqIDGKpI3Y9qugJ85p?si=6VWzEd8QRpq0RjjegCnAIw">Blacknuss</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is the most crowd-pleasing jazz album of the '72 lot. Taking contemporary pop and soul hits of his day like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6SyR1I4uTi53Dtyv3GLOHa?si=55b52b5d4aea414c">My Girl</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4r4EY9qAGddFomXYlo7fea?si=03b008d7caa441ab">What's Going On</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1mScOKklx8m8FvNcarYHOs?si=dd5b05a3d44f4995">Ain't No Sunshine</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/76mYLABCPykI4mf5VlU7ch?si=9a62c1286a6d45e8">Never Can Say Goodbye</a></i>, as well as aged religious standards like <i>Old Rugged Cross</i> featured here, Kirk gives them all a self-proclaimed "blackening" pass, with one ear focused on jazzy reinterpretation, and the other on connecting the songs back to their elemental plantation-day roots. The end result is constantly listenable, vibrantly energetic, and for a good portion of the time, funky as all hell. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfChblddKhreC8ZimmiujojM5APpzP783W18AX-uaveSSUeyrzDw5nPmkngjlcN8CdILRfNQXUJxH5S5ZoGstvXgoFxxfq4vjUKLpMAvFmjOUX-No9rMEs9N7iCpa4iae0U-Xa_VQXKPmhHTx34HqIuFySQ-Z9rDwseGACYW74B9qNAT_sK6DQMAEhg/s1000/Bonnie%20Raitt_Give%20It%20Up.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1000" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfChblddKhreC8ZimmiujojM5APpzP783W18AX-uaveSSUeyrzDw5nPmkngjlcN8CdILRfNQXUJxH5S5ZoGstvXgoFxxfq4vjUKLpMAvFmjOUX-No9rMEs9N7iCpa4iae0U-Xa_VQXKPmhHTx34HqIuFySQ-Z9rDwseGACYW74B9qNAT_sK6DQMAEhg/s320/Bonnie%20Raitt_Give%20It%20Up.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0h06YSqzwbAU9ZDuIvw8pk?si=ffd20c34deb94407">Love Me Like A Man</a></i> - Bonnie Raitt:</b> Somehow, Bonnie Raitt's loaded second LP <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ry5iI1ik4H2DvoiWhluYh?si=vh8bn4-aTTWGZ0ysu8Cf3w">Give It Up</a></i> (Strong Recommend) has drifted from public memory to the point where it is no longer mentioned in the same breath as her renown, Grammy-hoarding '89 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wxpS5o0ty5CLqyH5fIRln?si=SEhBEcX9ToqFqR3AEkAS7w">Nick Of Time</a></i>, but I gotta tell you, if anything, <i>Give It Up </i>is even better. Raitt was only twenty-three at the time, but already a fantastic, versatile guitarist and a master of all forms, drifting with ease between raunchy acoustic blues (<i>Love Me Like A Man</i> here), raunchy Dixieland raves (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4GyoNlQeLSHFZX2txg7cOr?si=33191f3fd1614dcb">Give It Up Or Let Me Go</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5aZZD9NLAOyxf6HMs9br41?si=ca3d4dd0acb642f9">You Got To Know How</a></i>), gorgeous country-folk (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1oMhFBq8JndGlXmknlkSjp?si=e1ad5dde0d8f4a93">Too Long At The Fair</a></i>), two-stepping honky-tonk (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2wRnK8Rmj4Q7ht4ywSE8lS?si=8623e8f584ca45b5">Under The Falling Sky</a></i>), killer psychedelic soul (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0igDAUHZsRr5Hjjw6FhGkU?si=c65732fb29a44793">You Told Me Baby</a></i>) and JT-styled singer-songwriter fare (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5NqjIqor67URvxlUA0Lbfd?si=5796c418615b4ac3">Nothing Seems To Matter</a></i>). A ridiculously easy album to like, every time I hear <i>Give It Up</i>, I'm compelled to lift it higher in our 1972 album rankings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcQiL9T9tvJWeEjsSzx9dZiuLCpLFiz4rtoNEo_Ho-jy9BC1kcl0w6P6WFwqHeyuxrUV_i_uwhOuM6WIPPTMhMX00e3_P3N9jE5qns1v0NEzmiwBl_z16XSDQ_5_iBt4zq_-YFsVeukas6UMoOeBrynqU0vrbh4s8TRDKnLpxiZxja6ZCvTw3KHEktA/s640/Stephen%20Stills%20-%20Manassas.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcQiL9T9tvJWeEjsSzx9dZiuLCpLFiz4rtoNEo_Ho-jy9BC1kcl0w6P6WFwqHeyuxrUV_i_uwhOuM6WIPPTMhMX00e3_P3N9jE5qns1v0NEzmiwBl_z16XSDQ_5_iBt4zq_-YFsVeukas6UMoOeBrynqU0vrbh4s8TRDKnLpxiZxja6ZCvTw3KHEktA/s320/Stephen%20Stills%20-%20Manassas.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1NwSBE0JGYzHgAytuZdIiO?si=1a10adc044fd442b">Johnny's Garden</a></i> - Stephen Stills:</b> A significant comeback for Stephen Stills following his split from CSN&Y, double album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/427BvOYZQRjTHODnreiZCo?si=k-NmazSsRrCi2agpQ9sdYg">Manassas</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is the crown jewel of Still's solo recordings, but talk about a difficult album to have been a part of. Stills was in an ultra-driven phase at this time, and while he never resorted to the near cultish, abusive motivational techniques of a James Brown or Captain Beefheart, he nonetheless drove his sequestered all-star band (The Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers Chris Hillman, The Stone's Bill Wyman, and Al Perkins were all primary contributors) to the breaking point, working them day and night, sometimes more than forty-eight hours straight, so that no fleeting idea to pop into his head was lost. Eventually, Hillman and Stills came to blows over the craziness, at which point Stills was forced to concede to normal working hours for the band. But not for him. After sessions, Stills would sometimes go another eighty to one-hundred hours straight mixing the captured material. Not surprisingly, <i>Manassas</i> is one of those '72 albums that best captures the sense of hungover weariness that pervades that year's musical offerings, but it's also really good, so good that Wyman even flirted with the idea of leaving the Stones to join Manassas the band on the road. To bring some sense of order to the eclectic bounty of recorded material, the album itself was thematically divided over its four sides. <i>Side One:The Raven</i> served up latin-accented rock designed to slay live, <i>Side Two:The Wilderness</i> gathered the session's best country and bluegrass efforts, <i>Side Three:Consider</i> presented the album's folkiest and most experimental numbers (including best song <i>Johnny's Garden</i> featured here), and <i>Side Four:Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay</i> delivered on it's premise with surging, Graham Nash-tweaking cuts like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2ZIny9vBKeGP2uPlvEX7h7?si=321458f4fccd48d7">Right Now</a></i>. Today, <i>Manassas's</i> standing in the music pantheon is as a mostly forgotten near classic, but anyone who's ever liked The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, or CSN&Y will be richly rewarded by stepping back in time and checking this one out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHjOuNwGjyCn2cc2GhUW9MtwdCZ6kDSMlzEET_Rg3NvYSLBB9ztwk5DDozVVrkDxm9jQORzoTT5iD9xVCBdaSZEhLd2VyRf68d_WrjHlRQLBVbGGQzlpoX033xSxvX3WWR07jAYL40JHQXAqu4fEVnJpgdHE9eVJR_M2R7X0wx4gupAUcT2nvdAmvfg/s500/Ton%20Steine%20Scherben%20-%20Keine%20Macht%20Fur%20Niemand.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="500" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHjOuNwGjyCn2cc2GhUW9MtwdCZ6kDSMlzEET_Rg3NvYSLBB9ztwk5DDozVVrkDxm9jQORzoTT5iD9xVCBdaSZEhLd2VyRf68d_WrjHlRQLBVbGGQzlpoX033xSxvX3WWR07jAYL40JHQXAqu4fEVnJpgdHE9eVJR_M2R7X0wx4gupAUcT2nvdAmvfg/s320/Ton%20Steine%20Scherben%20-%20Keine%20Macht%20Fur%20Niemand.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Qt5I0e5VwHLSiczsQJjPn?si=fd5cbcd71f1b4d85">Die Letzte Schlacht Gweinnen Wir</a></i> - Ton Steine Scherben:</b> 1972 was the year the German rock scene came into its own. As presently ranked on <a href="http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/country/Germany_a.htm">Metacritic</a>, five of the top 50 all-time German albums were released in 1972 (including Faust's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0sl4YGOEJg6N6d84KS0nnL?si=fc47643e54224718">So Far</a></i>, Can's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4IrFx7rKoL0EBBSIx2fYEH?si=96203172e0dd48c7">Ege Bamyasi</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ZkI0Uvum15exlM8pcD6kc?si=d668f74a1f0846e3">Neu!</a></i>, and Ash Ra Tempel's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6GsU6r8GoVcTXOLZK417nz?si=wp9Vrao5QC6OcaOAoTnhwg">Schwingungen</a>)</i>, and for a huge portion of German listeners, especially those on Germany's far left, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0X1W7xz2jdfuoGKZgxMR2l?si=Ahbykk1RQF2V5dneRaeDEw"><i>Keine Macht Fur Neimand</i> </a> (Strong Recommend / English translation "No Power For Nobody") is the best of the bunch. A raucous, fiercely political effort that anticipated the bar-band movement three or four years before the likes of Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Mink DeVille and J. Geils would popularize the style, it's one of the better foreign-language albums I've heard, and a must-listen for anyone that considers themselves a bar-band connoisseur.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32ITiA2NLB66INWyHZ74PmNC-eLXv15lQGCycd7g2_-UErLPLjWjfBG6mHYh1aBA7SvC9gwwDRSNPLi3WNP8yIJuZG3Ua3TGoXRX4mBspZCFZ-L4M0jzntR7VtS_Gj6wYqsEZql979uKk3TZLZPDaFgBrlH3MLrSaKMC2bq9Xo6y7nU2rqYkQfbifmg/s640/Bill%20Withers%20-%20Still%20Bill.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32ITiA2NLB66INWyHZ74PmNC-eLXv15lQGCycd7g2_-UErLPLjWjfBG6mHYh1aBA7SvC9gwwDRSNPLi3WNP8yIJuZG3Ua3TGoXRX4mBspZCFZ-L4M0jzntR7VtS_Gj6wYqsEZql979uKk3TZLZPDaFgBrlH3MLrSaKMC2bq9Xo6y7nU2rqYkQfbifmg/s320/Bill%20Withers%20-%20Still%20Bill.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3M8FzayQWtkvOhqMn2V4T2?si=4992464f14ef4212">Lean On Me</a></i> - Bill Withers:</b> Another career peak represented on this mix, Bill Wither's self-produced second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0sFuW4rH5mFZUjNKnckO3v?si=R6NOiHNtQXGZETckXNyI7Q">Still Bill</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is a highlight of early-70s middle-class sophista-soul. Led by the so-slinky <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4gRA0i5sxx3jAhHaVjPnUN?si=e8aac781883849ff">Use Me</a></i> and monster hit <i>Lean on Me</i> included here, as well as awesome deep cuts like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3oiVJNFAQQ77Yp3rXWGsVp?si=7d1fedded63f4088">Lonely Town, Lonely Street</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1KywyxekfDEp3Ym7YP7S25?si=353556da3b1547c4">Who Is He (And What Is He To You)?</a>, Still Bill</i> is a smooth, spare offering every bit on par with Al Green's best efforts of the day.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BuaOo6MDAsgpdmb0jMVvtJYELUnrKbq9VLjFyU_U3WBqDZ3vTE57Tga7TVLtJT8sEgYDjb8mudl27EYWFEGZzHoL0WCf8Zm68WEAHgbGGotddf5cE0S01xO3jV8So0NZbaHJeKM8uGBg1UEfT4OgYAJlAG9Ra6uSJ8okm1rkK6-poEchlqKMOHMTHg/s425/slayed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BuaOo6MDAsgpdmb0jMVvtJYELUnrKbq9VLjFyU_U3WBqDZ3vTE57Tga7TVLtJT8sEgYDjb8mudl27EYWFEGZzHoL0WCf8Zm68WEAHgbGGotddf5cE0S01xO3jV8So0NZbaHJeKM8uGBg1UEfT4OgYAJlAG9Ra6uSJ8okm1rkK6-poEchlqKMOHMTHg/s320/slayed.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2Gp23sr178DBntGtqKnJez?si=791ea87aebf24ec3">Mama Weer All Crazee Now</a></i> - Slade:</b> One of England's biggest bands in the early 70s, routinely besting the likes of David Bowie, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Elton John, and Led Zeppelin on the UK charts, glam-rockers and legendary live act Slade delivered raunched-out, foot-stompin' proto-metal with an energy few could match, and they were never better than on their third studio release <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3fnE8RruCbRZJCcUgV0OMt?si=H7tBEDEGStiyVUgSgrQUJA"><i>Slayed?</i></a>(Strong Recommend). Packed with UK chart hits (and an incendiary cover of Janis Joplin's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0KyJUEV5Djvk0ugyWrpdTR?si=50bc99788d834c5d">Move Over</a></i>) that would also go on to become most of hair metal act Quiet Riot's biggest MTV hits as well, the album is a non-stop party rocker that has aged exceptionally well. And if you're hearing a dash of AC/DC in Slade's sound, you're hardly alone. Fan Angus Young felt there was such a stylistic affinity between the bands that Slade lead singer Noddy Holder was the first person he reached out to to replace Bon Scott after Scott's death. Holder obviously declined, perfectly content to stick with the band he co-founded, but <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6mUdeDZCsExyJLMdAfDuwh?si=BAKH12LjQHyQGcj34XQ-pg">Back In Black</a></i> fans should know Noddy was instrumental in steering Young towards an up-and-coming vocalist that had opened for Slade a few times over the previous year, Brian Johnson. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholu_JYpKUzMitXOozWHEl7mx5W3hmkl22V-pQ2o9tV5Xllkf-k9wvF0DpJO3zJAC4YdT0o3Yox4dLVk57eDBARkJuRNsNIxWAss5a9K75N9w9q5HRYMEVpBv-i49JmxcQXzRKUxDyggQSlGhACOZpNt4MNhR5dnGgLJqS7btC__88ToQxNpST474Hvg/s1024/Tempations_All%20Directions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1024" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholu_JYpKUzMitXOozWHEl7mx5W3hmkl22V-pQ2o9tV5Xllkf-k9wvF0DpJO3zJAC4YdT0o3Yox4dLVk57eDBARkJuRNsNIxWAss5a9K75N9w9q5HRYMEVpBv-i49JmxcQXzRKUxDyggQSlGhACOZpNt4MNhR5dnGgLJqS7btC__88ToQxNpST474Hvg/s320/Tempations_All%20Directions.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>34.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7MiLmLbwNoyf47xQ4TCVYp?si=4072641e92ed472e">Papa Was A Rollin' Stone</a></i> - The Temptations:</b> Fun trivia fact. The Temptations final number-one hit, the triple-Grammy-winning <i>Papa Was A Rollin' Stone,</i> was a cover. And not just any cover, but a stereotypical cannibalistic Motown cover at that. Never a label owner to shy away from repurposing his own hits, Berry Gordy and writer/producer Norman Whitfield had the Temps rerecord <i>Rollin' Stone</i> as the centerpiece for their '72 album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Et98HH5UoYzwUH5583YE7?si=JgtRWp5VQ0qgEmSYQc8nDQ"><i>All Directions</i> </a>(Solid Recommend) just months after their fledgling act The Undisputed Truth scored some chart success with their <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1XwloNz9FH1feiKJE9teK1?si=dac6fc91cb954151"><i>original version</i></a>. But greed proved to be the right motivator. Given a second chance at the song's arrangement, Whitfield knocked it out of the park, making the Temp's version one of the definitive soul recordings of the 1970s. And as for <i>All Directions</i> the album, it's none too shabby, featuring an awesome live version of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/72rUoaFCOHnsVPxhRtrlcO?si=51287603438344b3">Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On</a></i> and one of the Temp's very best ballads <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0y0f8EUAUpzjRIvbRNgfXQ?si=e166cbaefc9e467d">Mother Nature</a></i> in addition to the masterpiece featured here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgmZEo7T_zB2uoAJgsWF4RsiQ9OzU3IB1yDFiOM_r3o6sTxy5e7Fp7cgcDx-0bpRqxVNKw_8_KmkHSMtvSXC6YVSpngUOoXbdkF_NYXrkWQJf_OPailxcUwxNoHtj4YeVtlOXWGEWUQKhmgEUY-LA4-RXAxdkfIKhFtHvxrw1nNHh96IuUzoHVidrNw/s600/Santana%20-%20Caravanserai.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgmZEo7T_zB2uoAJgsWF4RsiQ9OzU3IB1yDFiOM_r3o6sTxy5e7Fp7cgcDx-0bpRqxVNKw_8_KmkHSMtvSXC6YVSpngUOoXbdkF_NYXrkWQJf_OPailxcUwxNoHtj4YeVtlOXWGEWUQKhmgEUY-LA4-RXAxdkfIKhFtHvxrw1nNHh96IuUzoHVidrNw/s320/Santana%20-%20Caravanserai.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3Zm2gmffkeAwqLQxFOEsYo?si=e3a35a1968b3487c">Song Of The Wind</a></i> - Santana:</b> Upon hearing it, master peddler of the surefire generic Clive Davis called Carlos Santana's first foray into jazz fusion <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0abfpuzzbTUNxasNmX04RU?si=xgt5DhWVSDGVRPw_PF4JXw">Caravanserai</a></i> (Solid Recommend) "career suicide," but over the years, the band's fourth album - and last to feature several early band members, most notably keyboardist/lead-singer Gregg Rollie and guitar-protege Neil Schon, who would soon depart to form Journey - has emerged as a fan favorite. And while Davis deserves some credit for recognizing <i>Caravanserai</i> is not nearly as immediate an album as the band's rousing first three, the record nonetheless possesses a number of jaw-dropping instrumental moments.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsjbHfyHAvK3cAb8q5m-ShinPWcJsbbE8BsyWIBOCd91Yq6NPuqAQGflam9vr8imAtN-CrS9n3fl6O9shqmOD4OMPu9Kb3uz4r8b5FPTl_ZuVkFgquCCs2VruW8MYJPvPEpeIHHKSMo3cObWuKP-CsDq_dv6t4ER9PK2QSE6LW-pQu1WKsN39lqrA0w/s225/Mott%20The%20Hoople%20-%20All%20The%20Young%20Dudes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsjbHfyHAvK3cAb8q5m-ShinPWcJsbbE8BsyWIBOCd91Yq6NPuqAQGflam9vr8imAtN-CrS9n3fl6O9shqmOD4OMPu9Kb3uz4r8b5FPTl_ZuVkFgquCCs2VruW8MYJPvPEpeIHHKSMo3cObWuKP-CsDq_dv6t4ER9PK2QSE6LW-pQu1WKsN39lqrA0w/w320-h320/Mott%20The%20Hoople%20-%20All%20The%20Young%20Dudes.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>36 & 37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/641dtfYmSfdCGSwoika6aT?si=3a92add235ad4437">Momma's Little Jewel</a>/<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0WNGPpmWqzPnk0psUhJ3SX?si=0d56467ffbb2437d">All The Young Dudes</a></i> - Mott The Hoople:</b> Through fantastic earlier albums like their Dylan-esque <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0wxFeTlvegWvD0ZKys1eH4?si=Y7TTzAg_T4qk7NVz8IQ64g">self-titled debut</a> and 1971's hard-rock scorcher <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5gdZ2nsVxfI5eZ8MIC8SSU?si=GBfOBAN8T1Wjex6qBomvgw">Brain Capers</a></i>, Mott The Hoople had already found their artistic voice, but they had failed miserably in finding an audience. Enter the band's biggest fan, David Bowie. Informed by bassist Pete Overend Watts that the band was about to call it quits, Bowie urged them to continue on, and offered to help. Recognizing the band was too smart and sophisticated for the heavy metal types they had been targeting, Bowie's first step was to convince the straight-as-they-come band members to commit to a glam makeover, an idea to which they reluctantly agreed. Bowie's second step was to find them some hit songs. First offering, the-yet-to-be-released <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3YZa4IzxK2UtEKTvdTgsi8?si=8454e486f8134e98">Suffragette City</a></i>, was declined, so Bowie sat down to write them a new undeniable song, and did just that with <i>All TheYoung Dudes</i>. Recorded as a single, the anthem was a huge hit in the UK (even though the machismo-heavy band completely subverts the track's pro-gay sentiment with their barely audible "How'd it feel/Sick!" chatter in the closing seconds), as was a follow-up cover of The Velvet Underground's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6FfW6UCP2xGzhVcPWiyP9t?si=5015ab9f61fb45fd">Sweet Jane</a>. </i>Those two tracks and the album ordered up immediately after gave Mott enough commercial cache to continue on for another few years and produce an even better follow up - 1973's cult classic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ApRy4edE6ZYi081aFpq4s?si=DGz5fRyqTS6oFi4aY4Lwjg">Mott</a></i>. As for the rest of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3LdlOZcV0dp7ePBXe2KAGa?si=_Y7_4nfITgyPq67QQdW2qA">All The Young Dudes</a></i> (Highest Recommend) the album, it's awesome, loaded with Stones-worthy sleaze rockers like <i>Momma's Little Jewel</i> (had to include it here cause it transitions so well into <i>All The Young Dudes</i>), <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3xyJQopi3TWy2ouP5A3EcS?si=846cf4d35fbc4323">One Of The Boys</a></i>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2XMmGaJiT0MnOdsUuEJOnP?si=06c958fe13464289"><i>Ready For Love</i>/</a><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2XMmGaJiT0MnOdsUuEJOnP?si=06c958fe13464289">After Lights</a> </i>(later a hit for Bad Company in near identical form), and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1xKF80cHD0H6VydMJqK4st?si=f6a941f8be3741e3">Jerkin' Crocus</a></i>. Bottom line - the best hard-rock album of 1972.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi5pEOYPshaIg6aDxCGlzh3SUzF2us1ps8JErR_ESlC4p5yngy9GffFaNLh-N7lCwkT5FSn_tsocxdhhHWE8r_aXljBUCWWzAWPt953i14UwJbvCQscgwzXXkwu14ki9Wv5BXBZJBN0TnjlI9H-oWb29SwkTyVa8Yqb8ny5MPlCRtpPuxLluOCDZL3g/s1200/Larry%20Norman%20-%20Only%20Visiting%20This%20Planet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi5pEOYPshaIg6aDxCGlzh3SUzF2us1ps8JErR_ESlC4p5yngy9GffFaNLh-N7lCwkT5FSn_tsocxdhhHWE8r_aXljBUCWWzAWPt953i14UwJbvCQscgwzXXkwu14ki9Wv5BXBZJBN0TnjlI9H-oWb29SwkTyVa8Yqb8ny5MPlCRtpPuxLluOCDZL3g/s320/Larry%20Norman%20-%20Only%20Visiting%20This%20Planet.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3tzX1d92icXqxwVqEntVQF?si=5f88e6ff39454c0f">Righteous Rocker - Hard Rock Version</a></i> - Larry Norman:</b> The grandfather of Christian rock's finest moment, Larry Norman's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ddA0A9PIS2bzq3W8o7jBK?si=LeSUg37OREubpN6v3Dz1wg">Only Visiting This Planet</a></i> (Strong Recommend) still regularly polls as one of the two or three greatest Christian rock albums of all time, and is an album even a combative agnostic like me can heartily enjoy. Much of this stems from Norman's own open-mindedness towards other's beliefs and hip non-conformist orientation. Sure, it's clear he was hoping to convert some non-believers with these tunes, but he seemed to be even more interested in stopping the Vietnam war and converting rock-and-roll haters into rock-and-roll lovers. As such, there's a tremendous sense of fun to many of the album's songs, most notably the <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6k9DUKMJpWvu6eFG3O64Lg?si=ee2df373025546c5">Subterranean Homesick Blues</a>-</i>mimicking <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0UGkOkF0ZAbZCp6iCA400T?si=a8031840644b4114">Reader's Digest</a></i>, boogie-woogie crowd pleaser <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/703UpX6aksr6tw3T5kd9He?si=4722820877634871">Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music</a></i>, and the swaggering CD reissue bonus cut <i>Righteous Rocker - Hard Rock Version</i> featured here. Even when Norman goes full-on preachy, as on the comically apocalyptic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6cwBAHcSeYGsRF5tk6lMae?si=77d237e5d7484e02">Why Don't You Look Into Jesus</a></i>, the effect is more endearing than off-putting. Combine that the with the fact that like Bonnie Raitt, Norman was an exceptionally talented jack of all trades </span><span style="font-size: large;">(the blues, Dylan-esque folk, reggae, gospel, country and bubblegum pop are all skillfully tapped on this eclectic effort) and you're left with one of my favorite first-time discoveries of this 1972 listening cycle.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNc_169392wsU48Jv3CA4RgNY4ydqDampwivKqOYNLoaJ5pqoP7q-kLZgZVzjuhl_ldx2Tm0FpmOYVtZM2jy0JLPclIRiGy6wSslZmoxB1iTjsGoK9K6xbiO6ioH1gs4YX27YlH4Bflm7j8dJZFqZpou_Kv4AIrrO5M3bhullaplWu94J8yxRV7CV3w/s1024/St.-Dominics-Preview-by-Van-Morrison.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1024" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNc_169392wsU48Jv3CA4RgNY4ydqDampwivKqOYNLoaJ5pqoP7q-kLZgZVzjuhl_ldx2Tm0FpmOYVtZM2jy0JLPclIRiGy6wSslZmoxB1iTjsGoK9K6xbiO6ioH1gs4YX27YlH4Bflm7j8dJZFqZpou_Kv4AIrrO5M3bhullaplWu94J8yxRV7CV3w/s320/St.-Dominics-Preview-by-Van-Morrison.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4gXwWfGICSNmWHwvtbZfby?si=e4fa6a40ed91444e">Listen To The Lion</a></i> - Van Morrison:</b> Van Morrison's </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0i3c1sR3poI6S2VIH2VP7Q?si=Bc0vpnpWQdm4t4kJr4yQQA">Saint Dominic's Preview</a></i> (Highest Recommend) was his</span><span> highest charting album until 2008's</span><span> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0ifxdaIgZIoldRJtAKyATH?si=sXL6u7iMRD-pBHSIjrzV2g">Keep It Simple</a></i> </span><span>stole the honor thirty-six years later, and for good reason: just like The Rolling Stone's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1Jv2AqzhgsduUik2p4k3cS?si=TQtpS8bARDG2YgnM6bMarw">Some Girls</a></i> or U2's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7gskILm9UyDvFlmmAoqn2g?si=9FzL50unQGK2-D7dXEcKGw">All That You Can't Leave Behind</a></i> it's a unintentionally brilliant recap album - a record that, though composed entirely of original material, feels like a greatest hits retrospective of the best musical ideas the artist had explored before. You want <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5PBbOTrlaXQauwwcq2ZiWO?si=PV5hR_1WR_KHOpJQZFlm-w">Astral Weeks'</a></i> gloriously stretched-out, soul-stirring denouements, <i>SDP's</i> got 'em (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3hbg0IM33PgYv3nMklUr3d?si=f7f85f871ea14b42">Almost Independence Day</a></i>, <i>Listen To The Lion</i> here). <i>Tupelo Honey's</i> tight, bouncy song craft, check (openers <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1hmPyDaLxfscy8AJpJsKJI?si=46144906ada1402d"><i>Jackie Wilson Said</i> </a>and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4GDqasMoLJgycxRtbnFchf?si=6717bd96dfef4905">Gypsy</a></i>). And what about <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7diHYi0CglGJekoM3KaWBK?si=V1_Y7SbhR4OXgzgB4MHmTA">Moondance's</a></i> welcoming, big-band romanticism? <i>Saint Dominic's Preview</i> has that covered, too (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1mII4seqf75hdRck1MzKwz?si=b3984d5fb0774e19">Redwood Tree</a></i>, the memorable <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0MgfdN0hWlNeQCSLqjfn6C?si=4fd55bdab3464e11">title track</a>). As accessible as any album of the early 70s, <i>Saint Dominic's Preview</i> is the perfect place for inquisitive listeners new to Van Morrison to start.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVoNHxNEuqPRByzzYJVNUosl-2ikud6oxAhkCZ0V5oaObrPoslZMkfG1b7BRan5WQxAvi6hy7soCqJCI2LpcX_St5RlSZOlVSnY3CqHb7-1vh8hHen0zzqOcSWoP8g9uLpzUIBPmvPpq480qpVtDpwSswAEWztfLaA_M3jlwjOyByp792xym-0uKC9A/s225/The%20Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Exile%20On%20Main%20Street.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVoNHxNEuqPRByzzYJVNUosl-2ikud6oxAhkCZ0V5oaObrPoslZMkfG1b7BRan5WQxAvi6hy7soCqJCI2LpcX_St5RlSZOlVSnY3CqHb7-1vh8hHen0zzqOcSWoP8g9uLpzUIBPmvPpq480qpVtDpwSswAEWztfLaA_M3jlwjOyByp792xym-0uKC9A/w320-h320/The%20Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Exile%20On%20Main%20Street.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4hq0S6wznq7SHDyMOFXL9i?si=8dc4acccea504afa">Tumbling Dice</a></i> - The Rolling Stones:</b> So much has already been written about the Rolling Stones <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5U4dnRZsfW8NmwBBkELFPh?si=Kq-tFVOlR7iHyOtbwkcyMA">Exile On Main Street</a></i> (Highest Recommend) - about the crazy, haphazard, drug-fueled recording sessions in the rented South France villa Nellcote the band absconded to to avoid tax charges in England; about its infamously low-grade, highly influential grungy-before-grunge mix; about its creepy parade of circus freaks album cover - that one could find a million justifications for why, even to this day, the album is still considered one of the rock 'n' roll's ten greatest recordings and the Stone's finest work (both sentiments I agree with), but after dozens of listens over the years, for me, it all boils down to one thing; <i>Exile On Main Street</i> is the greatest "greater than the sum of its parts" album ever made. There's nothing on Exile that hits with the force of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Ud6moTC0KyXMq1Oxfien0?si=6e260c0b0f1e4d09">Sympathy For The Devil</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7EXgO1bRnEArE58rtrgMWB?si=ddc7c5739d724ac2">Street Fighting Man</a></i> from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6OHri5qNxwCdVSdyCslspd?si=pYaxaolgRl6HBn4IGNswQQ">Beggar's Banquet</a></i>, or <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/14uQWXYRflpBP8J6olZ8mH?si=740c9e3f751f4622">Gimme Shelter</a> </i>and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3eA4BsdUxUqiFQMVzJSA5u?si=d17c03560f524630"><i>You Can't Always</i> <i>Get What You Want</i></a> from <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/47hOpZQfXVIRzTiv0Ef8pO?si=8VsJk5n9QIyb2-HyjrXOGw"><i>Let It Bleed</i>,</a> or was as big a commercial hit as <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/72qrnM4yUNMDDlWiqKc8iY?si=EXgiXF4hS4SLbM_s4HpkeQ">Aftermath</a>'s</i> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/63T7DJ1AFDD6Bn8VzG6JE8?si=e0f3b0d29bc54963">Paint It Black</a></i> or <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/29m6DinzdaD0OPqWKGyMdz?si=62XEUZd1T6SM2ZrdjYVgzw">Sticky Fingers</a>'</i> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/61UuPxxYUvacEH6SHIK3sU?si=759eed5553c94ad3">Brown Sugar</a>,</i> but taken as a whole, <i>Exile's</i> sleezed-out intangibles, often powered by the best lazy-drawl faux-country vocals the band ever summoned (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5SiCTf5r1cVjQXAXB2StpS?si=70f8719d9e364fa9">Torn And Frayed</a></i> anyone?), are just through the roof, to the point where even obvious throwaways like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/60OdLDvZpHe4kVDYwNtYh9?si=741f6d104781479e">Sweet Black Angel</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7wSVa5dSpjM62zrF0WsMVQ?si=f11365c2d6234e72">Turd On The Run</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3u28KPrRmJiNC39Fm3tZVe?si=f2091940a7254fe2">Shake Your Hips</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/22OTrlQy1sXdtdo1VgDUZb?si=b64eb4ca526b41f8">I Just Wanna See His Face</a></i> feel essential to the overall experience. Going with Nancy's favorite cut <i>Tumbling Dice</i> here over my personal fav <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/42o3gy9e8dzBHvQE991ad8?si=5545d78954ad4baf">Rock's Off</a></i> (which I burned through in our 2012 mix collection highlighting a 40-year anniversary reissue), and then you can hear a whole lot more on our '72 country, rock and blues themed mix <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0M5tnXbwGH33HfZIDo7Ukh?si=c70b5f16597c4bd0">Vol 5 - CRB</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClqEAyTMdTW327EbW5Y5pmHZChd4jdd-St8iFZdscyezOzWq9OoTNtn7FX1AVPGeWoxQjNBZcq_z6vaGIHME8pOfPF2XhF2MsRe62ZE2DVg8Qwagg_bGCYervrBkmcx5ZaL0WPjfGKVmvwIUQgBAIm6IlxmCEfgkNlHZ2faDv7T66YGKqgsY8DfMklg/s510/Randy%20Newman%20-%20Sail%20Away.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClqEAyTMdTW327EbW5Y5pmHZChd4jdd-St8iFZdscyezOzWq9OoTNtn7FX1AVPGeWoxQjNBZcq_z6vaGIHME8pOfPF2XhF2MsRe62ZE2DVg8Qwagg_bGCYervrBkmcx5ZaL0WPjfGKVmvwIUQgBAIm6IlxmCEfgkNlHZ2faDv7T66YGKqgsY8DfMklg/s320/Randy%20Newman%20-%20Sail%20Away.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>41. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ECyzv2mucP3SjaiQQyLIv?si=4b182b353d204526">Political Science</a></i> - Randy Newman:</b> It starts with a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/79zQv3SsEOmyPAgUP4YDjz?si=63b84857770f418a">mock advertisement for the slave trade</a>, ends with one of the most <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0gvmUlKbABaYKEtOV40aA8?si=b8fc8b98e4d042ec">excoriating takedowns of religious belief</a> ever put to vinyl, and in between seems determined to raise the hackles of just about every other anti-defamation society imaginable, so yeah, I think it's safe to say most major labels would be at least wary of releasing Randy Newman's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ojNQckNp7Tj2BkLJCiiUL?si=5VCQhZm8RoSnsAAx3nAu_Q">Sail Away</a></i> (Highest Recommend) today. Which is a shame, because political incorrectness this well conceived should never go out of style, if for no other reason than to keep the thought police of every stripe and persuasion in our society at least a little bit in check. A masterpiece of comic timing, biting Tin-Pan-Alley lyricism and read-between-the-lines irony that refuses to accept any creed, norm, demographic group, or institution as beyond reproach, the album should be a point of study for every budding Father John Misty out there, even if on tracks like <i>Political Science</i> here Newman's aim appears to be no grander than shocking the listener with an ambitiously-in-poor-taste (but very funny) joke.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppkVMuHF64nuq4iXy2MVn0KwPUMkRg5lvwFllRPc9uYq3TIjSGo01XrNeYklrpjZYMa0cYd4hVx3FyzkEoEJg0HSvx6KsFP-8XrK2cHgA6eqhdHX3erBLYwbNK1q6yt_2I4Epe7JK35DqdkiXKSPkrCmpk4-l6dRMyYB9ASG3UYwBBIAnfRBeno1rKQ/s600/The%20O'Jays%20-%20Backstabbers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppkVMuHF64nuq4iXy2MVn0KwPUMkRg5lvwFllRPc9uYq3TIjSGo01XrNeYklrpjZYMa0cYd4hVx3FyzkEoEJg0HSvx6KsFP-8XrK2cHgA6eqhdHX3erBLYwbNK1q6yt_2I4Epe7JK35DqdkiXKSPkrCmpk4-l6dRMyYB9ASG3UYwBBIAnfRBeno1rKQ/w320-h320/The%20O'Jays%20-%20Backstabbers.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/28285KFbyCq8sJofn58qlD?si=74e0e849ade443a0">Love Train</a></i> - The O'Jays:</b> The members of the O'Jay's had been toiling away in minor soul-hit purgatory since their 1950s high school days, but their fortunes would change dramatically when they signed with producer's Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff Philadelphia International label in 1972 and the subsequent release of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/09jTPeDoSuJLLAwFGNUKCX?si=rTH9qRTSTtihX1USKqECDw">Back Stabbers</a> </i>(Strong Recommend), which transformed the vocal act from relative no names into future standard bearers of the lush, string-dominated Philly Soul sound. Going with obvious choice <i>Love Train</i> to close out this mix on a positive note, but most of the album's highlights reside in darker, more aggressively funky numbers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7ycwZrSaXqhSaY5yeOZgdS?si=0576ed15a6744dcf">992 Arguments</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5Z52756ttqY4zJMFhK1clR?si=185164f773dd455d">When The World's At Peace</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/03oob3RtQLmaAoCWFH0Zj2?si=1613038e1de84af2">Shiftless, Lazy, Jealous Kind Of People</a></i>, and the knock-out <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0KpMY3D2G8253VTZbDBUmA?si=6c093337b33a4a9c">title track</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-64560857581906336582023-06-04T14:31:00.553-07:002023-07-03T15:48:00.905-07:00McQ's Best Of 1972 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUv51H178CQYjOWxQtP9_18pGFGdAUM30Q_Z8jL720YqMe47jNI-FptYdsB45VsABdIpUJQXi0llmEj_RK60PJKWPWSM3xv2OoFfSfvP3D35PkESNkuVfXymL5kP8pZFUKubhqZh8MoCwG_aov5liTEB9LCmjMPViLOpk6gHkAx8Qy6omY7rYnte_plQ/s225/The%20Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Exile%20On%20Main%20Street.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUv51H178CQYjOWxQtP9_18pGFGdAUM30Q_Z8jL720YqMe47jNI-FptYdsB45VsABdIpUJQXi0llmEj_RK60PJKWPWSM3xv2OoFfSfvP3D35PkESNkuVfXymL5kP8pZFUKubhqZh8MoCwG_aov5liTEB9LCmjMPViLOpk6gHkAx8Qy6omY7rYnte_plQ/w200-h200/The%20Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Exile%20On%20Main%20Street.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1972's #1 Album</td></tr></tbody></table>1972. The final year of the greatest seven-year stretch in rock 'n' roll history. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A monster year that produced a endless stream of enduring classics - The Rolling Stones <i>Exile On Main Street</i>, David Bowie's <i>Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars</i>, Neil Young's <i>Harvest</i>, Al Green's double whammy <i>Let's Stay Together</i> and <i>I'm Still In Love With You</i>, Lou Reed's <i>Transformer</i>, Steely Dan's <i>Can't Buy A Thrill</i>, Van Morrison's <i>Saint Dominic's Preview</i>, Stevie Wonder's <i>Talking Book</i>, Deep Purple's <i>Machine Head</i>, The O'Jay's <i>Backstabbers</i>, Curtis Mayfield's <i>Superfly</i>, Todd Rungren's <i>Something/Anything</i>, <i>Neu!</i>, T Rex's <i>The Slider,</i> The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's <i>Will The Circle Be Unbroken</i>, and the most important reggae album of all time (at least in terms of popularizing the genre), the soundtrack to <i>The Harder They Come</i> - and this doesn't even count so many lesser recognized efforts that sound even better today than they did on the day of their release - Big Star's <i>#1 Record</i>, <i>Bonnie Raitt</i>, Mott The Hoople's <i>All The Young Dudes</i>, Randy Newman's <i>Sail Away</i>, Stephen Still's <i>Manassas</i>, Terry Callier's <i>What Color Is Love</i>, Dr. John's <i>Gumbo</i>, Slade's <i>Slayed?</i>, Faust's <i>So Far</i>, Nick Drake's <i>Pink Moon</i>, Rashaan Roland Kirk's <i>Blacknuss - </i>and on and on and on it goes<i>.</i><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i><br /></i></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXHnobqVrWFgmpCbnD7LkNqseP71LwDsI_EtvV8USw6LyGoZ9Vmz-HL9p9wlpRn-TXXLB-l4E5Xq4Fi8HoXAKlFy_T8teNFY1KNhuD_wUm85Wojh86VNn2h7tlslX62UJGhkNc08-kr4AZu57ybhS-_6BIHJZ1nMTkawYPJ-D0RcxPCHk3CVbD5renA/s226/The%20Harder%20They%20Come.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXHnobqVrWFgmpCbnD7LkNqseP71LwDsI_EtvV8USw6LyGoZ9Vmz-HL9p9wlpRn-TXXLB-l4E5Xq4Fi8HoXAKlFy_T8teNFY1KNhuD_wUm85Wojh86VNn2h7tlslX62UJGhkNc08-kr4AZu57ybhS-_6BIHJZ1nMTkawYPJ-D0RcxPCHk3CVbD5renA/w200-h197/The%20Harder%20They%20Come.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1972's #2 Album</td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Any way you slice it, 1972, like 1966 - 1971 before, was a cornucopia of musical riches (see our still-in-progress ranking of the <a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-favorite-albums-of-1972.html">year's top albums here</a>). But the end of this great musical stretch was just on the horizon, and that feeling is palpable in the year's music. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A sense of exhaustion permeates all the genre's that had been the heavy lifting lyrical messengers in the turbulent, protest-dominated late 60s - country rock, folk rock, pop, blues and soul. It's as if most of English language music world needed a collective break from booze, drugs and fighting the man (though sex was still definitely on the table).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Emerging out of this hungover morass, the era's younger musical movements played the opposite hand, embracing the insubstantial and challenging nothing societal other than fashion. Whether it was the plastic rock stars and cross-dressing straights of glam, the wood-sprites-and-fairies-obsessed practitioners of prog, their "let's play evil" mirror opposites of heavy metal, or the nihilistic chaos engineers of Krautrock - '72s ascending genres seemed to have nary an interest in speaking to the struggles of everyday life or the issues of the day. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZj5VQmmVn6VhjYCn982hegzefxRnHqUoYljm2LQ0QDGQqFKiRFglRIiWyYJmpQLlKD6b3eM12qa04x6kflo7vMG9GdbfkzOzo9bjW2V4kk5Lb1sxv-jCzKAR2yNTcce-fvts5k5TnRdca9jOrw7TUWbgyYOOWhUY4MplRG5kLO7hMt8AoHeztEYXR_w/s1000/David%20Bowie%20-%20Ziggy%20Stardust.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZj5VQmmVn6VhjYCn982hegzefxRnHqUoYljm2LQ0QDGQqFKiRFglRIiWyYJmpQLlKD6b3eM12qa04x6kflo7vMG9GdbfkzOzo9bjW2V4kk5Lb1sxv-jCzKAR2yNTcce-fvts5k5TnRdca9jOrw7TUWbgyYOOWhUY4MplRG5kLO7hMt8AoHeztEYXR_w/w200-h200/David%20Bowie%20-%20Ziggy%20Stardust.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1972's #3 Album</td></tr></tbody></table></div>And while this sudden, dramatic shift to frivolity and bombastic expression sounded great in 1972, providing a much needed shot of adrenaline the wearying older styles could momentarily no longer provide, it would prove to be a devil's bargain, leading to a shifted, bloated, shallow musical landscape that would produce two of the lamest consecutive music years since the dawn of rock (1973-74) immediately after.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">But that's a discussion for another time. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Today, we celebrate rock's greatest run's amazing last gasp, collected here in eleven curated mixes. <i>Volume 1</i> touches on most of the year's best albums outside of the long-winded jazz, prog, and krautrock genres, and then the ten themed-mixes that follow dig deeper into all that <i>Volume 1</i> left out.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So let's get started...</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2023/07/mcqs-best-of-1972-vol-1-best-of-best.html">Volume 1 - Best Of The Best (Albums Only)</a></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Iconic representative tracks from the majority of 1972's very best albums comprise the entirety of this three-hour kick-starting mix.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Volume 2 - The Glam Gang</span></span></b></div>
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<br />The movement came and went in a flash, but there's no denying that in 1972, glam was <u>the</u> genre, and its thrills are captured here in all its make-up-donning glory with iconic tracks from David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Mott The Hoople, Slade, Elton John, Gary Glitter and T-Rex. The best and most era-specific of this year's themed mixes.<br />
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 3 - Land Ho! (Yacht Rock On The Horizon)</font></span></b></b></div>
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Lingering 60s folkies like Nick Drake, Paul Simon, Eric Andersen, David Ackles merge with top early 70s singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Randy Newman, Carly Simon, Towns Van Zandt, Jackson Browne, and Cat Stevens and rising soft-rockers like Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Chicago, Three Dog Night, Todd Rundgren, Looking Glass, Big Star, Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles and Bread to produce a vibe that decades later would come to be known as the yacht rock sound.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 4 - Jammy Jazz</font></span></b></b></div>
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1972 was a super year for guitar-and-funk-oriented jazz, and a number of significant tracks - whether from jazz traditionalists drifting toward rock like Miles Davis, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Chick Corea, The Crusaders, Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman, or rock artists drifting into jazz like The Soft Machine, Santana, and Frank Zappa - are included here.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 5 - CRB (Country, Rock, Blues)</font></span></b></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">An easy-going affair, punctuated with an occasional jolt of guitar-driven electricity, CRB captures 1972's best from two genres - blues-rock and country-rock - that had dominated the late 60s/early 70s but would soon fade prominence. Highlights include selects from Little Feat's <i>Sailin' Shoes</i>, JJ Cale's <i>Naturally</i>, The Allman Brother's <i>Eat A Peach</i>, Captain Beefheart's <i>Clear Spot</i> and <i>The Spotlight Kid</i>, Dr. John's <i>Gumbo</i>, Stephen Still's <i>Manassas</i>, Humble Pie's Smokin', Ry Cooder's <i>Into The Purple Valley</i>, Bonnie Raitt's <i>Give It Up,</i> and of course, a bountiful serving of tracks from <i>Exile On Main Street</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 6 - Fela, Frogs & Friends</font></span></b></b></div>
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Fela Kuti's ultra-funky fifteen minute epic <i>Roforofo Fight, </i>multiple cuts from proto-pub-rockers Ton Steine Scherben's <i>Keine Macht fur Niemand, </i>and a litany of so dramatic French and Italian pop ballads anchor this look back at 1972's best international music.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 7 - Heavy Winds A Blowin'</font></span></b></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Surprisingly, given that it came in the heart of metal's first wave, 1972 was a fairly lean year for heavy metal, with Deep Purple's <i>Machine Head</i> and <i>Live In Tokyo</i>, Black Sabbath's <i>Vol 4</i>, Hawkwind's <i>Doremi Fasol Latido</i>, and Blue Oyster Cult's self-titled debut the only full-length of releases of note. But heavy metal fans should get a real kick out of this mix, which unearths a number of forgotten gems from emerging younger metal artists of the day (Uriah Heep, The Scorpions, Jerusalem, Jo Jo Gunne, Bang, Ramatam, Dust among them) to round things out. </div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 8 - The Never Ending Soul Down</font></span></b></b></div>
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Three hours of 1972's best soul music. Highlights include multiple tracks from Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Terry Callier, The Spinners, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The O'Jays, Donny Hathaway and many more.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 9 - Wolfgang Worshippers & Chaos Engineers</font></span></b></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Once again, as we did in out 1969 mix collection, the year's best progressive rock and Krautrock tracks are lumped together in what was a banner year for both genres. Highlights from Yes's <i>Close To The Edge</i>, Genesis's <i>Foxtrot</i>, Jethro Tull's <i>Thick As A Brick</i>, Emerson, Lake and Palmer's <i>Trilogy</i> and Wishbone Ash's <i>Argus </i>lead the progressive attack, while selects from Faust's <i>So Far</i>, Can's <i>Ege Bamyasi</i>,<i> Neu!</i>, and Popol Vuh's <i>Hosianna Manta</i> carry the motorik torch.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 10 - Hokey Dokey</font></span></b></b></div>
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Bette Midler, John Denver, The Belmonts, Donny Osmond, Helen Reddy, Ringo, The Raspberries, Tanya Tucker, Stealers Wheels, The Sweet - film soundtracks, one-hit wonders, throwaway novelties, and 1972's top providers of irresistible, sentimental dreck are all celebrated here in this A.M. radio nostalgia-fest.</div>
<b><br /></b><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0aSwz8PuZBXu7Xyp0TCmVa?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><u><br /></u></font></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 11 - The Next 100</font></span></b></b></div>
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In no particular order, here are the next 100 tunes considered for these 1972 mixes.</div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-68518203169195099662023-05-24T07:11:00.000-07:002023-05-24T07:11:12.647-07:00McQ's Best Of 2022 Vol 1A - Best Of The Best (The Fat 244)<p>Greetings once again friends and music lovers!</p><p>Here we go with Year 19 of the McQ's Best Of... mix collection!</p><p>2022 was not a banner music year - solid for singles, a big tipping point in America for international acts, but way rough in terms of top-flight albums. </p><p>Maybe Beyonce's <i>Renaissance</i> or Wet Leg's debut will age well enough to earn classic status in time (though neither are our top 2022 title), but as it stands right now, I'd bet no. This is the first time since Nancy and I began doing these mixes that we haven't given a single calendar-year release a highest recommend. </p><p>But with so many talented artists pouring their hearts into their work, there was still plenty of gold to be mined from the 2022 field, and hopefully Nancy and I have a unearthed some of the shiniest nuggets here.</p><p>Please note there are actually two variations on the Best Of The Best mix this year, the too long for a single sitting <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LK2Q2QACptCG7DstwkcGd?si=66db4c6e27784faf">Vol 1A - Best Of The Best (The Fat 244)</a></i> written up here, which casts a broad net, trying to highlight at least one or two standouts from each major sub-genre, and the more succinct <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6TLC1MNdjz0RGUHZlilZQy?si=6fb69347eb664431"><i>Vol 1B - Best Of The Best Hard 90</i></a>, which screws comprehensive inclusion to just boil things down to the best hour and a half of music we heard.</p><p>For those who may want to dive deeper, I do reference additional notable releases across these individual song write ups - most of which have a track featured on our follow up mix <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/24zZiylopJXBJGUjaXBftS?si=ed4cb0c8cecc45ec">Vol 2 - The Next 100-ish</a></i>.</p><p>And now, enjoy!</p><p><br /><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1LK2Q2QACptCG7DstwkcGd?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">About The Artists, Albums & Songs Featured On This Mix:</span></u></b></p><b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vbHGs1lfcTyarHbY3MDn0PaZyxzPOsnVsjicrsMB5Ozl-0AXDznGZxGqJbcZ9YUdbpszriQhZymtOPiqxyQjsBBbWn3jAwD-lBPP14-O763G_7Bxo-eZJ3XQfn6qFNVRAOe6DuwOb85L63yuD_mh8mQsvahKcF4XijCkIy-fCKgMqtOvAaRqyjNUuw/s600/The-Weeknd-Dawn-FM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vbHGs1lfcTyarHbY3MDn0PaZyxzPOsnVsjicrsMB5Ozl-0AXDznGZxGqJbcZ9YUdbpszriQhZymtOPiqxyQjsBBbWn3jAwD-lBPP14-O763G_7Bxo-eZJ3XQfn6qFNVRAOe6DuwOb85L63yuD_mh8mQsvahKcF4XijCkIy-fCKgMqtOvAaRqyjNUuw/s320/The-Weeknd-Dawn-FM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6krYS8KtmNAYyb5uTZiYW4?si=4c52c039b1e54c31">Dawn FM</a> </i>- The Weeknd w/ Jim Carrey:</b> Conceived as a fifty-minute stretch of music emanating from a radio station in Purgatory, The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye)'s fifth full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nLOHgzXzwFEpl62zAgCEC?si=rKhzIWxsSJyVz2rSAUJYOQ">Dawn FM</a></i> (Solid Recommend) boasts several winning 80s-tinged neo-soul tracks, but its the album's playful mock DJ interstitials guiding trapped souls into heaven - performed to trippy-dippy perfection by Tesfaye's real-life neighbor Jim Carrey - that steal the show, so I thought it would be fun to bracket this year's mix with two of the most memorable.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dfsyk81ms4XldJFgw5EUdo4CmtG_BlNwPkFVj5Dy1tKMOA9cHKoeInRq1B3IuhtJfj4wjifsbgWYKKwlbWNw3mSdZ1-mWB-MCgs8PoyhaYO-IWC8sEaw1rSa9fTL8KzyS5ZETZvgfYgzXrGOcZF5NjLJZU1D-3kIi-WWyu8-B09d7JysE8Uq_vM6Dg/s600/FontainesDC_SkintyFia_DSP_3000x3000.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dfsyk81ms4XldJFgw5EUdo4CmtG_BlNwPkFVj5Dy1tKMOA9cHKoeInRq1B3IuhtJfj4wjifsbgWYKKwlbWNw3mSdZ1-mWB-MCgs8PoyhaYO-IWC8sEaw1rSa9fTL8KzyS5ZETZvgfYgzXrGOcZF5NjLJZU1D-3kIi-WWyu8-B09d7JysE8Uq_vM6Dg/s320/FontainesDC_SkintyFia_DSP_3000x3000.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7gL1H16WocPdl3GeAS5ThY?si=546cfcbcdaac4761">In ar gCroithe go deo</a></i> - Fontaines D.C.:</b> Record 1A in our <a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2022/01/mcqs-favorite-albums-of-2022.html">top album rankings of 2022</a> (a work still very much in progress), Fontaines D.C.'s third album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1R7vPDuTFeqCGOLj1JwfRH?si=6ZeTcSXCTnOQ5NXE6qjXeg">Skinty Fia</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is about as good as post-punk fronted by a tuneless lead singer gets. The excellent cad anthem <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4DNbKvO9fI8bjnxis4yddk?si=fdf28763a4cd4a32">Jackie Down The Line</a></i> was the record's hit, but <i>In ar gCroite go deo, </i>my favorite song of the year<i>, </i>is the work's definitive track, and most representative of the album's thematic focus on the cultural indignities faced by those living abroad. The song references the incendiary 2018 UK news story of deceased Irish dinner worker and Coventry-resident Margaret Keane, whose posthumous request to have the benign Gaelic phrase the song is titled for (which translates to "in our hearts forever") etched into her headstone was denied by the court of the Church of England unless an English translation was added to avoid the potential provocation of violence and terrorist activity. Having recently relocated to London, the native Dublin act was, like most of Ireland, infuriated by the ruling, and ironically, put this protest song to tape on the same day in 2021 that the judgment was finally overturned. Keane's daughters would soon after make a public point of playing the song at their mother's grave. Most of the rest of <i>Skinty Fia </i>strikes a similarly thoughtful, agitated groove, with the band compensating for lead-singer Grain Chatten's lack of range on songs like the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZcuHQLXRsOyNfprXVCABm?si=e05e09c17edf4d74">title track</a>, the aforementioned <i>Jackie</i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4IqBIufFMOV1sSYhzIPDoj?si=d5a41540447f4b55">Roman Holiday</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4mKn6gwhP3HYuo11aNqI2y?si=2f0ee1b509894ea6">I Love You</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4gCtmRwwRG5fPVtGJkwYDC?si=9e2c78095e0a42b8">Nabokov</a></i> with some seriously expressive rhythm guitar work. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXM-0Me5hnmsiyHkZ5T5yIGSE7T5eP7Qh7KeMHfosqDAC1jILYP0bGadyngWFUkdN_oPKysa0tQET-b3gk8oXf7fm65kF6PwORdFjIre7gmJ1h6YvC7HvSA_3uxsyP6MYgYDi-mMpk59MH8ZBd13HSL3XI7FDNbvU0uyibleHPZd1tL05LYfTNBAaPA/s600/confidence_man_tilt.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXM-0Me5hnmsiyHkZ5T5yIGSE7T5eP7Qh7KeMHfosqDAC1jILYP0bGadyngWFUkdN_oPKysa0tQET-b3gk8oXf7fm65kF6PwORdFjIre7gmJ1h6YvC7HvSA_3uxsyP6MYgYDi-mMpk59MH8ZBd13HSL3XI7FDNbvU0uyibleHPZd1tL05LYfTNBAaPA/s320/confidence_man_tilt.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4koWjqTL62F8WSWpuhwpvu?si=2e7f5e7411884975">Feels Like A Different Thing</a></i> - Confidence Man:</b> If Australian dance-camp quartet Confidence Man's hysterical debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6cFtbFopkNavSUIxxqkLAl?si=do5gDG0gSAOw97An0ubG3Q">Confident Music For Confident People</a></i> leaned heavily to the camp side of their energetic, highly entertaining formula, follow-up <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0X9CpcnwoPgzznLDDGx8PI?si=PAS_0j8dR1aeKClP0Bjoxw">Tilt</a></i> (Mild Recommend) flips the switch, dialing down the humor in a play to be taken more seriously as an elite-tier dance-tent band. Some reviewers praised the album for its greater instrumental range and sophistication, others, like me, mostly missed the fun, except on standout song <i>Feels Like A Different Thing</i>, which perfectly recaptures the joyous <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4TECsw2dFHZ1ULrT7OA3OL?si=hdZ2CaUHQXeVbjQy7CFw3w">Screamadelica</a></i> inspiration that coursed through much of the debut.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhMcPiTIvIuivVPJCQk1NFctVOhQ1fux12d_53N4X4PiUI3sRiC9A6Q2kRDHyntfNzkME4EMSwUXYlUaZB9dI9qMNdkVjmjuDtMFR14EUO7bhAisDNjF8vUIQ9vAC4l-SnCxOxI-jRKZyyGH3JjqgcwI-89bo2JkLwO0Jrr0Se5YYOVD7Yz-4lA2Wxw/s1280/Kevin%20Morby%20-%20This%20Is%20A%20Photograph.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhMcPiTIvIuivVPJCQk1NFctVOhQ1fux12d_53N4X4PiUI3sRiC9A6Q2kRDHyntfNzkME4EMSwUXYlUaZB9dI9qMNdkVjmjuDtMFR14EUO7bhAisDNjF8vUIQ9vAC4l-SnCxOxI-jRKZyyGH3JjqgcwI-89bo2JkLwO0Jrr0Se5YYOVD7Yz-4lA2Wxw/s320/Kevin%20Morby%20-%20This%20Is%20A%20Photograph.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1hj8os1Xxiuo95atpJzfCp?si=7ff6d9f7241941a1">This Is A Photograph</a></i> - Kevin Morby:</b> Along with Fontaines D.C.'s <i>Skinty Fia</i>, Kevin Morby's poetic meditation on life, death, Memphis, and communal resilience <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6NMzokKOYpPO9VXDjmc5y6?si=QkVnmmqVT8eDp4xLEwwFNw">This Is A Photograph</a></i> (Strong Recommend) gets our vote for the best album of 2022. After witnessing his father collapse from a medical scare while visiting his Kansas hometown, Morby rediscovered a trove of family photographs that same day while his father recovered at the hospital, and the whole experienced launched Morby into a deep exploration of human mortality, an exploration that quickly expanded to include not just his father but an entire city as well. Latching onto the idea that Memphis has the most tragic history of any American city, Morby had soon sequestered himself in the city's infamous Peabody Hotel, venturing out only to visit the sites of some of Memphis's most infamous passings, among them the Lorraine Hotel (MLK), Graceland, and the precise Mississippi river spot where Jeff Buckley drowned. Deciding he needed to finish his already started album in Memphis before the flurry of inspiration was lost, Morby invited several collaborators, including jazz drummer Makaya McCraven, Cassandra Jenkins, Erin Rae, and girlfriend Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee), to join him at the legendary Sun and Stax studios. The end result was one of 2022's most thoughtful and reflective releases.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXffBeDRLjfIDoD2mv_l9f2EQjIsPzVFjLATVLB1kCnds00DkYbpAUsgcjZwp4DgJuC7cmgmXgzh6MxLYpn-jsLklBBB8m7HJx0VS38QtGAhvbv0PUIrdGFjzx8UEDaUbN7bslN3ZDTJT-tYUtBlcPrUwE0gN-ArCWvt9j1-LROxP09IzQB03r9QjSIg/s720/Rosalia%20-%20MOTOMAMI.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXffBeDRLjfIDoD2mv_l9f2EQjIsPzVFjLATVLB1kCnds00DkYbpAUsgcjZwp4DgJuC7cmgmXgzh6MxLYpn-jsLklBBB8m7HJx0VS38QtGAhvbv0PUIrdGFjzx8UEDaUbN7bslN3ZDTJT-tYUtBlcPrUwE0gN-ArCWvt9j1-LROxP09IzQB03r9QjSIg/s320/Rosalia%20-%20MOTOMAMI.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Y46tOTRhkBamosyuWa6YX?si=65c67855cde6483b">LA FAMA</a></i> - Rosalia:</b> A vibrant exploration of Flamenco music's possible future forms, rising Spanish superstar Rosalia's third album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6jbtHi5R0jMXoliU2OS0lo?si=Mkv3P81jQ_emZkbCWu0t-w">MOTOMAMI</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is every bit deserving of its critical rating as 2022's best international release. Percussive and ever shifting, it has a specific multinational, polyglot swagger similar to that possessed by M.I.A.'s career highpoint <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6jbtHi5R0jMXoliU2OS0lo?si=lDEOpFWTQnaMHS58RKu3Ag">Kala</a></i> fifteen years ago, with one significant difference - Rosalia is a way more talented vocalist. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByTbRv5OHTeySJIsvn_ZVg5s0Pp22R0rqm2bTg1DFE4xIE4z0sp8P8ukYvH3s9-wF5NnX_UgCemN_o5tXMEx1z8F9AnHIfKJftVx-oqxjIX4a_K6OLnE9bQZfTBKXr4ItJbSzVve8Dq2eLl5qPUGB8Efj8ZtktFgrIVOn63D2gGlwlGb64B51a89-kA/s600/yard-act-the-overload-art_1290_1290.Jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByTbRv5OHTeySJIsvn_ZVg5s0Pp22R0rqm2bTg1DFE4xIE4z0sp8P8ukYvH3s9-wF5NnX_UgCemN_o5tXMEx1z8F9AnHIfKJftVx-oqxjIX4a_K6OLnE9bQZfTBKXr4ItJbSzVve8Dq2eLl5qPUGB8Efj8ZtktFgrIVOn63D2gGlwlGb64B51a89-kA/s320/yard-act-the-overload-art_1290_1290.Jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6UXcVpdTl0MxMZbUnu6iqD?si=4a23edfdff1f4907"><i>The Overload</i> </a>- Yard Act:</b> Feel like you've been missing that particular brand of cheeky post-punk popularized by the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Art Brut back in the mid-aughts? Well look no further than the high-energy debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7KWBJQVkPOkkyC4A3EaNA6?si=VCVKj_blTliZ4elTP3vnyg">The Overload</a></i> (Solid Recommend) by snarky Leeds-base quartet Yard Act, who drag the style kicking and screaming into the Brexit era on songs like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4NmtJhlNUV0BJiqvojXr5H?si=6689bfed67ae4066">Payday</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5BvpTVOBtKADtK5LAOgX4g?si=896626d8a52649a3">Pour Another</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0jhDyfdBiRfMi3jh9z2S0U?si=4a7a39039d95447f">100% Endurance</a></i> and the title track featured here. And for more in a similar punchy-style, check out Dubliner's The Silverbacks' latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5s6O4e7y8AlKvDeHGQFaam?si=FdRMkLHoRrqtwfOz09zD5A">Archive Material</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1WCFfyzaDhaW6q4JUDe3ENVeVlVYrDRa5l1MxylhNUdthWxEVANXAHpYF1FL10DDM-kjjytQQ3NN-zywENYhENvD4DOcbJgWEofArLeQ9cUwX1B_W1jRXRRF4PoqrmIVk2-XBlffRE83y1jCsC9Gv1AJThX6_Zh3VP8ajwmr5yzd4NYn7S1htQrc3A/s500/Angel%20Olsen%20-%20Big%20Time.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1WCFfyzaDhaW6q4JUDe3ENVeVlVYrDRa5l1MxylhNUdthWxEVANXAHpYF1FL10DDM-kjjytQQ3NN-zywENYhENvD4DOcbJgWEofArLeQ9cUwX1B_W1jRXRRF4PoqrmIVk2-XBlffRE83y1jCsC9Gv1AJThX6_Zh3VP8ajwmr5yzd4NYn7S1htQrc3A/s320/Angel%20Olsen%20-%20Big%20Time.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Tv21RLLA1Dt6OtPNz8QDq?si=4565e09dac724fe3">All The Good Times</a> </i>- Angel Olsen:</b> A matter-of-fact, unsentimental break-up song, but quite likely not with another individual, but an earlier, less-emotionally-connected version of herself, <i>All Of The Good Times</i> is the magnificent opener to <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/02R7PREL8nCr02CEYLy7YH?si=mtWWfJ5ER9SHDwxKoPwjig">Big Time</a></i> (Solid Recommend), </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>the most unabashedly country album yet</span><span> </span><span>from Chicago indie-crooner Angel Olsen. Loaded with twangy, <i>Twin Peaks</i>-y last-call torch songs, this warm, album-long celebration of living in the moment as opposed to in one's head is my second favorite work of Olsen's career after 2016's dramatic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3CHcldbsbrBOOlw8cnLpNm?si=tWO2JI4VQL-rELs2-NXXjw">My Woman</a></i>. And for more late-night country-tinged magic, check out The Cowboy Junkies unexpected return <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3CRQfG5NbcbwphJC3K4lbz?si=oPnn3wVBS9-Z6XeEhyulRg">Songs Of The Recollection</a>,</i> Weyes Blood's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1hngVRZt95TrqPqXoJzQ4A?si=yV7jLwVRQOy6f2vhSmRh5Q">And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow</a>, </i>Aussie Julia Jacklin's<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6TojjY9JPhsgR5U6r9g3ZC?si=90_bGELCTI-xZ7xX2JJ7Yg">PRE PLEASURE</a>, </i>and Orville Peck's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2hCcPHWTbvF81CiXPUrM6I?si=Pd_t8JivRPGP50lJ02o9bw">Bronco</a></i>, whose song <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3usFKA7XXOtaIqDdH6mUx9?si=833095071ff54961">Out Of Time</a></i> was the last track trimmed from this mix.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu0CCFsu7MSCVRdTj2zD4ok0LzFqzLqWExWc4u2vLLQHgjIoaySUm0xVR3cooKE-po3cD8VagHPAX6OvTnk0919Yw6wTm0PUGiaeOwyNygeJgBF13YD-RckWYea9txyQ3IkdTzh71ifaDykM4u9FVhXNJzWEphb_CRdhjYjcoGIlI2Mt1d71tmYh1RQ/s1200/Spoon%20-%20Lucifer%20On%20The%20Sofa.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu0CCFsu7MSCVRdTj2zD4ok0LzFqzLqWExWc4u2vLLQHgjIoaySUm0xVR3cooKE-po3cD8VagHPAX6OvTnk0919Yw6wTm0PUGiaeOwyNygeJgBF13YD-RckWYea9txyQ3IkdTzh71ifaDykM4u9FVhXNJzWEphb_CRdhjYjcoGIlI2Mt1d71tmYh1RQ/s320/Spoon%20-%20Lucifer%20On%20The%20Sofa.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZifmvedzdccUUuiGDAbTU?si=e2286b3b14a348de">The Hardest Cut</a> </i>- Spoon:</b> While it doesn't possess that home run track, Spoon's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1szMY4QqnQZgNuyLBC4jUQ?si=R3JQtgrhS66EjTNh2CmOqg">Lucifer On The Sofa</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is loaded with doubles and triples, making it the band's best and most consistent album since 07's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3tSpLdSd2zhM0N0aYZd13E?si=QsSL4Tr6S36MS0yxviyYrg">Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga</a></i>. Notably, lead singer/principal songwriter Britt Daniel relocated back to his native Austin, Texas a few years back, which might explain why <i>Lucifer </i>is also the band's hardest rocking, most guitar-centric recording in quite some time. Spearheaded by quick-hitting tracks like the anthemic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/05uhED0miR9OJYPalPi7tx?si=1c237ef9633e440d">Wild</a></i>, simmering Smog cover <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/27nDbnuJsy6UaBQtr3oR7T?si=567e33728f924edf">Held</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0pueCqgcYWVdeDBmAnql64?si=fa4941d08f2a48c3">Feels Alright</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3C49SjmcPgBiR4KrlK0TBc?si=caf81544ee614f6e">On The Radio</a></i>, and <i>The Hardest Cut</i>, the whole affair has the feel of a rowdy UT Sixth Street live set. And for more tight crunchy indie, check out Canadian stalwarts Sloan's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4p9uaJ4RlN4dJiJ8uoRCeM?si=vVwNy9voR6SScfhssAOXlA">Steady</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNW17MbsdAPbnlNGJRS7tWnI4B_ozMf2zv3AD-m2zLw7rM3cM_IOb1aNmzS8HrIIB5w7Mp8-FmC5CxyeClXxZiNioTg---xSnaPAp40707pnguwtLtRJojLp6CCpadZp6FRhzLBZO5UUVUfOIarMx46BqHuNEy7M9-m5Jb4gZ2gRY2R0BodwbD1hJhQ/s500/Ibibio%20Sound%20Machine%20-%20Electricity.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNW17MbsdAPbnlNGJRS7tWnI4B_ozMf2zv3AD-m2zLw7rM3cM_IOb1aNmzS8HrIIB5w7Mp8-FmC5CxyeClXxZiNioTg---xSnaPAp40707pnguwtLtRJojLp6CCpadZp6FRhzLBZO5UUVUfOIarMx46BqHuNEy7M9-m5Jb4gZ2gRY2R0BodwbD1hJhQ/s320/Ibibio%20Sound%20Machine%20-%20Electricity.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4JCTEAdqSG8GskU2k59K9O?si=35a1ad07ca074522"><i>Protection from Evil</i> </a>- Ibibio Sound Machine:</b> For their third album, this London Afro-funk act decided to amplify the electronic side of their polyrhythmic sound, teaming up with festival synth-pop darlings Hot Chip to produce the aptly named <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0TJe1zaoMElWrLSIhmSyKL?si=xfECD7gSToySZxtJl6395Q">Electricity</a></i> (Solid Recommend). A lively front-to-back listen that oddly often reminds of the Eurythmics' best uptempo work, I was torn between three tracks to represent the record here, but finally sided with the high drama of opener <i>Protection From Evil</i> over the new-wavish high funk of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Hq53GMD9Co6nonZ3HIr1g?si=7d31abf2f8ab4061">17, 18, 19</a></i> and the album's most popular track, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6RAgU8tgiesjVTtIIML0Fs?si=0a714dcef2f547d7">All That You Want</a></i>. And for more multinational funk with a debt to classic new wave, check out Charlotte Adigery and Boris Pupul's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ivk3u8J7qg7YoWUZlnGNz?si=Ijo-Sl66QGqxepEQ0X0n5A">Topical Dancer</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH33PUBT1AqtgdXPIHbOEDfMrt3G5y2HSjZbjbYgr9CEF4WD9_YZFJlWnb1o_GZiFua8lUSNYjo9Yf9PCLgS5bVxx7ggC0mmDMPtKrDnqLSPCvLFa2bAJ4imxHVoRIYqmJxWUMuLw0hMIn-LZuSC5kmwmy60rUyYXjv1F9X3Vqk9k9A66godelP-Qw4A/s1500/The%20Mountain%20Goats%20-%20Bleed%20Out.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH33PUBT1AqtgdXPIHbOEDfMrt3G5y2HSjZbjbYgr9CEF4WD9_YZFJlWnb1o_GZiFua8lUSNYjo9Yf9PCLgS5bVxx7ggC0mmDMPtKrDnqLSPCvLFa2bAJ4imxHVoRIYqmJxWUMuLw0hMIn-LZuSC5kmwmy60rUyYXjv1F9X3Vqk9k9A66godelP-Qw4A/s320/The%20Mountain%20Goats%20-%20Bleed%20Out.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/281eKOTcD0lOhFEUKuDcqT?si=12a6a64988a04311">Guys On Every Corner</a></i> - The Mountain Goats:</b> We move from "protection from evil" to thoughts on how to take evil on. Continuing their hot streak of lyrically unified albums that lock in on the most unusual of thematic obsessions - the world of professional wrestling (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4i54Kl9bCNCVJeeflih1rB?si=-y9d_pSJTFaBjfk-JMlPpg">Beat The Champ</a></i>), the adulting pains of aging niche music junkies (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6XLRx96ABodEunrBezNjLR?si=yf9OxISJQqSq4DqIVh8l9w">Goths</a></i>), the joys of Dungeons and Dragons (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5y9OP5VLb8oA1uBj31rxoO?si=DsSaOCx3RFyCkwGfrjh7jA">In League With Dragons</a></i>), and the fall of Paganism as a dominant world religion (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2FHXWD7j8HqJUQzA4ZrHDG?si=ArA3HlkHRqiAME4iLoPPRQ">Songs For Pierre Chuvin</a>) </i>have all been recent topics - John Darnielle and company turn their attention to the instantly recognizable cliches of 80s and 90s noir/revenge films with the often laugh-out-loud amusing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/20KGjm5xRROTqP0UY1EVRg?si=9l4dVAACSVCS-jHgAOlWaw">Bleed Out </a></i>(Strong Recommend). The song titles alone - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0HEYFRBo4pBLLWjXsAZjod?si=e7bd506f6a8643a6">Training Montage</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0PKDH0QKgBVJCXxOx3hlU5?si=c45cd985b38249bc">Extraction Point</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1NyJLkCmG29UfA6mv3jNGp?si=a20bd9374b464bc2">Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/41oZm63yeOM8FHjk4lpdfD?si=2d6bad8d3442432c">Need More Bandages</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4aMQsZqDceCAyciMN6ln1W?si=62d1388965b5441a">Make You Suffer</a></i>, and my personal fav, the "summon the old neighborhood chums to take on the bad guys" <i>Guys On Every Corner</i> - give a great sense of the fun to be found, but the best thing about <i>Bleed Out</i> is how the subject matter (and an able assist from Bully lead guitarist Alicia Bognanno) has forced the usually so mellow Goats </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>into almost full-on rock mode, making it among the most unique albums in their expansive catalog</span><span>.</span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKphl-JGGJfBkgKetA2ognoRY4XBWpOe6sTeeSfIwFKpBvo4pT8URqc_0R3Xg9ZSepPOvvUcD_a8nmdVvvWebsHYkjEcKLKXdao3jMgQ4JcAFRdivus0TKlSLIMyQh2olu4RoMO1QuB3W7giO5ZG8CwJfbsTMhNGvPrYVVLpzY_Vfv7GnCdM50BtGiA/s1200/Beach%20Bunny%20-%20Emotional%20Creature.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKphl-JGGJfBkgKetA2ognoRY4XBWpOe6sTeeSfIwFKpBvo4pT8URqc_0R3Xg9ZSepPOvvUcD_a8nmdVvvWebsHYkjEcKLKXdao3jMgQ4JcAFRdivus0TKlSLIMyQh2olu4RoMO1QuB3W7giO5ZG8CwJfbsTMhNGvPrYVVLpzY_Vfv7GnCdM50BtGiA/s320/Beach%20Bunny%20-%20Emotional%20Creature.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6p0Nvka9pKB9PYEC8kyc03?si=db3b5f59996a4f3d">Weeds</a></i> - Beach Bunny:</b> Alvvays' breakout album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4BvnbCJbTPkyZYYBWVijgq?si=fmQvWf27Rai1CsnqdCuvEw">Blue Rev</a></i>, featured later in this mix, delivered the year's most sophisticated jangle-pop, but for my money, 2022's catchiest jangle-pop single was <i>Weeds</i> here from Chicago-based, Lili Trifilio-fronted Beach Bunny's sophomore full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3H6pbRzmpQa6eqCXn7rgO8?si=bBydqyzOR2Cl_M3hU3TWCg">Emotional Creature</a></i> (Solid Recommend). And for more summery, hook-filled pleasures, check out The Beths' latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RWLJx7kQLSnwwPyTqPj0U?si=hZ0KkVRmTCqjOcNsK7BJnA">Expert In A Dying Field</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0z8jH4KjR-oGyYeWb9I_7BhYpTgxh5EMD_k2av1jNxqLaNXj0BYKb56OpcWgCMSx0SMvfxiW6k1TkuyuTlcG-e7drdaVY_Asb-mHcD-nbJAlvpDIQ1T37REGD0iFTDQGhqUSh3TdeoyI21IG5_AwLN2RhR-D6jrYKJCz3Sus4KRiODUB8kYYZKMP1g/s1400/The%20Reds%20pinks%20purples%20-%20Summer%20at%20Land's%20End.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0z8jH4KjR-oGyYeWb9I_7BhYpTgxh5EMD_k2av1jNxqLaNXj0BYKb56OpcWgCMSx0SMvfxiW6k1TkuyuTlcG-e7drdaVY_Asb-mHcD-nbJAlvpDIQ1T37REGD0iFTDQGhqUSh3TdeoyI21IG5_AwLN2RhR-D6jrYKJCz3Sus4KRiODUB8kYYZKMP1g/s320/The%20Reds%20pinks%20purples%20-%20Summer%20at%20Land's%20End.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0jvoCVJ59AqylYfY5hPF2Y?si=b65ada0762324dd1">Don't Come Home Too Soon</a></i> - The Reds, Pinks and Purples:</b> Want some great, melancholy bedroom pop? You could do far worse than the San Francisco-based, Glenn David Robison-led The Reds, Pinks and Purples' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0dI5LZnQkQARnozVj1wQ57?si=Ou25pE0AQlWn2Z7s_tUT5Q">Summer At Land's End</a></i> (Solid Recommend), the best of the band's three full-length 2022 releases. And for more chill bedroom pop with a light touch, I'd give The Paperbacks' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/46haRq08MM0GIXj1r7WHWw?si=tko7nU-mQ0K7Iy3_GghTjg">Past Life Regression</a></i> a whirl.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RHitPVfGdjUv2ORVDywcSjnHIQndvSNZdyJ-1qWDZyc6XC3dxUqEV9goIWbCFIY7EU9YICeOrL25jvJ4Mai4Sn3Y-1HBEtKjTjSQPjdz53FttSL4XYtVCPhyhUcDkRDBi5GiebNWpzlY7Itf1iIIVv5Juy6IZ3z-6kbX_jiGxRlsw24C-VNp2EMpSQ/s600/just_mustard_heart_under.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RHitPVfGdjUv2ORVDywcSjnHIQndvSNZdyJ-1qWDZyc6XC3dxUqEV9goIWbCFIY7EU9YICeOrL25jvJ4Mai4Sn3Y-1HBEtKjTjSQPjdz53FttSL4XYtVCPhyhUcDkRDBi5GiebNWpzlY7Itf1iIIVv5Juy6IZ3z-6kbX_jiGxRlsw24C-VNp2EMpSQ/s320/just_mustard_heart_under.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0FBVEBVt9k3uNFtAV2sWDY?si=49f2ff5781654d42">Still</a></i> - Just Mustard: </b>Imagine the Cranberries backed by Nine Inch Nails/Ministry and that will give you a good idea of the throbbing sonic mayhem to be found in Irish quintet Just Mustard's second full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0IxkOdfNHkZBUJECtBgMUZ?si=zFdLxPF6Te6is6IhvhhoBg">Heart Under</a></i> (Strong Recommend), the best industrial album of 2022. And for another female-fronted venture into the thrill of noise, take a listen to Chicago-based Sonic Youth-worshipping trio Horse Girl's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/435br4I9UOHTrQI5qbxVbI?si=-yN3olZcQmGIEDM1mlmAcw">Versions Of Modern Performance</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NOv4Mi0q0lMBvom3KwmIgUe3oWCb4zWnhNVKfitBkpCH2zTjLilUJjl7WjnRnQ8snMDomTTlRyRYR2CZDOrMTSJcngErOXatBCcsT8sGAyA1gh9IBAMieK2qYFuBX0IoT4EkJc9yFBBhuoYUW4x3_3HjN-Y4DgERj3y138YYDnakI7QmuEMariJcuA/s600/Kendrick-Lamar-Mr-Morale-And-The-Big-Steppers.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NOv4Mi0q0lMBvom3KwmIgUe3oWCb4zWnhNVKfitBkpCH2zTjLilUJjl7WjnRnQ8snMDomTTlRyRYR2CZDOrMTSJcngErOXatBCcsT8sGAyA1gh9IBAMieK2qYFuBX0IoT4EkJc9yFBBhuoYUW4x3_3HjN-Y4DgERj3y138YYDnakI7QmuEMariJcuA/s320/Kendrick-Lamar-Mr-Morale-And-The-Big-Steppers.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/19Fg3WrTfo35Ji3PtfZE6J?si=c49bc4fcbf914678">Auntie Diaries</a></i> - Kendrick Lamar:</b> Driven to self-examination over a five-year hiatus caused by an extended case of writer's block and the birth of his two children, Kendrick Lamar decided to turn his lyrical gaze inwards like never before, resulting in what is by far his most personal, difficult, and complicated album, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1atjqOZTCdrjxjMyCPZc2g?si=Mfv3mGayRNqtlyjTiDslpA">Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers</a> </i>(Solid Recommend). <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0fX4oNGBWO3dSGUZcVdVV2?si=f3b77188303240ad">N-95</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3lzUeaCbcCDB5IXYfqWRlF?si=bdb3084472b64c9e">Silent Hill</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2g6tReTlM2Akp41g0HaeXN?si=850feaaf3da34b43">Die Hard</a></i>, and the stand-alone single release of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5MMW4CZsZiZt2iuqAXzzWC?si=4af0ffa3808147a9">The Heart Part 5</a></i> (recorded in the same sessions) were the big hits, but no song encapsulates the album's endless contradictions better than <i>Auntie Diaries</i>, which caused quite an uproar in the trans-community: half praising the ultimately uplifting tale of Kendrick's slow path to acceptance and appreciation of the two trans-members of his extended family, the other half disparaging Lamar's choice to riddle the song with F-bombs and dead naming practices to make his point. And for more quality hip hop from rap's 21st century guard, check out Pusha T's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6o38CdD7CUlZDCFhjZYLDH?si=X6l_QpdOTP2o2gaWXibeuw">It's Almost Dry</a></i>, Denzel Curry's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7KtyUeiJidoZO0ybxBXw0Q?si=ycfO_CRqSym2xZjNFsSC6Q"><i>Melt My Eyes See Your Future</i></a>, Billy Woods' <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34uTUAM6SE8Eo6Cv4PRqwD?si=9GlTA29TQ-SIc-ZacDvOig"><i>Aethiopes</i></a>, and Earl Sweatshirt's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/51heTwkSfb4Z5dRIgwU2bd?si=rv6iDzaUQlavozep6S961Q">Sick</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sCdkIAGrpsXd1-nFhCjS_RR5xkXa5f7H4ODMNsQqarXFTpYXavm4ywJjW0fwCoCLrWKqYDJqBZSLQDImeqMl2lMGIpuuf3Y8CoOPqdLPPeKK0lT0xaia7K9oE8bq4fMro8eXDbev-Qw4ZLX4pmyvh8Z--AYj2znQrhWpHMU7Wjj92D-_aYatw8_mxw/s600/king-gizzard-ice-death.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sCdkIAGrpsXd1-nFhCjS_RR5xkXa5f7H4ODMNsQqarXFTpYXavm4ywJjW0fwCoCLrWKqYDJqBZSLQDImeqMl2lMGIpuuf3Y8CoOPqdLPPeKK0lT0xaia7K9oE8bq4fMro8eXDbev-Qw4ZLX4pmyvh8Z--AYj2znQrhWpHMU7Wjj92D-_aYatw8_mxw/s320/king-gizzard-ice-death.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/36XAknfUMQYgAPfIJkTed0?si=9f0d2c8c4ac4480c">Ice V</a></i> - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard:</b> The first of three excellent jam-oriented albums to be spotlighted on this mix, the hyper-prolific King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nPbslvl01lfELsFHTKp0s?si=PUf1cZ38Qyi1jA84l1fVPQ">Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms & Lava</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) was 2022's best psychedelic album, and maybe the most consistent record of the always adventurous but often quality control-lacking Aussie act's career. Ironically, it's also the band's least pre-planned effort to date: all seven of its grooving, flowing numbers like <i>Ice V</i> here were recorded live in the studio with no pre-planning or writing, just an upfront agreement on tuning and tempo. And for those looking for additional worthwhile 2022 psych-rock listens, also check out King Gizzard's other two calendar-year releases <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/05ag5ukffFozEnXGOeuTTD?si=XhMlPZCyRpeOtS7w5hFetA">Changes</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5f0IPVaiRNK0knLx8UbqIq?si=hHrxkmRFSXWFENGeiLi7jA">Laminated Denim</a></i>, Jack White's duel '22 offerings, the exciting, almost violent <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/46qeiLBu3KwqFQpJBT7t6B?si=uBpfu45HQoeGag4ywcyRwQ">Fear Of Dawn</a></i>, and the much gentler, folkier <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4GxhBXlAhfNzI7ehTDmFJ5?si=osbHPs4kS_K9kyWXWVcxMA">Entering Heaven Alive</a></i>, Goat's hard-hitting, <i>Midsommar</i>-suggesting <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5LhIdHs0JJKiol5l08qUlK?si=uIoL2awHRJyfOracOnqrsA">Oh, Death</a></i>, Wild Pink's at times War On Drugs-ish <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34tf3KVea0r8Ee5jUE6HH9?si=c4jOwgZwSSmxCb-cODaebQ">ILYSM</a></i>, and the Arctic Monkey's super-loungey <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2GROf0WKoP5Er2M9RXVNNs?si=nVfbEyM6Syuht91nNJ1X9Q">The Car</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYlZHiOi1pbmxl6DenbjecofAAngmdD_XMI77ie_i5JtKC6A41LV9zQNQ1X9oMCQElG-eMkVSNDKEBnVZwh1-HVfD4FL2ANWy58UpyU4rOUlG033rbXkUWlaUTxXib7hD4uNwjLkvGw_wcroz78Zphspu-fOkoNgJ50IYQ0Y20kgYJ1vQYOsxmtjiLg/s600/Florist.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYlZHiOi1pbmxl6DenbjecofAAngmdD_XMI77ie_i5JtKC6A41LV9zQNQ1X9oMCQElG-eMkVSNDKEBnVZwh1-HVfD4FL2ANWy58UpyU4rOUlG033rbXkUWlaUTxXib7hD4uNwjLkvGw_wcroz78Zphspu-fOkoNgJ50IYQ0Y20kgYJ1vQYOsxmtjiLg/s320/Florist.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6dNk1RgsYgVhTtgWEY3lbR?si=bb897ad7eb4b4a2d">43</a></i> - Florist:</b> Taking bucolic, Big Thief-styled whisper-folk a step further, the New York-based, Emily Sprague-led indie-quarter Florist eschewed the studio for the screened in porch of a Hudson Valley rental to record their fourth LP, the eponymous <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7EvfFPMMvMJ20olfdEkPBR?si=jKfUnoIgQnO6NrTiu0cXGg">Florist</a></i> (Solid Recommend). As gentle and warm as any 2022 release, much of the album ebbs and flows with ambient pauses that highlight the surrounding area's natural sounds, but over the course of its full-hour, six or seven sharply drawn songs do emerge out of the woodland haze - especially <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2Jyp0oNfjtotPIioFwPD5K?si=53d5ca71f905433b">Sci-fi Silence</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3sEDHgA2cXya5gfyXPJksw?si=ee90dfd44469462e">Spring In Hours</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4ihCk0lIbJyYV7JSmJb6YY?si=a382e7043294416d">Red Bird Pt. 2</a></i>, and personal fav <i>43</i> here with its long, fantastic guitar-led denouement. Will be too delicate and sleepy for some, but I liked the vibe.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ks9IKmzWl3gwRG3anG1WykEWx1oLOpJCiiWgR_d4yyZFhHAnDji1zxsP7RLONizHykyyOupRzwBYItc3Dh4_SjKqfJOMkuw9GRY2FKeMMZVqL24GsHq4Gj5gcK3vAEzRmB0VgPncvhEUCWFryujYLTTMDLAUGcxSWwNN5gpaAkKLgPKqfqYPfUeyAA/s1500/The%20Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Live%20at%20El%20Mocambo.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ks9IKmzWl3gwRG3anG1WykEWx1oLOpJCiiWgR_d4yyZFhHAnDji1zxsP7RLONizHykyyOupRzwBYItc3Dh4_SjKqfJOMkuw9GRY2FKeMMZVqL24GsHq4Gj5gcK3vAEzRmB0VgPncvhEUCWFryujYLTTMDLAUGcxSWwNN5gpaAkKLgPKqfqYPfUeyAA/s320/The%20Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Live%20at%20El%20Mocambo.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7ch462Z5tNmLK4pbN2nIpT?si=6fd26bc63afe40a9">Hot Stuff</a></i> - The Rolling Stones:</b> It was one of the Stone's most legendary concerts. Sick of the bloat that had overtaken major rock tours in the mid-70s, the Stones decided they wanted to record some songs in an intimate club setting reminiscent of their early cover-band days back at London's Crawdaddy. Always fans of Toronto, they chose the El Mocambo as the venue, and released 300 tickets for a secret two-night stand billed as warm-up act The Cockroaches for headliner April Wine (who also released a live recording from these sessions). Originally, four studio-enhanced versions of the Mocambo recordings were included on side three of the Stones '77 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1u8xCtfjD454V2i6Tr64y6?si=x6pOvZSZS2qsNdbGxQ2FeA">Love You Live</a></i>, but now, forty-five years later, the Toronto-shows have been resurrected in all their pristine glory with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/444RtK8RqcIODjfyaWTuhi?si=eWoBWYoASOuihTdkLfQL9A">Live At The El Mocambo</a></i> (Solid Recommend). It's a must listen for any serious Stones fan, and while there's a decent smattering of the band's classic hits </span><span style="font-size: large;">(<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3zLSTP4RvQTni2RtA7cck0?si=2eb845ed0dd14483"><i>It's Only Rock 'N' Roll</i> </a>especially kills)</span><span style="font-size: large;">, what's most fun about the record are the resuscitated formative-years blues covers and how ferociously the band digs into their less highly regarded mid-seventies material, especially the way-better-than-the-original flange-heavy take on </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">Hot Stuff</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> featured here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlovXIqfyfvPoBLfPnX0345DbL0mSJgY_Wjv54w1AuIhF65bcA9QSY77W-Q7bBzE3DOyV6w-QNxi5GsO2hRC8SnsFEuHp9lAUGYZIB_aLIadDkDy_B27NKoSJnb2rv25rRdvIZB67f0-1YF6sIDL3p3XhxF2G2itzbuDU_-OreIBm0QD6YKWeP75vKw/s880/Wet%20Leg.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlovXIqfyfvPoBLfPnX0345DbL0mSJgY_Wjv54w1AuIhF65bcA9QSY77W-Q7bBzE3DOyV6w-QNxi5GsO2hRC8SnsFEuHp9lAUGYZIB_aLIadDkDy_B27NKoSJnb2rv25rRdvIZB67f0-1YF6sIDL3p3XhxF2G2itzbuDU_-OreIBm0QD6YKWeP75vKw/s320/Wet%20Leg.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0nys6GusuHnjSYLW0PYYb7?si=00ff27c15a9645f5">Chaise Longue</a></i> - Wet Leg:</b> Take Wynona Ryder's "teenage angst bullshit" from the movie <i>Heathers</i>, shove that anxiety forward another half-decade to the mid-twenties, and drape it all in a super-infectious, hysterically hyper-observant and profane punk-pop package, and that pretty much describes every song on Isle Of Wight duo Wet Leg's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0r9awI5WRCZpwk0aVQ4bKO?si=ZINp086zQTm6igHqoMovBw">self-titled debut</a> (Strong Recommend), the number three album in the consensus year-end polls and number four here at McQ's Best Of. As fun as any 2022 release. And for more playful, female-fronted punk pop, give the still-in-high-school Linda Linda's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BkAzZNlSz80Iz3oTlKHet?si=sJqyBDTNQMKEROKT1IZKPA">Growing Up</a></i> a listen, or for a more mature take, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's latest <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ug0WdvzC2sLXTrtHUwNsj?si=mfeXiFdaQWSy8QXFbgRkMg"><i>Cool It Down</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfG8qHJ7Fv1FwKCIf2ZKXe4EubTALIyiyFUqR33vlYjjIVkYi3aywo3EYZ3m142heV9KNxg4HNCPcSzQUvcjDgzJwXGd-36iVvvLP02uArM7fQD7aIAtqAmhm__UvQWAbgt-5o8AHboPzvVi-Pv2QzeP8Wy0_zFeQSXwVaMT-BTbXnuryUh38RAj_Rg/s600/Sudan-Archives-Natural-Brown-Prom-Queen-STH2449.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfG8qHJ7Fv1FwKCIf2ZKXe4EubTALIyiyFUqR33vlYjjIVkYi3aywo3EYZ3m142heV9KNxg4HNCPcSzQUvcjDgzJwXGd-36iVvvLP02uArM7fQD7aIAtqAmhm__UvQWAbgt-5o8AHboPzvVi-Pv2QzeP8Wy0_zFeQSXwVaMT-BTbXnuryUh38RAj_Rg/s320/Sudan-Archives-Natural-Brown-Prom-Queen-STH2449.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5vGZX134ZZktjCEYoDm462?si=637b8813581f4825"><i>Home Maker</i> </a>- Sudan Archives:</b> The year's most critically championed and innovative soul album, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1QSo9HgowUqAc5BI3AdkqN?si=EGJYyGXcTRiqYLqMBAt4rg">Natural Brown Prom Queen</a></i> (Solid Recommend) </span><span style="font-size: large;">comes to us courtesy of Ohio-Born, LA-Based singer/songwriter/violinist Brittney Parks (aka Sudan Archives). As opener <i>Home Maker</i> demonstrates, <i>Prom Queen</i> offers soul music crafted with a level of arrangement complexity far above the norm. And for more fine 2022 neo-soul, Brit Gabriels's debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6XT2zsJKZ80o1FJndkQwdx?si=rYfMHpXtSU6PwY8hfbVHIw"><i>Angels & Queens - Part 1</i></a> is worth checking out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpei36FeHqsxqWr0mIeyMATMMRoaGPSL4XMzYnqfmaTMv71WX4YaLoXIEjuriW1JcjkJbCxK8763Lf6XLyPHPuhofOPF0uOdVad2fcyZASAxhZ3wm1_RUr-bOwsvqdeq0T-otC0ngm0oYosnaDkvVlgllpZ3GHfMVP2HzXFESmqGXDZVPfgIKSRDzqFg/s600/Dehd-Blue-Skies.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpei36FeHqsxqWr0mIeyMATMMRoaGPSL4XMzYnqfmaTMv71WX4YaLoXIEjuriW1JcjkJbCxK8763Lf6XLyPHPuhofOPF0uOdVad2fcyZASAxhZ3wm1_RUr-bOwsvqdeq0T-otC0ngm0oYosnaDkvVlgllpZ3GHfMVP2HzXFESmqGXDZVPfgIKSRDzqFg/s320/Dehd-Blue-Skies.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0atclF6Pp5MffEEi7CSFlE?si=c3ef47ede3804d7d">Bad Love</a></i> - Dehd:</b> Chicago trio Dehd traffics in surf-tinged garage rock so basic and minimal your six-year-old could play along. But whatever their instrumental restraint, they have an indisputable talent for plucking clever, hooky alt-rock melodies out of thin air and delivering them with a Perry Farrell-styled panache, and they do so time and again on the engaging <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1vzqa9wcGcflSTyVbQPRFE?si=tf6693T4Symj_PpyUDON9g">Blue Skies</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Fans of Aught-era acts like Drums, Girls, and Best Coast will dig this one for sure.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih26FYhU5kIR34fcHiWj-IC5mawT4Lc8qsjiZNHEobZcY36n78yqOmcTKVq9fre5NWCO2AfJTSX6BjEO1qGBQ4DqaEmFauhYtm4Yz71vLvdeUlb-zVgv_MqdIJCghk6YzKTiDQtVAomDM5rGdQY1K5Bl3heHB086-z_MLZlwWq6TjxHGn_nQiGdv5J5A/s1280/Beyonce-Renaissance.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih26FYhU5kIR34fcHiWj-IC5mawT4Lc8qsjiZNHEobZcY36n78yqOmcTKVq9fre5NWCO2AfJTSX6BjEO1qGBQ4DqaEmFauhYtm4Yz71vLvdeUlb-zVgv_MqdIJCghk6YzKTiDQtVAomDM5rGdQY1K5Bl3heHB086-z_MLZlwWq6TjxHGn_nQiGdv5J5A/s320/Beyonce-Renaissance.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/40KCN2nYImUounlfO5Cdzn?si=dbd1391561f94f60">Break My Soul</a></i> - Beyonce:</b> The runaway critical concensus album of the year, Beyonce's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ctW8o8ABBCNWWkdIvEGgV?si=WxJBYU5yQ2iNRVs2sy3LoA">Renaissance</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is a fantastic retro-dive into the dance-floor's signature sounds of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Owner of some of the best best songs of any 2022 release, the only thing holding me back from giving <i>Renaissance</i> a highest recommend is that just like with Robyn's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0Rzg7fqyWE39G6wKipxrns?si=6eELZjNhR3-poKf_lHfojA">Body Talk</a> </i>in 2010, the melodic pop numbers so consistently outshine the more techno-oriented numbers like worst track <i>Thique</i> that the record feels unbalanced, when really we're just talking noticeably different tiers of excellence. And for three other very different 2022 dance-floor takes, check out Fijuya & Miyagi's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6KRf1e0gsSGBHq0UfD77w5?si=71aqWmbXQNKsPWqWPYm5Cw">Slight Variations</a></i>, Lizzo's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1NgFBv1PxMG1zhFDW1OrRr?si=iUZQW17hSw6C06rH6NGgXg">Special</a></i>, and Metrics' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1S5vq5vSHCnCJnMljIiuS6?si=MtfPdmOfQxi1JixJPkSekA">Formentera</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6p2jRv6yI-NBLtem6df-9QDSk9s1UEi5FXHU8vVrPOyNpJmnnJf95PlTF2rGNWmgPLULgk41eWRIGCdVwSXhV3l4RAV4YRW44Mk6JJvgg-Nvqnh3a6oYh9MRYzGrXJJOfjNw6Jqz0FSBHXaPS6OP0MgapmfpI30hLxGxicNYN2z7KTWUkbDnnmrXQQ/s600/The-Smile.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6p2jRv6yI-NBLtem6df-9QDSk9s1UEi5FXHU8vVrPOyNpJmnnJf95PlTF2rGNWmgPLULgk41eWRIGCdVwSXhV3l4RAV4YRW44Mk6JJvgg-Nvqnh3a6oYh9MRYzGrXJJOfjNw6Jqz0FSBHXaPS6OP0MgapmfpI30hLxGxicNYN2z7KTWUkbDnnmrXQQ/s320/The-Smile.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0p8esvsm33EFp9iABb8wH9?si=2fb013660d134d9f">Free In The Knowledge</a></i> - The Smile:</b> As with several of Radiohead's best albums, Thom Yorke/Johnny Greenwood side-project The Smile's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/009EjjwUjtdjvH7UP0wHzi?si=gjfu-5cOQqqTf_-VW3tfMw">A Light For Attracting Attention</a></i> (Solid Recommend) didn't appeal to me much over the first few listens. But with time, especially after hearing its songs embedded in multi-artist mixes, its particular appeal sank in, to the point where I now like it better than any of Thom Yorke's solo efforts, and a few of Radiohead's lesser efforts as well. If you're not a Radiohead fan, don't bother, but if you are, definitely give this one multiple spins.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87tsZ4kn_NuvgzqLHwBhA6NavcUnu5_zEU1XuOx0wZe_9F8lHc-M7GZrSCMmhEK_s7FTBdtoNU1N8Z0ug7itdVLnNAVRk11-GMXKQ-X1D3RpyNLxvjjqL5eoXFIjOAqJjUVWjgAiU05sspyM0O6HGHyVAREs8_6ljEMofaCWJtuN6YcqGr8K-XmvpXg/s600/Big-Thief-Dragon-New-Warm-Mountain-I-Believe-in-You.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87tsZ4kn_NuvgzqLHwBhA6NavcUnu5_zEU1XuOx0wZe_9F8lHc-M7GZrSCMmhEK_s7FTBdtoNU1N8Z0ug7itdVLnNAVRk11-GMXKQ-X1D3RpyNLxvjjqL5eoXFIjOAqJjUVWjgAiU05sspyM0O6HGHyVAREs8_6ljEMofaCWJtuN6YcqGr8K-XmvpXg/s320/Big-Thief-Dragon-New-Warm-Mountain-I-Believe-in-You.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3Q6VfeIZ1bTjWiNe2Or4LQ?si=2b6d263246f34706">Spud Infinity</a></i> - Big Thief:</b> Following two very different but highly focused releases in 2019, <i><a href="http://U.F.O.F">U.F.O.F</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5pp7px9MITK2MqeFVbRWGo?si=g7R9aT7dSZmYLuvQ1ePozA">Two Hands</a></i>, Brooklyn indie quartet Big Thief loosens things way up and goes wherever the hell they please (stylistically and literally - the album was recorded in four different locations: Topanga Canyon, Tuscon, the Colorado Rockies, and the Catskills) on their epically sprawling 2022 double-album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ln81p86r5cCsesd3KBWIY?si=PGOC1ODjQQ-paAPuDRbZZw">Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Unfortunately, the great, relaxed sense of freedom the album conveys isn't always matched by the song quality (this is the least consistent of the band's last five releases), but as with Beyonce's <i>Renaissance</i>, its best songs are as good as anything 2022 served up, from lilting numbers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3HFBqhotJeEKHJzMEW31jZ?si=0acd129280814185">Change</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2mdaMDbjFxmxQPO90PxT5w?si=82e044a2ed334c3a">No Reason</a></i> to the awesomely clanky <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/32k3OLmeIWe93KY0QzMmZX?si=3ac346eac7584ade">Time Escaping</a></i> to twang-fests like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3AqSeHqtg45ddsAYJeuCqm?si=16a337e60f374b79">Red Moon</a></i> and my personal favorite, the sublimely ridiculous <i>Spud Infinity</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8ZU879MiqVR6wYnVifA9evzH6fgV07MnAaNrFOyQML-cDnYHhS-1cpZsVk24VclA3Hqp3fpTcPBJtKc0Nzhw53Xci2rmjt0WdHQkii-byZWnMmX0W_XSXfmmgNZKCzr5fJDoLoJGoG9_D1g9cl0TvHYKtAyXtCiCSSq1Dd4oUGfCvvnTr-_0Lz0HTg/s1500/Bob%20Vylan%20-%20THe%20Price%20Of%20Life.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8ZU879MiqVR6wYnVifA9evzH6fgV07MnAaNrFOyQML-cDnYHhS-1cpZsVk24VclA3Hqp3fpTcPBJtKc0Nzhw53Xci2rmjt0WdHQkii-byZWnMmX0W_XSXfmmgNZKCzr5fJDoLoJGoG9_D1g9cl0TvHYKtAyXtCiCSSq1Dd4oUGfCvvnTr-_0Lz0HTg/s320/Bob%20Vylan%20-%20THe%20Price%20Of%20Life.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Xjs3lwUmT32IuYi9KoGRw?si=05c4b63e1d014580">Pretty Songs</a></i> - Bob Vylan:</b> The first of two songs on this mix highlighting artists sprung from an ascending black-punk movement, Bob Vylan's <i>Pretty Songs</i> perfectly encapsulates the entirety of the confrontational London duo's second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4OF9eUiJhh9iUasNJnzC7m?si=_sEbHGxwRMam0Nb1Pixpwg">Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life</a></i> (Solid Recommend), as direct and angry and unrelentingly political an album as 2022 produced. And for a taste of the most exciting female-fronted act in this black-punk surge, be sure to catch New Orleans-based Special Interest's third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7EU4Jf2J97Iamh3lwHCHy9?si=0Tyj2GY-T7W8nOpP5Z8kzA">Endure</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY63sW6O1SOExkjMO6p7IIfRIbJxeXuupU6OdfZBvIelxLMYNwJyLQ7gauIOips5EvQAwmTFfDf_Xy51d_Sz_kgb63v0woUAzsypmoZhuYLzt5rWN9hOWRG8PbxkVAcjXfHtOQ4HAdXOk3ATF2qkQ59nOZNBzkmmuDdyownb0qSwgSQ2eMiF2J7TvEqw/s600/BETH_ORTON.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY63sW6O1SOExkjMO6p7IIfRIbJxeXuupU6OdfZBvIelxLMYNwJyLQ7gauIOips5EvQAwmTFfDf_Xy51d_Sz_kgb63v0woUAzsypmoZhuYLzt5rWN9hOWRG8PbxkVAcjXfHtOQ4HAdXOk3ATF2qkQ59nOZNBzkmmuDdyownb0qSwgSQ2eMiF2J7TvEqw/s320/BETH_ORTON.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/21p2QIth6bruBBGqflSO3G?si=42a2306752b0433e">Weather Alive</a></i> - Beth Orton:</b> One of 2022's most ethereal and solitary-feeling releases, Beth Orton's almost ambient, folktronic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4LukTKZB3A6mp2jaed8x64?si=23Hn-fEvSW-9NgYt3mIvLw">Weather Alive</a></i> (Solid Recommend) was recorded at Orton's home, mostly during morning hours while her children were at school. Supported by a crack team of regular collaborators, Orton scrambled like an impressionist painter to capture the feel of the misty early hours that informed most of the recording sessions, and the end result is often as lovely and immersive as 2022 music got. And for other exercises in musical delicacy, check out Kathryn Joseph's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2JXDkvsBkFGCW0hFWraUkr?si=wv3lRVJjRbO2vFq1UG4iyg">for you who are the wronged</a> </i>and Skullcrusher's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3aDm82IFj0OjSDWLGTWLBE?si=nRtPOkjpTwW0bnGv500a_Q">Quiet The Room</a>.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygDBxmPy6pfYVg4TPBGhvxswzq27ockMUtCoRZttWFElFwqcwIcoMLNft2Bx-WNOKdapQhbzNrZjeswDleR2fxZmiTUKRDrPbnHr38NN462QHVz83UMfQn4IoF5g9IAHQ1PSRJgYN4Y4Y2LaNPMhM6eWETikU8zwPKYmJ3Gpu02-LP3wP6bampZzbaw/s1600/TTB_I%20am%20the%20moon.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygDBxmPy6pfYVg4TPBGhvxswzq27ockMUtCoRZttWFElFwqcwIcoMLNft2Bx-WNOKdapQhbzNrZjeswDleR2fxZmiTUKRDrPbnHr38NN462QHVz83UMfQn4IoF5g9IAHQ1PSRJgYN4Y4Y2LaNPMhM6eWETikU8zwPKYmJ3Gpu02-LP3wP6bampZzbaw/s320/TTB_I%20am%20the%20moon.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3AryoOZtcc2PwUunLEYJZI?si=6927ef0d9f7746f4">Pasaquan</a></i> - Tedeschi Trucks Band:</b> Standing in as 2022's best blues-rock effort - Tedeschi Trucks Band's epic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2RM443z7zxZtvkcMGcofX1?si=TefwOGhmRoW8kRUb6tO5vA">I Am The Moon</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Originally released over the calendar year in four short separate installments (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7tiugISIhitNyFnMRQBhIq?si=yjhBgvY0StiDIv9GItP0rA">I. Crescent</a></i>; <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1kAOpSgqnN3ya5cFIeZMbM?si=y4wRqm0UTbaeE73MdLa9fw">II. Ascension</a></i>; <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0aECZpYeuCAdKUcsngk3VV?si=TMixh7mPQaio1jnTe5W04A">III. The Fall</a>;</i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6hCN857vBAs2oN8aZQih2x?si=cSFJJIwAS4CIbLLKU4b5rg">IV. Farewell</a></i>), the album is a sprawling meditation on the narrative of - and themes present in - the 12th century Sufi poem <i>The Story Of Layla Majnum</i>, the same poem that inspired the Derek and the Domino's classic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5iIWnMgvSM8uEBwXKsPcXM?si=kO3Wjq4mR0ymyCkawycGsg">Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs</a></i> fifty-plus years ago. But whereas Eric Clapton and Duane Allman kept the Domino's version mostly anchored in one specific country-blues sound until that album's closing moments, <i>I Am The Moon</i> is a constantly roaming exercise in eclecticism - serving up its fare share of blistering Derek Trucks solos, as with instrumental <i>Pasaquan</i> here - but all sorts of other blues, soul, rock and country diversions as well, most anchored by Susan Tedeschi's earthy vocals. And for those who want to keep the twelve-bar jam going, I also recommend Tinsley Ellis's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0vetIsh52LB0I10eBDTdLP?si=nu_d3XaSRNGIKsMAHsCVag">Devil May Care</a></i> and Walter Trout's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2HVpYOgAdiEYK3yEUkBcDI?si=6DVKQpQ9TwWjQfb3q0HJqg">Ride</a></i>. Tracks from each of these albums, as well as another standout from <i>I Am The Moon</i>, are featured in our <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/24zZiylopJXBJGUjaXBftS?si=119d0fdc25234047">Vol 2 - The Next 100-ish</a></i> mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieiW9ApH8YSVBRLh5vIL-TpE4sWUjveNBIQwxRY26-sdf1bgOcP93L3DEDi_vrP7TTfKslol4766hNYJaDfeZctMl3LPUYjrMMHO4eDSUymBLo_Ihlup7QpR0hsP0smOMT1lwrltUxuraOOIjR2BIuE6ZJD5J9RJF6Yg0Ijf8mWcsfV89v3x7sv4Mzw/s600/Bartees-Strange-2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieiW9ApH8YSVBRLh5vIL-TpE4sWUjveNBIQwxRY26-sdf1bgOcP93L3DEDi_vrP7TTfKslol4766hNYJaDfeZctMl3LPUYjrMMHO4eDSUymBLo_Ihlup7QpR0hsP0smOMT1lwrltUxuraOOIjR2BIuE6ZJD5J9RJF6Yg0Ijf8mWcsfV89v3x7sv4Mzw/s320/Bartees-Strange-2022.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5eWmggao2s6P1vVDeheUIg?si=81e9c59246fd4a6f">Heavy Heart</a></i> - Bartees Strange:</b> While I still think, at his core, he's emerging as this generation's Jeff Buckley, if Bartees Strange's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5szOdnVq0e6pDDFNxz6YK3?si=v3oFhBENTj-nHjWc6SdYlw">Farm To Table</a></i> (Solid Recommend) proves anything, it's that the multi-faceted, genre-hopping polymath will never be one thing. Mixed-race, bisexual, an army brat who spent half his childhood on European military bases and the other half on a rural Oklahoma farm, he's a tweener in every sense of the word. Few emerging artists are more naturally equipped to shift narrative perspectives and musical styles at the drop of a hat, and yet it is survivor's guilt over these circumstance-forged talents, not joy, that powers most of <i>Farm To Table. </i>Started before his debut<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0BTz0mHuiV8hEsU9azWSwo?si=KDjTWvnvQ_O6vsRit0CbdQ">Live Forever</a></i> was even released, and recorded during the pandemic, Strange's second album - armed with a title that implies his childhood start to the empowered seat at the music industry table he now holds - agonizes over how his career took off just as Covid was destroying lives all around him. It's a compelling angle that turns what could have been your stereotypical "fame sucks" sophomore album into something deep and meaningful. Good stuff.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBd4LK3jo9S9pI7zwo0F9gGhJM-3DsTebFOhU_kKTLC6snJ1tsD4t1Sz3X2bqpMnc4NMcoQ2-j_xt86cmUQcWFbIGokZifA2J9Ct1I1hDfFdtMrktup5HSZNdp_AxmozdDAGS7xMDIHPJpkJYYsHyhfNd3mDqNrbXsXqCu0AheFVf63uvRsyq_-jlUA/s1000/aptbs%20-%20See%20Through%20You.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBd4LK3jo9S9pI7zwo0F9gGhJM-3DsTebFOhU_kKTLC6snJ1tsD4t1Sz3X2bqpMnc4NMcoQ2-j_xt86cmUQcWFbIGokZifA2J9Ct1I1hDfFdtMrktup5HSZNdp_AxmozdDAGS7xMDIHPJpkJYYsHyhfNd3mDqNrbXsXqCu0AheFVf63uvRsyq_-jlUA/s320/aptbs%20-%20See%20Through%20You.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1JIumUos52IBSYY2Fj0WXT?si=caa2f2a43e0a4379">Love Reaches Out</a></i> - A Place To Bury Strangers:</b> Every time I start a front-to-back listen to ultra-loud Brooklyn shoegazers A Place To Bury Stranger's sixth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7hiwGchvdLOcWCPb7DNGrT?si=tAQ3EmiVTQa0prUOkM3JMQ">See Through You</a></i> (Solid Recommend) I'm pestered by the same two questions: Why am I championing this album, and why does the <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/a-place-to-bury-strangers-mn0000732870/discography">All Music Guide</a> recommend this record above all of the band's other solid releases when only third song <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6agfbEDfeabMNFsiusKaTD?si=48b2ab1471dc432a">Let's See Each Other</a></i> makes much of an impression over the album's first half? And then <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1h82IAzo4tBWXx6OFt7FtO?si=47a6331c7982473d">Anyone But You</a></i> kicks in with a flurry of custom-built distortion-pedal excitement and for the album's final half-hour rush each new song is better than the last, culminating in the record's calmest and best track, new-wavish closer <i>Love Reaches Out</i>. My favorite shoegaze release of 2022. Jesus & The Mary Chain and Black Rebel Motorcyle Club fans are likely to love it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNALp6fOfCuU-j0PY1rKbd7yUqcpezt0MMLaTGbKWXtsv8vKLTcJUpR0eIxRwNzNwdvKvelFJ1MwZnNqiV0M-qniFXoa-Se6JzhmxRgY8UfahPqFliw5I0dEJsCtcWir7Jbjd36dsctMRZWh0GJ3Ke5N8OxNAbI-tO-MkKHQUaQcGgibiv6yRFtQ6sQ/s600/Bad-Bunny-Un-Verano-Sin-Ti.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNALp6fOfCuU-j0PY1rKbd7yUqcpezt0MMLaTGbKWXtsv8vKLTcJUpR0eIxRwNzNwdvKvelFJ1MwZnNqiV0M-qniFXoa-Se6JzhmxRgY8UfahPqFliw5I0dEJsCtcWir7Jbjd36dsctMRZWh0GJ3Ke5N8OxNAbI-tO-MkKHQUaQcGgibiv6yRFtQ6sQ/s320/Bad-Bunny-Un-Verano-Sin-Ti.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3RQQmkQEvNCY4prGKE6oc5?si=foVGuYgLRK2kWSeXojQWKQ">Yo No Soy Celoso</a></i> - Bad Bunny:</b> Puerto Rican reggaeton sensation Bad Bunny strove to create the ultimate summer of 2022 beach-party/poolside album with his sunny, memory-anchoring fourth-release <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3RQQmkQEvNCY4prGKE6oc5?si=RFVJxz5BQGaqO6-1UjlapA"><i>Un Verano Sin Ti</i> </a>(English translation "A Summer Without You"), and for many it appears he succeeded, making Bad Bunny the most listened to artist worldwide three years running. So successful was the album that even its least popular deep cuts - like my personal fav, the bossa-nova-leaning <i>Yo No Soy Celoso -</i> presently sit at close to 300 million streams on Spotify. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vvdpWHuQ2Nm_HLYl4aI77Sqezj4KvunFjK9k_wGS4BP6ZhKVz20e-2AMGWAnUYGGAQd1yYkOWips7X1uasX56JXJrfNvKT9r3-PxISJQub8vDfcJIFjL9rRP0ykLVxgthGw8WmOcGNRvv5f1aQjJuZR3d74fdRSEhHiyqksi62NvGElPXW5vzfrz7Q/s640/CMAT-If-My-Wife-New-Id-Be-Dead.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vvdpWHuQ2Nm_HLYl4aI77Sqezj4KvunFjK9k_wGS4BP6ZhKVz20e-2AMGWAnUYGGAQd1yYkOWips7X1uasX56JXJrfNvKT9r3-PxISJQub8vDfcJIFjL9rRP0ykLVxgthGw8WmOcGNRvv5f1aQjJuZR3d74fdRSEhHiyqksi62NvGElPXW5vzfrz7Q/s320/CMAT-If-My-Wife-New-Id-Be-Dead.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3xDBG3CYRO1WV2pCXBznTI?si=bb97e7a4d9e54401">Communion</a></i> - CMAT:</b> Delicious country-pop melodies and wickedly funny self-deprecating lyrics abound in <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6zn3DcldhCpu6f5HvV32bw?si=nz2dFvCaReOhm1l67UkklQ">If My Wife New I'd Be Dead</a></i> (Solid Recommend), a promising debut from Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (aka CMAT), the social-media savvy ginger crooner who has quickly become an almost Taylor Swift-sized sensation in her native Ireland. And fans of CMAT will also want to check out First Aid Kit's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7oiUfuyk01h71NTmBUSk6D?si=_6-jFPNfSUufg7BFokwjRQ">Palomino</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYDxSSvDhy78JJmVVpfTf94iMj70AHZZaevLL52YR8gfyYWAL-PML-1kst1XsDTVm5vaSF1bBhkF-d7UG2ZYs8i1RqltVZW7PduEB8SRXoAbtcLJzSQv5VR25aJrT9nbu-dG4-yyN9zIkbNfTdp9m83xZHf5d99HJOGfylTIZIQEnoe8H5Sn5tV-D6g/s600/Harry-Styles-Harrys-House.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYDxSSvDhy78JJmVVpfTf94iMj70AHZZaevLL52YR8gfyYWAL-PML-1kst1XsDTVm5vaSF1bBhkF-d7UG2ZYs8i1RqltVZW7PduEB8SRXoAbtcLJzSQv5VR25aJrT9nbu-dG4-yyN9zIkbNfTdp9m83xZHf5d99HJOGfylTIZIQEnoe8H5Sn5tV-D6g/s320/Harry-Styles-Harrys-House.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Dvkj6JhhA12EX05fT7y2e?si=4feb599892e94a67">As It Was</a> </i>- Harry Styles:</b> And I thought Olivio Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny had some crazy Spotify numbers. 2.2 billion listens and counting?! Even if I hated <i>As It Was</i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5r36AJ6VOJtp00oxSkBZ5h?si=wJmlojiuQcmuUdzgBQVgvw">Harry's House</a></i> (Solid Recommend), I'd feel obligated to include it. But I don't hate <i>As It Was</i>. It actually rates right there with Maggie Rogers <i>That's Where I Am</i> as my favorite contemporary pop song of 2022, and <i>Harry's House</i> the album in full possesses a similar, easy likability. And for more contemporary pop in a slick Brit-rock vein, give The 1975's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6dVCpQ7oGJD1oYs2fv1t5M?si=uD1Q5jorR6uISWcEsx6ClA">Being Funny In A Foreign Language</a></i> a listen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqBJbr_orXtkP5fmhSE4GaboSmhj3pzGAnxjqJZIn43Ooq7JFHlf4xfxG4QPqEp8IEvriBFRSWVOpInIfmktAi9NnXwFd7iCO_Ds92Nqd-dC5LlJgG7q4Pv8ACl7jEYDvBFZR9mcdXMG-uTRNBFopeT03nn8jMykZ9HseKOxAzQG5WiDYE0eGq3VeiA/s600/AlexG_GodSaveTheAnimals.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqBJbr_orXtkP5fmhSE4GaboSmhj3pzGAnxjqJZIn43Ooq7JFHlf4xfxG4QPqEp8IEvriBFRSWVOpInIfmktAi9NnXwFd7iCO_Ds92Nqd-dC5LlJgG7q4Pv8ACl7jEYDvBFZR9mcdXMG-uTRNBFopeT03nn8jMykZ9HseKOxAzQG5WiDYE0eGq3VeiA/s320/AlexG_GodSaveTheAnimals.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5DRnssBoVo8e7uAQZkNT8O?si=e14cea919c204038">Runner</a></i> - Alex G:</b> The likely PETA-anthem of 2022, super quirky Pennsylvania indie artist Alex Giannascoli has made a career of it ruminating on the inner emotional lives of his beloved pets, and here he turns his attention once again to one of his favorite dogs </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>on </span><span><i>Runner</i> </span><span>from latest release </span><i><span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6TzgWk5HZItbFmMT7hH4bU?si=IP4Z8CCwSmezV_nQXgOLvQ">God Save The Animals</a> </span></i><span>(Solid Recommend)</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9a0GRrO-vcW6NxptOpMCF21WQv8ON5RLNUYEsikc4LueJzV45BRKTSikeCZBBX8CvaWe-mlSPqQpnZIW-g8dJqOB3-Ujk2Pp1A26BG5gNGRBfSXZmfeNDR5d4pVUGZv7-J80iTGul-uju60Do3x2RCzya8Uherg6Mh5__vnrnqhmSfdonF6k_YnYBvQ/s1500/The%20Mysterines%20-%20The%20Reeling.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9a0GRrO-vcW6NxptOpMCF21WQv8ON5RLNUYEsikc4LueJzV45BRKTSikeCZBBX8CvaWe-mlSPqQpnZIW-g8dJqOB3-Ujk2Pp1A26BG5gNGRBfSXZmfeNDR5d4pVUGZv7-J80iTGul-uju60Do3x2RCzya8Uherg6Mh5__vnrnqhmSfdonF6k_YnYBvQ/s320/The%20Mysterines%20-%20The%20Reeling.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4nF3iFdYCTcuj3bNeHBsze?si=ab48593c6528461a">All These Things</a></i> - The Mysterines:</b> No-frills, grungy alt-rock from the promising underground Liverpool quartet The Mysterines and their hard-rocking debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1hkGVzxg3aKTSj1B6EMyRh?si=LlYQXi1FS26DiRxJlc2gGg">Reeling</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Shout out to my good friend Clark for turning me on to these guys.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vbHGs1lfcTyarHbY3MDn0PaZyxzPOsnVsjicrsMB5Ozl-0AXDznGZxGqJbcZ9YUdbpszriQhZymtOPiqxyQjsBBbWn3jAwD-lBPP14-O763G_7Bxo-eZJ3XQfn6qFNVRAOe6DuwOb85L63yuD_mh8mQsvahKcF4XijCkIy-fCKgMqtOvAaRqyjNUuw/s600/The-Weeknd-Dawn-FM.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vbHGs1lfcTyarHbY3MDn0PaZyxzPOsnVsjicrsMB5Ozl-0AXDznGZxGqJbcZ9YUdbpszriQhZymtOPiqxyQjsBBbWn3jAwD-lBPP14-O763G_7Bxo-eZJ3XQfn6qFNVRAOe6DuwOb85L63yuD_mh8mQsvahKcF4XijCkIy-fCKgMqtOvAaRqyjNUuw/s320/The-Weeknd-Dawn-FM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3KyKxJ4P3pVCgaZwaq2rUC?si=c940eb90382c4626">Gasoline</a></i> - The Weeknd: </b>Truth be told, I was as into the Jim Carrey interstitials as I was the songs on The Weeknd's concept album<b> </b><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nLOHgzXzwFEpl62zAgCEC?si=Dp6djKXkTSe1DU0LJmfaKA">Dawn FM</a></i> (Solid Recommend), but I don't want that conceit to denigrate the album as a whole, which boasts an appealingly slick 80s vibe, and a handful of fantastic songs, especially <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2D4dV2KXDTszzJ3p3cFqhA?si=cdfed07bdd5241f9">Less Than Zero</a></i> and our representative choice <i>Gasoline</i> here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDWm_w_3W-rG43zQsLF-DGc56BgCHexFbb_HHI5GZaZ1vk7LFtQsz4Jumb4nLlFDSWVVCNYLd6oDBf9qXvruyFQlIFNNlIoC8ihOe7juwWGO5KKVVeoQjBm8h3FJpjyvQgTrIw5EkiyrFeD8XeOH1NT747dOU716HOsGFLAUK-a5sGQ7ZroPuZ6Kwzg/s1200/Camp%20Cope%20Running%20With%20The%20Hurricane.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDWm_w_3W-rG43zQsLF-DGc56BgCHexFbb_HHI5GZaZ1vk7LFtQsz4Jumb4nLlFDSWVVCNYLd6oDBf9qXvruyFQlIFNNlIoC8ihOe7juwWGO5KKVVeoQjBm8h3FJpjyvQgTrIw5EkiyrFeD8XeOH1NT747dOU716HOsGFLAUK-a5sGQ7ZroPuZ6Kwzg/s320/Camp%20Cope%20Running%20With%20The%20Hurricane.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5DDwu8IxQk6jrRMhI1RwSS?si=acdfff1cbfc04f51">Running With The Hurricane</a></i> - Camp Cope: </b>Unfortunately, this Sidney, Australia indie-rock trio's latest and best album, 2022's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2KsWFxB2Dqn6SAEAoHHs98?si=AOM94Ke1TKC2fCdMvZUm_Q">Running With The Hurricane</a></i> (Solid Recommend), is also likely their last, as the band called it quits soon after <i>Hurricane's </i>release. Still, a band could do a lot worse than leave with <i>Hurricane</i> as a final statement<i>, </i>as the record<i> </i>is full of highly emotive, big-throated, country-tinged rockers that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best work of some of today's other similarly styled indie acts. Fans of Hop Along and Waxahatchee will find a lot to love on this one. And for some other solid country leaning efforts, don't miss Cass McComb's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2HutgntzLdadMPeSLrwmT1?si=XZSkDQW_S5GgBHdqoyrOrQ">Heartmind</a>, </i>Wilco's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/67GC6lWDvJ0lUc1aVBXTcT?si=nWm0lIb3Sa2Zd9YG0_Cb1A">Cruel Country</a>, </i>or Zach Bryan's expansive <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7IouDrXPdAZwT1NzVV3vef?si=ezy1JuoVS_uHZdr7WUl7EA">American Heartbreak</a>.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0ELNB1G6AY3PdlIIZXRC9Nlh8JDIMivjXWAqzu3d-g2w014WyAVEyp4c_cB1XG-RmTskI_AMkL4YuqdRhICzOKwz5FzM6YFO4CKM24jRNcxcfSCcCeFrBzWYzwfGed1FjUFWr1yvFHFKMNu-2CWnlKEI41DNfRLh1uN8rXWkEDtm7Y0xzE2ny0lFmA/s600/Black-Country-New-Road%20-From%20Ants.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0ELNB1G6AY3PdlIIZXRC9Nlh8JDIMivjXWAqzu3d-g2w014WyAVEyp4c_cB1XG-RmTskI_AMkL4YuqdRhICzOKwz5FzM6YFO4CKM24jRNcxcfSCcCeFrBzWYzwfGed1FjUFWr1yvFHFKMNu-2CWnlKEI41DNfRLh1uN8rXWkEDtm7Y0xzE2ny0lFmA/s320/Black-Country-New-Road%20-From%20Ants.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0y5akbuW5mCnnUe71xATpe?si=568e543da5534d91">Concorde</a></i> - Black Country, New Road:</b> 2022's number two album on the critical aggregators until the year-end polls dropped it down to around fifteen, Black Country, New Road's sophomore effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/21xp7NdU1ajmO1CX0w2Egd?si=NzS5GwuVSW6ajBxlmsixEQ">Ants From Up There</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is the moodiest album yet to emerge from London's vibrant Speedy Wunderground post-punk scene that also includes the likes of Shame, Squid, Black Midi, Dry Cleaning, Yard Act, and honorary Dubliners like The Murder Capital and this year's best album provider Fontaines D.C. A serious downtempo slog in some ways, but also exceptionally, eclectically arranged, the album mirrors the fragile, depressed emotional state of lead singer and key songwriter Issac Wood, who left the band just four days after the record's release for mental health reasons. The remaining six members are actively continuing on, but have vowed not to perform any of their songs featuring Issac again unless he is able to make a return. And for more Speedy Wunderground madness, I'd definitely check out Black Midi's way more energetic third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/68z6MWYYNmvTcru1QMcYId?si=Y6-bJt9-QTSa5jp_Y-qPtQ">Hellfire</a> </i>and 2022 critical darling Jockstrap's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4YFlC5Abaj48ERwaOPfpu8?si=lxan0RFPQ5CooSdARUX49g">I Love You, Jennifer B</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxLXKM2N4GkRMFO2g_2BS1yCX4tcQLJDhpM3UoIaMuh8VgqK2yxmnBQ0MkroaxWWlFFGBuw1vCpvhrMLL7mZf9vj5U3DoZHoV7rDZ9gRZVgRKbP24CHHf6yfQmjxhMhufGA3tinEBeV2JZmI7CbI0PUy38PVxT2E2HKZjCFPVsfPdG4wyqPWYfUNc8Q/s600/alvvays-blue-rev.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxLXKM2N4GkRMFO2g_2BS1yCX4tcQLJDhpM3UoIaMuh8VgqK2yxmnBQ0MkroaxWWlFFGBuw1vCpvhrMLL7mZf9vj5U3DoZHoV7rDZ9gRZVgRKbP24CHHf6yfQmjxhMhufGA3tinEBeV2JZmI7CbI0PUy38PVxT2E2HKZjCFPVsfPdG4wyqPWYfUNc8Q/s320/alvvays-blue-rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5fcVB2CYi7GAgQcQfqsTVL?si=e83eaba9f4c44a56">After The Earthquake</a></i> - Alvvays:</b> Dialing down the sugar and upping the ragged-guitar drone, Alvvays <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4BvnbCJbTPkyZYYBWVijgq?si=5kgWYfN7SkSkkdJ4-bZCzQ">Blue Rev</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is the rarest of things, a pop album that's also a serious eureka album, requiring many listens to sink in once one gets past its most immediate songs like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/42oq4KDYcBwAHpEkV3PuWc?si=bce2f63883734f97">Easy On Your Own</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1rw9dOKuewBiKfVHgUPDfo?si=8f8c176cd68c4086">Pressed</a></i>, and my personal fav, the almost perfect R.E.M-ish nugget <i>After The Earthquake</i> featured here<i>. </i>I rate the album as the year's fifth best straight-indie release after <i>This Is A Photograph</i>, <i>Bleed Out</i>, <i>Lucifer On The Sofa,</i> and The Sadies' <i>Colder Streams</i>, but critics had it as the 2022 indie world's number one, placing it sixth in the overall year-end polls.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXzsCliIzgBFA7669JgcW6szh075rEwKBPbtaO0xAjIkSyHrIo2ZlhL1rAzpBHPHrjABzTvfm5w4E6e6Wo-c5aorbLPeFiGKXHZWLTyr6_k43OKVci0QuyAQWGxAdkdBgX9ZfIpWus2raDFTeAhKu0c2QYmRpfgfwCsHxTxmmuPxhCWA9IZRn9ZNJrg/s600/The-Soft-Pink-Truth.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXzsCliIzgBFA7669JgcW6szh075rEwKBPbtaO0xAjIkSyHrIo2ZlhL1rAzpBHPHrjABzTvfm5w4E6e6Wo-c5aorbLPeFiGKXHZWLTyr6_k43OKVci0QuyAQWGxAdkdBgX9ZfIpWus2raDFTeAhKu0c2QYmRpfgfwCsHxTxmmuPxhCWA9IZRn9ZNJrg/s320/The-Soft-Pink-Truth.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1nCzqHv5zMz1PxGlYWFAvQ?si=c1773d2118fb42b7">Wanna Know</a></i> - The Soft Pink Truth:</b> Standing in as our representative track for all of 2022's top electronic efforts is <i>Wanna Know</i>, the engagingly warm house number from The Soft Pink Truth's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2qVmEJd2GUCtKd7QpC4Flc?si=0rjckzsPQzabjkS9q2umHw">Is It Going To Get Any Deeper Than This</a></i> (Solid Recommend), the seventh release from the decades-long side project of Matmos's Drew Daniels. And for those seeking out other compelling 2022 electronic albums, the next best bets would be Daniel Avery's smart and savvy <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4qw8zs6nZyjpgPPBxZWpTI?si=DQnUHGIzRF2n5fqpDgn6nA">Ultra Truth</a></i> , Brian Eno's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1fsGRseH9xCUSiO1MDSB7W?si=DRyPHJoyRFGrK90Zq-JawA">FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE</a></i>, Working Men's Club's LCD Soundsystem-like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5qKXYz1XhJhJV3BHJR3eq5?si=4rWZ6ZFYTOqDKc-Bx4H3Yw">Fear Fear</a></i>, and The xx frontman Oliver Sim's solo-debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4l3zlqIjR8K1tB1b8Yyn0f?si=eJVdM5nwTX2rO8t1vhXcWQ">Hideous Bastard</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxed_ioQ8GpGHoO6usqFXAD3-TEV5HzVVkJsZuTC6Uv5lLl5NwoDld_Iovxx_K2mDQ2StIj-mCG-FhXiFPvzOU4YjNWdtk_7AnjrZUicUIJoY0Bsd7m2yZfRWEiQQqUJhKeTvXJwVlj4NLkk14dsoZRn2Eryj5aXhAsd_gJg4lIcWl6ztpFzvOianzGw/s1000/The%20Sadies%20-%20Colder%20Streams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxed_ioQ8GpGHoO6usqFXAD3-TEV5HzVVkJsZuTC6Uv5lLl5NwoDld_Iovxx_K2mDQ2StIj-mCG-FhXiFPvzOU4YjNWdtk_7AnjrZUicUIJoY0Bsd7m2yZfRWEiQQqUJhKeTvXJwVlj4NLkk14dsoZRn2Eryj5aXhAsd_gJg4lIcWl6ztpFzvOianzGw/s320/The%20Sadies%20-%20Colder%20Streams.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1pjQ4lPG2ZdCD9BFLOpfmA?si=448b6275e52841a1">Stop And Start</a></i> - The Sadies:</b> 2022's prestigious Juno Award winner for Canada's best alternative album, the long-standing Toronto-based country-rock outfit's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7xrEwxtqAtEv76y5Xj4frt?si=_q7k_RikT3mzCXDg-edYoQ">Colder Streams</a></i> (Solid Recommend) was my favorite scuzzed-up, garage-tinged effort of the year. Sadly for the group, which also regularly moonlights as Neko Case's touring band, co-founder Dallas Good passed of heart complications just months before the album's release.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGknnZ6BpcQw87C7_BmxbU7KchGQ055LF3dNG72lJ5cX08AOCO8rgdQ4IIaoN-k2Ka-q_4kgQgy5HwZKgWVqctkfIeFU09MiUaDYeMxIKwEg-r0e-XhP_zOrRjf5EaLbgHhCPwQ9DUHGn9jH0WXL_TZGPCFNhGUzeturEQ7eHG4xg4f4mdB4HyzFBYg/s600/Sharon-Van-Etten-We've%20Been%20Going%20About%20this%20all%20wrong.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGknnZ6BpcQw87C7_BmxbU7KchGQ055LF3dNG72lJ5cX08AOCO8rgdQ4IIaoN-k2Ka-q_4kgQgy5HwZKgWVqctkfIeFU09MiUaDYeMxIKwEg-r0e-XhP_zOrRjf5EaLbgHhCPwQ9DUHGn9jH0WXL_TZGPCFNhGUzeturEQ7eHG4xg4f4mdB4HyzFBYg/s320/Sharon-Van-Etten-We've%20Been%20Going%20About%20this%20all%20wrong.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0NAcDFrzFFLYym7hlraGY0?si=e9fbcce8064e42c4">Darkness Fades</a></i> - Sharon Van Etten:</b> A pandemic solo effort to be sure, New Jersey-native Van Etten had just moved to Los Angeles and started a family with her drummer/manager/husband Zeke Hutchins when Covid hit, isolating her and family in a locale they were still mostly unfamiliar with. So, with few other options, she got to work on seventh album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7xrEwxtqAtEv76y5Xj4frt?si=_q7k_RikT3mzCXDg-edYoQ">We've Been Going About This All Wrong</a></i> (Solid Recommend), playing near every instrument herself, recording the album at home, and doing some serious lyrical soul searching about her own emotional state and the state of the world writ large. Sonically, it shouldn't be a surprise that the album has an insular feel, but emotionally, it's as epic as anything she's released since, well, 2010's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7mfSdEokzQjI5AxwrRauZv?si=-x4CqJjPSrms3upFUxnKQQ">Epic</a></i> EP. One of her strongest albums.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYPScKCoEE3GbM1Ly7bLPkgYAC6W22e9htzc1eH5liAF33YQyw5Ct0FwJ2qLtag0uJ_5eWy_SfD6hknuDrtBdYcPyjknERyV6Z0L-Vh_4ae4HhEqgyNleNnx6aG1wUts0OWBfrG14vG4XEpkiSY1Ba52SzKDURJdfjbNoOd-SNmSQrEgBzbeSKIMc-A/s640/Binker%20&%20Moses%20-%20Feeding%20The%20Machine.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYPScKCoEE3GbM1Ly7bLPkgYAC6W22e9htzc1eH5liAF33YQyw5Ct0FwJ2qLtag0uJ_5eWy_SfD6hknuDrtBdYcPyjknERyV6Z0L-Vh_4ae4HhEqgyNleNnx6aG1wUts0OWBfrG14vG4XEpkiSY1Ba52SzKDURJdfjbNoOd-SNmSQrEgBzbeSKIMc-A/s320/Binker%20&%20Moses%20-%20Feeding%20The%20Machine.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>41. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/16e827r8U3IMcb16EbhMyj?si=dedee0832b9042d7">Accelerometer Overdose</a> - Binker and Moses:</b> The final of three extended jams featured on this mix, <i>Accelerometer Overdose</i> is the lengthy centerpiece of the most hypnotic, exciting and forward-looking jazz release of 2022, UK sax and drums duo Binker & Moses' latest collaboration<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/03CWEGnnMN2Xlfgkb6QZ0C?si=opDK6uIKSFif3n4ZuI22tg">Feeding The Machine</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Recorded live in the studio, with third contributor Max Luthert adding all manner of subtle, real-time electronic distortion, interference and pedal loops as the songs were being put down, it's a fascinating exploration of how to weave machine-driven effects organically into free jazz improvisations. Stirring, eerie, Colin Stetson-like stuff. Those who want to continue the electro-jazz head trip further should check out UK outfit The Comet Is Coming's lively latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1XPsJnIVMjOt04rczMWVO4?si=ApqxnzUBQvertcyaV7d71w">Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam</a></i>, and for those who prefer their jazz fused more to the blues/hip hop/afro-pop side of the spectrum, look no further than Ezra Collective's consistently engaging <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6LlHJbM6hisN0Qgy1kSwsT?si=jr7K-136SySjKIfG2up3Fg">Where I'm Meant To Be</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP-Lpmqeb0zish0KFMDb5e7mUWaKJNBUfYt8EgAUYu3h70KRhfE0YDaYuPK89i9qltAiO2LVudkJS37EIvYR8K90TkmWaUuW8NfPYNtd66DLsxCVwDkjqZjmbQrsX3dmh34019WID0W9fYI0EjeOxHUweTAE5Km4diMvqq6Dc0MZvS5mdQ2lqYnpaqQ/s600/SoulGlo_DiasporaProblems.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP-Lpmqeb0zish0KFMDb5e7mUWaKJNBUfYt8EgAUYu3h70KRhfE0YDaYuPK89i9qltAiO2LVudkJS37EIvYR8K90TkmWaUuW8NfPYNtd66DLsxCVwDkjqZjmbQrsX3dmh34019WID0W9fYI0EjeOxHUweTAE5Km4diMvqq6Dc0MZvS5mdQ2lqYnpaqQ/s320/SoulGlo_DiasporaProblems.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1qePMtotavs37KV7gCAaJQ?si=95902a9b2c0248db">Thumbsucker</a></i> - Soul Glo:</b> Even at a brisk thirty-nine minutes, Philly interracial hardcore-punk quartet Soul Glo's thrilling major label debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZYhM0LXHZ38te98EizcQW?si=nM7ZzR88RU2a0tIULGh77g">Diaspora Problems</a></i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZYhM0LXHZ38te98EizcQW?si=nM7ZzR88RU2a0tIULGh77g"> </a> (Strong Recommend) will be too much for most to take in in one sitting: too fast, too dense, too aggressive, and spitting way too many words for one to process on a first, second, or even third listen. But for those whose tastes do include hardcore punk, it is so worth sticking with, because it is one of the sharpest and most intelligent lyrical efforts of 2022, full of fantastic humor, stunningly vulnerable personal confessions, and savage "can we please, for once, talk about real issues" takes on the pathetic contemporary political practices of both the right and left. And for those looking for more along similarly extreme lines, 2022's next best bet is probably Chat Pile's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/38hr6lK2Up3QabqUEUEhKx?si=56n8E-TCQfyvX15MEob8cw">God's Country</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yiE76yU6ziAaaqTMCNMXaFaRGbQk0SsUdIhRgSNkFGO2QVJTs0QrWY0D35wD9N_EyuahsVnfdR17JI0DC9jrX7kmlKHh2I4_1-eXQqJWDrmDmZ0nnJrOgd7jh1G1H9XK09vqQYQs_t4iRP-YDKE4Y38V69kGbmYmEQXkeaAA1uNStDtE17-gc34HfA/s600/Hurray%20For%20The%20Riff%20Raff.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yiE76yU6ziAaaqTMCNMXaFaRGbQk0SsUdIhRgSNkFGO2QVJTs0QrWY0D35wD9N_EyuahsVnfdR17JI0DC9jrX7kmlKHh2I4_1-eXQqJWDrmDmZ0nnJrOgd7jh1G1H9XK09vqQYQs_t4iRP-YDKE4Y38V69kGbmYmEQXkeaAA1uNStDtE17-gc34HfA/s320/Hurray%20For%20The%20Riff%20Raff.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>43. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7CTaZJXqQzpdSVicC5QguZ?si=561b1ef6ab694f73">Wolves</a></i> - Hurray For The Riff Raff:</b> In the past a more traditional folk band, Alynda Segarra and crew embrace the most popular of modern sounds as they turn "nature punks" and challenge the listener to view the problems of 2022 from the standpoint of how we are all interconnected on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5oHaiGt9cgATxsrv409jP3?si=DrCVwC0HS1mWvyQjncXVdA">Life On Earth</a></i> (Strong Recommend), the strongest effort of the group's already accomplished career. A fiery activist deeply engaged in the present day immigration crisis (her personal efforts have actually gotten several refugees freed from our border-state detention centers), Segarra begins the album with <i>Wolves</i>, a clarion call for those who would "otherize" to remember that most immigrant crises are primarily fueled by caring, desperate parents fearing for their children's well being. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMBaynY45eWJ07VmB1aIzzZzvmOKtDeytibKGEOQzwYPRUavsXnkb3wadFSq9uJvDvKLaM9kYQq2uhtDp4Cj-KxPNb2xF1JROlgcjz-oi_vq5_XB4BkPt5ouxk9x-QFRld6YmX91LUfCTdV0JHitmDh_Z3wlQng5C9FU3G0oA3jKc3IvKTc3oWhUmfg/s600/Gang_of_Youths_angel_in_realtime.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMBaynY45eWJ07VmB1aIzzZzvmOKtDeytibKGEOQzwYPRUavsXnkb3wadFSq9uJvDvKLaM9kYQq2uhtDp4Cj-KxPNb2xF1JROlgcjz-oi_vq5_XB4BkPt5ouxk9x-QFRld6YmX91LUfCTdV0JHitmDh_Z3wlQng5C9FU3G0oA3jKc3IvKTc3oWhUmfg/s320/Gang_of_Youths_angel_in_realtime.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>44. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Qdf4GhjNbeWNa0JHJLCJw?si=fc586992c8fd4532">unison</a></i> - Gang Of Youths:</b> Channeling their best inner-National, <i>unison</i> is just one of many dynamically arranged highlights from Australian indie rockers Gang Of Youth's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4xrHCOnujQW9DDLmntffLP?si=bK606HBxTMOQ2KcrJaXiBg">angel in realtime</a></i> (solid recommend), a moving, album-long <i>Papa Was A Rolling Stone</i>-like examination of charismatic Samoan frontman's Dave Le'aupepe's erratic father and the complicated impact his father's actions had on Le'aupepe and even more so his older brothers and sisters, some of whom he never knew existed until after his father's passing. And for another emotional deep dive in an indie vein, check out Porridge Radio's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wdThJ2V58nkaWfv1jA4B5?si=MDpD18C2Rx2uknn_RXYnaA"><i>Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPlSEX1JGaloFs_QlhJIm1AkI9JF9mOFj-zBEDhoEqXgnSDjSh0830_r2JYUynqwaHostsPXZWqB3CygFQDJSC3bpirkfd_xZ1iksek1hL9I3r7CJmkB_UBJx67hH69NEz7dMmWR1Iitr3V6vwJNYerZQHN8_XpxIG5p-UmG7Quy7TmgZlFKIGcDEGQ/s600/Danger-Mouse-Black-Thought-Cheat-Codes.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPlSEX1JGaloFs_QlhJIm1AkI9JF9mOFj-zBEDhoEqXgnSDjSh0830_r2JYUynqwaHostsPXZWqB3CygFQDJSC3bpirkfd_xZ1iksek1hL9I3r7CJmkB_UBJx67hH69NEz7dMmWR1Iitr3V6vwJNYerZQHN8_XpxIG5p-UmG7Quy7TmgZlFKIGcDEGQ/s320/Danger-Mouse-Black-Thought-Cheat-Codes.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>45. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1pRkGgpQGX6nr8PrO1NMIs?si=58cadfb87997420b">Because</a></i> - Danger Mouse & Black Thought:</b> My second favorite hip-hop recording of 2022, the teased-at-for-decades first album-length collaboration between production-maestro Danger Mouse and his childhood idol, Roots-frontman (and one-time Jimmy Fallon house band leader) Black Thought has finally arrived in the form of the musically relaxed, lyrically thrilling <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0rEbmIQjHTKzKraH4UqiDy?si=eZcwDEbwQxu1nJMUw4ekDQ">Cheat Codes</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Loaded with ace sample-anchored beats that draw heavily from psychedelic, prog, and soul recordings of the 60s and 70s, it also features some fantastic guest turns from the likes of Joey BadA$$ (<i>Because </i>featured here) Michael Kiwanuka (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1WS1Q9G8vj0gPN2aOkZ80A?si=931f22517996404a">Aquamarine</a></i>) and to the surprise of all, MF DOOM (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5Mi3Qt2bXMqXRG2vnmp4a0?si=634eaabca82a49e1">Belize</a></i>), resurrected through the sampling of a previously unreleased recording. And for other 2022 hip hop releases with a solid old-time feel, give Nas's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3vQuGKQJMfdXmkjRKqUesk?si=WKCBzs6PSa6hvBmHtx7cMA"><i>King's Disease III</i></a> or Brit-grimer Loyle Carner's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3McfY0EGNjsrVdYa9ZnoSH?si=a4KH190xSZSIfZNwlt6nSg">Hugo</a></i> a spin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3skah7UhX751rSTrY8XhWEgbi13rJWppTwCy9QQvthzBFFudjgpiB2xh6UckqiaSf1J8SOGlU2B1Y-3nHKR-24oAJZVF1EDG3nWzmJKb0LDsFhwKSqsLdqWmEsKjIDyPICPRl0DZIkRnI9TrqAOObZRHy0EKIF-TkKrtLoOyDBYG7nhDmJRS33xBzg/s600/Craig-Finn%20-%20A%20Legacy%20Of%20Rentals.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3skah7UhX751rSTrY8XhWEgbi13rJWppTwCy9QQvthzBFFudjgpiB2xh6UckqiaSf1J8SOGlU2B1Y-3nHKR-24oAJZVF1EDG3nWzmJKb0LDsFhwKSqsLdqWmEsKjIDyPICPRl0DZIkRnI9TrqAOObZRHy0EKIF-TkKrtLoOyDBYG7nhDmJRS33xBzg/s320/Craig-Finn%20-%20A%20Legacy%20Of%20Rentals.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>46. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/269R5QZZeJqvKAg5yDOhoT?si=9cba84934a3b4396">Messing With The Settings</a></i> - Craig Finn:</b> With the recent return of flamboyant keyboardist Franz Nicolay driving The Hold Steady back to to their most communal, celebratory tendencies, lead singer Craig Finn's increasingly accomplished solo outings have shifted in the other direction, becoming the primary outlet for Finn's saddest and darkest creative impulses. And not surprisingly for an album that opens with a eulogy of a life lived with spirit but little else (<i>Messing With The Settings</i> featured here), <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1kQ2gADUVYR15SXj8nhGrD?si=JRWe0PdqS8e67EDow5hNug">A Legacy Of Rentals</a></i> (Solid recommend) is Finn's saddest, darkest outing yet, ten string-soaked character sketches of lonely, desperate people at, as Pitchfork perfectly described, "different points along the way to rock bottom." But no matter how sad it all gets, from the desolate, self-destructive tendencies of the alcoholic office worker in <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5AeZ0aJkMSZiYrzt6ds8ZD?si=73aa7ebda2144fa6">A Break From The Barrage</a></i> to the once-loving couple falling apart after being forced to tap their retirement funds too early in <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4xSy6qVGPsKnLX7smCGkGS?si=08dd13625b184b47">The Year We Fell Behind</a></i>, Finn's enormous storytelling talent and magic touch with minor lyrical details will hold you rapt. And for other top 2022 releases from male indie singer-songwriters, don't miss Father John Misty's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2tfg6zi5pwuYeQ0IHYnOBz?si=trKbIen_SKGA4YFNfeg97Q">Chloe And The Next 20th Century</a></i> and Bill Callahan's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3bclTvGr69frcDsVw2VJVO?si=PGA6qBknS5ebtXzyL0JOfg">YTILAER</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s9WdV1iT0cw24r1T7RB7VmB8rQH50ayQma75_DemffHU26gKpwwu4Sywivd4cErNzTPfYVNvBLs-rvnTNZ32V4aGvzKtbDBcr2d947eP9C9BWdIN-bbdhD-CJV7E6BBIKV2Blss7OnJD65tn9uSiq0TgAcD7V9Jj4V7wBWZR35YnAeeckgbOQzCKjg/s600/Anais%20Mitchell.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s9WdV1iT0cw24r1T7RB7VmB8rQH50ayQma75_DemffHU26gKpwwu4Sywivd4cErNzTPfYVNvBLs-rvnTNZ32V4aGvzKtbDBcr2d947eP9C9BWdIN-bbdhD-CJV7E6BBIKV2Blss7OnJD65tn9uSiq0TgAcD7V9Jj4V7wBWZR35YnAeeckgbOQzCKjg/s320/Anais%20Mitchell.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>47. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6ofBUlfcZrEw7oGbLbVaBA?si=a3d785348e9047f0"><i>Little Big Girl</i> </a>- Anais Mitchell:</b> While not necessarily the standout folk album of 2022 (both Joan Shelly's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17JVuhlvgwEEk5fv3ISJdQ?si=yNz15byTS4CqoIoVYT3b2w">The Spur</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/43mr98g3RoWlC3jyxAKf5I?si=HOtwEp2jQP2PWz7zsC4kjw">Rolling Golden Holy</a></i> from Mitchell's own side project Bonny Light Horsemen offered a richer pool of high-tier cuts), the Hadestown creator's </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>eponymous fifth solo-outing </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1ZpLitOlsiSKy0Sdmhudi6?si=j8TOB8rwQ4Cx5yr8BZcM4A"><span>Anais Mitchell</span></a></i><span> (Mild Recommend) did deliver the standout folk song of 2022 with the </span><span>simple, heartfelt rumination on aging and adulting-angst </span><i><span>Little Big Girl</span></i><span>.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYlzBtmL0kRmKnUFfO4A12loNafeR6QI3T6vC54Tks1goM5vZUSSElHeiEpkQ5oOrd40U7lJ2Gu73yyNC4vk08bb5E3SFm1uLkpBxMMjcaw3fBmxkGtbWBk84gjeQ3D3kN1NLpioE_LRtc_W3hxkeQvWzxFWpnlMcXesH8evsM1SmLf_ZZ260QlDqqA/s600/MJ-Lenderman-Boat-Songs.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYlzBtmL0kRmKnUFfO4A12loNafeR6QI3T6vC54Tks1goM5vZUSSElHeiEpkQ5oOrd40U7lJ2Gu73yyNC4vk08bb5E3SFm1uLkpBxMMjcaw3fBmxkGtbWBk84gjeQ3D3kN1NLpioE_LRtc_W3hxkeQvWzxFWpnlMcXesH8evsM1SmLf_ZZ260QlDqqA/s320/MJ-Lenderman-Boat-Songs.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>48. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2GbmhB2KrNlD3xg9NltY7r?si=3a8bcb2201104028">Tastes Just Like It Costs</a></i> - MJ Lenderman:</b> The spiky, primitive spirit of Neil Young & Crazy Horse abounds in this "song title of the year" contender from young Asheville singer-songwriter (and Wednesday lead guitarist) Jake Lenderman's uneven but promising-in-its-best-moments no-fi debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0KgqfFDS6vvzZ50IozlD1Y?si=66e3da114c9244e6">Boat Songs</a></i> (Mild Recommend). And for other scruffy 2022 outings, be sure to look for Superchunk's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5UW8grWCm8YgPNHH2URLFz?si=xkYu3d4aRbarB9Kkl8h_mw">Wild Loneliness</a></i>, and Archers Of Loaf's long-awaited return <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/248FBJsqTT5aXWsQzyzpyf?si=-Uo5JF28TGaVN3HLbYFXvg">Reason In Decline</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxmdHWqZyTHpf2gNaq4rLT_f4Mq0epN9Lqj1v3Z7K7Im3Nh3V3iQchzZCqnBqA4Ux0puOJH6KGDCwz-RH91O9WXPrLmzWBejunVTPXSilbkRq3dNTKWmbhNWlR68Tz1zfh0XGRSoFVDC0yckanWneZFpuv1FzPgeEAEo9bGroxeWnWq916fNLAUywpg/s600/Maggie-Rogers-Surrender.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxmdHWqZyTHpf2gNaq4rLT_f4Mq0epN9Lqj1v3Z7K7Im3Nh3V3iQchzZCqnBqA4Ux0puOJH6KGDCwz-RH91O9WXPrLmzWBejunVTPXSilbkRq3dNTKWmbhNWlR68Tz1zfh0XGRSoFVDC0yckanWneZFpuv1FzPgeEAEo9bGroxeWnWq916fNLAUywpg/s320/Maggie-Rogers-Surrender.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>49. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/49EXOlUTFBGdI098L6SXDh?si=c2f68a9f62804945">That's Where I Am</a></i> - Maggie Rogers:</b> An infectious take on long-delayed love, my favorite contemporary pop song of 2022 anchors a confident collection of anthemic, easy-to-like tunes on Marylander Maggie Roger's sophomore outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2VeOtQQAJxR8VyvmoXqIbI?si=SrH8pVkGRwGtUJdX2FNGgA">Surrender</a></i> (Solid Recommend). And not that you missed it, but for more crowd-pleasing pop, there's always my daughter's 2022 fav, Taylor Swift's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/151w1FgRZfnKZA9FEcg9Z3?si=ZfO5_tuVTP2G2KulFgo-UQ">Midnights</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxMUg4idQGOGvCqEfZaViPKEfbOcSd7AoUMRyPHCyEaDy14bkZ1GVcKcdYQFyYF-j44W-SpkJozCzUW8ZuOdBKhsFJL624pZvy39X7BsWidWYKiSXGbdMcVhh1KeMUogey9hzvbM42EMMEfV4hvvTok2n1XldipOa0CVeK6tY8HPP8E-eXKqu3ZjAYA/s600/viagra-boys-cave-world.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxMUg4idQGOGvCqEfZaViPKEfbOcSd7AoUMRyPHCyEaDy14bkZ1GVcKcdYQFyYF-j44W-SpkJozCzUW8ZuOdBKhsFJL624pZvy39X7BsWidWYKiSXGbdMcVhh1KeMUogey9hzvbM42EMMEfV4hvvTok2n1XldipOa0CVeK6tY8HPP8E-eXKqu3ZjAYA/s320/viagra-boys-cave-world.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>50. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/42Y6p0Kc3suygNBwWklv2T?si=0dd0cea2e1fe44b1">Baby Criminal</a></i> - Viagra Boys:</b> Intentionally silly (but sometimes also profound) ruminations on human de-evolution are nothing new in rock. Hell, Devo has made a career out of it. But pointing the regressive spotlight explicitly on alt-right internet trolls is at least timely, focused and a little fresh, and on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2IC2TP7bnwkfl56vjabLQt?si=ggcc0sSVS-yKYe_Pr_2-fg">Cave World</a></i> (Strong Recommend), Swedish-American punk-rock outfit Viagra Boys has an irreverent blast broadly satirizing the gun nuts, anti-vaxxers, and rabid conspiracy theorists that riddle the net. The jokes don't always land, as hit-and-miss as in an SNL-skit, but the sleazy/sloppy Hives-like grooves are often dynamite, as on cuts like the critical-darling <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2FHMM1A7ozaPLn0wIY4SET?si=85918b5fb6064e08">Trodglodyte</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2pqoh1jUQoppztoQRRGyKK?si=061a93aea0c7423f">Punk Rock Loser</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/37GcbhhPfBPy2uZnZ77bF9?si=5784fc3f72d8456b">Big Boy</a></i> and my personal fav, opener <i>Baby Criminal</i>. Uneven, but as distinct a listen as 2022 produced.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iqC7SjoM6IcbszSFovqdzhSH64my7I6Br3sARJFYTBNKCpg6k-tHYy8nOdfB1e7mkfY0r8yoEQSn7vfiJ664wJPrkue0UsQO3LCO46BSpTToSIaR5O7xFkgM-EVs67nCJC2WnchY8KDHATbdyzrXqf5M5VcPPbP5fvNSzpiKygZnkeTA2pioTaoKEg/s600/Ethel-Cain-Preachers-Daughter.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iqC7SjoM6IcbszSFovqdzhSH64my7I6Br3sARJFYTBNKCpg6k-tHYy8nOdfB1e7mkfY0r8yoEQSn7vfiJ664wJPrkue0UsQO3LCO46BSpTToSIaR5O7xFkgM-EVs67nCJC2WnchY8KDHATbdyzrXqf5M5VcPPbP5fvNSzpiKygZnkeTA2pioTaoKEg/s320/Ethel-Cain-Preachers-Daughter.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>51. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3tVUEVJrOQxfKEde3W7EmU?si=7a3b27daafe143e3">Thoroughfare</a></i> - Ethel Cain:</b> Heaven and Hell are places on Earth, and organized religion and its practitioners are responsible for creating both. That's a central theme on the seething, brutal, semi-autobiographic story of a troubled runaway southern baptist teen turned cult-leader turned cult-victim <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/40pYNrOZaH6Ozmex2nLniD?si=ffNfGtm9Tf6mbJd07eAO6g">Preacher's Daughter</a></i> (Solid Recommend) by enigmatic young trans country-rocker Ethel Cain (real name Hayden Silas Anhedonia). Possessed of a striking voice, Cain - when not dropping a brief moment of T Swiftian pop magic in breakout hit <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4ltqfN12ohaVZdM6C45gMg?si=0d97670726dc4773">American Teenager</a> - </i>mostly comes across as some eerie southern gothic version of Lana Del Ray, who like Del Ray will choose personal freedom over commitment at all times, no matter the cost. Given that most of the album's narrative details are influenced by Anhedonia's own frightening experiences as a teen runaway and a gay-then-trans home-schooled youth reared in a deeply religious, insular Florida panhandle community, it's clear some of those costs can be horrifyingly high. Intense, moody, slow-burning stuff, as representative track <i>Thoroughfare,</i> one of my very favorite songs of the year, makes perfectly clear.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJPiT2AIfkkE4bPf5F2kaxcJ0pH0dhDB7U-46mbafh4nbLgVyMJybLR1YZdSsOewf_9TdfW9nCKPqXVpi7BrhiYhpipKwzjWCW_4sI8zstQZKjufdFCZv-AFhd5guiW4QZBLnzNjRyIzZhJ2JqUbnNnNFH9xEw8OfgKqTT9witA54XgHqyDn0Ha9J1w/s600/Bartees-Strange-2022.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJPiT2AIfkkE4bPf5F2kaxcJ0pH0dhDB7U-46mbafh4nbLgVyMJybLR1YZdSsOewf_9TdfW9nCKPqXVpi7BrhiYhpipKwzjWCW_4sI8zstQZKjufdFCZv-AFhd5guiW4QZBLnzNjRyIzZhJ2JqUbnNnNFH9xEw8OfgKqTT9witA54XgHqyDn0Ha9J1w/s320/Bartees-Strange-2022.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>52. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5VUD3zHBZXct2c7KG97s2y?si=2fd4b0f4278b4a66">Whatever It Is (I'm Against It)</a></i> - Kula Shaker:</b> The best old-school psychedelic single of 2022, the blazing <i>Whatever It Is (I'm Against It) </i>comes to us courtesy of Kula Skaker and the veteran, Crispian Mills (son of actress Hayley Mills)-led outfit's silly, lively <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5529UlgQxgJGMifcqZlV8T?si=xn9oU-rcSo-LeBXt3SmbNg">1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love (And Free Hugs)</a></i> (Solid Recommend). The track also stands in as our representative for a bevy of other worthwhile 2022 releases from Brit-pop elder statesmen including Ride guitarist Andy Bell's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4IRBroDG8m9MAzGObiUdV9?si=ZPYm5Tu8Q_2rY3GaF3DbTQ">Flicker</a>,</i> Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0ajgwYZ4Zp9wq3Zy12El05?si=0VymcfPzSJeUcqnTsLPcbg">Fever Dreams Pts 1-4</a></i>, Michael Heade & The Red Elastic Band's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0vyLWKPoAY76Ct0OzWSRqQ?si=jE05NabxRnavq6hDSFf9rw">Dear Scott</a></i>, Placebo's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/19upQOw6eZRsGUGqGe6zF1?si=upOopiK5T5KziwYceZ5uSA">Never Let Me Go</a></i>, Spiritualized's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7sKThLp2JeJqysSXC5ckhI?si=9X0yn6OfSD-iuuTTvrWmnw">Everything Was Beautiful</a></i>, The London Suede's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6yLKyq7x7ZCpL7p99smtsO?si=GPQKkJBiSSycEQ1Ewx5K8A">Autofiction</a></i>, Tears For Fears' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6xKxlHD3mWkKoMtl3ZVyLt?si=gF9cQXQeRBCD5jhmaKv9GQ">The Tipping Point</a></i>, and ex-Soft Boys frontman Robyn Hitchcock's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4sJg5nUnMNjzxsGWXcqFy2?si=K1DrYZ2QRA6laD331eKhHw">Shufflemania</a></i>, most of which have a song featured on our <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/24zZiylopJXBJGUjaXBftS?si=c41a596511d4411a">Vol 2 - The Next 100-ish</a></i> mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT7kFQ2FmDojSTuN4s9aSlKjcerAYV6S8xGVzKnvnQSiVZKtjrVWhwf_2uJx2akSxJogbWM3dAKF3WxNixqg-elhil_CAIh7SBqcOe5g6rKBy-aJI7cK8NiJBS-PUO0dO6Le_gvGu1rQ-2QFXeOZ2l5vM4-5Pcq2-5DvrevYqSiasMBQUyy2ekViAkw/s600/florence_and_the_machine_dance_fever.jpeg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT7kFQ2FmDojSTuN4s9aSlKjcerAYV6S8xGVzKnvnQSiVZKtjrVWhwf_2uJx2akSxJogbWM3dAKF3WxNixqg-elhil_CAIh7SBqcOe5g6rKBy-aJI7cK8NiJBS-PUO0dO6Le_gvGu1rQ-2QFXeOZ2l5vM4-5Pcq2-5DvrevYqSiasMBQUyy2ekViAkw/s320/florence_and_the_machine_dance_fever.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>53. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6kQlUiaTUyRW8fYQ2xDhpx?si=9fbf0b7f2b3e494e">Girls Against God</a></i> - Florence + the Machine:</b> Some artists despise touring, but for others, it's their raison d'etre. If the deeply felt personal songs on Florence + the Machine's fifth album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ohh1zQ4yybSK9FS7LLyDE?si=eAQSehTJQqKtTYaolA5A0w"><i>Dance Fever</i> </a>(Strong Recommend) are to be taken at face value, Florence Welch falls decidedly into the second camp. Shut down for two years by the pandemic, Welch was forced to confront the hard truth that performing had become the entirety of her existence, and mattered to her far more than any personal relationship or political cause. Never one to shy away from a pagan metaphor, Welch places her need to perform on par with the middle-ages practice of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7xdHw4C522RbsxHL9KD9L6?si=adfb54b6c416450b">Choreomania</a></i>, where participants would literally dance themselves to death, and the album serves up several of the high quality anthemic barn burners one has come to expect from F+TM to deliver on the theme. Surprisingly though, it's <i>Dance Fever's</i> confessional ballads like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2HtpqUSxCZ5FnbQ6PTtY4L?si=69ee2437f7be44d2">Morning Elvis</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0z2BVrzRVNvmnFF37mDhev?si=7f6e314477fc44d8">Cassandra</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6QAztdj5jtr41PL56WcgvP?si=070ce8938ce2416e">The Bomb</a></i>, and the natural-world-savaging <i>Girls Against God</i> that make the strongest impression this time out. My favorite Florence album since <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2FgknX5e7fJlriQtxvpLhZ?si=7_jgonlRQVex71ZcvK7d-A">Lungs</a></i>. And for more indie/art-rock with a paganish vibe, check out performance artist Jenny Hval's latest <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/71T5vyKWwbd4oUPfDpyNwb?si=w54c-o4ITuuFxj34KIZQ8g">Classic Objects</a>, and bizarre Columbian experimentalist Lucretia Dalt's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6g5Cioj39K7ix89q2xAtsh?si=Sa60uAepSTWXVt8JbAz5ww">Ay!</a></i> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vbHGs1lfcTyarHbY3MDn0PaZyxzPOsnVsjicrsMB5Ozl-0AXDznGZxGqJbcZ9YUdbpszriQhZymtOPiqxyQjsBBbWn3jAwD-lBPP14-O763G_7Bxo-eZJ3XQfn6qFNVRAOe6DuwOb85L63yuD_mh8mQsvahKcF4XijCkIy-fCKgMqtOvAaRqyjNUuw/s600/The-Weeknd-Dawn-FM.jpg" style="font-weight: 700; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vbHGs1lfcTyarHbY3MDn0PaZyxzPOsnVsjicrsMB5Ozl-0AXDznGZxGqJbcZ9YUdbpszriQhZymtOPiqxyQjsBBbWn3jAwD-lBPP14-O763G_7Bxo-eZJ3XQfn6qFNVRAOe6DuwOb85L63yuD_mh8mQsvahKcF4XijCkIy-fCKgMqtOvAaRqyjNUuw/s320/The-Weeknd-Dawn-FM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>54. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1NlK2NtpuUazpziLhnJwEV?si=4eca1a98cf3a4881">Phantom Regret by Jim</a></i> - The Weeknd w/ Jim Carrey:</b> We close with one last, this time almost poignant, interstitial message from purgatory's <i>Dawn FM</i> radio. Until next year (well actually just a few months til Nancy and I's '72 retrospective) - peace!</span></p><p><br /></p>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-62219246606145494002023-05-23T06:58:00.004-07:002023-05-23T07:06:05.235-07:00McQ's Best Of 2022 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><p>Here we go again, music fans. </p><p>The best eleven hours and thirty-four minutes of music Nancy and I heard in 2022. Broken up for you in three different ways. </p><p>As always, enjoy!</p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2023/05/mcqs-best-of-2022-vol-1a-best-of-best.html">Volume 1A - Best Of The Best (The Big 244)</a></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Though a few of the year's best stand-alone tracks are included (Confidence Man's <i>Feels Like A Different Think</i>, Harry Styles' <i>As It Was</i>, Anais Mitchell's <i>Little Big Girl</i>, and Kula Shaker's <i>Whatever It Is (I'm Against It</i>)), most of the selections here, while great tracks in their own right, are included foremost as representative tracks from 2022 best albums. And be sure to click on the mix title above to access the annual write-up.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6TLC1MNdjz0RGUHZlilZQy?si=56e647f7c2d04156">Volume 1B - Best Of The Best(The Tight 90)</a></font></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><font>For those who'd prefer to start with a shorter, less broad-ranging listen, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6TLC1MNdjz0RGUHZlilZQy?si=56e647f7c2d04156">Vol 1B - The Tight 90</a></i> whittles down <i>Volume 1A</i> to its twenty-one most essential tracks.</font></span></div></div></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6TLC1MNdjz0RGUHZlilZQy?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></font></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/24zZiylopJXBJGUjaXBftS?si=5f6a0d846bd54f3a">Volume 2 - The Next 100ish</a></font></span></b></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">The next best 106 tracks we heard in 2022 are gathered here in this sprawling, loosely sequenced mix. Attack it however you see fit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Also just a quick Spotify note - their window player only allows 100 tracks at the moment, so click on the Play on Spotify link that comes up on their window to get to the full 106. Or click <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T1O6Icp1YewugkUMNxf70?si=7ef7c9b490134532">here</a>.</div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-30765213553951159042022-09-18T11:33:00.036-07:002023-11-26T11:09:01.374-08:00McQ's Favorite Albums Of 2022<div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">McQ's Best Of has now completed its rankings of 153 of 2022's most significant popular releases.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Highest Recommends</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">NONE</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Strong Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div>
1a. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0013PvFftJ0xfoUxK8Kv8I?si=48550f637e4d4619">Skinty Fia</a></i> - Fontaines D.C.</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1b. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6NMzokKOYpPO9VXDjmc5y6?si=5E0ZMevnQuiMSnBv1F8xxw">This Is A Photograph</a></i> - Kevin Morby</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">3<i>. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ctW8o8ABBCNWWkdIvEGgV?si=fc53S8JETvKdPPHPn89nZA">RENAISSANCE</a></i> - Beyonce</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gIhgrNGDbRZCqGw2F0kXo?si=5bf586df8b2f47f0">Wet Leg</a></i></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38i4DO0zjlQC5CNnF2S5Xv?si=3b8d5cca609b4c86">Bleed Out</a></i> - The Mountain Goats</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0IxkOdfNHkZBUJECtBgMUZ?si=7ZjAv8rSS6yE40xRbKtNIg">Heart Under </a></i>- Just Mustard</div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1szMY4QqnQZgNuyLBC4jUQ?si=dH-yx3gvSv6DNh3qcpmkJg">Lucifer On The Sofa</a></i> - Spoon<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2IC2TP7bnwkfl56vjabLQt?si=VWMnR2LPRxCndymY6s--PQ">Cave World</a></i> - Viagra Boys</div><div style="text-align: left;">9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ohh1zQ4yybSK9FS7LLyDE?si=_Hb4Ag0GRMWRSw_mAbgc3Q">Dance Fever</a></i> - Florence + The Machine</div><div style="text-align: left;">10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5SCEYwNUP39hTXjoVYrD9s?si=2d4cc5e0afbc40a7">MOTOMAMI</a></i> - Rosalia</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5oHaiGt9cgATxsrv409jP3?si=U4DiK92ZQkibALdwT24o1g">Life On Earth</a></i> - Hurray For The Riff Raff</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Solid Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ln81p86r5cCsesd3KBWIY?si=ufKKqxb2QYmjEzVKArpamg">Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You</a></i> - Big Thief</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">13. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZYhM0LXHZ38te98EizcQW?si=gHuQcMhWT_aiE02knMj8yQ"><i>Diaspora Problems</i></a> - Soul Glo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nPbslvl01lfELsFHTKp0s?si=uNvYmbhMTMOjIdWkgX5Zow">Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava</a> </i>- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0oITu9K4aaCB3n3FCrelyc?si=a8cb0a464fa841fb">Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life</a></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/03CWEGnnMN2Xlfgkb6QZ0C?si=A8c-zabMT-WyLkeCwmjJag">Feeding The Machine</a></i> - Binker and Moses</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7xrEwxtqAtEv76y5Xj4frt?si=92mnNdGlT_WLtVIjWjUK-A">Colder Streams</a></i> - The Sadies</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/444RtK8RqcIODjfyaWTuhi?si=qvZGzG0mSbyN9c1yUBnJjQ">Live At The El Mocambo</a></i> - The Rolling Stones</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1kQ2gADUVYR15SXj8nhGrD?si=0KO1C_j3QhWiTlzZl1EdQQ">A Legacy Of Rentals</a></i> - Craig Finn</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ymEAKPPaQ8LxAoc0huqRE?si=c156a6f38b644dfa">Big Time</a></i><i> </i>- Angel Olsen</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/40pYNrOZaH6Ozmex2nLniD?si=_rnx225gT-mzKnSUVgPwwg">Preacher's Daughter</a></i> - Ethel Cain</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4LukTKZB3A6mp2jaed8x64?si=fi1puhYyRhyRjjdYiLRvTA">Weather Alive</a></i> - Beth Orton</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3PqowBonjatEu0P7g5AIHr?si=g0f6gkfqSlyBP8rZJcBKLw">We've Been Going About This All Wrong</a></i> - Sharon Van Etten</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3bclTvGr69frcDsVw2VJVO?si=7SfMPWpKQN2D9JykGtITUA">YTILAER</a></i> - Bill Callahan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0TJe1zaoMElWrLSIhmSyKL?si=TQZmomw6S_mj6RVn0Cg3_Q">Electricity</a></i> - Bibio Sound Machine & Hot Chip</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6xicW6tUyNCDftXpvSfb5j?si=1ddb836b4a324416">Dawn FM</a></i> - The Weeknd</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5yI1S6GDmNFBswN6LTEEiZ?si=7fbed4e71c584a7f">The Overload</a></i> - Yard Act</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/009EjjwUjtdjvH7UP0wHzi?si=8NJCVe8MQ3aL2QKcmID1CA">A Light For Attracting Attention</a></i><i> </i>- The Smile</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0I6vjwsEoCExWSoTHFYnTs?si=9a170e40da4e49eb">I Am The Moon</a> </i>- Tedeschi Trucks Band</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4BvnbCJbTPkyZYYBWVijgq?si=eHgXrntSRjCgFF5Ozf_hww">Blue Rev</a></i> - Alvvays</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1atjqOZTCdrjxjMyCPZc2g?si=atFq84EwQ4OOPjYlt8WxJw">Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers</a></i> - Kendrick Lamar</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7hiwGchvdLOcWCPb7DNGrT?si=6WjG2JJiT9mgnLSSYtdxhA">See Through You</a></i> - A Place To Bury Strangers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2KsWFxB2Dqn6SAEAoHHs98?si=NOeXuSWnSx-gh2NhBiHwzw">Running With The Hurricane</a></i> - Camp Cope</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2PIWPTOIxbaVSjTnc30vXS?si=S6NDHQy7Saa26xwd66OEsw">Asphalt Meadows</a></i> - Death Cab For Cutie</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5r36AJ6VOJtp00oxSkBZ5h?si=IVbE22RoSe2MY7Xren_40A">Harry's House</a></i> - Harry Styles</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1QSo9HgowUqAc5BI3AdkqN?si=joiAZzhzT82jDTYRiw28sQ">Natural Brown Prom Queen</a></i> - Sudan Archives</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7EvfFPMMvMJ20olfdEkPBR?si=r3UQqyZYTlC4nRtv4fA0Gw">Florist</a></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3RQQmkQEvNCY4prGKE6oc5?si=SHVMFb2tTUyNwIpl5s1Kwg">Un Verano Sin Ti</a></i> - Bad Bunny</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7IouDrXPdAZwT1NzVV3vef?si=dXF55K4_QLmSpZ9_ZzE6eQ">American Heartbreak</a></i> - Zach Bryan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5szOdnVq0e6pDDFNxz6YK3?si=N6sRQcb-TtyZWh9t82pnrg">Farm To Table</a></i> - Bartees Strange</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">41. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1vzqa9wcGcflSTyVbQPRFE?si=oPy5HTkuRZaBK_7hdk8-Ag">Blue Skies</a></i> - Dehd</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2hGVI0xhYPE5VPxr5ERpnp?si=5b7008760cd440c4">Is It Going To Get Any Deeper</a></i> - The Soft Pink Truth</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">43.<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3H6pbRzmpQa6eqCXn7rgO8?si=zVUDyhAOTc-eXBGXXaIbUg"> <i>Emotional Creature</i></a> - Beach Bunny</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">44. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4pFPIHBK3YjY7mcFt0seqi?si=YIaC91V3Tpi6IHSc-sR5PQ">Two Ribbons</a></i> - Let's Eat Grandma</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">45. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/248FBJsqTT5aXWsQzyzpyf?si=73eIZ6d0QQqQHr460Sa4ug">Reason In Decline</a></i> - Archers Of Loaf</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">46. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2VeOtQQAJxR8VyvmoXqIbI?si=cMCMCXJwQIGqO0Vjn4gYtg"><i>Surrender</i> </a>- Maggie Rodgers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">47. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0rEbmIQjHTKzKraH4UqiDy?si=_f4LZZVhS2aOP1ctbzX5HA">Cheat Codes</a></i> - Danger Mouse & Black Thought</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">48. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0hx3vfW0f5NFtNE1Hc39R2?si=02efae0877ad4c77">Ants From Up Here</a></i> - Black Country, New Road </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">49. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0dI5LZnQkQARnozVj1wQ57?si=jq__ZggmQVWQSOJqQ3WcNQ">Summer At Land's End</a></i> - The Reds, Pinks & Purples</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">50. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1hkGVzxg3aKTSj1B6EMyRh?si=vNWEGhHKSNiGQINOrM3DSw">Reeling</a></i> - The Mysterines</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">51. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6zn3DcldhCpu6f5HvV32bw?si=gym2v6T_QlmN517K8Bp48g">If My Wife New I'd Be Dead</a></i> - CMAT</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">52. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4xrHCOnujQW9DDLmntffLP?si=oXN2mNHtR6qtSyRyVLfTng">angel in realtime</a></i> - Gang Of Youths</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">53. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5529UlgQxgJGMifcqZlV8T?si=7mZ44p0qSIaT_oF70xIkag">1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love (And Free Hugs)</a></i> - Kula Shaker</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">54. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0vyLWKPoAY76Ct0OzWSRqQ?si=79ndlz9ITpqVMoRtEwwP5w"><i>Dear Scott</i> </a>- Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">55. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2JXDkvsBkFGCW0hFWraUkr?si=gnq7P29pQFqVGV21Cl9aiA">for you who are the wronged</a></i> - Kathryn Joseph</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">56. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7EU4Jf2J97Iamh3lwHCHy9?si=AamY6_8aQV6iuuit6YgYew">Endure</a></i> - Special Interest</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">57.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6yLKyq7x7ZCpL7p99smtsO?si=33T7d6ZxTxStOqBGHqJBsw">Autofiction</a></i> - Suede</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">58. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/19upQOw6eZRsGUGqGe6zF1?si=9WpncT6LSx6_2q5zLqwkTw">Never Let Me Go</a></i> - Placebo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">59. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5f0IPVaiRNK0knLx8UbqIq?si=Irb9YQGSTEqbceL_7mShgQ">Laminated Denim</a></i> - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">60. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/52AK5lF28WewmqRiYGlSUj?si=dB0HTq0dTGiyIe0ZgjEU4w">Overwintering</a></i> - Lightning In A Twilight Hour</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">61. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/71T5vyKWwbd4oUPfDpyNwb?si=AqpLYeM3SlyADwKFpZ01Sg">Classic Objects</a></i> - Jenny Hval</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">62. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3hWOJ8Xj5yVqcHWtjkMQ3q?si=bV9nz4KiSBSqOKQE-oBYZg">Things Are Great</a></i> - Band Of Horses</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">63. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2HutgntzLdadMPeSLrwmT1?si=FzJ4e0wZTLax6SW0v8rY2g">Heartmind</a></i> - Cass McCombs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">64. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6XT2zsJKZ80o1FJndkQwdx?si=3OGBGecFQ3O2TIvpdCzcmA">Angels & Queens</a> - Part 1</i> - Gabriels</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">65. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BkAzZNlSz80Iz3oTlKHet?si=2D8yksqKSa2ErkZEW8XBJw">Growing Up</a></i> - The Linda Lindas</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">66. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6TzgWk5HZItbFmMT7hH4bU?si=39M1Ocw3SuOvMdFnOjmHDg">God Save The Animals</a></i> - Alex G</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">67. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4l3zlqIjR8K1tB1b8Yyn0f?si=xn3lEyoISyGdBSeEqK7iaA">Hideous Bastard</a></i> - Oliver Sims</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">68. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/43mr98g3RoWlC3jyxAKf5I?si=82rgISo_QIW4H5vsh459dg">Rolling Golden Holy</a></i> - Bonny Light Horseman</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">69. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2hCcPHWTbvF81CiXPUrM6I?si=pc96fe2iSd2Uh5LJvFmhpw">Bronco</a></i> - Orville Peck</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">70. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3Ks0eeH0GWpY4AU20D5HPD?si=Vb8rleObQjuTAbpO6-p5DQ"><i>Gemini Rights</i> </a>- Steve Lacy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">71. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4qw8zs6nZyjpgPPBxZWpTI?si=ll94vjymTyah8iyRp8LFfQ">Ultra Truth</a></i> - Daniel Avery</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">72. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5UvNnPzKxLMYz6bYi8NpoS?si=dCMVE01zSrGU3n4YzDoT3Q">The Boy Named If</a></i> - Elvis Costello</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">73. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6xKxlHD3mWkKoMtl3ZVyLt?si=8hGt1zShSaOvOcbS3ucv1w"><i>The Tipping Point</i> </a> - Tears For Fears</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">74. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/63AiuIrU9tVW6o0UuAJMtV?si=_QsiJ4nbSNiwvHzna8lClg">El Mirador</a></i> - Calexico</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">75. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/38hr6lK2Up3QabqUEUEhKx?si=IJsDwuvzQ4ypJFcUtCNMYg">God's Country</a></i> - Chat Pile</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">76. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0JO5WJ19NtFRtVYOnw24xS?si=SZhjhndnTwKQAeDcx-2pQA">Hold The Girl</a></i> - Rina Sawayama</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">77. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ug0WdvzC2sLXTrtHUwNsj?si=qnRN62XKQaKtQOQm8p2whQ">Cool It Down</a></i> - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">78. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2tfg6zi5pwuYeQ0IHYnOBz?si=46ANWhngSJOARMvHnSE7zw">Chloe And The Next 20th Century</a></i> - Father John Misty</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">79. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5kyMgf8ogldA8iLY9ppyAV?si=cDn-uKaMSwmG_rGVECd45A">The Theory Of Whatever</a></i> - Jamie T</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">80. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3fn4HfVz5dhmE0PG24rh6h?si=xqUk6BxcSXCIhzKXlaLjEA">IMPERA</a></i> - Ghost</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">81. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1a9kmBb5Mpl12EqU3FZvGF?si=fc3d54d1cbbc4e1d">When The Wind Forgets Your Name</a></i> - Built To Spill</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">82. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17JVuhlvgwEEk5fv3ISJdQ?si=Qx9WHciMRumEIUO7M4TnpQ">The Spur</a></i> - Joan Shelley</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">83. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wdThJ2V58nkaWfv1jA4B5?si=B9-zjseoTjS1zPn8KZbuVA">Water Slide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky</a></i> - Porridge Radio</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">84. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RWLJx7kQLSnwwPyTqPj0U?si=hGoqZBnbQ4yL_abyQQZdug">Expert In A Dying Field</a></i> - The Beths</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">85. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/39JLsOUFJjzvKIIXEB8IsJ?si=rZ74H-tLTz6uQ-426viqjA"><i>Carry Me Home</i> </a>- Levon Helm/Mavis Staples</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">86. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4p9uaJ4RlN4dJiJ8uoRCeM?si=o1bh5ERaRViA1IefaVv6UA">Steady</a></i> - Sloan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">87. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/20NAtKWWeyYn9QIzOejT0Y?si=wvH4euPnReidAzmP4Vl_kg">Reset</a></i> - Panda Bear</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">88. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/08I3iemI4Gfn7kp4wm9FmX?si=6Czv4R0_Q1S7kpFdlrcBPg">LP3</a></i> - Hippo Campus</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">89. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5qKXYz1XhJhJV3BHJR3eq5?si=gjk2794vTWOQBBy93g0FFg">Fear Fear</a></i> - Working Men's Club</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">90. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6o38CdD7CUlZDCFhjZYLDH?si=WPqTN7OzQrqBolaRTwKGgQ">It's Almost Dry</a></i> - Pusha T</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">91. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/46haRq08MM0GIXj1r7WHWw?si=VWWsMoUZQj-sFKlbtigN5g">Past Life Regression</a></i> - Papercuts</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">92. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/30pvR95Omj175HJgCSXdy6?si=91b262701d4344ab">Sonnacy</a></i> - Loop</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">93. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7KtyUeiJidoZO0ybxBXw0Q?si=JW4pm3giS6Sqtud2xzs6zg">Melt My Eyez See Your Future</a></i> - Denzel Curry</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">94. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1jEwa4YdGR6FvKxWgRbJcv?si=V2LZrMuOQzCgL-UVblDCkA">Alpha Zulu</a></i> - Phoenix</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">95. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1G5OaCbp7Tb0YJlSInBeYu?si=RVu2_AYgQFWHpKdhy63heQ">Boat Songs</a></i> - MJ Lenderman</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">96. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0jVHS92IWtlGYV7hPeTGbk?si=d65175b56afa4509">Topical Dancer</a></i> - Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">97. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6LlHJbM6hisN0Qgy1kSwsT?si=fBLOcOUiQDOv2zKJ2j7F9g">Where I'm Meant To Be</a></i> - Ezra Collective</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">98. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/435br4I9UOHTrQI5qbxVbI?si=o5NUfoPURrqN5JITRgob_A">Versions Of Modern Performance</a></i> - Horsegirl</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">99. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/46qeiLBu3KwqFQpJBT7t6B?si=31UpvUuHStOTrgZ6ZsLSwg">Fear Of The Dawn</a></i> - Jack White</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">100. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6kyJvDF60aMfPtiJ92nVsa?si=86eda8c1b69243d2">!Ay!</a> </i> - Lucreatia Dalt</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">101. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1hngVRZt95TrqPqXoJzQ4A?si=hiS6U2-URtyjaXKafnU_QQ">And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow</a></i> - Weyes Blood</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mild Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">102. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/44tPSnfh8wwmoPZEra2x4d?si=d08897cd6aa84586">Tilt</a></i> - Confidence Man</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">103. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3pKgm881D62yMVb64ioz7u?si=4517991c8cc745c6">Anais Mitchell</a></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">104. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4GxhBXlAhfNzI7ehTDmFJ5?si=QIGHFciJScuu1TZQYLHtgg">Entering Heaven Alive</a></i> - Jack White</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">105. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3CRQfG5NbcbwphJC3K4lbz?si=adQerdQmR06SSafZjj7jLQ">Songs Of The Recollection</a></i> - Cowboy Junkies</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">106. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6GfYRMD52msi3dHjnGpOWv?si=wAPQrNQrTjWhiTppmdpKzg">Time Skiffs</a></i> - Animal Collective</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">107. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/79NySyjxJ8xric31mXKMAo?si=bJZYuhuORoO52nylaiVj8w"><i>Once Twice Melody</i></a> - Beach House</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">108. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4yt5RUB1MXIIetUmAwwixM?si=8a674cfeb2ad4e38">Hellfire</a></i> - Black Midi</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">109. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/539HucQnknG6trEGguoa0S?si=f2b2c5a6a21942fd">Oh Death</a></i> - Goat</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">110. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/151w1FgRZfnKZA9FEcg9Z3?si=vVBJ5ZliQjuuwz3fJdO24g">Midnights</a></i> - Taylor Swift</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">111. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6RKTo1HYiMcUxIBxykVI7j?si=456dd3f036e84c06">I Love You Jennifer B</a></i> - Jockstrap</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">112. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34tf3KVea0r8Ee5jUE6HH9?si=tydurVC_QHK3P-pX9qRnKA">ILYSM</a></i> - Wild Pink</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">113. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3McfY0EGNjsrVdYa9ZnoSH?si=m4LgBAhORUaVKQgRTsF26w">hugo</a></i> - Loyle Carner</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">114. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2sAePf08xIp4tnDlMUCV8B?si=_PI1cJBMQhi9JCBfg5ZzQA">We</a></i> - Arcade Fire</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">115. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6dVCpQ7oGJD1oYs2fv1t5M?si=rZLFphD7R5-HCiZWRhqojA">Being Funny In A Foreign Language</a></i> - The 1975</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">116. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2oNhRiClJIhzZYgCnZBtgu?si=55371a8a0f154b0b">Sometimes, Forever</a></i> - Soccer Mommy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">117. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2R74tj2OOtjri1Fi8C05B5?si=mrJs2atBThypa30jKebIwA">You Belong There</a></i> - Daniel Rossen</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">118. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4xAfbUateDw6WULJAlJQJw?si=b24945a8deb24f67">A Bit Of Previous</a></i> - Belle & Sebastian</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">119. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2inG3MxvNhZYd808mnhbOW?si=LAX-FfIiRZK-Ay-dO0J_jA">Endless Rooms</a></i> - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">120. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6TojjY9JPhsgR5U6r9g3ZC?si=oPIdGbj4T_6g_EVyoMf8ng"><i>PRE PLEAURE</i> </a>- Julia Jacklin</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">121. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34uTUAM6SE8Eo6Cv4PRqwD?si=QNP0869QSGWriVhI4KFZCw">Aethiopes</a></i> - Billy Woods</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">122. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4rcinMUHEWOxpIwJo2sf22?si=cAVL8n-zS3GgFUNUNqpBxA">Laurel Hell</a></i> - Mitski</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">123. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2bRpK0BpzYUQZYIzri35n6?si=KV3JCf_1TQ-HmBv9owjfXw">THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND</a></i> - PUP</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">124. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1fsGRseH9xCUSiO1MDSB7W?si=FFVVPVPCTNy1CQ8goDAgoQ">FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE</a></i> - Brian Eno</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">125. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4sJg5nUnMNjzxsGWXcqFy2?si=v30Rt9P_R3Wpc84isL3OYw">Shufflemania</a></i> - Robyn Hitchcock</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">126. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1xx5xzL8gdzcYRx6SUGhdr?si=PcHWkG2OSrKieuhIHSLANQ">Riderless Horse</a></i> - Nina Nastasia</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">127. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3f0jyDlsZqk7WRjOJspDff?si=ldEjM5agRPSCtY-L6W8Hzg">In/Out/In</a></i> - Sonic Youth</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">128. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/67GC6lWDvJ0lUc1aVBXTcT?si=NV-yVmIVT8qLqXZrFShiOg">Cruel Country</a></i> - Wilco</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">129. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0FHU2NxNeg7sw3pjuUHk5w?si=IVdesz6CTfG2cifwMiZ1Tw">Pompeii</a></i> - Kate Le Bon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">130. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2GROf0WKoP5Er2M9RXVNNs?si=ctkFozoQRZmxQFq167_sgg">The Car</a> </i>- Arctic Monkeys</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">131. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5deq2LyCuaUcXVmUJeugi1?si=beb74947dbb64dca">Midnight Rocker</a></i> - Horace Andy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">132. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/63bs2cLZO9wm6hvhovU1AU?si=WOQxbKBXR9G0YxzE74-0TQ">Labrynthitis</a></i> - Destroyer</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">133. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4C87UAmhJ3nhATyp9nCI4i?si=Ui31D66UR7uPxTvlqY7lkg">White Jesus Black Problems</a></i> - Fantastic Negrito</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">134. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1XPsJnIVMjOt04rczMWVO4?si=0DG2O_0RSv-qiRxtoIMqsw">Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam</a></i> - The Comet Is Coming</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">135. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/58z5GjZRjt6XIz5GOS0PJh?si=Ri3UYTtFSI2JRdgmYc2IpQ">Covers</a></i> - Cat Power</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">136. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1QqipMXWzJhr6yfcNKTp8B?si=hnULlm8TQlW-X-fqj-4Y-g">Crash</a></i> - Charli XCX</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">137. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3i4ZYO2l14kCTRzw90JmZ4?si=u20BagHJTaG-qX0Feu7gaw">Nymph</a></i> - Shygirl</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">138. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/78lZv9dM7CBDIblhnVAXH7?si=E4NE_SGMS52K5W8Fk2bULA">Tresor</a></i> - Gwenno</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">139. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3G77BQuJy3jahjdkKQNNNM?si=jPdGWScLShyJXDz3OivgRw">CAPRISONGS</a></i> - FKA Twigs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">140. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3d5mOvPLoAggvWctC7L12Z?si=pDJ4vBENTJG9_B_jFiu1jQ">Get On Board</a></i> - Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">141. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2IVL0vnFIe9uHWW1TAocC7?si=-D0eS7JVRAu5ZelltkH9Tw">Painless</a></i> - Nilufer Yanya</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">142. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1Ls9XDOYzEHqZp4dViQQtY?si=cuyq1E13Tfqdzz9qo0jNHA">Take It Like A Man</a></i> - Amanda Shires</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">143. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5dQUfkxczVrCGj4oft1exj?si=6e0c5f4ad72c4deb">Supernova</a></i> - Nova Twins</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">144. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/64OXKq9VK1geZd3Q9OpoBO?si=RQjlWQnmQamyvnNzVDJJoA">Stumpwork</a></i> - Dry Cleaning</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">145. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6KbOhrDyyCuTtqsknmyX4w?si=LqQwIilyTXG2ixtqDczvmQ">A Foul Form</a></i> - Osees</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">146. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/56rWsCsd2UF9l1XTpUfZ1v?si=FbM1X-GoQDOZsFbOZH2BxA">Warm Chris</a></i> - Aldous Harding</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">147. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6rFFWK98d8hhdSYgaOxI5L?si=-HfWIYkEQoyXB4vh6IWokA">Ugly Season</a></i> - Perfume Genius</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">148. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ndTvTrNwgUfRw4g1R2B4l?si=kO2FQQXFSlmIeh2kX-uk_Q">MUNA</a></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">149. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1HZw70A6Y71aDRIkPtW7e0?si=L5j8knG9R8OgJvwH7djqkA">In These Times</a></i> - Makaya McCraven</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">150. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/51heTwkSfb4Z5dRIgwU2bd?si=co7Jb4jtQhqQtZNa8oFBpA">SICK!</a></i> - Earl Sweatshirt</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">151. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NchVUjB8yqNhqSeBYaFVy?si=Ho447oHQRjC1-ZYFkVwL-g">Fossora</a></i> - Bjork</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">152. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GSzlDofD2letMOpxI61Ii?si=027093df101043d5">The Alien Coast</a></i> - St. Paul And The Broken Bones</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">153. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3Et83FjIHml5vd3Q73mJL1?si=Sx7mKTz7Tw-c5iNyaMDgJw">Words & Music, May 1965</a></i> - Lou Reed</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last Updated 11.26.23</span><br />
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</div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-54188008078952088152022-08-16T06:44:00.001-07:002022-08-16T06:44:39.627-07:00McQ's Best Of 2001 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlK8LFU-D2S0DmMx5MEBb3bM_IALQH72VHrXjJ91d6JfkSJvWfZ9J9q2YEoJZl6zxJdk6Gl3I4PFjhN1WASami4eq9R_8aO9FElFffBU6BehWbJCzH_KyuvRoXJ47P4ZSMpFyrBcwtsTqrolLMmxrH2vEBdgtoB-KYuznEnh7LhHS_QuxtRHvLdw3ng/s225/Tool%20-%20Lateralus.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlK8LFU-D2S0DmMx5MEBb3bM_IALQH72VHrXjJ91d6JfkSJvWfZ9J9q2YEoJZl6zxJdk6Gl3I4PFjhN1WASami4eq9R_8aO9FElFffBU6BehWbJCzH_KyuvRoXJ47P4ZSMpFyrBcwtsTqrolLMmxrH2vEBdgtoB-KYuznEnh7LhHS_QuxtRHvLdw3ng/s1600/Tool%20-%20Lateralus.jpeg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #1 Album of 2001</td></tr></tbody></table>Hello once again dear friends and music lovers. <p></p><p>We're closing in on Labor Day weekend, which means it's time for a new McQ's Best Of... retrospective mix collection! </p><p>This year's look backwards returns us to all the great music of 2001, and what a music year it was! </p><p>Dance music had a transformative year with the arrival of Daft Punk's <i>Discovery </i>and several fantastic downtempo releases. </p><p>Alt-Rock produced tons of alternatingly substantial or fun, throwaway hits. </p><p>Female R&B singers, lead by the likes of Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, Macy Gray, and Mary J. Blige, killed it in 2001, matched blow-for-blow by their hip-hop counterparts. </p><p>Garage rock, led by breakout albums from The Strokes and The White Stripes, became the flavor of the moment and marked a clear historical transition point for when Indie overtook Alt-Rock as the dominate rock flavor of the era.</p><p>And for the first and only time to date, a straight-up metal release, Tool's<i> Lateralus</i>, claimed the title of McQ's #1 album of the year.</p><p>As with last year's 1980 retrospective, clicking on the name of our first <i>Best of the Best</i> mix here will take you to our not-so-brief write-up touching on many of the year's top highlights, but all the mixes in this year's collection can be accessed here! So dig into however you like. </p><p>And now, onto the music!</p><p>Enjoy!</p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2022/08/mcqs-best-of-2001-vol-1a-best-of-best.html">Volume 1A - Best Of The Best (The Fat 240)</a></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Two ways to explore the very best of 2001 are offered for you this year. You can get lost in this expansive four-hour mix that highlights 50 of our favorite 2001 albums as well as a few standalone singles, or save some time and go with the much leaner <i>Volume 1B</i>, which pairs it down to just McQ's top 21 albums/songs over a single-CD length. Just know that the additional 33 songs that appear on the <i>Volume 1A</i> do not reappear on our later genre-themed mixes.<br />
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 1B - Best Of The Best (The Tight 90)</font></span></b></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">As said above, a tighter single CD cutdown of the top albums profiled in Volume 1A, with a swap in representative cuts for Missy Elliott. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6ejaZuFgEgyzrIP19OwM8v?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 2 - Indie Instigators</font></span></b></b></div><br style="text-align: center;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">It's sometime tough determining where indie-rock starts and alt-rock ends in this late 90s/early 2000s era, but for 2001 purposes, we went with this principle: if the song rocked in a grunge-y, metallic, hyper-angsty or studio-slick way, it went on <i>Volume 6 - Alt Rock Ragers.</i> If the song emphasized quirkiness, lush arrangements, experimentation, tweeness or ragged, DIY garage-y production, it went here.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6ONePZTsYGqWh8LEN8Ljhe?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 3 - Masters Of Dis And Maidens Of Yen</font></span></b></b></div><br style="text-align: center;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">With Jay-Z and Nas at each other's throats over the airwaves, and a simultaneous surge in high-end romantic female-fronted R&B, 2001 was a banner year for hip-hop and neo-soul, and many of the year's highlights, both strutting and yearning, are included here.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0ezmRQxoy8orK287jmhxKR?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 4 - Musique Internationale</font></span></b></b></div><br style="text-align: center;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">France's Noir Desir and The Gotan Project, Spain's Astrud and Manu Chao, and Senegal's Baaba Maal, lead the way in this look at some of 2001's most impressive foreign-language efforts.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3DQBgswpRLMgIgR8fO9omw?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 5 - Clubby Dubby</font></span></b></b></div><br style="text-align: center;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">While Daft Punk, Roykssop, Kylie Minogue, Fennesz and Basement Jaxx were definitely the year's standout electronic artists, it was a loaded field in 2001, as this broad-ranging club and downtempo mix makes clear.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1J6PvCdVbvrC2FdgLiN92k?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 6 - Alt-Rock Ragers</font></span></b></b></div><br style="text-align: center;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The angry dissonance of the late nineties was definitely fading, but it hadn't died off entirely yet, and many of the year's top hard-rocking highlights are included here in my favorite themed mix of this 2001 collection.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/59JPkBrrSVcNEG3DJlQHIv?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 7 - Spartan Songsters</font></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">To close out our 2001-themed mixes, we check out some of the year's finest singer-songwriter and alt-country works, lead by exceptional efforts from Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Gillian Welch, Rufus Wainwright, and Ryan Adams.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3pwOrCDhZUqzMQjaDWJzfD?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 8 - The Next 100</font></span></b></b></div><br style="text-align: center;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">For those that want to keep on listening, the next 100 2001 songs that were under consideration for our themed mixes are included here. </div></div></div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-67249433415527628092022-08-14T07:20:00.008-07:002022-08-16T07:19:45.716-07:00McQ's Best Of 2001 Vol 1A - Best Of The Best (The Fat 240)!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here we go once again, friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">McQ's Best Of's selections for the best singles and albums of 2001. We've got four-hours worth of 2001's top highlights here, so kick back and dive in however you like.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And for those that want to dig even deeper, you can access all of our <a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2022/07/mcqs-best-of-2001-mix-collection.html">other 2001 themed mixes here</a>, and our 2001 album rankings <a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2015/08/mcqs-favorite-albums-of-2001.html">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here's hoping to a great end to your summer, and enjoy!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6ZdrMdGh5hKnRrY8fyDCYD?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">ABOUT THE ARTISTS, SONGS, ALBUMS ON THIS MIX:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErqjAShMLvAGnPjNisPsk2yW-B9mv_pDc-M_JAbDZvB3s5-x7yBpNAXcsQqdO79NzkdoA3Vzips8AFoqKBeISPW7ZHihAGflonE5aaTnHXFdAoJrG2d0zMTbfGmQXpHJmrOyyNddassC-9rQg98QO8NhNvOiEzSNXBnT6D98J6EvVf5SrdHDdE6ZNnA/s1000/brmc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErqjAShMLvAGnPjNisPsk2yW-B9mv_pDc-M_JAbDZvB3s5-x7yBpNAXcsQqdO79NzkdoA3Vzips8AFoqKBeISPW7ZHihAGflonE5aaTnHXFdAoJrG2d0zMTbfGmQXpHJmrOyyNddassC-9rQg98QO8NhNvOiEzSNXBnT6D98J6EvVf5SrdHDdE6ZNnA/s320/brmc.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4A7KHIDzVdDFd81XPWFiix?si=24ef62653e6a4c72">Whatever Happened To My Rock 'N' Roll (Punk Song)</a></i> - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club:</b> Yes, garage rock had a huge resurgence in 2001, but it wasn't just The Strokes and The White Stripes leading the charge. Another principal contributor (though choosing a far edgier approach) was San Francisco's Black Rebel Motorcycle club. Combining the white noise fervor and dark cool of the Velvet Underground and late 80s shoegazers like Ride, My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus & The Mary Chain with the primal fury of classic Stooges/MC5-informed Detroit rock, the band burst on to the scene in 2001 and rekindled excitement for a style not heard in a decade with their ass-kicking debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5abOBUmWegGxl1YUi28ovw?si=7AUdF4LkR7a0y9aiTa7ffw">B.R.M.C.</a> (</i>Strong Recommend<i>). </i>The wave of like-minded imitators that surfaced in the album's wake would drown-out large-scale interest in the band's fine follow-up efforts, but that in no way should diminish the enduring appreciation for <i>B.R.M.C.</i>, one of the better rock albums of the 2000s. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL60d3jCfcMRFrT7c2bQlNO5zEsWD1umE3sh8lXlSa_eEex7K3-OQYe5NB8fyrw27lVn3S9O56x6SSAaHh70xD6GIOZbfoMUVT3PWegwVAbEEO3u7JoMNug8jqbW452OhxPEtemk9n1PVgcXPgAKAD4pGUkd9RL5Cc3ZYsGIDleSvusT-3wwxMwOsng/s500/Mercury%20Rev%20-%20All%20Is%20Dream.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL60d3jCfcMRFrT7c2bQlNO5zEsWD1umE3sh8lXlSa_eEex7K3-OQYe5NB8fyrw27lVn3S9O56x6SSAaHh70xD6GIOZbfoMUVT3PWegwVAbEEO3u7JoMNug8jqbW452OhxPEtemk9n1PVgcXPgAKAD4pGUkd9RL5Cc3ZYsGIDleSvusT-3wwxMwOsng/s320/Mercury%20Rev%20-%20All%20Is%20Dream.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/769UCeHMWQZvUv57GAOhCC?si=03d81e98939a4a64">The Dark Is Rising</a></i> - Mercury Rev:</b> Following their largest critical success to date, 1998's enchanting <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6MvMOhNSo3bYEu42Wj9c4e?si=zHQh7eQCRZiI2cJ3eNmYIg">Deserter's Song</a></i>, the Buffalo-based art-poppers doubled down on their </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>inscrutable</span><span> </span><span>predilections for followup full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4N13GH5Ofi55VvG5yc3vFl?si=ausUKlPwTxaO0CpYXjharw">All Is Dream</a></i> </span><span>(Solid Recommend). Living up to its title, and harkening back to the two-sided era of pre-CD vinyl, the record is starkly divided into two five-song halves, the first half evoking the crush of nightmares on songs like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/03Dt74XApzVOq93ZVeXMma?si=743ba4f5d9f948ad">Tides Of The Moon</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2Uqr3t2FRulJYbj588lyzK?si=3878596ea5ae4cc4">Night And Fog</a></i>, and <i>The Dark Is Rising</i> profiled here, and the second half channelling the bleary-eyed warmth of early waking hours on gems like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7l9qjT6oOwTYxVg1egEMr4?si=e76eed387a3c4dd9">Little Rhymes</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7ulKTHC68LgtCdJdufZfqz?si=aeb2d18496f64666">Hercules</a></i>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kYyB_cTzDLKlss-vpBqbN3rNWXzoKJe60BFH16Zpz4DgEe1jg2A0CtaWgrn1O468J9n3i73W-Ick4YRxDtLWgJ6GrjDgiISZ2P2WnSDYuC_TuQkGzd8PaC_NYmh9-1Z_RN9JG9wwHOJdoo-tkFcM_yaUPENbTHpDOVqUfex9QQ-brbrXAAYs5vyTPg/s600/Guided%20By%20Voice%20-%20Isolation%20Drills.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kYyB_cTzDLKlss-vpBqbN3rNWXzoKJe60BFH16Zpz4DgEe1jg2A0CtaWgrn1O468J9n3i73W-Ick4YRxDtLWgJ6GrjDgiISZ2P2WnSDYuC_TuQkGzd8PaC_NYmh9-1Z_RN9JG9wwHOJdoo-tkFcM_yaUPENbTHpDOVqUfex9QQ-brbrXAAYs5vyTPg/s320/Guided%20By%20Voice%20-%20Isolation%20Drills.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7azIRvcdToB6TbSaCF1YNp?si=a6541dcf01be4402">Glad Girls</a></i> - Guided By Voices:</b> After a decade being revered as one of the lo-fi movement's most prominent "</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>guiding voices," Guide By Voices' Robert Pollard was determined to lift the band into the big leagues in the early 2000s. The act's first stab at a richer, more mainstream sound, 1999s </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4EpZpNgpbMtRsJ3zEl993T?si=NfCmHwzgTBC1gS_rf57aWw">Do The Collapse</a></i><span> fell a bit flat, somewhat undone by Rick Ocasek's too slick production, but for 2001's</span><i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3dnElpFfAYcUsktZkdfWlZ?si=Kfe7XtrIQaiadfJPiEgecg">Isolation Drills</a> </i><span>(Solid Recommend), new producer Rob Schnapf got the mix just right, tapping a mainstream feel that nonetheless preserved the band's rough hewn charm and perfectly anchored songs that hooked and rocked in equal measure like </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5WObgJ0xxQ3Tr1k4oxryoZ?si=0ed3fa26b01949df">Chasing Heather Crazy</a></i><span> and the irresistible nugget </span><i>Glad Girls</i><span> included here. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyQGnY_4SuDeq9oOQyUzCnmr7LJBmXcjoN8hGKVL8shVUC2OfG_vjZ0Ri44N4w3H8uN4HFu3CSQtRwcr6OkJbKN8mTgEROh85a9lFBNzdZO7tfQyEJFz84ItZzlNnrpMwoYNAvuS-ifscYar2g8s7zxR03lmE0Fw8VnJLL-CYh8Vx5rWZGNjqmjPcow/s600/ryan-adams-gold-Cover-Art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyQGnY_4SuDeq9oOQyUzCnmr7LJBmXcjoN8hGKVL8shVUC2OfG_vjZ0Ri44N4w3H8uN4HFu3CSQtRwcr6OkJbKN8mTgEROh85a9lFBNzdZO7tfQyEJFz84ItZzlNnrpMwoYNAvuS-ifscYar2g8s7zxR03lmE0Fw8VnJLL-CYh8Vx5rWZGNjqmjPcow/s320/ryan-adams-gold-Cover-Art.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4snBTILMGyRKErKygwoDkE?si=3e8d5028fbeb41ed">New York, New York</a></i> - Ryan Adams:</b> When it comes to artistic timing, we've got both 2001's best and worst case examples featured on this mix. And the best case award definitely goes to Ryan Adams. In the wake of multiple recent sexual harrassment accusations, Ryan Adam's rep is now far, far removed from the indie darling status he enjoyed twenty years ago when Elton John was proclaiming him "the new Dylan," but few artists experienced a more perfect for the moment breakout as Adams when he set out to shoot the video for his sophomore full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1tYlx93ShW1M8TiAVDJSKc?si=R3JRGO1vQm-bCm-NQcgo6A">Gold's</a></i> (Strong Recommend) lead single <i>New York, New York</i>. The simple video of Adams performing alone across the bay in front of the twin towers was filmed just four days before the September 11 attacks, and after the attack Adam's dedicated the video and all its profits to the victims and first responders. As for <i>Gold</i> itself, it's a flawed classic. The song strength is phenomenal, as good as any 2001 release, but the album's sequencing is for shit, ruined by a last minute label decision to shorten what was always designed as an epic double album and strip it down to a single CD/record length by pulling five songs. That irksome label interference aside, <i>Gold</i> remains the clear high point of Adam's career.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NhzIsNymOSuPoWGT1rBQfh6q9nlsQ0JvwJDVeO5s92yFLgiwbAe4p6aQrRYmw6NYhTz6i_rG2qO5G7meHnKFNTEfURA-SRxcCDBZ0RNPoIVPqLE8rA5GJiXYIroImHNAhQmSYUaJM7_u3VpBn-k_DkwAVbYnTN4EFvL-8edQ6vtSV5Sj466FLojJHA/s600/The%20Strokes%20Is%20This%20It.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NhzIsNymOSuPoWGT1rBQfh6q9nlsQ0JvwJDVeO5s92yFLgiwbAe4p6aQrRYmw6NYhTz6i_rG2qO5G7meHnKFNTEfURA-SRxcCDBZ0RNPoIVPqLE8rA5GJiXYIroImHNAhQmSYUaJM7_u3VpBn-k_DkwAVbYnTN4EFvL-8edQ6vtSV5Sj466FLojJHA/s320/The%20Strokes%20Is%20This%20It.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3SUusuA9jH1v6PVwtYMbdv?si=d29dfc17af1d4ce2">Last Nite</a></i> - The Strokes:</b> First there was The Sex Pistols <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5fxYu3rqjCNTSPKN8mtEl2?si=X-p2bjA5Tq6D7AAFDNGHqA">Never Mind the Bollocks</a></i>, then Nirvana's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2guirTSEqLizK7j9i1MTTZ?si=X43ynRcUTI-nyBIaUdb4_g">Nevermind</a></i>, and finally (with a strong assist from peers The White Stripes) The Strokes' debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2k8KgmDp9oHrmu0MIj4XDE?si=ovefo3RlTaew5OTEdT1xxA">Is This It</a></i> (Highest Recommend), and with <i>Is This It's</i> galvanizing arrival, rocks third "back to the basics" wave was officially launched. Like most indie acts of the early aughts, The Strokes intentionally sought to reimagine notable sounds from rock's past, and in their case (ironically for a Manhattan-based quintet of mostly top 1% of the top 1% penthouse-born scions), that touchstone was undoubtedly the street level, amphetamine-fueled pop-rock rush of The Velvet Underground's more accessible songs. Lead singer Julian Casablancas sought to emulate Lou Reed at every turn, manifesting Reed's vocal delivery, and striving to deliver a similar gritty, reportorial lyricism. And around him, his boarding-school-educated cohorts whipped up a glorious, lo-fi garage rock racket. That they would never quite recapture the magic on future efforts is hardly relevant. In the late summer of 2001, a more pitch-perfect, fully realized album could not be found. Going with obvious choice, best overall song <i>Last Night</i> here over several strong contenders, though I did consider deep, deep cut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4UmJMAY5TqXPAnsDW1Mci7?si=f804aa31ac274d1f">Alone, Together</a></i>, as I feel that song's final minute provides the album's ultimate highlight. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyI2jdy4sgfaJSuxr3DZG17FR9UAOIXrpELpVcJLTu7ZAGT1gm8NEY_J41z5YoNlKtZln4pIYq5PfVHoy0ixkd4eypyuymSEaNLk9PD5wV5oEy4B4jIyoJq0kwGoxAWQkG7mAJOz_H6YTSP__18WM0mBnlVrBs35tr8Qi1t2_x64EKPH40hwsnz4Ypw/s600/Radiohead%20-%20Amnesiac.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyI2jdy4sgfaJSuxr3DZG17FR9UAOIXrpELpVcJLTu7ZAGT1gm8NEY_J41z5YoNlKtZln4pIYq5PfVHoy0ixkd4eypyuymSEaNLk9PD5wV5oEy4B4jIyoJq0kwGoxAWQkG7mAJOz_H6YTSP__18WM0mBnlVrBs35tr8Qi1t2_x64EKPH40hwsnz4Ypw/s320/Radiohead%20-%20Amnesiac.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/55q3Ro66yXWi9rsEddeEN4?si=15b2a7087b274266">Pyramid Song</a></i> - Radiohead:</b> Born of the same recording sessions that produced <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ofEQubaL265rIW6WnCU8y?si=2JnRjgD_TyiI48tdKXI3Pg">Kid-A</a></i>, and released less than a year later, it's not uncommon to hear <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1HrMmB5useeZ0F5lHrMvl0?si=q1d8sRwDR-aXFgKjUtg2YA">Amnesiac</a></i> (Strong Recommend) referred to as <i>Kid-A</i>'s outtakes album. But such a sentiment ignores how good and distinctly different <i>Amnesiac</i> is in its own right. Where <i>Kid-A</i>, even on its quietest tracks, showcases the session's most crisply epic and distinctly "this or that" compositions, Amnesiac collects the session's murkier, smaller scale, and often more texturally intricate numbers. And it's that textural intricacy of its top tracks - the layers upon layers of doomed, droning strings on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0kSDNLOdJqpGhV2vtVFWmS?si=95714ef82e5c4e31">Dollars and Cents</a></i>, the backwards loops of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1irS6wtXCUUF5ytfPqOzpM?si=f8bb9fc8dd404873">Like Spinning Plates</a></i>, and best of all, the ocean of seething voices that churn barely perceptible in the bottom of the mix of <i>Pyramid Song</i> featured here - that make <i>Amnesiac</i> a unique standalone addition to the Radiohead discography, rather than just a collection of outtakes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqk2G9J5KGEVxD0p4sOYVkWzcUJYG3VnRAw3BqUpo6S2-UkdBvDRE8DzPelOh38IqtpCUC9wuRVFHjZX867-_KoN155DC6ADtIf71SiUa309mm4cBlaXfPl_pTkebLuX7NWA6NzyoAPKoxAASLS36FXAPIgEwI0isc_Fn6Uqo4HTEMd5J0EpZ7Z_yUw/s600/aaliyah.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqk2G9J5KGEVxD0p4sOYVkWzcUJYG3VnRAw3BqUpo6S2-UkdBvDRE8DzPelOh38IqtpCUC9wuRVFHjZX867-_KoN155DC6ADtIf71SiUa309mm4cBlaXfPl_pTkebLuX7NWA6NzyoAPKoxAASLS36FXAPIgEwI0isc_Fn6Uqo4HTEMd5J0EpZ7Z_yUw/s320/aaliyah.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4x2YdtTppdbL4kHPOjaunq?si=23956c42ced64189">More Than A Woman</a></i> - Aaliyah:</b> A "<i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_French_Connection_(film)">French Connection</a></i>" album, what felt so unique and modern about Aaliyah's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0cNaDPtbHC1PMJMRTY2GFc?si=rQ-r5V_BRQmO7mQhTIa0NA">eponymous final full-length</a> (Strong Recommend), released just six weeks before her death in a charter plane crash in the Bahamas, has been imitated so many times since that it's impossible to get a full sense of its significance coming at it in retrospect. So what endures today is still a damn fine R&B album, fueled by Timbaland's state-of-the-art production and elite tracks like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3oqo5RfBtYg8NEzYETlEc5?si=262dc40261d34b14">What If</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Wnlq1Pu3I0BajLvxn05Vr?si=752ab353090f4d60">Try Again</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2c7huQpWR29bcXrrvLcG2j?si=e7b88105cb204499">We Need A Resolution</a></i>, and <i>More Than A Woman</i> featured here, but an album that no longer feels significantly better than the other mainstream R&B classics of 2001 (Macy Gray's <i>The Id</i>, Mary J. Blige's <i>No More Drama</i>, Alicia Keys <i>Songs In A Minor</i>), albums which while all less technically forward-looking than <i>Aaliyah</i>, matched the album blow-for-blow in terms of pure song craft. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aX75QFiY9gSC6DV21NU-t1Zv9DqHpS9eX7cocsxW8oN-SMSLrEzZN71DNYpnmQMvQIyT8k3YFgK2tNfXCHkDYB9KRSBXweQzmPIczKErc0PFZocJctvITozjvB_wgsZ505An576fy9rWLQ0eoL4WmT3v5Dr8EP6KK2blkPfLOJr_mS8xLiwPlsDFBw/s600/Monster%20Magnet%20-%20God%20Says%20No.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aX75QFiY9gSC6DV21NU-t1Zv9DqHpS9eX7cocsxW8oN-SMSLrEzZN71DNYpnmQMvQIyT8k3YFgK2tNfXCHkDYB9KRSBXweQzmPIczKErc0PFZocJctvITozjvB_wgsZ505An576fy9rWLQ0eoL4WmT3v5Dr8EP6KK2blkPfLOJr_mS8xLiwPlsDFBw/s320/Monster%20Magnet%20-%20God%20Says%20No.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6UTPtKWSrjSYls6za3poKj?si=K1cEqnERS9WN88gNqxYq5w">Heads Explode</a></i> - Monster Magnet:</b> A huge sales disappointment at the time of its release following the stoner-rock crew's 1998 commercial breakthrough <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/67m0zWBKfOzvUmw9UaegiI?si=y_Ms1oNHSxiipLcMFqhHEA">Powertrip</a> (</i>so disappointing it led to a label dropping and the break-up of the band's best lineup), it's hard today to grasp just what it was the head bangers who loved <i>Powertrip</i> felt was missing in <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6UTPtKWSrjSYls6za3poKj?si=29xcIoXiQxaoI4XG_FRJOg">God Says No</a></i> (Strong Recommend), as the album delivers the exact same streamlined hard-rock maximalism, and also like <i>Powertrip</i>, knocks its best tracks (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3rXSfl80CGwR3TRcyRdPse?si=63084730feab41eb">Kiss Of The Scorpion</a></i>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4RcVsa7BwmHR2nMWbfCCIL?si=6821a07ac70c4a13">the title track</a>, a beyond ass-kicking re-recording of their 1991 song <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7JnN4GpBeAFfNz0buc9AfE?si=ba6cbb00df19468d">Medicine</a></i>, and especially minor MTV-hit <i>Heads Explode</i>) out of the f*cking park. Seen today, it's hard not to view the <i>Powertrip</i>/<i>God Says No</i> tandem as one of the late 90s/early Aughts elite hard rock album runs, right on par with Queens of the Stone Age's similarly timed <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/05tJhGl52X4zGe0ySlcBk6?si=hv3nT9dESHa5YwCz56cfzw">Rated R</a></i>/<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/58HZZpS0wxJKwGjoerg0mk?si=YKwx1Aq4QpKKQlv2RfrNGw">Songs For The Deaf</a> </i>tandem<i>.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYy1LbMQIc6n-jpnyaRs0Nyask-GwBWhzD1cwRuBg29gcJbvBwce477VsPkpAuVZVCQWFuuYpzyHfLo8TGlvJvFR8bbQ4VJadlRol-qwEuuwpujhAZ989g7kzT3iiXByGG_1hyT27ZBhtzAw2AFeKkpFUDivLbgwzskMS3h1yGt39lLi-CzdGgMwl1g/s600/Jay%20Z%20-%20The%20Blue%20Print.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYy1LbMQIc6n-jpnyaRs0Nyask-GwBWhzD1cwRuBg29gcJbvBwce477VsPkpAuVZVCQWFuuYpzyHfLo8TGlvJvFR8bbQ4VJadlRol-qwEuuwpujhAZ989g7kzT3iiXByGG_1hyT27ZBhtzAw2AFeKkpFUDivLbgwzskMS3h1yGt39lLi-CzdGgMwl1g/s320/Jay%20Z%20-%20The%20Blue%20Print.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/135lkyQRwFlWfmHjJTxtld?si=7649ac8b848a4268">Takeover</a></i> - Jay- Z:</b> Jay-Z's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/135lkyQRwFlWfmHjJTxtld?si=52ad5ca718a54ec7">The Blueprint</a></i> (Highest Recommend) is a hip-hop classic, heralding a creative high point for Jay-Z, and also the album that launched a young beat producer by the name of Kanye West's career. But for me, it will always boil down to being the album that contains the best hip-hop dis track of all time - the Doors-and-Bowie-sampling, Nas-and-Mobb-Depp-skewering <i>Takeover</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6VOrTrq4Wr-FUJjzBqNhLroZ5UZoWCkNdHGePNQuR97Kzh_sgJoTx000q5VrY_7G-XSd-7pISUg9UciA1FQu44TBeKheWFZX9iBa0Enm7NDpq9gZJMPVfrwmoAKazhVIr_iuKMDyRFBf9I7aZLSaBoudxRwq3-OPxk8kzCAbWZIzD3u14eX7gOLhRQ/s600/Kings%20Of%20Convenience%20-%20Quiet%20Is%20The%20New%20Loud.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="600" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6VOrTrq4Wr-FUJjzBqNhLroZ5UZoWCkNdHGePNQuR97Kzh_sgJoTx000q5VrY_7G-XSd-7pISUg9UciA1FQu44TBeKheWFZX9iBa0Enm7NDpq9gZJMPVfrwmoAKazhVIr_iuKMDyRFBf9I7aZLSaBoudxRwq3-OPxk8kzCAbWZIzD3u14eX7gOLhRQ/s320/Kings%20Of%20Convenience%20-%20Quiet%20Is%20The%20New%20Loud.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3SGobyjsonmpTsr3M3qyLK?si=95de966794ce4a48">Toxic Girl</a></i> - Kings Of Convenience:</b> One of 2001's forgotten gems, Norwegian duo Kings Of Convenience </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7MjceL6iPFM86qxxeWCVEz?si=HD4tYG_oSFypVTxZ07JU5w"><i>Quiet Is The New Loud</i> </a></span><span style="font-size: large;">is a delicate, charming exploration of the romantic difficulties that arise from male/female perceptual differences. Buoyed by clever lyrics and lighter-than-air, melancholy acoustic arrangements, it should appeal to any Belle & Sebastian or Simon & Garfunkel fan, especially the album's wonderful first third from which representative track <i>Toxic Girl</i> has been selected.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg75arIYnpd8h2YjCPkmMy2WXPbj9saiUVvW7PWIYGLC8Nnsm_m4e3v9hHRvpeFV-ZplkVNn08vr4wjUSMfuTxv5dM2lRiVsynDoUde7kWsVLDihNE2vf_UtCkLqiP_s9axZHK1g3ApMOmJyffjPcatlXRASPctROWUSyNqupqMt4QIwGrOaoaYb122Q/s600/New%20Order%20-%20Get%20Ready.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg75arIYnpd8h2YjCPkmMy2WXPbj9saiUVvW7PWIYGLC8Nnsm_m4e3v9hHRvpeFV-ZplkVNn08vr4wjUSMfuTxv5dM2lRiVsynDoUde7kWsVLDihNE2vf_UtCkLqiP_s9axZHK1g3ApMOmJyffjPcatlXRASPctROWUSyNqupqMt4QIwGrOaoaYb122Q/s320/New%20Order%20-%20Get%20Ready.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2M4PVaTJGjXV91X8HAVQEx?si=f03c7be6c67749df">Crystal </a></i>- New Order:</b> A highly underrated effort in New Order's discography, 2001 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6V0NOI7IaZDO9mBvHNc1jt?si=yamgjUYjSm6hDU5SJj6F_Q">Get Ready</a></i> (Solid Recommend) found the new-wave pioneers grown bored with dance-floor experimentation and ready to return to pure song craft. The result is one of the most direct and guitar-driven albums of their career, definitely owing a stylistic "tip of the hat" to younger post-rave acts like Primal Scream, but still distinctly New Order, and highlighted by phenomenal top tracks like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5kIOtoPATzFkHREs0GrT1C?si=6d1d64b858154978">Slow Jam</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/18JR8nXJCW4t93FPQq0KMB?si=1f878111c1ae40bd">Turn My Way</a></i>, and especially lead single <i>Crystal</i> featured here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xf5bSHgwPWoFtXJHvweeD44OtPFpggx2dQCvLVQm2Ku2KC1S4SxvpJ-0_Tdm05gp9R7pugtHUe8YgcslMWQV1EwEWmRt84IyUhLhJnUh6qiHWKpvqnYeXYFfZG3XMFcRTT9b0P_rQGMevttIMRkhjlYt0WIzznuTU2zRhGdpRba64Dwl3YA5Z5icvQ/s1400/Weezer%20Green%20Album.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="1400" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xf5bSHgwPWoFtXJHvweeD44OtPFpggx2dQCvLVQm2Ku2KC1S4SxvpJ-0_Tdm05gp9R7pugtHUe8YgcslMWQV1EwEWmRt84IyUhLhJnUh6qiHWKpvqnYeXYFfZG3XMFcRTT9b0P_rQGMevttIMRkhjlYt0WIzznuTU2zRhGdpRba64Dwl3YA5Z5icvQ/s320/Weezer%20Green%20Album.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2MLHyLy5z5l5YRp7momlgw?si=f7f5f6ad714444bf">Island In The Sun</a></i> - Weezer:</b> Weezer had all but officially broken up and the band members all gone their separate ways after the disappointing sales performance of second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3jWhmYMAWw5NvHTTeiQtfl?si=fhnhzlegRducsPy1A3P5qQ">Pinkerton</a></i>, but then, while on hiatus, their reputation started swelling online, and after a dramatic comeback performance at Japan's Summer Sonic Festival, Rivers Cuomo and his LA brethren suddenly found themselves back in their label's good graces. But Cuomo was determined not to self-sabotage this time out, simplify the material and veering away from personal lyrics. And for half of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2OBSz5Nlto0Q5CtYPzPY7c?si=-MQdXjRFSkGsuE9gcXfs7w">Weezer (Green Album)</a></i> (Solid Recommend) the results were fantastic. The record gets off to an amazing start with its opening four-song run of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7HFC0t4r97pMHDRrv7lo7k?si=eb2e09cad6c24f69">Don't Let Go</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4hA3OFMvHCFCK3TfJYdbif?si=7d61ba9f739348f9">Photograph</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2mPMFJvQ0v27gVqe5b6nDn?si=b2dd2f92742946bc">Hash Pipe</a></i>, and enduring hit <i>Island In The Sun, </i>and even though the material takes a significant quality dip the rest of the way, it wasn't enough to blunt the feel of excitement generated by that opening four-song rush. Weezer soon found themselves near the top of the alt-rock landscape once again.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmXE-wiYrmkf9-qNSz508L6uajS0F3Q8cbGwTtUGATVZao5j5tQoev9uYM4hZiQGopcKXUqp17nFoHshOflDGtPturFNrNeL9Obn0z1uR23Tvnwv23sJg1BdHqCG4rjI7ubMyJI7G_3iJrzZvilbC5yw-ZyE6Gz-gECvX_LuanUSyIJ01TxyKWoJ-rA/s600/Nick%20Cave%20-%20No%20More%20Shall%20We%20Part.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmXE-wiYrmkf9-qNSz508L6uajS0F3Q8cbGwTtUGATVZao5j5tQoev9uYM4hZiQGopcKXUqp17nFoHshOflDGtPturFNrNeL9Obn0z1uR23Tvnwv23sJg1BdHqCG4rjI7ubMyJI7G_3iJrzZvilbC5yw-ZyE6Gz-gECvX_LuanUSyIJ01TxyKWoJ-rA/s320/Nick%20Cave%20-%20No%20More%20Shall%20We%20Part.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0TBUNBEIhz0O3hl9c8eCI5?si=9ec1566ccd73413c">Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow</a></i> - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: </b>Even for the band that's had the greatest post-thirty-years-of-age career in rock history, <i>No More Shall We Part</i> (Highest Recommend) is one of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' absolute best, a towering exploration of love's ability to endure despite the innumerable physical, social and emotional obstacles thrown its way, delivered without an ounce of irony or sentimentality. Housing some of Cave's greatest lyrical turns, made lovelier by featured backing vocals from Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and beyond brilliantly arranged by its co-musical directors - the Bad Seed's resident instrumental genius Warren Ellis and guest collaborator (and PJ Harvey regular) Nick Harvey - you would have to move Heaven and Earth to find another singer-songwriter album as epic in feel as <i>No More Shall We Part</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ_OhYL8PCqCGfszK4OaewmMxf5luMdh8X9YDmd4EvBn-4o4-mlQbcyqQA8c4aWsWVIYxzT_4Whh7k6a7cYudLcAfGQhzK0Pbg4bPXhzXjPSTdvGYXuqcvCcxW1Wmz5o4uWVzIXDTky-hA-W24JpK4OpnljMnrr8HC75MwbFWTgUv7bnNWMfiFeLFKw/s600/Basement%20Jaxx%20Rooty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ_OhYL8PCqCGfszK4OaewmMxf5luMdh8X9YDmd4EvBn-4o4-mlQbcyqQA8c4aWsWVIYxzT_4Whh7k6a7cYudLcAfGQhzK0Pbg4bPXhzXjPSTdvGYXuqcvCcxW1Wmz5o4uWVzIXDTky-hA-W24JpK4OpnljMnrr8HC75MwbFWTgUv7bnNWMfiFeLFKw/s320/Basement%20Jaxx%20Rooty.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6z6gJbN3ut9ysbAfYwoGEl?si=868deff7801c4661">Broken Dreams</a></i> - Basement Jaxx:</b> Daft Punk's <i>Discovery</i> may have been the most influential, Fennesz <i>Endless Summer</i> the most strikingly unique, Kylie Minogue's <i>Fever</i> more hit-laden and mainstream ready, and Rokysopp's <i>Melody AM</i> more hipster chill, but when it came to sheer dance-house fun, no 2001 electronic album topped UK production duo Basement Jaxx's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6CYhVDuSbAWmy9ku7E2wrP?si=T6XCElU3SeCQaK4hyWfKJA">Rooty</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Astonishingly crafted in just a few days and never afraid to get schmaltzy, the album evokes guilty pleasure charm even when it's being top-tier skillful. Going with personal fav <i>Broken Dreams</i> to represent this one over the album's bigger house hits like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4SYhmYgKWMASzcXfeCY98z?si=dface2c821d043f6">Do Your Thing</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4tI7eIbEUfInHS3sxfqkkr?si=ef3cb42c29874f1c">Romeo</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0BlLb2SFpIXKhIYVubw7qz?si=3b6a86152a0040b4">Breakaway</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3cJh89D0za2SW705fNBo3b?si=f63dbc9378a1425c">Where's Your Head At</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVgCBH1mTbmf1SKDESIIXrxklUDG9xcPBSD5Eu6ueMqmrUHCruUFi4SxqCLqb6kdENiJ9MM5usGG15vi_K-bkBmJox-R9u0d6ozYq7OSg_eZt3Q6yY5-j9_gkWGMM-U2v8kGdGa7EVMehNtU5L5IBLMLuDsQZ0ICJecIdYlL_Z73-SCxglSehVlDBGw/s600/Ted%20Leo%20-%20The%20Tyranny%20Of%20Distance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVgCBH1mTbmf1SKDESIIXrxklUDG9xcPBSD5Eu6ueMqmrUHCruUFi4SxqCLqb6kdENiJ9MM5usGG15vi_K-bkBmJox-R9u0d6ozYq7OSg_eZt3Q6yY5-j9_gkWGMM-U2v8kGdGa7EVMehNtU5L5IBLMLuDsQZ0ICJecIdYlL_Z73-SCxglSehVlDBGw/s320/Ted%20Leo%20-%20The%20Tyranny%20Of%20Distance.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3wZgYO1K1I7y1vi3DaW0UP?si=3e6bfe7acdfc4b2c">Dial Up</a></i> - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists:</b> Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' first full-length release as a complete band, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0mOaPLd1Ir2R2y7i6ynTci?si=VT06IxG-QtyFsTQzbfIOOA">The Tyranny Of Distance</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is a lively, romantic, rock and roll delight that follows in the creative tradition of past British pub-rock greats who effectively merged punk, rock, and soul like Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Billy Bragg, and Dexy's Midnight Runners. Lots of merry numbers to chose from on this one - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/569n8Nvn74MCzJf4ei9ASX?si=513c66071cf4481d">Biomusicology</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7xJq65Vz172l3WKla5NT2K?si=b834cda1dd934f43">Timorous Me</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Ybpxa8ZdelhR4pywaFLk2?si=1fb253becc8b4383">Under The Hedge</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0ylnSYGbjjmQKWmjCva6br?si=cee695a7da8e4faf">Stove By A Whale</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5PeoIWsNBKAI5qIJ6Rh7OV?si=175e72f5fd544e63">St. John The Divine</a> -</i> but ultimately we went with the catchiest track of the bunch, <i>Dial Up</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA4jwDr8P_waKzA6Iny9elc0cw1YigWTA2pRztCuxyTZPeqGWfRcMmd7UoGBXs30KUtzF73lbmhYqIX4KSDLF_v1c9ZF0saxnShhPAzzNzbqmndH1ZYLtfRjIRRhgFL_Efkb6bUS0dEajGn3kNhl4AQUB05AjJRBK29feSNImNbjiSKKcEIYi98_elg/s500/Lucinda%20WIlliams%20Essence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA4jwDr8P_waKzA6Iny9elc0cw1YigWTA2pRztCuxyTZPeqGWfRcMmd7UoGBXs30KUtzF73lbmhYqIX4KSDLF_v1c9ZF0saxnShhPAzzNzbqmndH1ZYLtfRjIRRhgFL_Efkb6bUS0dEajGn3kNhl4AQUB05AjJRBK29feSNImNbjiSKKcEIYi98_elg/s320/Lucinda%20WIlliams%20Essence.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/14Ttve4kmtogyob78NKA2C?si=3d6e316e109348ca">Essence</a></i> - Lucinda Williams:</b> An about-face from the tenor of her previous release, 1998's alt-country classic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/074Kr9hvgYLxCWiVhcWT7x?si=PrEFY6BTQSuBPzst32OI0w">Car Wheels On A Gravel Road</a></i>, Lucinda Williams turned decidedly inward for her sixth studio project, <i>Essence</i> (Solid Recommend). Those turned on by <i>Car Wheels</i> vibrant energy, confrontational thrills and eclecticism may be turned off by <i>Essence's</i> unrelenting restraint, reflection, and sonic saminess, but the record offers many rewards for the patient listener, including Grammy-winner <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0zdQuOQ2VsLRfOYUShb4to?si=e7617f4cdcc0454f"><i>Get Right With God</i> </a>and the "love really is the drug" title track included here, one of the best songs of William's entire career.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHmrTA4X_sA8Pk-MIaKA_YoWBNTDJgWDBucLWheIPWfAzwscbX3GvtgVss8F_G3IJTw0c-j6iTOnLGG53u9gp9l3WwBnMosHbUUq_sMx19rRHqLEvAU4mSYyYrzTipEA0eE9pqCwTJTW4_h8yzqVfk2kDgXIC2TDH4J9S9Jq_eujaEGZqIDkKupI6XQ/s500/The%20Coup%20-%20Party%20Music.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHmrTA4X_sA8Pk-MIaKA_YoWBNTDJgWDBucLWheIPWfAzwscbX3GvtgVss8F_G3IJTw0c-j6iTOnLGG53u9gp9l3WwBnMosHbUUq_sMx19rRHqLEvAU4mSYyYrzTipEA0eE9pqCwTJTW4_h8yzqVfk2kDgXIC2TDH4J9S9Jq_eujaEGZqIDkKupI6XQ/s320/The%20Coup%20-%20Party%20Music.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2zO4tORsvzObeP7B8A8bIB?si=f660807a43dd4dbe">5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO</a></i> - The Coup: </b>With their tune <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/21NjJTcNunF76v4Mwoy4dd?si=3d0b0e87acdf43be">My Favorite Mutiny</a></i> anchoring the opening credit sequence of HBO's hit series <i>Winning Time</i>, things are trending up for the legendary anti-capitalist Oakland hip-hop collective The Coup, but that was decidedly not the case in 2001. From a timing perspective, the absolute antithesis of Ryan Adam's <i>New York New York</i>, the original cover art (shown here) for the act's fourth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/74HkRQNxwELlh9Ckv5716T?si=jOlsDArqQXKS5CRNKKBaDA">Party Music</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), featured band leader Boots Riley and Pam The Funktress blowing up the World Trade Center. Shot two months prior to the attacks, the obligatory cover change that followed led to a delay of the album's originally slated late-September release. But a cover change alone wasn't enough to hold off the considerable ire of conservative pols and pundits, who took great umbrage with the never-publically-released original cover after it leaked, and then pounced on the aggressively militant and fantastically funky songs within, especially, for obvious reasons, the track featured here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzpnrXlOaktv7pAZops_YqMMEZR0MQGtVa2LNinpmf7de71cMxv2-2BSNrrPR2YXusLUEES9kxcxnyeRaIFFuLn2k3q9pOMuNYQ4mNSXHMPwcSVL1tQK86SeGnGTuoH16c5j8ZYU1ig1HTGkAGyBgJmMIJ1doKxV8BclrgBjtYmRjGkBUwZrUMKUbAQ/s600/Elbow%20-%20Asleep%20In%20The%20Back.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzpnrXlOaktv7pAZops_YqMMEZR0MQGtVa2LNinpmf7de71cMxv2-2BSNrrPR2YXusLUEES9kxcxnyeRaIFFuLn2k3q9pOMuNYQ4mNSXHMPwcSVL1tQK86SeGnGTuoH16c5j8ZYU1ig1HTGkAGyBgJmMIJ1doKxV8BclrgBjtYmRjGkBUwZrUMKUbAQ/s320/Elbow%20-%20Asleep%20In%20The%20Back.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3T49xNB5QF2hZOCCGQ3Mra?si=6eddd1a8c83b43a3">Asleep In The Back</a></i> - Elbow:</b> A mere tease of many stronger efforts to come, Elbow's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3T49xNB5QF2hZOCCGQ3Mra?si=WE8NPaFRS5q0CvYTN6ygzg">Asleep In The Back</a></i> (Solid Recommend) laid down all the band's signature traits (the Gabrielesque vibe, the tasteful experimentation, Guy Garvey's unwavering warmth) but it is probably the weak link in the Manchester art-rocker's entire discography. Even from this tentative start, however, it was clear Garvey and crew had something special going on when it came to crafting achingly beautiful ballads, a talent fully displayed by the album's title track here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKs14SCG-bIBA6aPHIzWucPVJ5ydUBWVtBuHrfe8kPDlzfO6vgofcj26h8uoQMJQD8EG-iY-fDpygpA168RLCjBBI0bUvhBaNsPtUhx-nCvfhNYfQ9Yd-HMrZv8r5Ik3wW1d8It2JwyjfNHaaFYuy8vhsugLiX7id7W2mwijvHvRh_lNjfNmeYw5oyg/s500/Bob%20Dylan%20-%20Love%20And%20Theft.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKs14SCG-bIBA6aPHIzWucPVJ5ydUBWVtBuHrfe8kPDlzfO6vgofcj26h8uoQMJQD8EG-iY-fDpygpA168RLCjBBI0bUvhBaNsPtUhx-nCvfhNYfQ9Yd-HMrZv8r5Ik3wW1d8It2JwyjfNHaaFYuy8vhsugLiX7id7W2mwijvHvRh_lNjfNmeYw5oyg/s320/Bob%20Dylan%20-%20Love%20And%20Theft.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4BcfuxQ4EO07Y53yr6YhAJ?si=JTD39fkbQt-HAl1OAe106Q">Honest With Me</a></i> - Bob Dylan:</b> A big-time fan favorite, the uniformly excellent <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4BcfuxQ4EO07Y53yr6YhAJ?si=MbLEO_6xQqyfCi4fURwrdA">Love And Theft</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is the most playful and hardest rocking album of Dylan's post-70s career, and really only rivaled by <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BOlD6UGUg45IsUXPSplkY?si=JpjAv3W9QIOR9G6EWEGd8g">The Basement Tapes</a></i> for copious good cheer. Wonderfully and unfussily produced by U2's Daniel Lanois, <i>Love And Theft</i> may lack the deep, mortality-obsessed poignancy of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/185DHT5SvszXRrezx3lOjt?si=UtTkeuc_SPOnIYnefatqig">Time Out Of Mind</a></i> or the back half of 2020's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1Qht64MPvWTWa0aMsqxegB?si=_lRcawaeTD2vrUezux_ifA">Rough And Rowdy Ways</a></i>, but it is a natural starting point for new listeners eager to explore Dylan's later works. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpppNnBm_EY6RXUwBuguGVPCJCzozMdr7jsgyYV63L8Mm_6nsawmpVNbbToET4YQS-43jVqWYPWfM1_yBIhZQ_mfVh0QRg27K9lAbQUqCFabVng7-quK3sUV_-tkFxXA8OjvrFwko61LLecSV2QZJJAMetYiFiJfQSEyzV6_ea7X4bUZvNhaytyzCEkg/s600/Bjork%20-%20Vespertine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpppNnBm_EY6RXUwBuguGVPCJCzozMdr7jsgyYV63L8Mm_6nsawmpVNbbToET4YQS-43jVqWYPWfM1_yBIhZQ_mfVh0QRg27K9lAbQUqCFabVng7-quK3sUV_-tkFxXA8OjvrFwko61LLecSV2QZJJAMetYiFiJfQSEyzV6_ea7X4bUZvNhaytyzCEkg/s320/Bjork%20-%20Vespertine.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5bnX0zhTVV1H5gNVjVhgaL?si=2d8d600e94da4e20">Hidden Place</a></i> - Bjork:</b> Exhausted and miserable after her grueling, confrontational experience acting in and scoring Lars Von Trier's <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancer_in_the_Dark">Dancer In The Dark</a></i> (a film that would lead Bjork to swear off acting forever but would nonetheless win The Palme D'or and Bjork the best actress award at Cannes) Bjork set out to make an album that celebrated the quiet, healing comforts of home, sex, and love. Originally titled <i>Domestika</i>, she took inspiration from sample masters of the moment like Opiate, Console, and Matmos, and labored for three years crafting intricate micro-beats built from everyday domestic sounds (ironically, an almost identical rhythm design as that utilized by French producer Herbert on his 2001 real-world-sample-dominated <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5LVoqm7BZwQBCMJGpkF63J?si=runB6ZIkThaaS5DTux16Dw">Bodily Functions</a> </i>which just missed making this mix). She then forwarded her constructions to Matmos for a quick seal of approval polish, and atop those samples layered all manner of uncommon instruments - harp, clavichord, celesta, custom music boxes - chosen specifically for their "icy" audio qualities that wouldn't degrade when digitized and downloaded. A miracle of craft, persistence and innovation, but far from the most riveting listen, I'm not nearly as big on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5vBpIxm8ws6pWyVmTWiGE1?si=qAJ-4WVaSjynjwWV9FE7hw">Vespertine</a></i> (Solid Recommend) as many, but felt it was too significant a work to leave off this mix, a courtesy I couldn't bring myself to extend to 2001's other big-time, critically revered titles I personally like but don't love - Gorillaz's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0YvYmLBFFwYxgI4U9KKgUm?si=Jf4XtahYTwiabnxverGwhw">eponymous debut</a>, No Doubt's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YSgv363y2UL82DwxWX1Fk?si=ceb822de2dff40ad">Rock Steady</a></i>, Andrew W.K.'s <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BQMUDC55fjjnApdWtZYZM?si=l2KGu1jkSe28HKqz1dO6dA">Party Hard</a></i>, Slipknot's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7yQmrL4bms0JIWamjA2ok1?si=WHOZonjjTdin_E-hQ1t3og">Iowa</a></i>, My Morning Jacket's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6rBoR8YN4VvCfCSadNqdiX?si=COAq1aWqTO2_ZIe2dKfkLw">At Dawn</a></i>, The Shin's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/60DTMCdDCRmPZmRIdTlxf8?si=01f003acf5744c74">Oh, Inverted World</a></i>, and Unwound's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2U8kIvc3ZDKDhCGlyBOFzG?si=qwAwuKMsRVaAvtg5VGZJmg">Leaves Turn Inside You</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ju30AcDEVXGvfgAXRkLDAtsmVD9FJOaA95aOpBItKkXIusfNcqe8usuEe34X92eMtoYHzBMyM9VF3TG1EqcNahdVgFSGF-KRBiFwQdDGIfR-YSk5L6njtI23tfWCvbB-xRBWoZ6gqxaK-czMtjOAJ9hEwXZvqRKHZNhhRAB33vaTFy7QluRoTp9Ggg/s600/Pernice%20Brothers%20-%20The%20World%20Won't%20End.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ju30AcDEVXGvfgAXRkLDAtsmVD9FJOaA95aOpBItKkXIusfNcqe8usuEe34X92eMtoYHzBMyM9VF3TG1EqcNahdVgFSGF-KRBiFwQdDGIfR-YSk5L6njtI23tfWCvbB-xRBWoZ6gqxaK-czMtjOAJ9hEwXZvqRKHZNhhRAB33vaTFy7QluRoTp9Ggg/s320/Pernice%20Brothers%20-%20The%20World%20Won't%20End.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0pFvAHBkqQP3JpOjGuk7Zb?si=5546cd7a1ed44c24">Working Girls</a></i> - Pernice Brothers:</b> A delicious confection of Beach Boys/Todd Lungren-flavored harmony-anchored nuggets, The Pernice Brothers' second full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1Wk0I7Neuif6nwQde2L0Wn?si=ctdBmGR7RIuwba1QfRYGkQ">The World Won't End</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is the strongest title in the band's now much larger catalog, kicked off in rousing pop perfection by opener <i>Working Girls</i> included here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWWJh2m48qykL0qu8fwchr4grpcOz0OHRZZqXlKJHzpKPG5-GTSIMy8slAz_9AtRr5NllkGpLSOhZOCvB5_rjpC3kRaPbks3cworuc7AyA2XUxad40TxEK9xyEtZho3qcIA83nznNEzgOxUCLiMSJcCw5ta2u64byLutb5jTd_-rLLrE_F1wVNntbJw/s300/The%20Soundtrack%20Of%20Our%20Lives%20Behind%20THe%20Music.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="300" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWWJh2m48qykL0qu8fwchr4grpcOz0OHRZZqXlKJHzpKPG5-GTSIMy8slAz_9AtRr5NllkGpLSOhZOCvB5_rjpC3kRaPbks3cworuc7AyA2XUxad40TxEK9xyEtZho3qcIA83nznNEzgOxUCLiMSJcCw5ta2u64byLutb5jTd_-rLLrE_F1wVNntbJw/s1600/The%20Soundtrack%20Of%20Our%20Lives%20Behind%20THe%20Music.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Thsz8LjCdxs2Vy8H3gUoM?si=e59f30f94c864739">Independent Luxury</a></i> - The Soundtrack Of Our Lives: </b>After two expansive, trippy efforts, Swedish psych-rock sextet The Soundtrack Of Our Lives decided to go "lean and mean" for their third album, 2001's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3NoWJU6iEUKX4WlPsisjFh?si=9fQWq3epTkyj6TlB0eQHHg">Behind The Music</a></i> (Strong Recommend), and the album would prove to be their international breakthrough. Loaded with tight, crunchy numbers, every song clearly indebted to some 60s act that worked on the original psychedelic waves' rougher edge, be it Love, The Stooges, The Seeds, or even the Stones, it earned raves from fellow retro-rockers around the world, even prompting Oasis's Noel Gallagher to proclaim <i>Behind The Music</i> "the best album to come out in the last six years!" If you have a jones for uptempo psych-rock in a classic vein, and have not yet discovered this album, put <i>Behind The Music</i> right at the top of your "must hear" list.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsYJVu6SIywKtOrlVyhrVnJ7QRlbOKVC69PC933ft_YS8fPbMeYJiyUzFL5rkHNRNTdJ0AYt_DtYG6QLH9oBmNAfNscM1K-Xji59H1xSJh82HmMajcq17QhcwdOMbowRm1XZDJLXtg_4rI9U5-FQdVlrntwywfsD-KGMPry_cVdmcZgJXC05OJ9S5Mw/s500/Alicia%20Keys%20-%20Songs%20In%20A%20Minor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsYJVu6SIywKtOrlVyhrVnJ7QRlbOKVC69PC933ft_YS8fPbMeYJiyUzFL5rkHNRNTdJ0AYt_DtYG6QLH9oBmNAfNscM1K-Xji59H1xSJh82HmMajcq17QhcwdOMbowRm1XZDJLXtg_4rI9U5-FQdVlrntwywfsD-KGMPry_cVdmcZgJXC05OJ9S5Mw/s320/Alicia%20Keys%20-%20Songs%20In%20A%20Minor.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3unsLiH5FXmaDWtT5Imolu?si=974f1d5740704022">Fallin'</a> </i>- Alicia Keys:</b> Given her striking beauty and the fact that compared to her neo-soul peers, Alicia Keys always felt like the safer choice (less trippy than Macy Gray/Eryka Badu, more traditional than Aaliyah, not bat-shit crazy like Lauren Hill, more mature and sophisticated than Destiny's Child), it would be easy to assume Key's debut album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1SLgJeTdzDAJLcDyQqoWnu?si=PEMIscuVTXaewfLwrfBYbw">Songs In A Minor</a></i> (Strong Recommend), which launched her into the stratosphere, was some typical label-controlled concoction, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Just nineteen at the time, but already a skilled, classically train pianist, Keys wrote, arranged, and produced almost every super-smooth note of <i>Songs</i> herself. Going with obvious choice <i>Fallin' </i>as representative track here, but this is an album all R&B fans should hear in full.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SbGYzaRUkYuddkjSnX9FoXl0mDRCVJ1xB-m3XXzRQpJEC7fUZD1VbO6jrtCTj0YlGamtc8lEEbP5tW6BPhBUyVJlBA18YE33bSLsp67xuBKgP8utsYpmcokYDHLq9maHVVF9c1fU1McC9_WJYFygfPv0OTQABEbHRKPEiEzpfdxP8bejm18Ksl3B0w/s600/James%20-%20Pleased%20TO%20Meet%20You.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SbGYzaRUkYuddkjSnX9FoXl0mDRCVJ1xB-m3XXzRQpJEC7fUZD1VbO6jrtCTj0YlGamtc8lEEbP5tW6BPhBUyVJlBA18YE33bSLsp67xuBKgP8utsYpmcokYDHLq9maHVVF9c1fU1McC9_WJYFygfPv0OTQABEbHRKPEiEzpfdxP8bejm18Ksl3B0w/s320/James%20-%20Pleased%20TO%20Meet%20You.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0TdAVKULjn3z2BRjrx3Hl2?si=193c06b755e64bd4">Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)</a></i> - James:</b> No comments here, just a single I've always dug from Brit-rockers James' ninth studio release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4sd1JAggakMUuXLpFN6LIx?si=rwkPOD1GS7WHopiRIDUfbQ">Please To Meet You</a></i>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwzUgad6q-I6cgiNpb0YRDVF3FowKr2Hd2QyuEen1b4MJIXujWXK6d2V6jvNfrtKg_O49zc9Zr8VUsPMdalzJCVZfbElsKlxdYb76Di7zYlEs9bCZ8fyhrpsHElLmHq2OZvrlWIgho-WXNkUqOeiStDDqZTsUdXTUmTZweB_Vr8aIRAaWCUCerqqGeg/s600/system%20of%20a%20down_toxicity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwzUgad6q-I6cgiNpb0YRDVF3FowKr2Hd2QyuEen1b4MJIXujWXK6d2V6jvNfrtKg_O49zc9Zr8VUsPMdalzJCVZfbElsKlxdYb76Di7zYlEs9bCZ8fyhrpsHElLmHq2OZvrlWIgho-WXNkUqOeiStDDqZTsUdXTUmTZweB_Vr8aIRAaWCUCerqqGeg/s320/system%20of%20a%20down_toxicity.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2DlHlPMa4M17kufBvI2lEN?si=d50d64fb4c3947a8">Chop Suey!</a></i> - System Of A Down:</b> System Of A Down's crowning achievement and Spin Magazine's top album of 2001, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6jWde94ln40epKIQCd8XUh?si=xI0YGX5BRUyAqj927tnrSA">Toxicity</a></i> (Strong Recommend) took all of their <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3sSfjX4fhZonjyZ10x0l0f?si=GyNJFsnyTriRfznkozQOeQ">1998 self-titled debut's</a> strengths (the fervent political passion, the helter-skelter rhythms that at first seem chaotic but upon further listening make perfect sense), improved upon them, and then to that already potent mix added a greater insistence on and attention to melody, and the Armenian-American alt-metal warriors' career prospects exploded, so much so that even post 9-11 censorship couldn't keep top hit <i>Chop Suey!</i> and its suicide referencing lyrics off of mainstream radio. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uZUN_nl-xvahEVISpYvgopilKXsHuL-dM57xioJD5gY54baKTR93CNmHCnU9JA1aPBgFrOhdmp77Oo-9_TMBNXRKVE0eWCYEBghxOTK-G5b_YicBWLUkvdg_0c6U5jwYg73lfAAIodCvAnkSGj3aAMh0M5fpjRiA6bIhCd6mfVDBSlknrqWzKrhKeA/s500/Leonard%20Cohen%20Ten%20New%20Songs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uZUN_nl-xvahEVISpYvgopilKXsHuL-dM57xioJD5gY54baKTR93CNmHCnU9JA1aPBgFrOhdmp77Oo-9_TMBNXRKVE0eWCYEBghxOTK-G5b_YicBWLUkvdg_0c6U5jwYg73lfAAIodCvAnkSGj3aAMh0M5fpjRiA6bIhCd6mfVDBSlknrqWzKrhKeA/s320/Leonard%20Cohen%20Ten%20New%20Songs.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6UDouNjHCwal7zhVunKpGv?si=a69e3ea4dcbe4d0a">Alexandra Leaving</a></i> - Leonard Cohen:</b> A brilliant lyricist and impactful talk-singer, but otherwise a man of virtually no natural musical talent, Leonard Cohen was tremendously dependent upon his studio collaborators to generate music equal to his words, and on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0AMbk6F6ZJ57OqlpB214gV?si=2w4be1B3SQOZYyvBa3Vzfw">Ten New Songs</a></i> (Solid Recommend) he teamed up exclusively with producer/backing vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Sharon Robinson for his first album in nine years. The end result was one of the most divisive records of Cohen's career, with many fans praising the lyrics, but put off by Robinson's slick, mainstream R&B production. That said, the album's best songs - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/31TADh49q4s4jm6lGDeIrd?si=c2317c334c274163">My Secret Life</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1izTPgfFEyvc0hl7uYAzGt?si=b5903311988e4457">A Thousand Kisses Deep</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6UDouNjHCwal7zhVunKpGv?si=97cd1a1104434728">Alexandra Leaving</a></i> highlighted here - seem to benefit from the enhanced soulfulness Robinson brought to the project. Oh, and side-note: for those listening straight through this mix that want a break, this song is a great first-half stopping point.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupENkTGTajPAJ4PdCLHzxnZc0RFtmtdR7p05mApXaSfjtkEOE3WUJB-HTGCXychqI_XTL0mJN5uuFBZC4BqXMVRiD7vlAT0LXHnRsMhGUKIAKv1X7RUPx13NLIADbgQz9DVMW3HhWnTUd2wTET15Ush6dzxTLN5x84lbvUO__Dc0svURjN3zE70T-Fg/s600/The%20Microphones%20-%20The%20Glow%20Pt%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupENkTGTajPAJ4PdCLHzxnZc0RFtmtdR7p05mApXaSfjtkEOE3WUJB-HTGCXychqI_XTL0mJN5uuFBZC4BqXMVRiD7vlAT0LXHnRsMhGUKIAKv1X7RUPx13NLIADbgQz9DVMW3HhWnTUd2wTET15Ush6dzxTLN5x84lbvUO__Dc0svURjN3zE70T-Fg/s320/The%20Microphones%20-%20The%20Glow%20Pt%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4pbEwQiDjPln3oYlijXuOE?si=657fd4b8b04d4d71">The Moon</a></i> - The Microphones:</b> Considered by many critics the easy call for best indie release of 2001, The Microphones' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6QYoRO2sXThCORAifrP4Bl?si=F3UM5rrkS4eXLli85O07zw">The Glow Pt 2</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is an expansive twenty-song flurry of lo-fi folk-rock invention and ceaseless stylistic exploration. That said, for all the breathless sense of adventure the album conveys, chief architect Phil Elvrum's whisper-weak vocals have always bordered on deal-breaker status for me, so a still positive but lower rating for the album here than one usually finds elsewhere. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKO5fCDhQ5xsHuiDWaKInJm-pBAlKYcccRvmBsgpdPZbkkMB6VHS8QoEOYy-PUO4IqAJr4UsRHlbZBMu8C8mTTgE4oOn1l8sFEUaP858BBTgKwN7Y5yM0rg6Ii2ltSS6Zr9dMH2gAdRZ1G5AsqNGVgJ6S07U6VBpWdxLwZXqnhDDeRwLdVWUzsMYR8Q/s600/Fennesz%20-%20Endless%20Summer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKO5fCDhQ5xsHuiDWaKInJm-pBAlKYcccRvmBsgpdPZbkkMB6VHS8QoEOYy-PUO4IqAJr4UsRHlbZBMu8C8mTTgE4oOn1l8sFEUaP858BBTgKwN7Y5yM0rg6Ii2ltSS6Zr9dMH2gAdRZ1G5AsqNGVgJ6S07U6VBpWdxLwZXqnhDDeRwLdVWUzsMYR8Q/s320/Fennesz%20-%20Endless%20Summer.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6XfxiuFIEj6NzCWTPVQhyl?si=c5310cd9b8d94f7e">Endless Summer</a></i> - Fennesz:</b> Released at a moment when hyper-cerebral superstar producers like Aphex Twin had driven electronic music in an icy, beyond abstract direction, Austrian glitch artist Fennesz's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0xnL6goTzcRFKzbrleXfpF?si=ognviGA8SYOlHbTm0ofHeA">Endless Summer</a></i> (Solid Recommend) arrived like a soothing breeze of warm ocean air. Intentionally giving the album the same name as the Beach Boy's bestselling <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/05J8PFXdYKeYNb8YjqqJYr?si=0Xavk1AaRTWycGX2C_7fAQ">greatest hits package</a>, Fennesz set out to make an electronic album that valued warmth, melody, and emotionalism as much as cutting-edge experimentation, and the result was a near perfect balancing act of the two that would make <i>Endless Summer</i> one of the most influential electronic albums of this century. The album in full is still an at-times tough listen for non-fans of the genre, hence the solid recommend, but with multiple passages as mesmerizing as the title track here, I encourage all to give it at least one spin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6av4dUXfOZc5MQ9uuzU5vvWqM3m5Pht_ceUbuvfsoJITA_NQw0o2tLsWhZ0jpahLMpm0JPfj5Td3wOAYoj_vsA_i_F7JCDfBwEYhSMZc4opiDwGf3aGeXNhZgw-RZYWXvxIAVhinBKgN6qf4sKTws2FKIPsadHZpU_DOq7_DsnU3PoTrT4-oreqrIw/s500/Muse%20-%20Origin%20Of%20Symmetry.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6av4dUXfOZc5MQ9uuzU5vvWqM3m5Pht_ceUbuvfsoJITA_NQw0o2tLsWhZ0jpahLMpm0JPfj5Td3wOAYoj_vsA_i_F7JCDfBwEYhSMZc4opiDwGf3aGeXNhZgw-RZYWXvxIAVhinBKgN6qf4sKTws2FKIPsadHZpU_DOq7_DsnU3PoTrT4-oreqrIw/s320/Muse%20-%20Origin%20Of%20Symmetry.gif" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3LwfE3USKwANPjPz34iGDZ?si=e13cd84fbd7d45e3">Hyper Music</a></i> - Muse:</b> Fuck originality. With Radiohead moving on to ever weirder, glitchier pastures, it was left to B-teamers Muse to step up and keep the chops-fueled art-rock torch Radiohead lit with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3gBVdu4a1MMJVMy6vwPEb8?si=p2lMP1Z_TPaKmaHJWKgXWw">Pablo Honey</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/35UJLpClj5EDrhpNIi4DFg?si=lnc_y0LeTkioXoJMaElAeA">The Bends</a></i> going, and boy, did they ever rise to the occasion with the incendiary, beyond bombastic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1AP6uGYHdakRgwuWQsP5pK?si=UA0jANKOQ3GiHRBXUq9svw">Origin Of Symmetry</a></i> (Solid Recommend), arguably (along with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0lw68yx3MhKflWFqCsGkIs?si=_10k4R_5RKSLwSCu5Mqacw">Black Holes And Revelations</a></i>) the best album of their career. And has a song title ever better captured the essence of an album upon which it appeared than <i>Hyper Music</i> included here? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmjm1YaP7k6jmZUbrv6I6N_aBW1UjkKUrPtnIGrGy_daV6mktO4VJE5_YAfYGSS2mOGzurJYJH7C7uScPhdy6d9Ib4ci1WRM_7Xq7NIVoTEZotp8kXFYwxU492hMbMx-VKhjUWv46dmLejelDzLTtk4toA9tdx1apHRIZjqUYndxVEE5159XZe4t1vw/s500/Gillian%20Welch%20Time%20(The%20Revelator).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmjm1YaP7k6jmZUbrv6I6N_aBW1UjkKUrPtnIGrGy_daV6mktO4VJE5_YAfYGSS2mOGzurJYJH7C7uScPhdy6d9Ib4ci1WRM_7Xq7NIVoTEZotp8kXFYwxU492hMbMx-VKhjUWv46dmLejelDzLTtk4toA9tdx1apHRIZjqUYndxVEE5159XZe4t1vw/s320/Gillian%20Welch%20Time%20(The%20Revelator).jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3f9HJzevC4sMYGDwj7yQwd?si=031a7617b7344548">April The 14th Part 1</a></i> - Gillian Welch:</b> Hailing from the best folk album of 2001, Gillian Welch's (and lifelong collaborator David Rawlings') <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/55FP2ypQcghszSqylyBRbp?si=8m5i938gTG6nQweJ0DMv1Q">Time (The Revelator)</a> </i>(Strong Recommend), <i>April The 14th Part 1</i> is the first of a two track rumination on what Welch believes is the most ominous day of the calendar year, a date that has seen amongst many other tragedies the Black Sunday dust storm of 1935, the sinking of the Titanic in 1914, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LnQp0cq179ZGCwNxA2qgGRbiHuoUWuSAuTHlRLKdf4cLSJi3eW1HGB3z6lHnxPIRN3nUg13DcAKJNqHjeR997tNZlvmRA9RmKlitiOp_HUJgkzYiJUZjFFOaQJSaHSQQaGZvBDZauL3jq_r9ErwwlSyOTT7x_5c6GoDkqUe6vcq8vZuuWh9Mr3UJLA/s600/Low%20-%20Things%20We%20Lost%20In%20The%20Fire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LnQp0cq179ZGCwNxA2qgGRbiHuoUWuSAuTHlRLKdf4cLSJi3eW1HGB3z6lHnxPIRN3nUg13DcAKJNqHjeR997tNZlvmRA9RmKlitiOp_HUJgkzYiJUZjFFOaQJSaHSQQaGZvBDZauL3jq_r9ErwwlSyOTT7x_5c6GoDkqUe6vcq8vZuuWh9Mr3UJLA/s320/Low%20-%20Things%20We%20Lost%20In%20The%20Fire.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/71I6DvVoUfYmszlwb6is18?si=y7CfmHGpSiCXIgmPzz07Tw">Sunflower</a> </i>- Low:</b> The best album of Low's first decade, and arguably the purest distillation of the Minny trio's original slowcore sound, it's easy to think a little less of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/71I6DvVoUfYmszlwb6is18?si=ysHBziZ3RFCVyjZFFFsQXA">Things We Lost In The Fire</a></i> (Solid Recommend) today in light of how good the band has continued to be since switching labels to Subpop in 2005 and expanding their sound. But the uniformly excellent <i>Fire</i> remains an important, canonical title from the 2000s indie era, and throughout all the band's stylistic changes, the power of Alan Sparhawk's & Mimi Parker husband/wife harmonies has never waned.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5cmT-iavY8s-sqO04hhR0PQoSUC3JW1hCJUSJqWyfo6KULkO8J_9619SYI-rBp1BoG3rYY7rrcZzoHMtCEsl2uUkR0kPadC8ZUz7040uZ4-zkux2EK8aDsgo5kFZrCD9m1EuZKt6mEbLit4hzrACyQvi0cX791tvBtlnAcboBBMZP9RyQ3nsO78h4Q/s600/Noir%20Desir%20-%20Des%20Visages%20Des%20Figures.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5cmT-iavY8s-sqO04hhR0PQoSUC3JW1hCJUSJqWyfo6KULkO8J_9619SYI-rBp1BoG3rYY7rrcZzoHMtCEsl2uUkR0kPadC8ZUz7040uZ4-zkux2EK8aDsgo5kFZrCD9m1EuZKt6mEbLit4hzrACyQvi0cX791tvBtlnAcboBBMZP9RyQ3nsO78h4Q/s320/Noir%20Desir%20-%20Des%20Visages%20Des%20Figures.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6VpJ26HWon5LXDAlaesxFY?si=2641b3591e5746a2">L'Enfant Roi</a></i> - Noir Desir:</b> The best non-English album of 2001, Bordeaux veteran act Noir Desir's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4vvtMZGxbWEHyOv7MNgrsT?si=OR2cBzSgQhyUBFyuVYlptw">Des visage Des Figures</a></i> (Solid Recommend) was quieter, artier and cooler than much of their earlier, harder-rocking catalog (check out the <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6GjwtEZcfenmOf6l18N7T7?si=lFpviEfXQPKPPeyBRLCZrg">Kid-A</a></i> inflected opener <i>L'Enfant Roi</i> featured here), and swept the top French music awards that year, winning for both best album and best song (the Manu Chao collaboration <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2g4oQ1siRRrg8yAkQLVx0c?si=6ee750f8932e4fc4">Le vent nous portera</a>).</i> But the glow from that career high came to a crashing, horrifying halt just a year later, when lead singer Bertrand Cantat beat his girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant, to death in a fit of drunken, jealous rage after she received a text from her actual husband. Her tragic death, and Cantat's light, celebrity-softened punishment (just eight years, of which he only served four) would become a focal point for French feminists in their battle against too lenient sentencing for abusers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6f8qhB9gfKkNIBLmdw2CPZVMA2BqTKDJOja983Sdk2JvkI-PG6-IR0R0DGxJRF-J9udMB_wYxaQbh7DPvAEW1N7Ek0oqyoRDLqAZJmAkhL6Rc2bOatjM0whgumF8rVYuYIhXloyi1Kd0zzo-nmkPxzOdfMhsUnlgQcZbViSbXuvbQJoE9P5vnVXHlA/s600/Drive%20By%20Truckers%20-%20Southern%20Rock%20Opera.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6f8qhB9gfKkNIBLmdw2CPZVMA2BqTKDJOja983Sdk2JvkI-PG6-IR0R0DGxJRF-J9udMB_wYxaQbh7DPvAEW1N7Ek0oqyoRDLqAZJmAkhL6Rc2bOatjM0whgumF8rVYuYIhXloyi1Kd0zzo-nmkPxzOdfMhsUnlgQcZbViSbXuvbQJoE9P5vnVXHlA/s320/Drive%20By%20Truckers%20-%20Southern%20Rock%20Opera.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2epTBfyHb0b3IPvkghf9aj?si=2950c3ef38eb42a2">Three Great Alabama Icons</a></i> - Drive-By Truckers:</b> The lives of George Wallace and Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zandt provide the Drive-By Truckers an entry point for a deep exploration of the societal complexities of the south in their sprawling double-album epic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5k4bixfALfjxwQ6t9Mm6dz?si=4dNKEu-BS1iLqc-wqD_-lA">Southern Rock Opera</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Gritty and intermittently excellent, several of <i>Rock Opera's</i> songs hit hard, but none encapsulate the album's<i> </i>overall themes better than the spoken-word number <i>Three Great Alabama Icons</i> included here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6s_ISNM-dbEHpGaxF6hfPlcyc_fLFyWQB5RAxZq32j4eq4NU7L9oZTYhNQO0HTB26UCdukqSVyu0ZTtD5Z3178nJFmJVlM3BUFvXhfNpE3eUDsDAmUb-RtDubZlmmQZIkcqM2mgiND2u1ziFAe1nn_wlH4dnnWxPmsBbohzf-ytz9mqd-KeG08rGyg/s600/Cannibal%20Ox%20-%20The%20Cold%20Vein.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6s_ISNM-dbEHpGaxF6hfPlcyc_fLFyWQB5RAxZq32j4eq4NU7L9oZTYhNQO0HTB26UCdukqSVyu0ZTtD5Z3178nJFmJVlM3BUFvXhfNpE3eUDsDAmUb-RtDubZlmmQZIkcqM2mgiND2u1ziFAe1nn_wlH4dnnWxPmsBbohzf-ytz9mqd-KeG08rGyg/s320/Cannibal%20Ox%20-%20The%20Cold%20Vein.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4qiBBhBCo2b9CH8YOAkMne?si=457ab42c12ec4ed4">Painkiller</a></i> - Cannibal OX:</b> With West Coast rap and even fellow New Yorker Jay-Z dramatically shifting the emphasis in hip hop towards vibrant beat production, Cannibal Ox's Vast Aire and Vordul Mega set out to make an album that would, in the vein of Nas and The Wu-Tang Clan, put the emphasis back squarely on the words. Then they teamed up with young producer El-P and his fledgling Definitive Jux label, and all that was thrown out the window, for while the resulting album, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4iyCxURICjYcIERJt85C5W?si=0nH_EMLsS-GoLmBQ7QGIHg"><i>The Cold Vein</i> </a>(Solid Recommend), did indeed deliver the elite-level lyricism Cannibal Ox intended, it was El-P's beats - so bizarre and murky and new - that would make <i>The Cold Vein</i> one of the most influential rap albums of the decade and a sonic template for underground hip hop for years to come.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_yShCK5ptg2eOVnIyvt3sH9klU75UneshRTkvpBnIELLAniJ0A6UjTjIeyZtwYkbxwfFZJQTktN-CZuAEHjmUVx2BQvXTSs4mYCRZuepKU1q0qw5nUW8eopQ0vFoXz8VLGMThyvFQ9jzX-qw6TLnY2BEMEWspyaq2UbiAM0DaVjn3ksOVffEGa1QIQ/s1461/Kylie%20Minogue%20-%20Fever.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="1461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_yShCK5ptg2eOVnIyvt3sH9klU75UneshRTkvpBnIELLAniJ0A6UjTjIeyZtwYkbxwfFZJQTktN-CZuAEHjmUVx2BQvXTSs4mYCRZuepKU1q0qw5nUW8eopQ0vFoXz8VLGMThyvFQ9jzX-qw6TLnY2BEMEWspyaq2UbiAM0DaVjn3ksOVffEGa1QIQ/s320/Kylie%20Minogue%20-%20Fever.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3E7ZwUMJFqpsDOJzEkBrQ7?si=5c3cd314d1544057">Can't Get You Out Of My Head</a></i> - Kylie Minogue:</b> Though one of the biggest pop stars in Australia's history, bubbly, lifelong Madonna-be Minogue had been widely forgotten outside her native land by the turn of the century after some late 80s/early 90s international successes, but that all changed in 2001 with the release of her dance-floor classic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4WzTXHp8bVKkKNu3UQ2Fqu?si=x_tyZAmMQgGxQ2zZRmMnWg">Fever</a></i> (Strong Recommend). The "about nothing but good times" album reintroduced Minogue to club aficionados around the world, and <i>Fever's</i> signature song, the robotoic <i>Can't Get You Out Of My Head</i>, would go on to top charts in over 40 countries, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeyqO_XtNsZI1_EBiPVU8xh9obmsGclv190f4vQicNuV87WJlpO5Qe9acUQ0OtpShnvoCKEuRnVIK31g7qB-lWz9FOWu1NSu8HnCzZbSEycLhW2h-9gsvEBofgnnae_xPkYMpuOcMpBIyYgdIZrYv4L7yOOZ1KUWczBVHLZEFFZBNIWi2KqGvMt7AZQ/s600/Spiritualized%20-%20Let%20It%20Come%20Down.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeyqO_XtNsZI1_EBiPVU8xh9obmsGclv190f4vQicNuV87WJlpO5Qe9acUQ0OtpShnvoCKEuRnVIK31g7qB-lWz9FOWu1NSu8HnCzZbSEycLhW2h-9gsvEBofgnnae_xPkYMpuOcMpBIyYgdIZrYv4L7yOOZ1KUWczBVHLZEFFZBNIWi2KqGvMt7AZQ/s320/Spiritualized%20-%20Let%20It%20Come%20Down.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7xZ6hVOmYP34mYdxDnE0jg?si=3a19e15a581d4052">On Fire</a></i> - Spiritualized:</b> An excellent album that nonetheless feels almost overwhelmed by its vast orchestral ambitions (the album credits over one hundred players, and at times it feels like all are playing at once), Spiritualized's impassioned fourth release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4P3KaftJ2WwL89iKIEkWai?si=2NyIc-sRRLmJ__fpsrjE3Q">Let It Come Down</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is actually often best in its most scaled-down moments, like the simple, scorching rocker <i>On Fire</i> representing the record here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1uXjC2y0hf1SmXMT1m2zotUnzJXpOYsfZq8VWcLcSarH1-NelJnW7R1yCzzFgILVKIxXASU8Gv8zIPc5OcmDsZl5gJbwBrhG8lokfShCikSpHClT4UO7zABnZTCRgcyI7nINj6edsQc3OMJlZkJpWckP3q96j-sARO0Plb6gC-VBvYHsLe2uJ1XBkQ/s600/Fugazi%20-%20The%20Argument.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1uXjC2y0hf1SmXMT1m2zotUnzJXpOYsfZq8VWcLcSarH1-NelJnW7R1yCzzFgILVKIxXASU8Gv8zIPc5OcmDsZl5gJbwBrhG8lokfShCikSpHClT4UO7zABnZTCRgcyI7nINj6edsQc3OMJlZkJpWckP3q96j-sARO0Plb6gC-VBvYHsLe2uJ1XBkQ/s320/Fugazi%20-%20The%20Argument.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5x5nJm3ZLs6T1vrFT2IiTE?si=a92c59cb76c94b8b">Full Disclosure</a></i> - Fugazi:</b> A fitting last chapter in the Washington D.C. DIY Hardcore-Punk outfit's storied career, Fugazi's sixth and final album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2bU6BaHfovn3rvxxxHSkWd?si=PxjlmFamRTmimddGgxB0ug">The Argument</a></i> (Solid Recommend) found the band's political passion undimmed and their restless, zig-zagging creativity still cresting. From <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4rjpc2UeCOiXgxwlGz9oDo?si=4ec33b217a0549ad">Cash Out</a></i>, to <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0B6xyazdbLrXhKkJS7hx7E?si=fcc05a3433944153">The Kill</a></i>, to <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6p7f0M1lDJKTUex98OGYKa?si=1ae0bed1b8594b87">Life And Limb</a></i>, this was punk at its most intelligent, and when the band just wanted to let it rip, tracks like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0QYTsrCX2UBFTICmsLWznz?si=23fb1320cc0c4119">Epic Problem</a></i> and <i>Full Disclosure </i>featured here proved they could still do that, too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Kj4TUwvZss8X3sUMspg8UJ--a9uvGZxOnl-auWNSi0sQ8bDm34lqxQwcPeW-j9MYZ1izSBc9phddiXVGdqfJx4PW3_xDXRbMA_Aq89VPs-z3wbju1kgZAxHOQooJpHAQakkX8aAFsaru0xmZSq_SXJON6PvWC1Nu-UPC6McspDteaEZ6xiJDKxTw2A/s600/Mary%20J.%20Blige%20-%20No%20More%20Drama.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Kj4TUwvZss8X3sUMspg8UJ--a9uvGZxOnl-auWNSi0sQ8bDm34lqxQwcPeW-j9MYZ1izSBc9phddiXVGdqfJx4PW3_xDXRbMA_Aq89VPs-z3wbju1kgZAxHOQooJpHAQakkX8aAFsaru0xmZSq_SXJON6PvWC1Nu-UPC6McspDteaEZ6xiJDKxTw2A/s320/Mary%20J.%20Blige%20-%20No%20More%20Drama.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7nWsh14AHpnTzq1Xejz90U?si=63b652a3708c4ba8">No More Drama</a></i> - Mary J. Blige:</b> An excellent mid-career effort from the oft-labeled Queen of Hip Hop Soul that didn't generate quite the critical buzz as Aaliyah and Alicia Keys' 2001 releases, but is nearly the equal of those more-heralded efforts, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5QJmKwPveBV4IwLlo4OcG4?si=5mGDwsdgS0iSP0M78D34_Q"><i>No More Drama</i></a> (Solid Recommend) was powered by two hit numbers, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3aw9iWUQ3VrPQltgwvN9Xu?si=712b85d7ce2440e2">Family Affair</a></i> and the Chic-sampling title track featured here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZVm-O_zwASH30ghtEr5OmWXZ2EwN6MtsfLlkyDxMsZI5t9IuJBXwgAL5FD6iEnITinLAtfMj2JiOAl6AdS_AauEfPYmwQJs6himoUv7CFqOIj7aroaYlbcvbrdnol75TtiofeiQt1OeQafGqN6PI95cKUlkTsxIHZyt_Yg3Df0D2VJPDidJnOIeeNg/s600/Travis%20-%20The%20Invisible%20Band.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZVm-O_zwASH30ghtEr5OmWXZ2EwN6MtsfLlkyDxMsZI5t9IuJBXwgAL5FD6iEnITinLAtfMj2JiOAl6AdS_AauEfPYmwQJs6himoUv7CFqOIj7aroaYlbcvbrdnol75TtiofeiQt1OeQafGqN6PI95cKUlkTsxIHZyt_Yg3Df0D2VJPDidJnOIeeNg/s320/Travis%20-%20The%20Invisible%20Band.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>39.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4yA2SM7XCLkSgkBUSoZb5S?si=485657a46ccd4e9e">Sing</a> </i>- Travis:</b> Frontrunners in the earnest, back-to-the-basics songwriting movement that overtook Brit Pop in the late nineties and would directly influence the likes of Coldplay, Keane, and Snow Patrol in the years to follow, Travis's Nigel Goodrich-produced <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7hktYMjRekLPK3BZRr4sIQ?si=ps8pDlNTSESrWKzlHZ5Q2g">The Invisible Band</a></i> (Solid Recommend) was the band's second straight record to go number one in the UK (following 1999's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1cUp1HbKtGF7CiSl962vH5?si=by6i3nfBS2ShYa6dk-rcJg">The Man Who</a>)</i>, and was an even bigger hit than <i>The Man Who</i> in the U.S., where melodic, banjo-inflected, heart-on-sleeve tracks like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5gfmEhfgMIcV3He1wgDGJY?si=479d6c930a6348f2">Side</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7H8Ga5vDJKhgxQ0uTiScUf?si=724caa3b386f4f59">Flowers In The Window</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1lLtRFrWtX9fAOLAkUTzQf?si=f456788fa24a4018">The Humpty-Dumpty Song</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1AlM88kqjcYq4wnRXk6QBk?si=8c7d054f43824a54">Afterglow</a></i>, and <i>Sing </i>featured here<i> </i>all<i> </i>became alt-rock/college-rock radio staples.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-699BRHi3Y5QGrGCkFHQoZbMXvereS7Misv2JJJ23E1tBNQ6Y8oZ9rDAkkwneEHMGKJ3iLYikRmoWUK-Oy6PJ7BeMIRSs24bhIVOEr2JMLZ28OjfCN9rWCaUzulhU9XMTkgvZTsSx0N_kuvohQ1ukGm2nsuOcaBAV6sBT8jDi0oMVM9bs54vKLqgVQ/s600/Liars%20-%20Trench.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-699BRHi3Y5QGrGCkFHQoZbMXvereS7Misv2JJJ23E1tBNQ6Y8oZ9rDAkkwneEHMGKJ3iLYikRmoWUK-Oy6PJ7BeMIRSs24bhIVOEr2JMLZ28OjfCN9rWCaUzulhU9XMTkgvZTsSx0N_kuvohQ1ukGm2nsuOcaBAV6sBT8jDi0oMVM9bs54vKLqgVQ/s320/Liars%20-%20Trench.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0d38qJacxkHSfe8ar7pZPd?si=990ce0a0d0b8434c">We Live NE Of Compton</a></i> - Liars:</b> Daring Brooklyn experimental outfit Liars has made our annual <i>Best Of The Best</i> mix multiple times over the last twenty years, usually when they veer to the electronic side of their wide-ranging stylistic excursions, but their 2001 full-length debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2proOwuLWNCnlbmLwoLm5X?si=WVnUNqQ8TeOC63SpjIjpcA"><i>They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top</i> </a>(Solid Recommend) was another beast entirely - one of the most blistering and inventive punk albums of the early 2000s. The album's first eight songs fly by in a crazed, hyperactive blur, as "in your face" as music gets (but also so much catchier than your typical hardcore fare), culminating with the marvelously helter-skelter <i>We Live NE Of Compton</i> profiled here, but then the album makes an abrupt left turn for its last song, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/10NG9Hg3TSbnYNO0hcENyH?si=354ffead022c48da">This Dust Makes That Mud</a></i>, settling into a slow, hypnotic electro-rock groove that repeats ceaselessly for thirty-plus-minutes but somehow manages to stay engaging for the duration.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXRCO-bUv2SwB9-SSg6_BKi0dhKziIO-20HoyVj3KV_ZMfogwMfbEh9DknV63Wtyad-vACFc4IYMPKqABAdxio2XQQKT6gO0HiTS7XOTLktstVqSzbxLdX38MFtJcHJo8Vbru6yvpNpCiGtD08Dke1KpbLvQCuptAJGCUN4S9vY-oG6HY2_v00NXP0g/s600/Spoon%20Girls%20Can%20Tell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXRCO-bUv2SwB9-SSg6_BKi0dhKziIO-20HoyVj3KV_ZMfogwMfbEh9DknV63Wtyad-vACFc4IYMPKqABAdxio2XQQKT6gO0HiTS7XOTLktstVqSzbxLdX38MFtJcHJo8Vbru6yvpNpCiGtD08Dke1KpbLvQCuptAJGCUN4S9vY-oG6HY2_v00NXP0g/s320/Spoon%20Girls%20Can%20Tell.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>41. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7zzaZg8MollFiBDSbuylvZ?si=e43699f44ff54743">Take The Fifth</a></i> - Spoon: </b>While as with Low's <i>Things We Lost In The Fire, </i>I consider Spoon's fan-favorite third release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1pitNtT99leODbWecrt7XJ?si=fnlmf2HWT0OeWEG6zttFbg">Girls Can Tell</a></i> (Solid Recommend) something the band has since eclipsed several times with subsequent releases, it remains a reliably sturdy and efficient Spoon album with several fine (if not flat-out awesome) tracks, capturing that transitional moment when the band began to break from the rough hewn Pixies/Nirvana-ish vibe of their early records towards the economical Beatle-esque indie pop that would define the still ongoing second phase of their career.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs2zqMXHad0fvwWEpfB3mUREOxAxvBI8qvUBpljXMhbm55HTKfEsN0cUA3u18p6wk_mix0ux93Ip1TWnWlAay_E4O5N47k5r1Zkok1uyrBXRF3tXO0V-EmDHuJwaAsM8aFH8u2jVOqMWNvfuU5PubyQq1UFFhqsjgb2K3a0o5fuMxyicQ-dknW0WqMg/s600/Royksopp%20-%20Melody%20AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs2zqMXHad0fvwWEpfB3mUREOxAxvBI8qvUBpljXMhbm55HTKfEsN0cUA3u18p6wk_mix0ux93Ip1TWnWlAay_E4O5N47k5r1Zkok1uyrBXRF3tXO0V-EmDHuJwaAsM8aFH8u2jVOqMWNvfuU5PubyQq1UFFhqsjgb2K3a0o5fuMxyicQ-dknW0WqMg/s320/Royksopp%20-%20Melody%20AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5cxRbfQWrT4NZ2msbtSx4H?si=ac9b65ae36eb406d">Poor Leno</a></i> - Royksopp:</b> With Air's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/206GTDefY2qRMQxYXmfb0a?si=CdNXvtkdT1SpvRIUyJPRZA">Moon Safari</a></i> triggering an explosion of downtempo electronic music designed for the wee evening hours, a million new DJ acts seemed to enter the chill-out IDM fray over the next decade, but few contributed as much to the movement as Norwegian duo Royksopp on their 2001 debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1WHbPhjPCBhjo49DpKvYbL?si=Zw4wGy4eTJmfya7nMQD8CA">Melody AM</a></i> (Strong Recommend). Delivering a never-ending stream of sophisticated, surprising production choices, <i>Melody AM</i> is one of the great front-to-back listens of the early electronic era, perfectly epitomized by its third single <i>Poor Leno</i> included here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUW0h601nTPIVp-Qu5BxW9FkYr3p56dnp5QPAle2F__gQb1ThXLvrYJPf5DumggumO6w6XTJ0LzqRDctWLUKOAIHAgzFRlM6TideqsokhALkby6DyteSBt4j_Gjuv1qw4UjdDmRo1AlykT49HbARvnMyFB8WVa09q6bABKVTiCkoy7w8cs6q8HESFw8w/s600/Dismemberment%20Plan%20-%20Change.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUW0h601nTPIVp-Qu5BxW9FkYr3p56dnp5QPAle2F__gQb1ThXLvrYJPf5DumggumO6w6XTJ0LzqRDctWLUKOAIHAgzFRlM6TideqsokhALkby6DyteSBt4j_Gjuv1qw4UjdDmRo1AlykT49HbARvnMyFB8WVa09q6bABKVTiCkoy7w8cs6q8HESFw8w/s320/Dismemberment%20Plan%20-%20Change.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>43. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4JdUoV8xZn2i4JZmcN5ArX?si=3a398acb29f142be">Superpowers</a></i> - Dismemberment Plan:</b> A band in constant evolution over the course of the late 90s, the Dismemberment Plan's fourth full-length effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1bsZo3YzTnR29KdkxfiOCa?si=LPjvJ2UHRDWnVucDaBk_yQ">Change</a></i> (Solid Recommend) found the D.C.-based emo outfit turned first-wave dance punkers switching gears once again to explore the realm of soulful, late-night introspection. The end result was one of 2001's more unusual and captivating albums, highlighted by searching, swirling numbers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0nol0l9eqhiTdXqqwKwDNP?si=1ffc2c8606504b34">Sentimental Man</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1TPO0WWJNu69V1fl4aLTfS?si=426380a99e2045f2">Secret Curse</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/33BxGCIZmBek8znKS4KF6w?si=af38c19a51ac424e">Time Bomb</a></i>, and personal favorite <i>Superpowers</i> included here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVCmDup0BYEWTCPWz0G0-xkK2MI0ydVQbQYG0oPCm8sRiBHi_MVOaXKEXxzlNcsOqoRzXc-5-Cr2yCtuJ7rNmOTInyaEJmVMhS7EAhbEBPTOUtiV407n9WzVDAqX-g_KQ7ZEu1EPRiLpaY24qFgZgBoLEf0LxWk-xJomj2ZPZ5PikQYh0DPOrX_nZkg/s600/Missy%20Elliott%20-%20So%20Addictive.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVCmDup0BYEWTCPWz0G0-xkK2MI0ydVQbQYG0oPCm8sRiBHi_MVOaXKEXxzlNcsOqoRzXc-5-Cr2yCtuJ7rNmOTInyaEJmVMhS7EAhbEBPTOUtiV407n9WzVDAqX-g_KQ7ZEu1EPRiLpaY24qFgZgBoLEf0LxWk-xJomj2ZPZ5PikQYh0DPOrX_nZkg/s320/Missy%20Elliott%20-%20So%20Addictive.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>44. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0jG92AlXau21qgCQRxGLic?si=8622bff728a3455d">One Minute Man</a></i> - Missy Elliott:</b> Yes, <i>Rolling Stone</i> recently named <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6zsk6uF3MxfIeHPlubKBvR?si=fa09cfc5bd004a4c">Get Ur Freak On</a></i> the #9 greatest song of all time, but Missy Elliott's third album </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/20t54K6C80QQH7vbcpfJcP?si=brj2AEcYSROGBwiRCzQjJg">Miss E... So Addictive</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) </span><span>is so overstuffed with ultra-funky, creatively produced (thanks Timbaland) hip-hop classics, <i>Freak</i> may not even be the best song on the record from which it originally debuted. So we're playing the contrarian here and going with <i>So Addictive's</i> other monster urban hit, <i>One Minute Man</i>, as our representative track from the second best hip-hop album of 2001.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIc8c53c0gOfXqCKKNOR4eQ0rlwhCEb4dYWYShQ8eH8Ux_KvSQMtnS2WcAnem7AUzQMaVLXNV8LiwiKAd9s-E5MSyVnd_rRxfJXZElvFZ5wWjp7LLLFSPEeDCzua0E1cDCsw6DoUT4GNwsQpdIqKjBLd8eLCUd6D98gEioUoRVJdgMqy04CvK-bt5oA/s225/Tool%20-%20Lateralus.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIc8c53c0gOfXqCKKNOR4eQ0rlwhCEb4dYWYShQ8eH8Ux_KvSQMtnS2WcAnem7AUzQMaVLXNV8LiwiKAd9s-E5MSyVnd_rRxfJXZElvFZ5wWjp7LLLFSPEeDCzua0E1cDCsw6DoUT4GNwsQpdIqKjBLd8eLCUd6D98gEioUoRVJdgMqy04CvK-bt5oA/w320-h320/Tool%20-%20Lateralus.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>45&46. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3EeoMkZF8NhX9FdCSxG8MB?si=337466e51eec4a2b">Parabol</a>/<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1vxu8vMNshg5J8z3oA7QJZ?si=f8a084081a5344d9">Parabola</a></i> - Tool</b>: It may not deliver the crunchy <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0pwObEOHolQZSldJ2q1wpy?si=4b34ef25219b498d">Stinkfist</a></i>/<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6AioOohg4bQZFA4jIYQQ2r?si=f1d514b57fa74f9e">Forty-Six & 2</a></i>-styled alt-metal "hits" of 1996's <i>Aenima (</i>Tool's most popular and critically lauded album), but I've always found the band's long-delayed follow up after a protracted legal battle with management, 2001's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5l5m1hnH4punS1GQXgEi3T?si=aA2Pgph3TpyajV8Rfp3ZXQ">Lateralus</a></i> (Highest Recommend), to be the trance-metal masters true crowning achievement and the best album of 2001. As progressive and thoughtful as metal albums come, and dominated by one of the most spectacular album-length percussion performances ever set to vinyl courtesy of drummer Danny Carey, <i>Lateralus</i> is a dark, flowing, mystical journey that lands tremendous extended peaks in two long, brilliantly played song cycles - the amazing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1FRlNrHd4OGNIEVgFuX9Fu?si=02941a18072f45b3">Disposition</a></i>/<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0R7HFX1LW3E0ZR5BnAJLHz?si=e550d09e9ae44abd">Reflection</a></i>/<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2D9rd6TIpqmDkog5Mx8kxl?si=3d6e2f0528e042a2">Triad</a></i> triptych that closes the record, and the brilliant <i>Parabol/Parabola </i>pairing included here, which features one of the best full-band entries I've ever heard when the riff kicks in in <i>Parabola's</i> opening seconds. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKG6fPAj4trHTatPymZCLY4bcE4ItJfltSZuR40DxeTkmxlqAwBgcAFgtv-IsmjmhU6fpx9VO2EsXcmbAJ9WvfYg414yyAWVbBpbe3DW597a28q2sXsyiURL9b9leMwQytaba7NB7PsyUOijGxXBKxHrCEuHwTetqRJOtfmgPbgIkn54eDv815LUirg/s620/moldypeaches.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="620" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKG6fPAj4trHTatPymZCLY4bcE4ItJfltSZuR40DxeTkmxlqAwBgcAFgtv-IsmjmhU6fpx9VO2EsXcmbAJ9WvfYg414yyAWVbBpbe3DW597a28q2sXsyiURL9b9leMwQytaba7NB7PsyUOijGxXBKxHrCEuHwTetqRJOtfmgPbgIkn54eDv815LUirg/s320/moldypeaches.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>47. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2pKi1lRvXNASy7ybeQIDTy?si=0878cd350e384f11">Anyone Else But You</a></i> - The Moldy Peaches:</b> Simultaneously hyper literate and potty-mouthed juvenile, lo-fi New York anti-folkers The Moldy Peaches' <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4FD8WC9s2yohxwVTp9f236?si=AogYqHV9TT-JbParpCAhMg">self-titled debut</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>(Strong Recommend) </span><span>was among the most disputed releases of 2001, earning top-twenty of the decade accolades for some legendary critics, and pummeling zero-star reviews from others. But however one judges the album today (and I am definitely a fan), there's no denying that Adam Greene and Kimya Dawson's chemistry, sound and lyrical approach were utterly distinct, a trait that elevated the all-but-forgotten act's profile several years later when the Oscar-nominated film </span><i><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(film)">Juno</a></span></i><span> employed </span><i><span>Anyone Else But You</span></i><span> as its musical centerpiece.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6VDId5MQwjwyRfEZlkW18cn1zRC10hm4vHh2yPSrWMi44D-Gbsla4MLwaZywqecAAs19RY5_slfkCWVEJmjvI5cQzIb8OoSqN_bOwPn1_Xau8txEEcX9h7GNvw9Du6cSrEevD9wH54BBcDdf2fLLhd4v7qAxqewoBjTaz3eO24YOhFck_KB9FTgZyg/s600/Daft%20Punk%20-%20Discovery.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6VDId5MQwjwyRfEZlkW18cn1zRC10hm4vHh2yPSrWMi44D-Gbsla4MLwaZywqecAAs19RY5_slfkCWVEJmjvI5cQzIb8OoSqN_bOwPn1_Xau8txEEcX9h7GNvw9Du6cSrEevD9wH54BBcDdf2fLLhd4v7qAxqewoBjTaz3eO24YOhFck_KB9FTgZyg/s320/Daft%20Punk%20-%20Discovery.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>48. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0DiWol3AO6WpXZgp0goxAV?si=23bf8b8fd5f24365">One More Time</a></i> - Daft Punk:</b> Basically the album that ripped open the flood gates for thousands of lesser DJ acts to follow and helped launch the mega-festival dance-tent era, Daft Punk's disco-beholden second release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2noRn2Aes5aoNVsU6iWThc?si=8uFmE4sAROOCtGhxpW5CzA">Discovery</a></i> (Strong Recommend) stands today as an unchallenged electronic music landmark. Presently ranked as the 31st best album of this century on www.acclaimed.net, I'm knocking it down a peg for all the lame, bro-courting, oxygen-sucking imitators it inspired, but there's no denying the album itself is a winning parade of top-tier dance-floor hits, kicked off by its best track, opener <i>One More Time</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg2v6bPzSoqsyMGoKPpMyUCYtM5eSdy55rCQqbGktBXC7fhyebFVZjM5icIjT-XzjYS1fVAttYDsSz5dBv01AfyH8x9Pn2KtNN4NQLlvCAcnEG6jN42HhWLLCaQL01gENgxlKERspEu4G6TarSDJOcS7L3_13fD_WpoWZoDc-Tf4ZYuxHdsxthSo1Nw/s600/Super%20Furry%20Animals%20-%20Rings%20Around%20The%20World.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg2v6bPzSoqsyMGoKPpMyUCYtM5eSdy55rCQqbGktBXC7fhyebFVZjM5icIjT-XzjYS1fVAttYDsSz5dBv01AfyH8x9Pn2KtNN4NQLlvCAcnEG6jN42HhWLLCaQL01gENgxlKERspEu4G6TarSDJOcS7L3_13fD_WpoWZoDc-Tf4ZYuxHdsxthSo1Nw/s320/Super%20Furry%20Animals%20-%20Rings%20Around%20The%20World.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>49. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2umbhz2teUJ8QpOl4bBD7T?si=d9a5068ca1c844c5">Juxtapozed with U</a></i> - Super Furry Animals:</b> Few 2001 songs still sound as "necessary for the moment" today as this open-minded, open-hearted lead single from Welsh Cool Cmryu-champions Super Furry Animal's most accessible album, the highly enjoyable <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6g6WBTqT5gE4fAcwRljpjc?si=4cn_DRRRSkOVfDLu-3R95w">Rings Around The World</a></i> (Solid Recommend).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzzD0lfLzqVdrbw2jjm20T7t8mT-q4heUn2chxnteWykiAY8DGQZOoz5UoSXxSXefl1nW-i3GMvXt-fpZWNk5dEh8EPc4yLTjN61DmlH8kogdRNObkUqb0kBP16b5XnLvrzJIsifwt-Eyth5zmcEJyvzQl1D-blhokjS7Ua-BVNfxXyiO5Bu8ofD93A/s600/Sparklehorse-Its-A-Wonderful-Life.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzzD0lfLzqVdrbw2jjm20T7t8mT-q4heUn2chxnteWykiAY8DGQZOoz5UoSXxSXefl1nW-i3GMvXt-fpZWNk5dEh8EPc4yLTjN61DmlH8kogdRNObkUqb0kBP16b5XnLvrzJIsifwt-Eyth5zmcEJyvzQl1D-blhokjS7Ua-BVNfxXyiO5Bu8ofD93A/s320/Sparklehorse-Its-A-Wonderful-Life.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>50. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4KB5lrsFSzZ3aNqxNchCgD?si=a384cc167caa45b1"><i>Comfort Me</i> </a>- Sparklehorse:</b> A simpler, calmer album than it's predecessor, 1998's chaotic but fascinating <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4FWzJKnZMl51qBHzmKClqP?si=8CSd88sqRpObkHFSsezC0w">Good Morning Spider</a></i>, Sparklehorse's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6iP3HGmoRXFUrKiml2QVkz?si=b8gB41T9RDW1laEftKxRog">It's A Wonderful Life</a></i> (Mild Recommend) is by comparison a bit of a snooze, with only a few fully captivating songs (a trait some fans attribute to the album being the first that bandleader Mark Linkous wrote after getting sober). But whatever the record's limitations, I love, love, love its best song <i>Comfort Me</i> too much to leave off this mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvqM516rRGqmEi5TCIKJTquasdTInSl-8TP2Bv3_mX2a52EdFqb5ySmPm9Dm-VNMKs8VEN3ZjkTCb8SFDAJiJ0jXbxy1l4EG6wucF7GeCAE7wGMs7BJ_8fYxeX9jKzRucHTeeXXTrn9mFDcbU3ATW8EeEvVsRsruHqC_Tl6FasB1I__8YP5Ykea15Aw/s600/Jimmy%20Eat%20World%20-%20Bleed%20American.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvqM516rRGqmEi5TCIKJTquasdTInSl-8TP2Bv3_mX2a52EdFqb5ySmPm9Dm-VNMKs8VEN3ZjkTCb8SFDAJiJ0jXbxy1l4EG6wucF7GeCAE7wGMs7BJ_8fYxeX9jKzRucHTeeXXTrn9mFDcbU3ATW8EeEvVsRsruHqC_Tl6FasB1I__8YP5Ykea15Aw/s320/Jimmy%20Eat%20World%20-%20Bleed%20American.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>51. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6GG73Jik4jUlQCkKg9JuGO?si=18e683813f0647b2">The Middle</a></i> - Jimmy Eat World</b>: After being dumped by Capitol Records, Arizona emo-act Jimmy Eat World refused to be cowed, instead returning to the studio on their own dime with a renewed emphasis on the pop portion of their upbeat punk-pop formula. The end result, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0UJhhj5bn5AGAjryFnhueP?si=N4rsIkgjQqGdKD5EPaf0hw"><i>Bleed American</i> </a>(Solid Recommend) would become the band's top-selling release and one of the most likable punk albums of the century. And even though it's not my favorite song on the album (that would be the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/61XspFITuKmAlYdQacNCbF?si=da270ecee45d4748">title track</a>), going with pick-me-up track <i>The Middle</i> here because I know it's helped multiple friends get through difficult patches in their lives, and when it comes down to it, can any greater compliment be given to a song than that?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5u6ftxzWVU5cV8v6nFKPh6uTIVoBi84SBLrOHoPB_zO1zWBjeCoj1BVyGeFZjfRA1vLlvbyB7TI9NWc4uBO5s1gN-YG8zYyKgEzxECK5MKnaKae34dh_4O6nP9e3GRUt_Ccm9-DWSayTqEPf009HWwkRSJ4ldmmfE-wSuyFr1C6_rzdy6vDgfh7f0IQ/s600/Macy%20Gray%20-%20The%20Id.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5u6ftxzWVU5cV8v6nFKPh6uTIVoBi84SBLrOHoPB_zO1zWBjeCoj1BVyGeFZjfRA1vLlvbyB7TI9NWc4uBO5s1gN-YG8zYyKgEzxECK5MKnaKae34dh_4O6nP9e3GRUt_Ccm9-DWSayTqEPf009HWwkRSJ4ldmmfE-wSuyFr1C6_rzdy6vDgfh7f0IQ/s320/Macy%20Gray%20-%20The%20Id.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>52. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7rcEXJjrvx7CWCXWaQPTqv?si=7646d5997d5741ec">Relating To A Psychopath</a></i> - Macy Gray:</b> For my money, the best (or at the very least, the most fun) of all of 2001's great female R&B releases, Macy Gray's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6TYleoMhZYHFUvYl8UQiqp?si=lInsVLX9SVSvr3Qb-56bHw">the id</a></i> is a near non-stop funk fest, loaded with irrepressible, idiosyncratic crowd-pleasers like <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2xuXAPeCt1vj7nTZLnG4Z8?si=b17ec71002684c5a"><i>Boo</i></a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/71545askjfqezzpPSfrSP1?si=17079c020cc64c9c"><i>Sexual Revolution</i></a>, Erykah Badu-collab <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2W9FCvuxSSXbnkj9q4Dd9N?si=0c62a86083374af1"><i>Sweet Baby</i></a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3hX5lIyjeOZ7ifkQwLAMcj?si=6698edd5a4e94805"><i>Freak Like Me</i></a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5YlIN4hkyrCUrNlYw09KA0?si=04ba6cae56c04aa0"><i>My Nutmeg Phantasy</i></a>, and best of all - the track that should really become Trump's walkout song for all future public appearances - <i>Relating To A Psychopath</i>!</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkM7LjzZmI4Igmov1eVxbGmWw95wg8mH7h2v3vKK3JinAPH910BA-lj92QfsoEnQQF1GJEwFcumntAH37HLdvgp95vEFeDyvZkSH5jfnCWsaKNBmHwkOKxUHUXrOKzP6dyZZgZ4Tnp7F7CC7MzPcvFPWswVEC2xNd1-8W0e46ujSTNtcGyQB3f94xng/s600/White%20Stripes%20-%20White%20Blood%20Cells.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkM7LjzZmI4Igmov1eVxbGmWw95wg8mH7h2v3vKK3JinAPH910BA-lj92QfsoEnQQF1GJEwFcumntAH37HLdvgp95vEFeDyvZkSH5jfnCWsaKNBmHwkOKxUHUXrOKzP6dyZZgZ4Tnp7F7CC7MzPcvFPWswVEC2xNd1-8W0e46ujSTNtcGyQB3f94xng/s320/White%20Stripes%20-%20White%20Blood%20Cells.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>53. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/21Qsj3cMVCx2xF2EVVNbEu?si=41dc552098014f44"><i>Fell In Love With A Girl</i> </a>- The White Stripes:</b> Along with The Strokes <i>This Is It</i>, The White Stripe's </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Xvc1TfpVEhDeHhmTQEtp0?si=EgP10RzHR62bSCGGcSqrAQ">White Blood Cells</a></i> (Strong Recommend)</span><span> with its stripped-down, ragged guitars and primitive drums only attack, catapulted the early Aughts' garage rock revival into the mainstream, powered by our choice for the best song (and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTH71AAxXmM">music video</a>) of 2001, the exuberant minute-fifty blitzkrieg <i>Fell In Love With A Girl </i>featured here.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuQV98mdzEDdCtl3NDQlCemdnRZI2-mMXKZoqwhBxG0PB7a_nrGkIUYeE7CadoaGzRbCEmy3HEoU52hmUp7hncldX4yqXuraY2ArT6cmqxcHwdLieEP7E0gwzeg0ocHN5PIleT0Ys09pvFrFhJx38jTkwrQvsw6TNKKXIAIXoufKKU_Ykb7wMELPP6Q/s600/Nick%20Lowe%20-%20The%20Convincer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuQV98mdzEDdCtl3NDQlCemdnRZI2-mMXKZoqwhBxG0PB7a_nrGkIUYeE7CadoaGzRbCEmy3HEoU52hmUp7hncldX4yqXuraY2ArT6cmqxcHwdLieEP7E0gwzeg0ocHN5PIleT0Ys09pvFrFhJx38jTkwrQvsw6TNKKXIAIXoufKKU_Ykb7wMELPP6Q/s320/Nick%20Lowe%20-%20The%20Convincer.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>54. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Jo0LBZjEcakrqclPNnTL6?si=082e1252b3a84387">Let's Stay In And Make Love</a></i> - Nick Lowe:</b> One of rock's most charming artist's most charming releases, Nick Lowe's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6rOM23KzSoalGOxzKM7aUp?si=RPYvD--uTkGlO5dptwG4Gw"><i>The Convincer</i> </a>(Solid Recommend), is as smooth, as simple, as relaxed, as warm, as love obsessed, and yes, as charming as albums come. A record guaranteed to put the listener in better mode, we hope our final selection for this mix, the album's romantic closer <i>Let's Stay In And Make Love,</i> has the same effect on you here. Thanks for listening, everybody, and if you want to keep the party rolling, don't miss our additional 2001 themed mixes! We'll touch base again next summer for a look back at all the best music of 1972.</span></p>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-39286567849472844702022-05-29T11:43:00.016-07:002022-05-29T12:01:56.520-07:00McQ's Best Of 2021 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGpIlPcJZNVJ8QigUv739S2S3k9fcWrJXiNfRuZSZ8Y3nyGGrDlk6y20gJTRChyTQOQdjkRYBCJUQKhLDBkUP2eear248-ztQbgXyFXiLbtTI9atfSeGIf-dKjfdrW-z2fUq3kxT1mEG-YLSqT7Lh99d-eu3caP-EFNwjaZhxNDkH_AaDMozdhlll7w/s600/Floating-Points%20-%20Promises.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGpIlPcJZNVJ8QigUv739S2S3k9fcWrJXiNfRuZSZ8Y3nyGGrDlk6y20gJTRChyTQOQdjkRYBCJUQKhLDBkUP2eear248-ztQbgXyFXiLbtTI9atfSeGIf-dKjfdrW-z2fUq3kxT1mEG-YLSqT7Lh99d-eu3caP-EFNwjaZhxNDkH_AaDMozdhlll7w/w200-h200/Floating-Points%20-%20Promises.jpg.webp" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #1 Album - <i>Promises</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As with last year, McQ's Best Of... is going with just two longer mixes to promote the best music of 2021, starting with our standard<i> Best of the Best</i>, once again in the three hour range, and then a long <i>Volume 2 - The Next 106</i> - to round out the overall song inclusions to a nice even 150. </p><p>Click on the title just below to get to the <i>Volume 1</i> write-up. Otherwise, let's get on to the music, </p><p>Enjoy!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2022/04/mcqs-best-of-2021-best-of-best.html">Volume 1 - Best Of The Best</a></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Nancy and I's selections representing the 44 best albums and/or singles we heard in 2021.<br />
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 2 - The Next 106</font></span></b></b></div>
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While there's no write-up for this secondary mix, and I encourage listeners to attack this bad boy however they want, I do want to point out that unlike <i>Next 100</i> mixes of past years, this 2021 edition has been carefully sequenced and basically breaks down into five sub-mixes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tracks 1 - 23 Rock and Indie</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 24 - 45 Electronica/R&B/Hip Hop</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 46 - 64 Punk/Post-Punk</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 65 - 82 Contemporary Pop </div><div style="text-align: left;"> 83 - 106 Easy Listening</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Also just a quick Spotify note - their window player only allows 100 tracks at the moment, so click on the Play on Spotify link that comes up on their window to get to the full 106. Or click <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T1O6Icp1YewugkUMNxf70?si=7ef7c9b490134532">here</a>.</div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-44062482157691607772022-04-18T07:15:03.042-07:002022-06-04T15:16:04.153-07:00McQ's Best Of 2021 Vol 1 - Best Of The Best<p>Greetings dear friends and music lovers! </p><p>It's Memorial Day weekend once again, which means it's time for another McQ-curated look back at the music year just passed. </p><p>As with last year's 2020 mix collection, we're keeping things short (relatively speaking) and sweet for 2021, with one three-hour mix highlighting the songs and albums that struck Nancy and I most, and then a follow up <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T1O6Icp1YewugkUMNxf70?si=df4b358db6f54d05">Vol 2 - The Next 106</a></i> to round our 2021 selections to a nice even 150. </p><p>Truth be told, the pandemic and the loss of a regular commute has made it so much harder to listen deeply with regularity and curate these mixes with as strong a sense of certainty, so to temper that, most of the song descriptions here also include a few links to additional titles that also caught our attention/generated buzz in 2021.</p><p>As has been the case for several years now, downtempo hip hop, contemporary pop/R&B, intimate female singer-songwriter efforts, and revisionist punk/post punk (the year's most exciting genre: a true modern movement has emerged in South London) continued to be the flavors of the day and dominated the 2021 year-end best-album lists. We've got representative cuts from many of those lauded efforts here, but hopefully we've managed to unearth a few under-appreciated winners for you as well.</p><p>Anyway, enough talk. </p><p>Here are our Nancy and I's selections for the best songs/albums of 2021. Enjoy! <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4iQGqVyn9htJ7mAvhVPLOR?si=6b444a902a2c40ec">Spotify Link</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4iQGqVyn9htJ7mAvhVPLOR?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>ABOUT THE ARTISTS, ALBUMS, AND SONGS ON THIS MIX:</u></b></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfWB9BJIiRADNSzaPdXGHVIqYi098tJjlzhacT1bmNycsa4Tp7n7NoxNBLUNpB-HvXEjDPCKwVG9gPVPva7DGMdw-mea5DhyqLpaQur1a1xd4OE3exWMBUluO7eeXjN4S34kHwjvGIwgsxq9T_8R6HV-eI86IdA_jIPzEqx6wIvUKUZynuL0cGv3tYw/s600/Weather-Station%20-%20Intolerance.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfWB9BJIiRADNSzaPdXGHVIqYi098tJjlzhacT1bmNycsa4Tp7n7NoxNBLUNpB-HvXEjDPCKwVG9gPVPva7DGMdw-mea5DhyqLpaQur1a1xd4OE3exWMBUluO7eeXjN4S34kHwjvGIwgsxq9T_8R6HV-eI86IdA_jIPzEqx6wIvUKUZynuL0cGv3tYw/s320/Weather-Station%20-%20Intolerance.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/57sW7XhinRtf8lL4GwzVGi?si=4e62e4b61d764d2b">Robber</a></i> - The Weather Station:</b> A reckoning is coming. It has to. Capitalism may be the most successful and (when practiced halfway honestly) fairest economic system yet conceived by humankind, but it is also becoming clearer by the day that it could be the primary driver of humanity's extinction. Simply put, the climate change crisis we all face cannot be solved if capitalism, with its penchant for passing real environmental costs onto future generations and its "primacy of the stockholder" sociopathy, is allowed to continue unchecked as it is practiced today. But making the real, gargantuan changes necessary (insert plug for Kim Stanley Robinson's <i>Ministry For The Future</i>, the most important fiction work of our era, here) to address the problem and take on/compensate the entrenched industrial and nation-state interests that stand to lose trillions of dollars in sunken costs if these reforms are actually made will require an unprecedented level of global political will. Enter Canadian singer-songwriter The Weather Station, (aka Tamara Lindeman), doing her tiny part to shift the public conversation and urge all of capitalism's beneficiaries, including herself, to look at the system's hidden costs more closely in the brilliant opening track (McQ's #1 song of the year) to her fantastic 2021 full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3KeR5BDM2giFr8zoSXBrgE?si=azMDEEU5Qc-jzwVqFdAymQ">Ignorance</a></i> (Strong Recommend). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-eGSxGIj2QNO5OVOd4U-rDeI6tqUc-g2S7IJvxDrRtJVdFqUQXHY52L5IOn3VotNQnGnI-2dxznfGXUi8unov5kV9VaQuoXc4NoVHkJ80-PKomC65m9TzSJF-VpBDg1I7lXJYwG0Tpwi8Mpr2kBPERyNFEdr7Y33BuR7JVQrVWQY_8OM5FIEJ83Kfg/s600/Squid%20-%20Bright%20Green%20Field.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-eGSxGIj2QNO5OVOd4U-rDeI6tqUc-g2S7IJvxDrRtJVdFqUQXHY52L5IOn3VotNQnGnI-2dxznfGXUi8unov5kV9VaQuoXc4NoVHkJ80-PKomC65m9TzSJF-VpBDg1I7lXJYwG0Tpwi8Mpr2kBPERyNFEdr7Y33BuR7JVQrVWQY_8OM5FIEJ83Kfg/s320/Squid%20-%20Bright%20Green%20Field.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3lQT2Y9lIuRgHA8v5Grok6?si=b76f83a4cb93475b">G.S.K.</a></i> - Squid:</b> Is a major rock and roll response to this era's poptimist, R&B, and mainstream Hip Hop-dominance emerging in the fevered Windmill/Speedy Wunderground scene of South London? Is it something paradigm shifting on par with the mid-70s punk or early 90s grunge revolution, or is it just an exciting artistic moment anchored in a specific region that produces some great music, but ultimately changes nothing, like the UK's late-80s Madchester dance-rock heyday? At this point it's hard to say, as none of the Windmill Scene's major players - Black Country New Road, Shame, Black Midi, Goat Girls, or Squid - have released an album as singularly galvanizing as <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5fxYu3rqjCNTSPKN8mtEl2?si=vbWEndeUTi-phNsnhJn0kQ"><i>Never Mind The Bollocks</i></a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2guirTSEqLizK7j9i1MTTZ?si=-Hy4N2b9SF26efT30XLZlw"><i>Nevermind</i></a>, but man, is it fun to be excited about something new on the rock side of the musical spectrum again. Taking Punk/Post Punk as a root sonic template, but then rejecting almost everything else their Dad-rock father's held sacrosanct in the original punk/post punk era (brevity, simplicity, directness, and a deemphasis of instrumental virtuosity) the music coming out of this movement is utterly unpredictable, other than it will be weird and the vocalists are sure to adopt a Danny Elfman/David Byrne level of histrionic eccentricity. We'll feature efforts from all the major players on this mix, starting with a taut selection from our favorite album to come out of the movement in 2021, Squid's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4z44Wir05QzQYSCs0KwsKX?si=Rgf91s64QVCj8sYxNKvteA">Bright Green Field</a></i> (Solid Recommend)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FeDxFwuaHpjxL5X35c10m4kxRNg7r7L4msCZ0IiTci6dFOTffxj7rrwHD6l1ccuPuAxngKCrNbnsCPjdCE5xx0giNSsptU8ZhBk-81qBy9WmhCP9QXnujWNXgZ3B_IU2YKp2akD9QykV2orZlQRLsCLQgn0oU4A5K4X5ap12L4Nnnd721nzCxzBaHQ/s600/Arlo-Parks%20-%20Collapsed%20In%20Sunbeams.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FeDxFwuaHpjxL5X35c10m4kxRNg7r7L4msCZ0IiTci6dFOTffxj7rrwHD6l1ccuPuAxngKCrNbnsCPjdCE5xx0giNSsptU8ZhBk-81qBy9WmhCP9QXnujWNXgZ3B_IU2YKp2akD9QykV2orZlQRLsCLQgn0oU4A5K4X5ap12L4Nnnd721nzCxzBaHQ/s320/Arlo-Parks%20-%20Collapsed%20In%20Sunbeams.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/42joEEymK7EIHODfNB4yug?si=hzuv3IVRT82uFq2BmoM3aA">Hurt</a></i> - Arlo Parks:</b> Just edging out Olivio Rodrigo's <i>Sour</i> as our favorite contemporary pop album of 2021, Londoner Arlo Park's Mercury Prize-winning <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/42joEEymK7EIHODfNB4yug?si=37U6S86aTVCeYGnS65_U0Q">Collapsed In Sunbeams</a></i> (Strong Recommend) reminds both sonically and vocally of Lily Allen's breezy '06 classic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/45hzatvfEcADFQx8ENl4vs?si=NcFTNgzGTMaOpqtpb-IUvA">Alright, Still</a></i>, only with Allen's so crass, confrontational sass replaced with Park's gentle takes on mental health and sexual identity as conveyed through a series of personal vignettes reflective of her childhood. If you like representative track <i>Hurt</i> here, you'll love the album in full. And for those looking for more introspective contemporary pop, a trio of additional recommendations - Clairo's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/32ium7Cxb1Xwp2MLzH2459?si=EMq3W5C0SG6ArHXsTj_Fjw">Sling</a></i>, Lana Del Rey's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6QeosPQpJckkW0Obir5RT8?si=KJt3RGCvQOCuTVIBxpegzw">Chemtrails Over the Country Club</a></i>, and London Grammer's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3wcC3Rowkgk4CffWv84sJH?si=ofcUBkkDQpiSN5GCZAV2ww">California Soil</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxXfm-PjCzTS-EAA8P6DCLHo7L7BTtdzKY4Nvrv4GEFhugqOZKLXkusb7bI73YHfp6uhe1Gyaebiqrk935KVfqriT3V0slbHyM3nol8NK-li8eSC7XpwXMQExzlsH5hHjr6Qx2KDDU4xBPCSpquPV_mIFXuwMzWhsbWNg7pyCmYPDkY5XLyRsa06qKw/s600/Mdou-Moctar%20-%20Afrique%20Victim.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxXfm-PjCzTS-EAA8P6DCLHo7L7BTtdzKY4Nvrv4GEFhugqOZKLXkusb7bI73YHfp6uhe1Gyaebiqrk935KVfqriT3V0slbHyM3nol8NK-li8eSC7XpwXMQExzlsH5hHjr6Qx2KDDU4xBPCSpquPV_mIFXuwMzWhsbWNg7pyCmYPDkY5XLyRsa06qKw/s320/Mdou-Moctar%20-%20Afrique%20Victim.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5RHN9R3BqScU4Jzu84U7pZ?si=368e1b61e97245a0">Chismiten</a></i> - Mdou Moctar:</b> The buzziest international release of 2021 comes to us from Niger guitar wunderkind Mdou Moctar, who fuses blistering rock with Tuareg blues traditions to often spectacular effect on his sixth release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ZZMK1Hd8E9Uzj1Tycdlf2?si=dLL50Vu_TSqcgAR5fyw2hA">Afrique Victim</a></i> (Solid Recommend). One listen to the album will make clear why many are calling Moctar, who built his first childhood guitar on his own with bicycle cables for strings, Africa's Jimi Hendrix. And for something on the more soothing side of the international spectrum, don't miss Arooj Aftab's delicate <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6HrBTi1F76h7mJuQDHEijH?si=f0hhVD6lStSrHOL9VTDPUg">Vulture Prince</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB998KBeUhrTXJYRilNvXYNizHsNWTfhOZUFJN_fWKSRDITyfTgM-OnVowGC9Vb1lN04Fr48PDUnWuALSRV8OShfB6jzJpfBnCW-gY_zlUMsD5Y35eabMPw_a2sl0CAamfxF0gCP4Y2QzsfSwy38x7_L-KDf3-OKE8Nh3MSNyQ4MP0eHaWGqML9bsIQ/s1000/Sleaford-Mods-Spare-Ribs.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB998KBeUhrTXJYRilNvXYNizHsNWTfhOZUFJN_fWKSRDITyfTgM-OnVowGC9Vb1lN04Fr48PDUnWuALSRV8OShfB6jzJpfBnCW-gY_zlUMsD5Y35eabMPw_a2sl0CAamfxF0gCP4Y2QzsfSwy38x7_L-KDf3-OKE8Nh3MSNyQ4MP0eHaWGqML9bsIQ/s320/Sleaford-Mods-Spare-Ribs.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/06GBeo9UxaThL6monvFzHe?si=ffad1e2d57154566">Mork n Mindy</a></i> - Sleaford Mods:</b> Ultra prolific, irritable post-punk ranters Sleaford Mods are at once again with eleventh outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1w857brUeHQfcPpjCd3wHQ?si=zDJ42A7uSkar1GahiMCGvQ">Spare Ribs</a></i> (Solid Recommend), arguably the second best effort of their career behind 2014 commercial breakthrough <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0lYixJVrfRzhc5REZwBUgg?si=NFWachZoRqemkOAa2SmB4A">Divide & Exit</a></i>. And while all the typical Mods buttons are pressed - the loopy, super cool beats, Jason Williamson's razor-sharp working-class barbs - what's uniquely appealing about <i>Spare Ribs</i> is the inclusion of female collaborators for the first time on several of the album's best tracks, particularly the Billy Nomates collaboration <i>Mork n Mindy</i> featured here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHwYrFGBdyO9uSbtCDBLd9eMVcdLL7EGxHUk84wjJ1g84DInx47VBq-hpVcqUAelbNguG_Q0sHaTL6cfocA0-Pg-KvNoqY8XAnP-wGWhZKjA3yubvtRt1Vp5Lyf8Rp3pfmYc5tYwD6laSnplvZcu6lhy5zoRJ7brjetEuMKAJOngMS2FCbShPiWDrpQ/s600/Low-Hey-What.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHwYrFGBdyO9uSbtCDBLd9eMVcdLL7EGxHUk84wjJ1g84DInx47VBq-hpVcqUAelbNguG_Q0sHaTL6cfocA0-Pg-KvNoqY8XAnP-wGWhZKjA3yubvtRt1Vp5Lyf8Rp3pfmYc5tYwD6laSnplvZcu6lhy5zoRJ7brjetEuMKAJOngMS2FCbShPiWDrpQ/s320/Low-Hey-What.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZVX8SPn5OEeNEz68Isc16?si=2843a49452b543af">I Can Wait</a></i> - Low:</b> Continuing to experiment with the aggressive electronic fracturing they added to their trademark slow-core sound in 2018's fantastic <i>Double Negative</i>, Low dialed back the digital violence just enough on follow up <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6S6jg2LuEwGdo9iYMSwCBS?si=Poo7JWlDQu6hiXvOQojHDw"><i>Hey What</i> </a>(Highest Recommend) to let the songs take center stage, and the critics ate it up, pushing the album into the top 10 of nearly every year-end aggregate poll. But even more impressive than the songs and adventurous production is <i>Hey What</i>'s astonishing flow. We're talking <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4LH4d3cOWNNsVw41Gqt2kv?si=VDDx8XWlSR-09o0xsQKTRA">Dark Side Of The Moon</a></i> seamlessness here. So if you like this kind of ambitious music, slap on a pair of head phones, step out for a 47-minute walk, and marvel at how from first note to last, this album never missteps or loses an ounce of musical momentum, despite its many quieter passages. Twenty-plus years in, Low is making the best music of their career. A minor classic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAOgAIrEvct0rVWdazkxE7f70HmlGxAUTtKY-Rw7IX7ppYuauv2S5JC9EwPwL_XaPTtrGQfwdwxcZazUqLmE1KhBIE0noBeLew7Pic6SWrl4Ouw1MKKR3X0OVRlEifF6eyURZ7Fkx3Jpe3uuGPXHhstC_msw8wWV9DGFWKEOS4e1vYihrn3sAVuZG2w/s600/Japanese%20Breakfast%20-%20Jubilee.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAOgAIrEvct0rVWdazkxE7f70HmlGxAUTtKY-Rw7IX7ppYuauv2S5JC9EwPwL_XaPTtrGQfwdwxcZazUqLmE1KhBIE0noBeLew7Pic6SWrl4Ouw1MKKR3X0OVRlEifF6eyURZ7Fkx3Jpe3uuGPXHhstC_msw8wWV9DGFWKEOS4e1vYihrn3sAVuZG2w/s320/Japanese%20Breakfast%20-%20Jubilee.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7hINOWdRK2rAWDKmjXTHth?si=908af96eb66240f2">Paprika</a></i> - Japanese Breakfast:</b> What a year for Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner! Not only was her band's latest release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0ajoNtBO6xHfWEkORtRCAv?si=2Lsn_mt4TaGkmA3GSD5HGA">Jubilee</a></i> (Strong Recommend) another regular on the year-end top ten lists (and our favorite indie album of 2021), but her non-fiction debut <i>Crying In H-Mart</i>, a memoir reflecting on her relationship with her recently passed Korean mother, debuted at number two on the New York Times non-fiction best-seller list and went on to be named Goodread's best non-fiction book of 2021. But as to what inspires an artist to do so much in such a short span, look no further than <i>Jubilee</i>'s lush opener <i>Paprika</i>, in what may be the most joyous celebration of the thrill of performing I have ever heard. And for other winning 2021 female-fronted indie releases, give a listen to Snail Mail's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0zNWhYDalgisc4uweLIGZJ?si=7wkItcfpSFWR5cndU2o8XA">Valentine</a></i>, Indigo De Souza's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7G7lPTcJta35qGZ8LMIJ4y?si=G5LRACLTQcSiMz0LLxaC7g">Any Shape You Take</a>, </i>Pom Pom Squad's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0iSh2sXytE5jbpPiKts3z4?si=zN0vGHahTLO3pb7nmijjIQ">Death Of A Cheerleader</a>, </i>and especially Beach Bunny's delightful jangle-pop EP <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5R5BvDeXiNyqhrimsTsRXN?si=3SxdZ0UMRqKwpWJuigHZOw">Blame Game</a>.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlrnhHc23eiVRkqNE1nmBMNDXUgdj0lI6hEA1I1LHtQ6BkQGTdN8YVKNpLfV0VOfq715rsOC9U8P56GE2VuQgGLR7ogGgN4KgAcY2phL_FPO0zBKSLPEncVQFr3IXc5RNQsNh18AN68JCecgvenMANmYfgoHkKUaS3iXG3Gza1rH7vwsLLZ4P1GcSjg/s600/Shame%20-%20Drunk%20Tank%20Pink.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlrnhHc23eiVRkqNE1nmBMNDXUgdj0lI6hEA1I1LHtQ6BkQGTdN8YVKNpLfV0VOfq715rsOC9U8P56GE2VuQgGLR7ogGgN4KgAcY2phL_FPO0zBKSLPEncVQFr3IXc5RNQsNh18AN68JCecgvenMANmYfgoHkKUaS3iXG3Gza1rH7vwsLLZ4P1GcSjg/s320/Shame%20-%20Drunk%20Tank%20Pink.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7lF9mgWt0dDua3r5UYwa7B?si=4f076c4ae26d441b">Snow Day</a></i> - Shame:</b> With one foot planted in the straightforward post-punk revival led by the likes of Idles, Iceage and Fontaines D.C., and the other foot dipping into the proggy, more adventurous waters of the emergent Windmill scene, Shame's sophomore outing <i>Drunk Tank Pink</i> (Solid Recommend) is one of the most varied post-punk efforts of 2021. From spiky hard-hitters like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7C1yN5TNMMxzfBv57qyK9a?si=47f55f91430a40dd">Alphabet</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Zvl7vyrM8U6fFJR9swMfX?si=a2b6c3ec5fd94ce4">Nigel Hitter</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0gaecBSDgVDjHs3JrWgr5e?si=4adaadebde6e411e">Water In The Well</a></i>, to the marvelously dour <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2proerBTuzxF2qFt5UirkR?si=9c9365ec197b4b07">Human, For A Minute</a></i>, there's a lot to love, but the standout is the album's most expansive number, the ever-shifting <i>Snow Day</i> with its gloriously muddy backing vocals. And for more solid 2021 releases projecting similar punk vibes around gruff, limited vocals, be sure to check out Idle's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1WXcTQXt1jeF5VGUNAeySv?si=PC0giFzgThCttBYw_tYUSw">CRAWLER</a></i>, and Iceage's almost Stones-y <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wH4W7BWjBiXNM3xIccgOR?si=LZp7uOaWSYOyisxm8N24fw">Seek Shelter</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-coc8X2BAtIOCpwA9O5FQYHqy-45DuslE9kg539HtlNZdTFEokS8jRC3AvQ_gd_lZwChcUv2sqwk5kbSA2UX83905UrSAwiBGsTi9SKD57hoaTZjS_TL_RVxwFgpVjRkmX-Kh30rdZDxKfQTcCG9dUFX0KFVdWe0cu1qWagDtFmoGd_QsPf6IiVxTQ/s600/Parquet%20Courts%20-%20SympathyForLife.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-coc8X2BAtIOCpwA9O5FQYHqy-45DuslE9kg539HtlNZdTFEokS8jRC3AvQ_gd_lZwChcUv2sqwk5kbSA2UX83905UrSAwiBGsTi9SKD57hoaTZjS_TL_RVxwFgpVjRkmX-Kh30rdZDxKfQTcCG9dUFX0KFVdWe0cu1qWagDtFmoGd_QsPf6IiVxTQ/s320/Parquet%20Courts%20-%20SympathyForLife.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/69Rdwj1IFqopDXVah0BdEJ?si=45da30442ab54095">Walking At A Downtown Pace</a></i> - Parquet Courts:</b> Following a long tour in support of sixth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6NTaxSEZsDR5RlGyBzKNmZ?si=Ge_VdVAERpKXgMzYRdPf2Q">Wide Awake</a></i>, Parquet Courts felt the need to break free from rock-band expectations on seventh album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3pimNTNgv34WFrdooDB0TT?si=h4Rp6aBMS_WOyFVgA724Kw">Sympathy For Life</a> </i>(Solid Recommend). So, taking inspiration from a number of sources - the communal dance club freedom of local New York hot spot The Loft, acid-fueled trips to the gym, and the psychedelia/techno mergers that infused Primal Scream's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4TECsw2dFHZ1ULrT7OA3OL?si=EZgEfE0bRx-_QGBao5S1RA"><i>Screamadelica</i> </a>- the band retreated to a favored recording spot in the Catskills and did it the CAN way, recording long extended jams for hours, then crashing out while producer Rodaidh McDonald painstakingly honed the material down to radio-length songs. The resulting record definitely exhibits the sense of freedom the band was hoping to create, but despite all the specific influences, ends up reminding more in textures and sound of another iconic touchstone, The Talking Head's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1JvXxLsm0PxlGH4LXzqMGq?si=xJfig0rxR8-D-4vuPgF19Q">Remain In Light</a></i>. And for another American punk act doing things differently in 2021, check out the Viagra Boys Morphine-accented <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Kni5BJN0cqBMXqANtHGG8?si=htqSU_KTQG-u5c5ufYm7Wg">Welfare Jazz</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnR2kT-sVJGFkoZrSjmDad5kkbMbih3jWPLdiCN1NBTBciTT_zlcGSAXJs-OkgYESe_GdVPSzWUZFgqFaxCHHwaZXnylYFafXCFhp6hYVrF6575QIZUEK-OZgpwpg9jWRBoMfh7KEro1xMIXQhJw7BSn3dQTtd7SCwgyYJiE2QpGBSgAjyHn5fqARsLA/s600/Valerie%20June-%20The%20Moon%20And%20Stars-%20Prescriptions%20For%20Dreamers.jpeg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnR2kT-sVJGFkoZrSjmDad5kkbMbih3jWPLdiCN1NBTBciTT_zlcGSAXJs-OkgYESe_GdVPSzWUZFgqFaxCHHwaZXnylYFafXCFhp6hYVrF6575QIZUEK-OZgpwpg9jWRBoMfh7KEro1xMIXQhJw7BSn3dQTtd7SCwgyYJiE2QpGBSgAjyHn5fqARsLA/s320/Valerie%20June-%20The%20Moon%20And%20Stars-%20Prescriptions%20For%20Dreamers.jpeg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2KY7UK4IBIXjUya41cMnYl?si=d5366c0dcc6f4649">You And I</a></i> - Valerie June:</b> Nancy and I had the good fortune of catching folk-firecracker Valerie June recently with some good friends, and the show only solidified my belief that Ms. June rates among the most under-appreciated artists of this moment. No, she is not "cutting-edge," but the Appalachia-tinged country-soul belter has a sound and songwriting style that is somehow universal and strikingly unique at the same time, and she's put out two near-knockout albums in a row, with her latest, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3pjk4sukkPuJXmRhvvYEhO?si=q-KdlNSWQ3OSVW_fGeBxVQ">From The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers</a></i> (Strong Recommend), capturing a dash of Van Morrison <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4pG3bKkbmReDt5QTDn3JDz?si=iG0_wJQfQSShJ3wkiUCi8Q">Astral Weeks</a></i>-flavored mystical magic. And for other mystical/magical roots offerings, check out bluesman Eric Bibb's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0IwmHFrTRo5Em6d72VNbs3?si=_9Eoa3ClQ82mzDlvNMj7kw">Dear America</a>, </i>Jimbo Mathus collab with Andrew Bird <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5e7me68eSPsVkbQoGdpEkh?si=0c9WnMRJSD6EdmQxgWjG3A">These 13</a>,</i> and especially guitarist Yasmine William's lovely collection of acoustic instrumentals, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/233gqBTj1syIvhppH8NV7w?si=-Zr5XUuZSam32oroNOF9Ng">Urban Driftwood</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzpNjDnFRwe6arWcw5m2yl5DUu63Fh6xqkXNVo_IFIUBsQjIskRJHvVFITJeHUwUrJhipMIS6F2PpSklkF2VoIgEqbYqgv2LOW0UxMtH9uLdKGGVuyBV2xKGGWdnMW-r_kwWy1iF1ZsaIKHioP8T4TUUnhsoUflx2R-0Z95kiVDxeOL13aaRAy2Y_6g/s600/Little-Simz%20-%20Sometimes%20I%20Might%20Be%20Introvert.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzpNjDnFRwe6arWcw5m2yl5DUu63Fh6xqkXNVo_IFIUBsQjIskRJHvVFITJeHUwUrJhipMIS6F2PpSklkF2VoIgEqbYqgv2LOW0UxMtH9uLdKGGVuyBV2xKGGWdnMW-r_kwWy1iF1ZsaIKHioP8T4TUUnhsoUflx2R-0Z95kiVDxeOL13aaRAy2Y_6g/s320/Little-Simz%20-%20Sometimes%20I%20Might%20Be%20Introvert.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2lbX8Jt97ou14yL9rqG58C?si=64a06100c77d4c6e">Introvert</a></i> - Little Simz:</b> And now (right before we get to McQ's favorite album of 2021) the consensus number one album of 2021, UK rapper Little Simz's wildly ambitious <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0DBoWQ52XUHtrZQdfAqOVj?si=dsGCaLwiSzqg7O_hRjzJOg"><i>Sometimes I Might Be Introvert </i></a>(Strong Recommend). Truth be told, I still like her previous effort, the more minimalist but cooler feeling <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Wwm4xg2748zhYuzDRFTgY?si=pwnLP5_wSG-HCJt6xIwLxg">Grey Area</a></i>, better, but there's no denying the force and creativity on display in this turn towards <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/20r762YmB5HeofjMCiPMLv?si=hBtZ1V3PQuyzttUdCPwdpQ">My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy</a></i>-styled maximalism and early St. Vincent-styled film-score augmentation. And never does the wide-ranging stew of influences coalesce more perfectly than on album opener <i>Introvert</i>, easily one of the best songs of the year. As for the best of the rest from 2021 women working the contemporary R&B/Hip Hop angle, six other titles stood out - Summer Walker's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4lPqFAvgmG97pxyxQsyCQx?si=q950F23KTkat3d2TDsoSKA">Still Over It</a></i>, Doja Cat's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1nAQbHeOWTfQzbOoFrvndW?si=iVA8-XHxSeS0IQBG4-7qZg">Planet Her</a></i>, indie-darling pinkpantheress's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/65YAjLCn7Jp33nJpOxIPMe?si=1WsaGTs3SSW4Kqq5-w3hqg">to hell with it</a></i>, experimental R&B'er L'Rain's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0958H6mglwYhFhwbpzHB8e?si=YmvY4VG_S32WZUS197VX_g">Fatigue</a></i>, Spelling's Kate Bush-tinged <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5Dqqrr1dhaZ3BcFthVUCj2?si=NBUBiFc5Tl6tof3bS6culg"><i>The Turning Wheel</i></a>, and especially, Jazmine Sullivan's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5g9YhHW8tE7Tcslgxsk5u9?si=V80O83qzQ6ewRT8MZSsnLg">Heaux Tales</a></i> - which was Pitchfork's number one album of 2021 and probably should have made this mix, but gets two track inclusions on <i>V<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4T1O6Icp1YewugkUMNxf70?si=df4b358db6f54d05">olume 2 - The Next 106</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3oC_ClcqDhpDDthPqPkrqvdkUONOZ8Kfi-farFD3HkTeb-eU8J4yh6qieM2s7p4i2wZw-6NBRx5IjZnMiqfOY5q-tuWYf9lP9EbJcP5YNW6ff_nyDESpcBsK3t4gm8yBzGgH_xotFm6Y8scwXo-LzwKWV4QyJX0NjZxDeu27Z2NSX9aGe7uQcNKoGA/s600/Floating-Points%20-%20Promises.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3oC_ClcqDhpDDthPqPkrqvdkUONOZ8Kfi-farFD3HkTeb-eU8J4yh6qieM2s7p4i2wZw-6NBRx5IjZnMiqfOY5q-tuWYf9lP9EbJcP5YNW6ff_nyDESpcBsK3t4gm8yBzGgH_xotFm6Y8scwXo-LzwKWV4QyJX0NjZxDeu27Z2NSX9aGe7uQcNKoGA/s320/Floating-Points%20-%20Promises.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0QkT7SfXL9eR6tuQ7xb9ya?si=12aa263645294882">Movement 1</a></i> - Floating Points:</b> A glorious organic fusion of three disparate genres - jazz, IDM, and orchestral music - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ShtO5VCYa3ctlR5uzLWBa?si=1iFO70zrQ36MDa05ot3Mfw">Promises</a></i> (Highest Recommend), a supremely meditative single composition collaboration between British electronic act Floating Points, jazz legend Pharoah Sanders, and the London Symphony Orchestra is not for everyone, but it is McQ's Best Of...'s album of the year. Chill, beautiful and so so calming, it's a bit unlike anything that's come before. Going with the album's feathery opening track for this mix here, but the whole album is required listening. And for other modern jazz explorations, take a chance on Sons Of Kemet's sophomore full-length <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6AfA0FZhzRTpjDDYHkCd5B?si=Bt5Xl4EWQc-u-ZKw3JI0fw"><i>Black To The Future</i></a> and/or Badbadnotgood's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/594yqwr1MOvVX0UBnOWftY?si=ISLBMqwGS5qnIG0NaqtyXQ">Talk Memory</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCq8zsYnyOO4DwE-3bY0lJuKJ7KXsPF1_x-jg0uoTkDZuGm81EeqFhyRahAqizQV8EcuL90GDBGjgr0vC3r8KEMjvkGARHfWZrS7WBq0fY32Vv24XqSHx-m_46UNmgNZEI8nfq2z2ckdCX37Y_X_jLFZH7xayUv0iDeIhl2HUhoJmM0h5ifClpi16MA/s600/TWOD%20-%20I%20Don't%20Live%20Here%20Anymore.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCq8zsYnyOO4DwE-3bY0lJuKJ7KXsPF1_x-jg0uoTkDZuGm81EeqFhyRahAqizQV8EcuL90GDBGjgr0vC3r8KEMjvkGARHfWZrS7WBq0fY32Vv24XqSHx-m_46UNmgNZEI8nfq2z2ckdCX37Y_X_jLFZH7xayUv0iDeIhl2HUhoJmM0h5ifClpi16MA/s320/TWOD%20-%20I%20Don't%20Live%20Here%20Anymore.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>13.<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5Uou8idst1XJc0F6MRAk5S?si=4478cda065db468a"> <i>I Don't Live Here Anymore</i></a> - The War On Drugs:</b> Though not as entrancing as The War on Drugs' magnificent previous two outings (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/51VxHZphGLsI7aUPqIkJaz?si=87Tt3UKQQ2ef3_MI2oeMiQ">Lost In The Dream</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4TkmrrpjlPoCPpGyDN3rkF?si=fwH-HifdSpO8DZbpoysSLw">A Deeper Understanding</a></i>, the more 80s-inflected <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/69jQsPvJzMvcb2fGqI2qaB?si=KgLiQbzmTQ28xASjO5wz6A"><i>I Don't Live Here Anymore</i> </a>(Solid Recommend) still provided the best yacht-rock vibes of 2021, offering a number of engaging moments and stellar instrumental passages. Going with the title track here to represent the album over the record's stirring acoustic opening track <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4VhvGhj8pdAqFJBuAfUW38?si=4ac148befeef4919">Living Proof</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVjQT14uzd9oGzGJc4Xwan3psF7D_aeoZ4dLmDsly0X23K-Uaih4bpLliT6fo0nS9VRQ10Fj2CNh8xXSxenwbIs8HkPAu7iGqlW2QfBn860lwAqcmpP-wO4KTv7hh88zVZ1RQVEN-OU5_jC5BBKnZcY_N5-7pVJU9pAWdeEfNhCyeqRmcfqJ_cE9smQ/s600/Steve-Earle%20-%20J.T..jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVjQT14uzd9oGzGJc4Xwan3psF7D_aeoZ4dLmDsly0X23K-Uaih4bpLliT6fo0nS9VRQ10Fj2CNh8xXSxenwbIs8HkPAu7iGqlW2QfBn860lwAqcmpP-wO4KTv7hh88zVZ1RQVEN-OU5_jC5BBKnZcY_N5-7pVJU9pAWdeEfNhCyeqRmcfqJ_cE9smQ/s320/Steve-Earle%20-%20J.T..jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6zFZuHLAUd1JNDWtBQRDaQ?si=5afb1707edcd4852">Champagne Corolla</a></i> - Steve Earle:</b> Over the years, we've championed many albums that have tackled the death of a loved one, but none done quite like Steve Earle's <i>J.T.</i>. Rather than dive into the personal impact of his son Justin Townes Earle's passing, Earle Sr. choose instead to honor his late child's professional accomplishments with a full album of passionate covers from J.T.'s catalog. Done in collaboration with his veteran backing band The Dukes and surviving son Ian, Earle has declared the album "... the only way I knew to say goodbye." <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/02DqMqXTuEauf2EQsHZtmB?si=hMdz8UvmQdebByxI-f9mPg">Champagne Corolla</a></i> featured here is my favorite of many fitting tributes from the record. And for more country-rock explorations of weighty topics, take a listen to Kacey Musgraves' pop-leaning divorce exploration <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6y9LbrjY2TpaLvtbE7FTkc?si=pR8UQBtMRoS7L2XHq3zvZQ">star-crossed</a></i> or Lukas Nelson And The Promise Of The Real's more varied but often uplifting <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3n8WHHm1XYXFsGMjY6v84D?si=hQF9dkqESQ2ebrT8hySuXw">A Few Stars Apart</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJK0gPkqZc55NBeKJ17NakPNS4OTOyyhOCOCjSk0viCZLhrAwJ-Mwh64bNEW_eMbjwd6xsGb7nZx2mqYKjYBhmA2LL9dny6AO_zMaC3yeY3bsITX8aViDVlVvOuw5ezZGSm-5D_F83uPx4SSxp6Iksa71xEW1ORaa64-BZa1evzO4olGvOm8EZanUVg/s545/rhiannon-giddens-theyre-calling-me-home-545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJK0gPkqZc55NBeKJ17NakPNS4OTOyyhOCOCjSk0viCZLhrAwJ-Mwh64bNEW_eMbjwd6xsGb7nZx2mqYKjYBhmA2LL9dny6AO_zMaC3yeY3bsITX8aViDVlVvOuw5ezZGSm-5D_F83uPx4SSxp6Iksa71xEW1ORaa64-BZa1evzO4olGvOm8EZanUVg/s320/rhiannon-giddens-theyre-calling-me-home-545.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2C6qZqsYHMFuY0GopknQRr?si=43a39f47438e4a2a">Calling Me Home</a></i> - Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi:</b> Though it often sounds as old as time, contemporary folk duo Rhiannon Giddens' & Francesco Turrisi's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/75qSKqLqEt7zOei7If7Lms?si=h085BcgcS6KYXc2zKao-VQ">Calling Me Home</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is as Covid-influenced as any 2021 release. Locked down for an extended period of time in Ireland, a land unfamiliar to either, the couple hunkered down and got to work, finding comfort in each other and their songwriting, but aching for suddenly distant family and friends. Any folk fans looking to make some emotional sense of what we've all just endured the last two years will find much to cherish in the album, and for those who want to dive deeper into the folk universe, we also wholeheartedly recommend Alison Russell's more Americana-centered <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4R21oaKCstE2fMc4XkuVlw?si=tKdvcYY_T3-VA9HQETV4zA"><i>Outside Child</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGt2PsAhN4xoSsT4I_m4dKJxN0stkMth0SjNiPCV4LhnkmvX4J5SXb_CRtMHLwQrRi2G1TXNO7ARadzlrr6Gat2nXv8RYMCWOPWh6EfpEKBIdDMBdVUHjJv8qy3zNnrLy18OgxtFFpjds2_kImoy8msVJzO8UKGNBTQnkQ6-7LSnTJoj507BwMG2XwA/s600/Dry%20Cleaning%20-%20New%20Long%20Leg.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGt2PsAhN4xoSsT4I_m4dKJxN0stkMth0SjNiPCV4LhnkmvX4J5SXb_CRtMHLwQrRi2G1TXNO7ARadzlrr6Gat2nXv8RYMCWOPWh6EfpEKBIdDMBdVUHjJv8qy3zNnrLy18OgxtFFpjds2_kImoy8msVJzO8UKGNBTQnkQ6-7LSnTJoj507BwMG2XwA/s320/Dry%20Cleaning%20-%20New%20Long%20Leg.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2HOYi7C1zGWQZCZMXy0ME3?si=c3b992ccb40746ab">Her Hippo</a></i> - New Long Leg:</b> Backed by blistering post-punk riffs, polished to a high-hipster sheen by producer and PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, and centered around Florence Shaw's wickedly sardonic lyrics, South London upstart Dry Cleaning's full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4oNy189uvEgnJKNLsWx9Zz?si=R03CQZfoS7efl3wHnHJTvg">New Long Leg</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is the most celebrated spoken-word rock album in ages, finishing in the top 10 of every aggregate best album of 2021 poll. Going with favorite riff fest <i>Her Hippo</i> here over lyrically stronger singles <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5NtATk9xTMCKBlL46IJoXC?si=e8cdde5cc7ba4089">Scratchcard Lanyard</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4w7iiR54wJS8qYJG7dwcIX?si=4f1c54993e2f4809">Strong Feelings</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7gpO1CchxFFbBFbAWko3zb?si=5b076f60035b4a6b">More Big Birds</a></i>, but all four songs are great. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>And for more spoken-word action with a post punk vibe, check out veteran Scottish duo Arab Strap's latest </span><i><span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5TE0TunG17dIPzrsGZAtjp?si=gOA1j0VjQY6BtzluN_9XYA">As Days Get Dark</a>.</span></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwt_FvyLwH7uQptIO9JPYgNB3MRejqr4S6ROlzPUFl0I-EFXvSrgM6U1UfMpWSoXORSffkoblAQOLZjI7Ge85MmzEKi6cdu-47zSmUDTPWN83Zd6LUyOqC6zM3ZkHU7W-WAd-n0rh15FOvIHWYZzuWV31OewKXGovlrbmPsgm6xEvzfQBkFFlekXZt1g/s604/Lord-Huron-Long-Lost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="604" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwt_FvyLwH7uQptIO9JPYgNB3MRejqr4S6ROlzPUFl0I-EFXvSrgM6U1UfMpWSoXORSffkoblAQOLZjI7Ge85MmzEKi6cdu-47zSmUDTPWN83Zd6LUyOqC6zM3ZkHU7W-WAd-n0rh15FOvIHWYZzuWV31OewKXGovlrbmPsgm6xEvzfQBkFFlekXZt1g/s320/Lord-Huron-Long-Lost.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6xVd8klTvL6ZRovgIhIs98?si=8c5974f2016641da">Not Dead Yet</a></i> - Lord Huron:</b> I really can't explain it, maybe it's the way the lead guitar and backing vocals consistently threaten to wander off into a different song of their own, but I find this simple number from Lord Huron's career-best album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5xiePX6kXj5ZsmUsqIqzeD?si=I0GIW5FQS6GYMp3Py8mP4g">Long Lost</a></i> (Solid Recommend) irresistible. And for other titles with surprising country-rock charm, give a listen to Hiss Golden Messenger's winning <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1iNOO5VSJciTGogwlClRsa?si=-Qa5n94jShGqiCLrv-UM4w">Quietly Blowing It</a></i>, Robert Plant and Alison Krause's second full-length collaboration <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5CQ3SOj1ZgudhbsTLcTTI2?si=psLVJ6_JRte_o83_vIk5Zw">Raise The Roof</a></i>, and Cory Hanson's appealingly twee yet jammy <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0WZbKzQT0ksGV5EnwA0Qor?si=rtd8fuwlTICK5N5qrHzZ9w">Pale Horse Rider</a>.</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgMQ939afZw0-aRUD-YaoQWFejUcJFDlF3mOJUb_nWHAeEtfTfjLcXEN9RHFo71JtYNYNMEHEZm_nW_v4kraeVoNqabnoncS0-griaiEul6E3Zay3CkFdPcTooudTH8j3K8EPmIlP6KT7a9iGd9s8r1y4eZLHexY6NxZ8GybGQhNvMqRxp1hbKl57lA/s600/Olivia-Rodrigo-SOUR.jpeg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgMQ939afZw0-aRUD-YaoQWFejUcJFDlF3mOJUb_nWHAeEtfTfjLcXEN9RHFo71JtYNYNMEHEZm_nW_v4kraeVoNqabnoncS0-griaiEul6E3Zay3CkFdPcTooudTH8j3K8EPmIlP6KT7a9iGd9s8r1y4eZLHexY6NxZ8GybGQhNvMqRxp1hbKl57lA/s320/Olivia-Rodrigo-SOUR.jpeg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5wANPM4fQCJwkGd4rN57mH?si=18a667a0d94446e2">drivers license</a></i> - Olivia Rodrigo:</b> Question: 1.4 billion Spotify listener's can't be wrong, can they? Answer: Of course they can, but in this specific case, they are not. Though only 19, Olivia Rodrigo's insanely successful <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6s84u2TUpR3wdUv4NgKA2j?si=zMZqAXDiQJG9_patjWewog">SOUR</a></i> (Solid Recommend) might be the strongest teen-leaning pop album since Lorde's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2B87zXm9bOWvAJdkJBTpzF?si=NtjX1Ul4REK6LMmAnesQmg">Melodrama</a></i> or Taylor Swift's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2fenSS68JI1h4Fo296JfGr?si=Ne5Tu76YS9-YOs1YyE5L0Q">Folklore</a></i>, stuffed with winning cell-phone-in-the-air arena-ballads and a pair of fantastic punk-pop numbers. But at the end of the day, the album's monstrous impact all circles back to <i>drivers license</i>, the definitive teenage heartbreak song of 2021. And for those who like their contemporary pop a little more daring as well as just damn good, be sure to give Billie Eilish's 2021 torch-song collection <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0JGOiO34nwfUdDrD612dOp?si=9I9jm3htQyOBCUMipv7OCA">Happier Than Ever</a></i> and Halsey's ballsy Trent Reznor & Atticus Finch produced-foray into industrial rock <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3sq0hRtlT2SYeYajr5Cx22?si=9zV6dSlPTHKw4oI_fvRxVw">If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power</a></i> a spin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoD97_FjjcoxpPlf9dRlvBV6A73-wM3wTA3WQMwd1AFNR64s5qss-SWulexQOi2QRjesrvj3QJEsjSqR0NTrt7wqDnjGN4_MuLnU0SfogYxFm-_TQqb3uT8r_AUerIlIfTt7YTwnZhHjQ7dKj6Bsy1jkpUqO_ZSHrA9SvfhVI8FFMRs628FRcNI6KRg/s600/self-esteem-pleasure-art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoD97_FjjcoxpPlf9dRlvBV6A73-wM3wTA3WQMwd1AFNR64s5qss-SWulexQOi2QRjesrvj3QJEsjSqR0NTrt7wqDnjGN4_MuLnU0SfogYxFm-_TQqb3uT8r_AUerIlIfTt7YTwnZhHjQ7dKj6Bsy1jkpUqO_ZSHrA9SvfhVI8FFMRs628FRcNI6KRg/s320/self-esteem-pleasure-art.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. <i>Fucking Wizardry</i> - Self Esteem:</b> Powered by a thundering, percussion heavy production and positively soaring gospel choruses, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Q4b8zTe5hFiDaUxNOiBih?si=8zJSmIyAQuiR30jCxbcnYg">Prioritise Pleasure</a>, the latest outing from Brit and former Slow Club-founder Rebecca Lucy Taylor (aka Self Esteem), is an easy call for the best dance album of 2021, no matter how little traction it garnered in the states. And while <i>Fucking Wizardry</i> isn't the album's best track (co-honors there belong to the ballads <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3Usm1nhbutH9uzYHQ1bpCZ?si=4bb96d28ede8469b">John Elton</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2XIJnykS38qV29dEoEMBKl?si=fc1cf0d62b5a447e">I Do This All The Time</a></i>), it is far more representative of the album's vibe as a whole, hence its inclusion here. And while we're all swaying to main stage electro-grooves, be sure to also check out Chvrches latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0KuAi49HdkjHiuL7TjKsud?si=uvVZNFzER36RmTZ_fw5zwQ">Screen Violence</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYnpMgP1ylNFLl2giDwXW5dRSMdifUfL2TD_81KETzevIkRx33HutjVPeYMD0g-5kKahatIYr4XEBItcbL6QcXB-TpcyvJLIfPnQwX-yusFSQ8Tn49p0pZ2nRNpDhSYCs3k0VQBe1t_uEUG2GVJExk-mwZW2acmXCpeTiSJ7rbLldDdrVEGshRg9_eA/s600/Liars%20-%20The%20Apple%20Drop.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYnpMgP1ylNFLl2giDwXW5dRSMdifUfL2TD_81KETzevIkRx33HutjVPeYMD0g-5kKahatIYr4XEBItcbL6QcXB-TpcyvJLIfPnQwX-yusFSQ8Tn49p0pZ2nRNpDhSYCs3k0VQBe1t_uEUG2GVJExk-mwZW2acmXCpeTiSJ7rbLldDdrVEGshRg9_eA/s320/Liars%20-%20The%20Apple%20Drop.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/52OBVPpbLif9YczNqUJUUd?si=37e245930a0d44a9">Sekwar</a></i> - Liars:</b> My vote for the best <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6GjwtEZcfenmOf6l18N7T7?si=C0G9HDH7RoSkwFKMhpuWQg">Kid A</a></i>-like album of the year goes (and not for the first time over this last decade) to Liars, and their latest killer assemblage of dread-inducing wallows <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/50WuzTucOcvfOPzldNVUXZ?si=do1HqhxJQmuGP69-g6iMpQ">The Apple Drop</a></i> (Solid Recommend). And for more cool 2021 stuff on the dark-side of the electro-rock spectrum, DARKSIDE's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/09JglS9OxbpOkj5LXBsxYN?si=0x8qDXpOQZa0LDtT843wsg">Spiral</a></i>, Ghengis Tron's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ngwSRokoZYcPywWbpzVfi?si=zVV5hgwsTYm4F3vJUWjhUA">Dream Weapon</a></i>, and Clark's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6r3sWdrXNAhqOgGlM5ZKNY?si=hPDzN9nyQ66nwqRKXPsmdQ">Playground By The Lake</a></i> all offer arresting moments, or just circle back to the original, as Radiohead released a new triple-disc collection of near everything that came out of the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ofEQubaL265rIW6WnCU8y?si=WOcAqc3-Tc6GWz0V598NQQ">KID A MNESIA</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTP2Kgw3ergPDdP0H4lLdoJisr0sGfnlzBlrFkAYlL5MSsaVblplva0ZAeiQQfneTETd4oQbe0peevdAYEkLRzb3XLswKn4HscI-4DqVVUApEmen8IUOqZoTxPOLFx07E5GkmyjB5QuzkLYB6f5fAl7nKJUQKWfF-7zqSOSPO51lQK_kmFvd5KQQ7C2Q/s600/Yola%20-%20Stand%20For%20Myself.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTP2Kgw3ergPDdP0H4lLdoJisr0sGfnlzBlrFkAYlL5MSsaVblplva0ZAeiQQfneTETd4oQbe0peevdAYEkLRzb3XLswKn4HscI-4DqVVUApEmen8IUOqZoTxPOLFx07E5GkmyjB5QuzkLYB6f5fAl7nKJUQKWfF-7zqSOSPO51lQK_kmFvd5KQQ7C2Q/s320/Yola%20-%20Stand%20For%20Myself.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2iAzigOFf61dLLPaiEDAcZ?si=86823c06b2254878">Now You're Here</a></i> - Yola:</b> And now the year's best retro-soul release, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1aF9Xjtg1d1wwsE4hRAkQV?si=x7n3Ep4vRR6dTkDt7Tfr4Q">Stand For Myself</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), courtesy of producer/Black Key Dan Auerbach and veteran British howler and longtime Phantom Limb frontwoman Yola (aka Yolanda Claire Quarterly). Sprawling from classic disco (<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5PPrN7zj104wLUtAofZvwb?si=2021da072f0d4c44"><i>Dancing Away In Tears</i></a>) to smooth 70s R&B balladry (<i>Now You're Here</i>) to gospel-tinged revelries (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5SfM1f729pv1DdiEcyDiex?si=2202b9b3a1a44a65">Diamond Studded Shoes</a></i>) to fiery southern-rockers (<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Oxs28sGtuS3RYlOmIu5K7?si=81173ff3876b4074"><i>Stand For Myself</i></a>), Yola covers the full gamut of American soul, with one foot always firmly anchored in the past, and her smooth but potent voice always firmly in control. A hard album not to like. And for another fine British retro-soul effort, this time with more of an Amy Winehouse-vibe, check out Joy Crookes' debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/62FYQGKcsi3nrkdicraMw7?si=5e0309b167394ca7">Skin</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepXv37CWrt36Q0xXJ-AdG7NDAfhWGpbeywrDbViNWv_f3-L0rd0LS4KnIRnZYFvnAv2mtBEjnUNBhdxz3hZJk4K4SjPwFZsPdDunnH05A468IDm5SM9fQB9mULpOpC7Fk6ZHbXATTHJuiDiiErX6AK9kq8vPNJTzNWfQeWDQUApAbmmfly27bRjdnCw/s2000/Goat-Girl-On%20All%20Fours.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepXv37CWrt36Q0xXJ-AdG7NDAfhWGpbeywrDbViNWv_f3-L0rd0LS4KnIRnZYFvnAv2mtBEjnUNBhdxz3hZJk4K4SjPwFZsPdDunnH05A468IDm5SM9fQB9mULpOpC7Fk6ZHbXATTHJuiDiiErX6AK9kq8vPNJTzNWfQeWDQUApAbmmfly27bRjdnCw/s320/Goat-Girl-On%20All%20Fours.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6DcAHOjKGAzytkGp7DNrbE?si=CPgV3rHYRN2g17BUQkBsRg">Sad Cowboy</a></i> - Goat Girl</b>: Yet another South London post-punk act making a strong showing in 2021, Goat Girl is notable as the only all-female act currently front-and-center in The Windmill Scene, and also for its penchant for occasionally dropping its post-punk affections to fall into a more 70s West Coast rock sound. They do that here on the awesome <i>Sad Cowboy</i> from sophomore effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/15udHBVOwWq4qElILsnSNg?si=3bb0228e1bc844e7">On All Fours</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), a song which reminds as much of Stevie Nicks as it does Souixie And The Banshees. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXU7TkeM_vS9vDt6WgREcPPAiawmrcpeHK09Fa6UbGB3SycmEUcOhPQ33uPR0zJhXUn2PQsuzQ-VqSsReUfS7v4z-KD6MA8hbfIxONss2p6W4-SKc3s2vdWNmq6uzdldQCqVX4wviM1Wue9iS3aT0K8s64eLu_ft6nootG2xwMkHI-CFiNmkPA4mddg/s600/Cassandra-Jenkins%20-%20Phenomenal%20Nature.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXU7TkeM_vS9vDt6WgREcPPAiawmrcpeHK09Fa6UbGB3SycmEUcOhPQ33uPR0zJhXUn2PQsuzQ-VqSsReUfS7v4z-KD6MA8hbfIxONss2p6W4-SKc3s2vdWNmq6uzdldQCqVX4wviM1Wue9iS3aT0K8s64eLu_ft6nootG2xwMkHI-CFiNmkPA4mddg/s320/Cassandra-Jenkins%20-%20Phenomenal%20Nature.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ArnNhm8z0ScjDKfGHSBRk?si=9ae2233778424686">Hard Drive</a></i> - Cassandra Jenkins:</b> A still-emerging artist from a musical New York family who cut her teeth backing up live performances for the likes of Eleanor Friedberger, David Berman, and the Hold Steady's Craig Finn, Cassandra Jenkin's sophomore effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1NzOdSkSNmBhhg72KlNcsE?si=156c4CpQR8-plb6zbtF-qg">An Overview On Phenomenal Nature</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is a brief, gorgeous collection of ethereal dream-folk ruminations and one of the best front-to-back listens of the year. So hard to pick a favorite, but ultimately went with critical darling <i>Hard Drive</i> over the equally worthy tracks <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7M5ASYUkhK0iac9WiKyPA3?si=94148cf2daf7442a">Michelangelo</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7669PNGT7aTlFuDKu8z8g7?si=e2b7099faf3f4920">New Bikini</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/48gA52MllkD3wDEwBLCHUE?si=efc1a92a468b4df3">Ambiguous Norway</a></i>. </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrgrhnz36fRPu7EzCEOAvZ_2XedBd4XV_Jz1Zbjxi6x2pagHlbhIomkGc7K8xrrD6KzdhJ3A4pRQoJnqONjrXHMwKuBH3olgLFwO9fZPpXA9s4pyYi6xOfV0pQwhCMFsvFtTUKqon4PZpm1mpOtleapzVYHs5wKzzMYXcGSUVDIRUyWWctn62CxsD9A/s600/Black-Country-New-Road-For-the-first-time.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrgrhnz36fRPu7EzCEOAvZ_2XedBd4XV_Jz1Zbjxi6x2pagHlbhIomkGc7K8xrrD6KzdhJ3A4pRQoJnqONjrXHMwKuBH3olgLFwO9fZPpXA9s4pyYi6xOfV0pQwhCMFsvFtTUKqon4PZpm1mpOtleapzVYHs5wKzzMYXcGSUVDIRUyWWctn62CxsD9A/s320/Black-Country-New-Road-For-the-first-time.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1sT5Wh3SVv6nhs7lgPEnkl?si=44f99551df854b04">Sunglasses</a></i> - Black Country, New Road:</b> The longest and weirdest song on this mix actually dates back to 2019, when it was first released as South London post-punkers Black Country, New Road's second single for Speedy Wunderground. But as it has been repurposed as the central track for the band's 2021 full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2PfgptDcfJTFtoZIS3AukX?si=odyCr81WToGlC-bk0eg-ww">For the first time</a></i> (Solid Recommend), and as it is perfectly emblematic of the rest of the angsty madness contained within, it felt right to include the song here. And if this song floats your boat, you may also want to skip ahead to the band's latest release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/21xp7NdU1ajmO1CX0w2Egd?si=0zbo3cYZQTWAYegQeyg6dA">Ants From Up Here</a></i>, which presently sits atop most 2022 aggregate album polls.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnddYGd6d9fxoja6RmC7FSo1HWbL-AODYi3c32kejJSyW9FSKcOn4dqwuBqbc2jFoe2E6qFsOATIhBYm4qev6jpJLIp7rg3Q4OxCfMpxexs3aj0aYILXXPHgrRjB8ZcCVm_ZTHukAQf-FUn1jl6jo2wcDDEV8eC0CeWJ2ZZgkmPD4L59oBuwr40GvYvQ/s1200/Brandi-Carlile.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnddYGd6d9fxoja6RmC7FSo1HWbL-AODYi3c32kejJSyW9FSKcOn4dqwuBqbc2jFoe2E6qFsOATIhBYm4qev6jpJLIp7rg3Q4OxCfMpxexs3aj0aYILXXPHgrRjB8ZcCVm_ZTHukAQf-FUn1jl6jo2wcDDEV8eC0CeWJ2ZZgkmPD4L59oBuwr40GvYvQ/s320/Brandi-Carlile.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5i4WgW0TL9VSosy73Q3Ttv?si=9312eb128bc34c4d">Right On Time</a></i> - Brandi Carlile:</b> Brandi Carlile is the new Patty Griffin. Nothing else needs to be said. From <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5mIT7iw9w64DMP2vxP9L1f?si=ARkCK2rjQVuimcQ2ccsz7A">In These Silent Days</a></i> (Solid Recommend).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4dXVaUBu_GEAk4QT30cVhaH7pImUVxMoT7iemDBeMroojkxliK6MCkf1Qa70e1X3kir0Fn1Pma5WUp_m0ueCaolk8sdEvDsqU9Ebk4DL7WTe2Zn8FOJeASuhwsTkRKVJgbGIoSL22XZ0bmpfStJme7KbZ8X6x3ap36g6ptY1nDcFRujFY86r4lCidw/s600/Wolf-Alice-Blue-Weekend.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4dXVaUBu_GEAk4QT30cVhaH7pImUVxMoT7iemDBeMroojkxliK6MCkf1Qa70e1X3kir0Fn1Pma5WUp_m0ueCaolk8sdEvDsqU9Ebk4DL7WTe2Zn8FOJeASuhwsTkRKVJgbGIoSL22XZ0bmpfStJme7KbZ8X6x3ap36g6ptY1nDcFRujFY86r4lCidw/s320/Wolf-Alice-Blue-Weekend.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6tWHb2caC8Kuc5oBO8dHmc?si=2df380047673419d">Lipstick On The Glass</a></i> - Wolf Alice:</b> The best rock album of 2021, Wolf Alice's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1VCTWaze9kuY5IDlbtR5p0?si=YAjva8-TT_yWsGVwpHNljQ">Blue Weekend</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is the always-exceptional live act's strongest recorded effort to date, with lead singer Ellie Roswell's mesmerizingly overdubbed vocals often the star of stars. So many great numbers to chose from on this one, but going with the Heart-like tale of romantic compromise <i>Lipstick On The Glass</i> over equally worthy numbers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0wQKKPy050lguUxlKvHIi5?si=404d8fcec7e84593">Smile</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7uELmcXg4U2iCcrXMvD8dj?si=4c3396d90ea84f6e">The Beach</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4g0yqS7sBgZGA3VWBOj1Kk?si=3c42cf2c168549b0">How Can I Make It Okay?</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0f1bOH82cQvNNZBmmkKv4d?si=a15933bbc4f54265">Delicious Things</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2Xv7xN6e5UJxRGwPWN0vYK?si=60754c7c3bb44770">The Last Man On Earth</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYo4bj3tyKrRO9vZDgZqt6LAR8XI6JQDDz9BI4KiMEQs2O4UH67aJcBtlhfCl1jBEKvV5_rh2sjaFAWP4VNM4qEFuXowG2D2gieJkrOwl8pkzdJzfR45-x1WIgmFdCaiKugmgoxpPuHRnKNA0Usc0HdjLpYHX1zTHVt4rRpV98px84xaIfCvPIEryd-w/s600/Turnstile-Glow-On.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYo4bj3tyKrRO9vZDgZqt6LAR8XI6JQDDz9BI4KiMEQs2O4UH67aJcBtlhfCl1jBEKvV5_rh2sjaFAWP4VNM4qEFuXowG2D2gieJkrOwl8pkzdJzfR45-x1WIgmFdCaiKugmgoxpPuHRnKNA0Usc0HdjLpYHX1zTHVt4rRpV98px84xaIfCvPIEryd-w/s320/Turnstile-Glow-On.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6J2Y5iz8C5b83ndoPun6aF?si=96f7c14fc3c24553">NEW HEART DESIGN</a></i> - Turnstile:</b> On might have to look all the way back to Refused 1998 classic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2Us9qPHLvLoTl6HkYAPcz2?si=NNhHLktNTvmHkk3_zOtmtA">The Shape Of Punk To Come</a></i> to find a hardcore punk album that hit with such an outside-the-mosh-pit inventiveness as Baltimore quintet Turnstile's rapid-fire third outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2NrYPcMmQBlbBxopc2XlzS?si=_20tpgF3SgKv8URD8vdpEA">GLOW ON</a></i> (Solid Recommend). 80s synths, classic rock solos, cowbell freak outs and all other manner of typically anathema non-hardcore touches find their way into the structure of these songs, while in no way dimming the full-throttled rush. That said, I am going with the album's biggest deviation from hardcore tradition, <i>New Heart Design (</i>over unstoppable crushers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5iXnD2VizcAbErpkcuNQ6I?si=d37a1f979c6f4502">Mystery</a>,</i> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1dB0NylVkpjdOe8DiekIs7?si=3e4c4d0924f34427">Holiday</a>, </i>and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0bGImSqDB2ebdeoCidUC8o?si=180cb3dc31a54620">Blackout</a>)</i> to give more mainstream-oriented listeners an easier entry point. And for more 2021 hardcore excellence, check out Detroit hardcore outfit The Armed's fuzzed-out fourth release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZyYffpgsnpB9iYyHZjMVC?si=2k4_sCKISj6OWvVev5TYVA">Ultrapop</a></i>. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwo9ao-hCJ-5jQ27i2dS3_YAIAAqEq9UH3OEzsPLgl8s1j98Y3H2OFwIcTOSq-VnxwQ2xI8_ohRE0WuwChLeorAObf7bce4cSnVzk-bn7NvAJbGGnWUXzJDdDhsonxwVGyE_NMUAxMqYQgMSPzXsYmTCOaOeY049v-T0RNnkkanT-cpaJBPy5VnJUEXg/s600/Julien-Baker%20-%20Little%20Oblivions.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwo9ao-hCJ-5jQ27i2dS3_YAIAAqEq9UH3OEzsPLgl8s1j98Y3H2OFwIcTOSq-VnxwQ2xI8_ohRE0WuwChLeorAObf7bce4cSnVzk-bn7NvAJbGGnWUXzJDdDhsonxwVGyE_NMUAxMqYQgMSPzXsYmTCOaOeY049v-T0RNnkkanT-cpaJBPy5VnJUEXg/s320/Julien-Baker%20-%20Little%20Oblivions.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3alP0rX4ErhOszTpx6sFN2?si=54993568612043b4">Favor</a></i> - Julien Baker:</b> With its scorched-earth emotionalism, Julien Baker's heart-on-sleeve <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3IQRHa9iVLsGlSuVHiHZ3A?si=uutTsQc2SqKiIMiC609e3w">Little Oblivions</a></i> (Solid Recommend) was the strongest solo effort last year from the prolific boygenius clan, though close friend and bandmate Lucy Dacus gave Baker a run for her money with the also solid <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nwfSapJ3YIq7Ofad4Vuh1?si=bGjZaVwHQzC52abLhqL_TQ">Home Video</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7SX6Vn3h-PSZyT5PKIzMgRkldxX2_LDIn3hCDsxo4IAAUIbI-55hOJTKHuQFRSLwlMrI_7pw_4imZHklTRXFK_7S1M1xobBwyedkLsV6PUDsr72Jl37iI22IwHs9v0ZyErGRBj-aedpfp3RRyLnKWbhJdjVBeqv4shB7HxTRDDsIz1sVYNFSGQ1bjQ/s700/Ghetts%20-%20Conflict%20Of%20Interest.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7SX6Vn3h-PSZyT5PKIzMgRkldxX2_LDIn3hCDsxo4IAAUIbI-55hOJTKHuQFRSLwlMrI_7pw_4imZHklTRXFK_7S1M1xobBwyedkLsV6PUDsr72Jl37iI22IwHs9v0ZyErGRBj-aedpfp3RRyLnKWbhJdjVBeqv4shB7HxTRDDsIz1sVYNFSGQ1bjQ/s320/Ghetts%20-%20Conflict%20Of%20Interest.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1jVAfsSceuAQx7zgY76qDA?si=1b6313a317394372">10,000 Tears</a></i> - Ghetts:</b> Now going back-to-back with my favorite male-fronted Hip-Hop albums, one from each side of the pond, we start in the UK with emerging grimer Ghetts' third outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4GJnb2XwVlS2HrVsBa9fI4?si=tOxfHqZBR4-jq2JLA-HGNg">Conflict Of Interest</a></i> (Solid Recommend), which effectively mixes tough, gritty, bare-bones raps with a number of guest-star-laden, J Hus-style smoother numbers like the album's biggest hit, the Ed Sheeran collab <i>10,000 Tears</i>. And for more quality 2021 grime outings, check out Dave's sophomore outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6HwzIlrCDq3WF9vMq8meqG?si=JyZRCKzjQyGFcQRdfXeLow">We're All Alone In This Together</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR627J9ITPTFBiHS8QIqrEN1OUSXVw5B1BNEmX3rrFYTNsb69_KYUkrxwpnUz90OkVebyP6f2CigMmQtjnhbN1CN7YO0Xr9Mw0S-waZys63bAK1F_rY5joHg9hjyF05HLk8CaWjlnByzrlsXdk4n88-B3MFUN6Ci3qgOQCGmVGvE3xCZ997wRCXmvVOA/s600/Lil%20Nas%20X%20-%20Montero.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR627J9ITPTFBiHS8QIqrEN1OUSXVw5B1BNEmX3rrFYTNsb69_KYUkrxwpnUz90OkVebyP6f2CigMmQtjnhbN1CN7YO0Xr9Mw0S-waZys63bAK1F_rY5joHg9hjyF05HLk8CaWjlnByzrlsXdk4n88-B3MFUN6Ci3qgOQCGmVGvE3xCZ997wRCXmvVOA/s320/Lil%20Nas%20X%20-%20Montero.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3e6ebtUCZ0tZL1J7wvM8Xi?si=bc28c015f1474dae">Void</a></i> - Little Nas X:</b> A big surprise for me, Little Nas X proves to not be the one-hit wonder I once assumed him to be with his full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6pOiDiuDQqrmo5DbG0ZubR?si=p1K2RIniQW2RxXlAd2eycQ">MONTERO</a></i> (Solid Recommend), one of the most musically colorful pop-leaning hip hop albums I've heard since Kanye's and Outkast's glory days. Fans of <i>MONTERO</i> will also want to check out Tyler, The Creator's even more lauded <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/45ba6QAtNrdv6Ke4MFOKk9?si=NS3zhgnbQlW6afl1-7uCOA">Call Me If You Get Lost</a> </i>and Ye's flawed but occasionally inspired<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5CnpZV3q5BcESefcB3WJmz?si=hGCeB3gVSTOys99cS0T5TQ">Donda</a></i>. And for those who prefer their US hip hop hard and lean, lots of 2021 options including Armand Hammer's button-pushing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0RPanQrJXRyTJoiq2trm7k?si=yr3cOfVCRj2Sk3Zd418lIw">Haram</a></i>, Madlib's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5fMlysqhFE0itGn4KezMBW?si=lLVhbCLwTZKF9OdlbjvbTQ">Donuts</a></i>-styled beats-only collection <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5ftKZ7X2vjjJ1HFQYQn1UF?si=gLNrYuUNTXq5YYHsmDLYPg">Sound Ancestors</a></i>, Dean Blunt's super experimental <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/33xbAWdpX79o2YtXBiBWQv?si=IzghD7-PRnOK4RplSHMt-A">Black Metal 2</a></i>, Declaime's collab with Madlib <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7FCoTfXjWPThwFSxtLS0L0?si=Q-AscUbGTICch1fD6vlRyw">In The Beginning Vol 1</a></i>, Vince Staple's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2suR5CCbtL2Wq8ShFo8rFr?si=30tSzKm8TOaBeV5nglHenw">self-titled release</a></i>, and Mach-Hommy's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7doW9YWOtpmqHBqAUuBaKO?si=ODvA1g0wQEmgzDchzgqMUw">Prayer For Haiti</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsTFEX-K_kaWNjq395b1M49fEVnGlZm6xbfS6vn_6sK85-1eFGyfD74Av7NQoLPrWOvCqNCLHjFRLqWlqDzrF9roA2COR_aP3t32zMB6uF7h9sgDyvyWrafXhtyqobJpwAXM37f4cYmTSLqMpxiftnxG3_oAWnpVLHOSjO-pnOtbYTfFAZuTI3yM2UA/s600/Courtney-Barnett%20-%20Things%20Take%20Time.jpeg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsTFEX-K_kaWNjq395b1M49fEVnGlZm6xbfS6vn_6sK85-1eFGyfD74Av7NQoLPrWOvCqNCLHjFRLqWlqDzrF9roA2COR_aP3t32zMB6uF7h9sgDyvyWrafXhtyqobJpwAXM37f4cYmTSLqMpxiftnxG3_oAWnpVLHOSjO-pnOtbYTfFAZuTI3yM2UA/s320/Courtney-Barnett%20-%20Things%20Take%20Time.jpeg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5MI8umTu0luQ4wQPm87adK?si=31de0f6e4e764920">Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To</a></i> - Courtney Barnett: </b> Courtney Barnett's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3InSvUCYvJ5XWg6PegGNCv?si=rsraX7mPTBikhrVRJlVqPg">Things Take Time, Take Time</a> </i>(Mild Recommend), was not the brilliant lyricist and lively slack rocker's finest effort, but I adore this one disarming country-rocker, and couldn't keep it off this mix.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2fBKE-xyA30VbqmqF0H5BEQHYwY1DBdu8AaEvzJpNOM4kVMXauEzaWE2P853lhUoocwH4JY-zmE69Fc0eC3ThJX3oXkQ3qlFE1xcCEF7-rnRM-5BgSW-B7NVYop0FviY_oTE0WW3shWGppWvqLJYmb6vzE_bnfKoyRPbAj2eh42uYE-Q1fU1MjuFYA/s1000/elbow-flying-dream-1-1630508566.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2fBKE-xyA30VbqmqF0H5BEQHYwY1DBdu8AaEvzJpNOM4kVMXauEzaWE2P853lhUoocwH4JY-zmE69Fc0eC3ThJX3oXkQ3qlFE1xcCEF7-rnRM-5BgSW-B7NVYop0FviY_oTE0WW3shWGppWvqLJYmb6vzE_bnfKoyRPbAj2eh42uYE-Q1fU1MjuFYA/s320/elbow-flying-dream-1-1630508566.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6bVcUy5nhmZcPuAqdd0cI2?si=25d38e24312a4d87">Flying Dream 1</a></i> - Elbow:</b> Veteran Brit-rockers Elbow just continue to mellow, which given how relaxed they were when they first hit twenty years ago is really saying something. But their Gabriel-esque artistry and attention to instrumental detail has never waned, making 2021 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5pKYM8qDE77YsRFcsux3mn?si=eKitV_FHRUyixbb7ZLIZrQ">Flying Dream 1</a></i> (Solid Recommend) a treasure trove of small-scale wonders, as evidence by the gentle piano accents employed on the title track here. And for more in this vein, try Villagers' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5HA5MRg8gQI4KvUfV05lhr?si=jMUOdtgMRWmna1b8C96y4Q">Fever Dreams</a></i> and/or The Antlers <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7k9PAeOo0haX0kudu3sMoP?si=4O5EPmn3Tj-Y4lL6jVLPwQ">Losing Light</a></i> next.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BOsxxPeyum2bLPYP5XuGEIn_NhqAp2THeiAEN6IBG1ia9Mn8cTQA4prHpoEvXVqqw8K_rWLjoO2j9TdZoCoplxX9WGTNPijh-Lz6X1cHwJSynewBU31SR1cA10gzDaow3FdrMjGRqPOgQA7cn_OtQjn4YjLxJcsrxuM6FU7ug8w1i0Fyg8YWSJi6Tg/s600/The-Hold-Steady.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BOsxxPeyum2bLPYP5XuGEIn_NhqAp2THeiAEN6IBG1ia9Mn8cTQA4prHpoEvXVqqw8K_rWLjoO2j9TdZoCoplxX9WGTNPijh-Lz6X1cHwJSynewBU31SR1cA10gzDaow3FdrMjGRqPOgQA7cn_OtQjn4YjLxJcsrxuM6FU7ug8w1i0Fyg8YWSJi6Tg/s320/The-Hold-Steady.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0yc9Hh2uhHEQBQ7oySsrH3?si=c0b27902bbe04f7b">Unpleasant Breakfast</a></i> - The Hold Steady:</b> Five years on since the return of keyboardist Franz Nicolay launched the band a long stretch of concert residencies around the globe, indie stalwarts The Hold Steady received a reward for that hard work last year when their eighth full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3wW4dsaL7EVVdAfu9aIU1M?si=OwRfLMtoRia3yW3fmQpGEg">Open Door Policy</a></i> (Solid Recommend) became their first album to debut in the Billboard Top 10. But while they may suddenly be reaching a wider audience, long time fans will be happy to know that all the band's revered edgier trademarks - the hard-rocking bar-band grooves, the broad observational swings between small-scale silliness and penetrating emotional poignancy, and Craig Finn's one-of-a-kind lyrics - remain undimmed on <i>Open Door Policy</i>, reaching a peak on the funny/sad tale of a ghost-inspired romance <i>Unpleasant Breakfast</i> included here. And for more 2021 efforts from mid-aught acts still keeping at it, check out The Killer's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6yskFQZNlLYhkchAxELHi6?si=7DzccooiSE-xTQYTTgxfKw">Nebraska</a></i>-inspired <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1qMFjBarjO2xD15BwXZguD?si=EKbSjaqSQPuGZMCbrtWIUA">Pressure Machine</a></i>, My Morning Jacket's rocking <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3L8hsIkIH21xMPiRjalZmH?si=Um417GOTQGqDjMbYMnQN5A">eponymous ninth release</a>, and The Black Keys blues standards collection <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/682pJqnx8hcrCfSjvyNBki?si=_fv3uKaYTLW5oJIXsfVHWQ">Delta Kream</a></i>. And then for a younger UK take on the whole E-Street-thing, check out Sam Fender's spirited <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4FKOLaEGqA7ZFYYW5r4X9z?si=Vhf0wKPiRY2wLuCbaT5YxQ">Seventeen Going Under</a></i><i>.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv0l-7FnGJvJfaoDB2IKe4ksv-pxocazcq3ekSzPIBOdAMkh4WiUlRJjxMwSPRUS_7dKYGkSTUBsCeYmDlDjKOh4wVzwpuTFQ9n7nfn8Hv_1oDjoBg73vjRROBXsQrfNsJ4YJW_a1yDwAu-S-yPLQGP6Q3glA8OvRCMsyl7lhOr1DhejCouhE9UNElQ/s600/The%20Anchoress%20-%20The%20Art%20Of%20Losing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv0l-7FnGJvJfaoDB2IKe4ksv-pxocazcq3ekSzPIBOdAMkh4WiUlRJjxMwSPRUS_7dKYGkSTUBsCeYmDlDjKOh4wVzwpuTFQ9n7nfn8Hv_1oDjoBg73vjRROBXsQrfNsJ4YJW_a1yDwAu-S-yPLQGP6Q3glA8OvRCMsyl7lhOr1DhejCouhE9UNElQ/s320/The%20Anchoress%20-%20The%20Art%20Of%20Losing.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1GXyIQsviqTVxEQeeLbPjT?si=245c15e17705467e">My Confessor</a></i> - The Anchoress:</b> One of my two favorite cuts from Welsh art-rocker Catherine Anne Davies' (aka The Anchoress) <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4eUBwmpVt57DKniIa2lzSt?si=01fv8oHXQvCJ-6E-HO6EOw">The Art Of Losing</a></i> (Solid Recommend), this song and the loss-themed album stands here as the best of several fine 2021 goth-tinged releases. The other three 2021 records to pursue if this type of arty, downbeat fare appeals are Lingua Ignota's raw, confrontational <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/06wtf2TCkmyTgS1yZGiSr5?si=JIOtvNP1TaSMNyydZyROXg">SINNER GET READY</a>,</i> Anna B Savage's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RQArjhEoHV6Pvoc2kAtrw?si=lihj8B3QQv64gVh3i6fwyg">A Common Turn</a></i>, and Marissa Nadler's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0kYKOTCAxIIEWKlNlhkOfJ?si=7IrKwDF4QOiqzkj0hbJq2g">The Path Of The Clouds</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hqgb_9BjytSDGI1onTAen82yS8MuDNxuwTdWDUwBZ6qwA0TDRmg8bzN9j95U4JS2z9SDaYw_CwnehYH4cIqAtkHodwNCyYJUCNO6K9ZSQNaDwk9pUn6Lf3H3wtEEU_hGmu-4kC4ske3sdYMxZSb5sVX4yT1hK7ON-hEOqTxddJQM-u6k8_qXdoel4g/s628/For%20Those%20I%20Love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hqgb_9BjytSDGI1onTAen82yS8MuDNxuwTdWDUwBZ6qwA0TDRmg8bzN9j95U4JS2z9SDaYw_CwnehYH4cIqAtkHodwNCyYJUCNO6K9ZSQNaDwk9pUn6Lf3H3wtEEU_hGmu-4kC4ske3sdYMxZSb5sVX4yT1hK7ON-hEOqTxddJQM-u6k8_qXdoel4g/s320/For%20Those%20I%20Love.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6qYyTbkdk0xXojKWJUWK8Z?si=9ceeeac028524b79">Birthday / The Pain</a></i> - For Those I Love:</b> As has already been conveyed with Dry Cleaning, spoken-word is experiencing a resurgence in Ireland and the UK, and few efforts in this vein were more compelling in 2021 than the self-titled debut of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3gpVbxElqwLZfc1ZWfiN27?si=xPUc7eoISqCzrg-OVJgK7w">For Those I Love</a></i>. The brainchild of Dublin-producer/vocalist David Balfe, it is the second significant album of the last few years (this first being The Murder Capital's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17ozByfYT9iEhfGNcT6mdz?si=lgSJJ8scSgyWr8y5hEDOPA">When I Have Fears</a></i>) to focus on the suicide of Dublin punk legend and ubiquitous collaborator Paul Curren, who also happened to be Balfe's bandmate and best friend. With a rough, vocal delivery reminiscent of The Street's Mike Skinner, but a warm, bedroom pop/plunderphonics sound reminiscent of The Avalanches at their best, it's not only one of the year's most thoughtful records, but one of 2021's most original sonic concoctions as well. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mMfJ_ytvyP5C6Xr7ywOxaxmV7cNaG-7YlkBXW293rdoXj7PrzH0jUy-RYOyTOKzOxn23ll1sHdF4QY5_9TZBqWLQxUJh90qJ9U8S6rFScwQdDsF-ElPYUYaWyptl-KSzUmJ68z85rJcKtJXVG1JwcB0sfm9d03P18bGeHDwIYc6j7iVAYu7ZiWxcfA/s600/Amyl-and-the-Sniffers-Comfort-to-Me.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mMfJ_ytvyP5C6Xr7ywOxaxmV7cNaG-7YlkBXW293rdoXj7PrzH0jUy-RYOyTOKzOxn23ll1sHdF4QY5_9TZBqWLQxUJh90qJ9U8S6rFScwQdDsF-ElPYUYaWyptl-KSzUmJ68z85rJcKtJXVG1JwcB0sfm9d03P18bGeHDwIYc6j7iVAYu7ZiWxcfA/s320/Amyl-and-the-Sniffers-Comfort-to-Me.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7fri3wodaEszuJBZcGB4VF?si=29a41529fc294536">Hertz</a></i> - Amyl and The Sniffers:</b> Voted Australia's best live act for two years running, Melbourne punk-rockers Amyl And The Sniffer's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/24JeT9uxcmqL227jId3Pci?si=o-P51ZwTRwywz1T48bbBzA">Comfort To Me</a></i> (Solid Recommend) recaptures punk rock fury in all its Wendy O'Williams/Plasmatics glory, with a dash of AC/DC caliber party-rock riffage thrown in for good measure. And while few 2021 albums could match the non-stop female-fronted frenzy of <i>Comfort To Me</i>, LA-based Illuminate Hotties' 2021 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5MH2ICGjLf6Lm9G72Rfx2f?si=4f7DdXSHRxmnIY6j6gGxgg">Let Me Do One More</a> </i>is probably the next best place to turn to keep such vibes going.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHYX9CpRhxLM8TcXAi9xr_u78KYnJmlrhRwSGiHS6f-BS2no28pL3DFaLnxcK7lWEFffMK-fj8poS0qZnofGP1JcQ1sYx1udI3uVoJ_Xk0ZJhY6l_CHDsel8hWczCNGccQwkuOVsTnosDv3FInkCOTULxyH9gJQjUpx2DU-ohD3QPFfcRz4poSzNZUA/s600/genesis%20owusu%20smiling%20with%20no%20teeth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHYX9CpRhxLM8TcXAi9xr_u78KYnJmlrhRwSGiHS6f-BS2no28pL3DFaLnxcK7lWEFffMK-fj8poS0qZnofGP1JcQ1sYx1udI3uVoJ_Xk0ZJhY6l_CHDsel8hWczCNGccQwkuOVsTnosDv3FInkCOTULxyH9gJQjUpx2DU-ohD3QPFfcRz4poSzNZUA/s320/genesis%20owusu%20smiling%20with%20no%20teeth.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5t6IbDoIR1s3NQvjXzDdSu?si=26d6af8569c34c35">Waitin' On Ya</a> </i>- Genesis Owusu:</b> Staying in Australia, we turn to Australia's best album of 2021 (and McQ's Best Of...'s favorite male R&B/Funk album of 2021 as well), Genesis Owusu's marvelously eclectic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4j7wEZWND7GIh918rLgYHQ?si=XYn4lm4ERfCgE_qp2r5LAw">Smiling With No Teeth</a></i> (Strong Recommend). As wide-ranging stylistically as a classic Prince album, but with a gruffer, more-rock leaning flavor all its own, <i>No Teeth</i> is an endless parade of endearingly distinct and creative little gems, from the intensity of its Death Grips-styled opener <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5TWXjAPQ8IbIxSUf6WS8ff?si=a5aaba83a937451c">On The Move!</a></i> to the Oingo Boingo-inflected <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/16tXUfGm2mJHaZAsInBDr7?si=07023ed504494c68">The Other Black Dog</a></i> to the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2lO9yuuIDgBpSJzxTh3ai8?si=AOPmAG4ARnWAIwglrkW7ww"><i>Voodoo</i></a>-channeling <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2F7YLJQwWK20fokaItU6wU?si=e48e88420d4c4e18">title track</a> to the humbled orchestral pop of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4bD3ZXZL95RVw5omePyv6L?si=847975286cb745c8"><i>A Song About Fishing</i> to</a> the super-smooth R&B of representative track <i>Waitin' On Ya</i> here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDH4QEszONtQkWAlRdjaZWryqPAdiQYLjVtnJL8ygVjFZEP72JbEkBQPtTUQB95un5GisFIDR_O8pZp0BmWPCD_1OHX365SnkMAqzKh_1Qp_F3MnfsnrTH-a4aA6Bc-x9W6y1wMN6mXYAUO7K97OeGvpA36cCw5pWcD3ovPRYyP036JiOvO57edx4AqA/s600/The%20Staves%20-%20Good%20Woman.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDH4QEszONtQkWAlRdjaZWryqPAdiQYLjVtnJL8ygVjFZEP72JbEkBQPtTUQB95un5GisFIDR_O8pZp0BmWPCD_1OHX365SnkMAqzKh_1Qp_F3MnfsnrTH-a4aA6Bc-x9W6y1wMN6mXYAUO7K97OeGvpA36cCw5pWcD3ovPRYyP036JiOvO57edx4AqA/s320/The%20Staves%20-%20Good%20Woman.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1jQoqq9UMkt4IASvOYe6TU?si=c132c493779a4cbd">Good Woman</a></i> - The Staves:</b> I'm a sucker for blood harmonies, and no album in 2021 scratched my "First Aid Kit" itch better than English indie-folk sister act The Staves' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/66A7X1EqFQEEvuE5Nezqrl?si=ZxvxDEBuQnO5Gp_RdUI6kg">Good Woman</a></i> (Solid Recommend). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oD9FP9qIkiGsHG7e9okRvndpbXHTnYI9w7yRWzwOOXTuHdsEg-8mvH5CGacQM-tt13JLppgKObpcH6GxHLXA8KFJYbmHPFUdUANUGrpQzmNVegqMwZdEOLC8BPeYmz2qBosUsj_NUs3jM0q6tq15SzfBN3iIyEl3rmHTKosTX9cfbJmwDyEzRe31Uw/s600/Black%20Midi%20Cavalcade.jpeg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oD9FP9qIkiGsHG7e9okRvndpbXHTnYI9w7yRWzwOOXTuHdsEg-8mvH5CGacQM-tt13JLppgKObpcH6GxHLXA8KFJYbmHPFUdUANUGrpQzmNVegqMwZdEOLC8BPeYmz2qBosUsj_NUs3jM0q6tq15SzfBN3iIyEl3rmHTKosTX9cfbJmwDyEzRe31Uw/s320/Black%20Midi%20Cavalcade.jpeg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2tk6DxeaWPqjidof2LtGcL?si=c711c2c2bf3a4393">Dethroned</a></i> - Black Midi:</b> Our final highlight from the UK Windmill Scene comes from the most popular band of the movement, Black Midi, who put their unreal chops on full display in this crazed, bizarre number from their critically lauded sophomore effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7AsC27VDa3yOksZrfBSD6D?si=eKznutucTeeN46_qD999xA">Cavalcade</a></i> (solid recommend). Hold onto your hats for this one.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArsS69rFeJHXNspq46bahSvXI7sQN7jU7mDjmX4VZqBd7GDjWSOT2s2FkojlV2CnaEpm5N2Q7mUZyrYpqlYxBq5TtmDxOStLTOryxV4YQ1A7zaF7XLuuA6UdzI-9i4USBhZKT4QKLSVfAqILOzktZ7g3M-_qqH42hEUPWBOYcWqAKtMaU37jCYx1NUQ/s600/Sufjan%20Stevens%20-%20A%20Beginners%20Mind.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArsS69rFeJHXNspq46bahSvXI7sQN7jU7mDjmX4VZqBd7GDjWSOT2s2FkojlV2CnaEpm5N2Q7mUZyrYpqlYxBq5TtmDxOStLTOryxV4YQ1A7zaF7XLuuA6UdzI-9i4USBhZKT4QKLSVfAqILOzktZ7g3M-_qqH42hEUPWBOYcWqAKtMaU37jCYx1NUQ/s320/Sufjan%20Stevens%20-%20A%20Beginners%20Mind.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6s0F09N7jp4wSqN8vVgMQR?si=6e103ba2b0de4b4a">Back To Oz</a></i> - Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine:</b> The concept sounds weird AF: inspired by the 20th century surrealists, Sufjan Stevens and collaborator Angelo De Augustine went on an extended movie-watching binge, with the idea of then converting their most visceral impressions and film-to-film connections (as opposed to any true narrative details) into song. Movies as wide ranging as all-time-greats like <i>Wings Of Desire</i> and <i>All About Eve</i>, genre classics like <i>Point Break</i> and <i>The Silence Of The Lambs,</i> and low brow cash-in sequels like <i>Hellraiser 3</i> and <i>Bring It On, Again</i> all somehow drift into the mix, but as odd and experimental as the process sounds, the end result <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7AS9VaIdnYSR13T3vkVtu9?si=xKwr-kZgQXal6YwEdCS2gw">A Beginner's Mind</a></i> (Solid Recommend), is almost constantly gorgeous - forty-five minutes of pure Simon-and-Garfunkel-inspired folk-rock bliss. And for other idiosyncratic 2021 indie/alt rock efforts worth a spin, I'd recommend The Choral's warm <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3DsVPs2X3o6HJOrioFo4lx?si=jpouk1QOQmmg-7H3YUZw6Q">Coral Island</a></i>, Teenage Fanclub's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BBYKRGhb3pBbxwM18B6oY?si=PDUI1HPCQLa7yO5qRI5Cuw">Endless Arcade</a></i>, and especially Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys' latest solo effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0t5GazJOs8tEpPRSlg5odm?si=TtnflPQmQeyU8sWrw9rgow">Seeking New Gods</a></i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoctgHYpUZw5lrLa3mCZdMpmV0tOSZdJHXZ8bEGRQ_PO1xh73kkPPWJYvPa6qXkOjbwLiPA_-oaeRwbPwdlMISFVGtDe2qk8WIKiVxx5p0rqVU5me7_n3zNc6RMvLP2JuT43ttTycQKRP9H1m_28a2E6Xl2uSwhWvW_iZeS6MKCzielcQtqDEWocnlcg/s600/Mogwai_As%20The%20Love%20Continues.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoctgHYpUZw5lrLa3mCZdMpmV0tOSZdJHXZ8bEGRQ_PO1xh73kkPPWJYvPa6qXkOjbwLiPA_-oaeRwbPwdlMISFVGtDe2qk8WIKiVxx5p0rqVU5me7_n3zNc6RMvLP2JuT43ttTycQKRP9H1m_28a2E6Xl2uSwhWvW_iZeS6MKCzielcQtqDEWocnlcg/s320/Mogwai_As%20The%20Love%20Continues.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>41. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/302p1fXtdjYhaOEawMwNyr?si=b74c2c5057924641">Ritchie Sacramento</a></i> - Mogwai:</b> Well here's some encouragement for you old-timer's still getting after it. Twenty-five years and ten full-length outings into their career as Scotland's preeminent, cerebral post-rockers, the Glasgow quartet landed their first #1 album on the UK Charts and first ever Mercury Prize nomination with what very well may be their best (and definitely is their warmest) album yet, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4LjNbxlMmWNn5Yky9bfxRm?si=wBlEVOluRY6QFv8JFtX3Wg">As The Love Continues</a></i> (Solid Recommend). <i>Ritchie Sacramento</i> stands here not just as fine representative track for the album, but for two other excellent post-rockish efforts that almost made this mix, Godspeed You! Black Emperor's reliably epic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6W5sSp87M3ZcMRqysddVqV?si=63ef75ed2fd847ae">G-d's Pee AT STATE'S END</a></i>, and critic's death-metal-act-of-choice Deafheaven's daring turn towards pure, non-assaultive shoegaze <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0kCdT4gjYlSxIV7ll3Yd4M?si=we6V9xGtTbauKn4TaYBl2g"><i>Infinite Granite</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAss-ZKi26cCVQIDpemgBY5JlT01KD1uYR348nAMEPKzd3eEFWsLbTv9M0DiWS6crZQ1GPY8hCIS_2b-4_l1VgpDYU5xuClNvb-JYH-Iss7iiK6oa0cdOpoG50vkY31wiuWzoxHyZAxRWyS3c6i_oPmo531YxRCDDOjhqij_0fowR25WKRZfAP_H0mAg/s600/Nick%20Cave%20and%20Warren%20ELlis%20-%20Carnage.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAss-ZKi26cCVQIDpemgBY5JlT01KD1uYR348nAMEPKzd3eEFWsLbTv9M0DiWS6crZQ1GPY8hCIS_2b-4_l1VgpDYU5xuClNvb-JYH-Iss7iiK6oa0cdOpoG50vkY31wiuWzoxHyZAxRWyS3c6i_oPmo531YxRCDDOjhqij_0fowR25WKRZfAP_H0mAg/s320/Nick%20Cave%20and%20Warren%20ELlis%20-%20Carnage.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5jOExg1MhGrQDTNuDux6Te?si=2367f8431819491e">Balcony Man</a></i> - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis:</b> Completely in line stylistically with the last three brooding Bad Seeds albums, but not as good or compelling as any of them, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis's scaled-back <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6xWNh0mUOdEg77U1f6oojz?si=rm-GdfelRuSr29tKHiKRXw">CARNAGE</a></i> (Strong Recommend) nonetheless manages to be one of the best releases of 2021, powered by Caves' unrelenting spiritual seeking and Ellis's unfailing instincts as an instrumental texturist. Tough call choosing between the touching ballad <i>Balcony Man</i> here and the McCloskeys-inspired gun-nut take down <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1rDI8YDtsqlHH44FqNpldG?si=7a6ebe8193ed4d77">White Elephant</a></i> as representative track, but for just this once, positivity wins out with our obligatory annual Nick Cave selection.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHSG1xXyLG9OUW5OyNUc9Tx930Iz1MY_zA3LlAwUPeULhm3ibTXfZHQ2j3M2Hhr4mSW-bSao7_EZQZ9rZHy_HP264dzffu8lrUhJS1v2z6SUtSLsMM1lQgpXKLZgM59gqT0vE-V_oUtfrKUByUpezElxuPmHi7wzk1-7GnPdf4VgrBii5MgE-VAtc4w/s600/velvet%20underground%20tribute%20album.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHSG1xXyLG9OUW5OyNUc9Tx930Iz1MY_zA3LlAwUPeULhm3ibTXfZHQ2j3M2Hhr4mSW-bSao7_EZQZ9rZHy_HP264dzffu8lrUhJS1v2z6SUtSLsMM1lQgpXKLZgM59gqT0vE-V_oUtfrKUByUpezElxuPmHi7wzk1-7GnPdf4VgrBii5MgE-VAtc4w/s320/velvet%20underground%20tribute%20album.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>43. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3DMbEujnxlDNzIL6Svuf5O?si=81a7314b8aa5460c">Run Run Run</a></i> - Kurt Vile:</b> There was no way an all-star tribute to my favorite album ever was going to go unrecognized on this mix, but "surprise!" the most exciting cover on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3aR5uoIipwEdABYp1MHbHk?si=jCyiq66CRd6kYBtRK1DDZA">I'll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico</a></i> is of the original's least memorable song. Unlike many of the other covers on the album, most notably Andrew Bird's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/78vA4oypfbgupMC6oV6zcU?si=d37060be8551431c">Venus In Furs</a></i> and St. Vincent's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2uxKBtKqtQTKz9UGaCKpCo?si=8e600acd21db4f96">All Tomorrow's Party</a></i>, Kurt Vile doesn't do much restructuring, he just does it the the <i>Spinal Tap</i> way, cranking the guitars up to 11 and letting it rip, transforming <i>Run Run Run</i> into the jammy head banger the song was probably always meant to be. And for those seeking more tribute album creativity, turn next to the all-star ten-year anniversary reworking of Sharon Van Etten's early breakthrough and still best album - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5puci7s1cYi93iBURc6z4T?si=vW02RPELQJqvApq06HaPcw">Epic Ten</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RIezlnahCCQvlxUCNoAanSdI3MfBuyv5duczVI45JUYRAhoUndQfG3CfT9lJKWmNRXAD1a8eGWVzLvhBtP2s98SnfGAu25A6vvPs5hRAq8WCcjJUYO0nXwK0QfXlEtp28DJVHH5cmbgrrMj6818KJewgkAW4grYtOIqkxGR_8hnWHjWDryx9AAasog/s600/St-Vincent-Daddys-Home.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RIezlnahCCQvlxUCNoAanSdI3MfBuyv5duczVI45JUYRAhoUndQfG3CfT9lJKWmNRXAD1a8eGWVzLvhBtP2s98SnfGAu25A6vvPs5hRAq8WCcjJUYO0nXwK0QfXlEtp28DJVHH5cmbgrrMj6818KJewgkAW4grYtOIqkxGR_8hnWHjWDryx9AAasog/s320/St-Vincent-Daddys-Home.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>44. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5LvNPnYoZA1XCMgUGgAges?si=2d6e63426fad4d19">At The Holiday Party</a></i> - St. Vincent:</b> After several albums trending in an increasingly electronic direction, St. Vincent does a musical about-face into the world of 70s-inspired glam on sixth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/654KFpNOZ26Hj9luu7aKeM?si=KUeUK24yQlqXEDM1_gp_tw">Daddy's Home</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Loaded with tasty retro touches, it's nonetheless Ms. Clark's most personal album to date, mostly focused on her financier father's recent release from prison after a twelve-year incarceration for securities fraud and her own desires to maintain maximum personal freedom. But in the lovely, late track <i>At The Holiday Party </i>(a song Clark calls her version of the Rolling Stone's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6lFZbCc7pn6Lme1NP7qQqQ?si=be89c43485c9458f">You Can't Always Get What You Want</a>)</i>, Clark turns empathetically towards a struggling friend who's trying too hard to maintain a positive social veneer. And finally, one last additional recommendation, for more female-fronted light psychedelia, take a listen to Jane Weaver's playful <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/120nAPsuLm0jxpTnlmbHEr?si=i2OqvJl8T3OpGadYbdb7KA"><i>Flock</i> </a>(Solid Recommend).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-18651356331904991072021-10-24T08:08:00.047-07:002022-12-19T04:53:09.297-08:00McQ's Favorite Albums Of 2021<div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">With the holidays almost upon us, it's time to put a pin in our 2021 album rankings. Below is McQ's Best Of's first pass take on the best 2021 had to offer, 114 titles, followed by a list of another 30 or so I did take in in 2021 and received some critical buzz, but that I just didn't hear enough times to form a solid opinion on.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Highest Recommends</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ShtO5VCYa3ctlR5uzLWBa?si=VMHjaaXUQd-S1YalSzSgyg">Promises</a></i> - Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1p16z97kkMFhuz12yeFGOO?si=e8313e2e51cc4fe6">HEY WHAT</a></i> - Low</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Strong Recommends</span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">3.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 9.333333px;"> </span></span></span><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1VCTWaze9kuY5IDlbtR5p0?si=oM14r4iHRWG1JZCPlaKpdA">Blue Weekend</a> – </i><span style="text-align: left;">Wolf Alice</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eRVRkkNWpaoSa32u80dwD?si=6d302152b2194c4e">The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers</a></i> - Valerie June</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0DBoWQ52XUHtrZQdfAqOVj?si=_xWgwQj6TWadzTqR0PEAUA">Sometimes I Might Be Introvert</a></i> - Little Simz</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0ajoNtBO6xHfWEkORtRCAv?si=SjC6DI3oQqOyk_3kuHOnyA">Jubilee</a></i> - Japanese Breakfast</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3KeR5BDM2giFr8zoSXBrgE?si=5b-WN7NxTyyFc2801GvIFw">Ignorance</a></i> – The Weather Station<o:p></o:p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tqT55sQwdn5fRUZUdmYCP?si=900ba6f2127f4812">Collapsed In Sunbeams</a> </i>– Arlo Parks</div><div style="text-align: left;">9. <i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6xWNh0mUOdEg77U1f6oojz?si=MQuBC8dWQr6aJ1KsWAes9g">Carnage</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4j7wEZWND7GIh918rLgYHQ?si=Lp4wp5NYQ5WB5_EzAZAv9A">Smiling With No Teeth</a></i> - Genesis Owusu</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Solid Recommends</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4z44Wir05QzQYSCs0KwsKX?si=tSAmBq9LSV-AwqEU0fxxow">Bright Green Field</a></i> - Squid</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZjqS871VuwPAy9xi2H8VI?si=1c548ffb961a4eb2">Stand For Myself</a></i> - Yola</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4MY2aqqYKRZDiLHilTMAxd?si=b2e6b979fddc40c4">Prioritize Pleasure</a></i> - Self Esteem</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/654KFpNOZ26Hj9luu7aKeM?si=OrMWrleyRUyrsftHyR4nCw">Daddy's Home</a></i> - St. Vincent</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6s84u2TUpR3wdUv4NgKA2j?si=BT4SpfMeQ7qxn43-RbB3bg">Sour</a></i> - Olivia Rodrigo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1NzOdSkSNmBhhg72KlNcsE?si=FTk8HzAwQti4rIiwLGjQKQ">An Overview On Phenomenal Nature</a></i> - Cassandra Jenkins</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">17.<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/69jQsPvJzMvcb2fGqI2qaB?si=H8GQpS2oRhCByNfW25eauQ"><i> I Don't Live Here Anymore</i></a> - War On Drugs</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">18. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/33Ax5pq8ZftC8d7EVtPF5r?si=288ba1895c6048f5"><i>As The Love Continues</i> </a>- Mogwai</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5g9YhHW8tE7Tcslgxsk5u9?si=8taGhq9uSPOcLGbhZQ41tg">Heaux Tales</a></i> - Jazmine Sullivan</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ZZMK1Hd8E9Uzj1Tycdlf2?si=NBCwaFUCQ6Ol-Fdbx9mlRw">Afrique Victime</a></i> - Mdou Moctar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5mIT7iw9w64DMP2vxP9L1f?si=A482II5ARiWuchu6U7i2bQ">In These Silent Days</a></i> - Brandi Carlile</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1w857brUeHQfcPpjCd3wHQ?si=218UJXo8QD6zoPhbDp1bxQ">Spare Ribs</a> </i>– Sleaford Mods<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6PyYtRB06qbrAzglY81ziJ?si=ab9b19f3a9de4561">Drunk Tank Pink</a></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i> </i>– Shame</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2NrYPcMmQBlbBxopc2XlzS?si=Iy4GbFMvTpOJ4fXs6LHfVg">Glow On</a></i> - Turnstile</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/21jF5jlMtzo94wbxmJ18aa?si=JzSv8pulSDq-LvyduzqMUg">30</a></i> - Adele</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">26. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4VQrWIN1QLk5sNeBV6GJ4r?si=1b19d66e546e4905"><i>Flock</i></a> - Jane Weaver</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1RDLG5wi0a2Lrgdxs32tKL?si=jMT-OtVEQqaEh0ZSEfa2Kg">G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END</a></i> - Godspeed You! Black Emperor</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">28. </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Kni5BJN0cqBMXqANtHGG8?si=WDZH1Lc0TCKrAH_MatvuaA">Welfare Jazz</a></i> - Viagra Boys</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4eUBwmpVt57DKniIa2lzSt?si=AJ8oBaRaSaqLxxr-yllSjQ">The Art Of Losing</a></i> - The Anchoress</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">30. </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3aR5uoIipwEdABYp1MHbHk?si=UCliQh8AT8u_Ex7C788T3g">I'll Be your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground</a></i> - Various Artists</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">31. </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/21OZptKAhVTvzKdxxtk4DT?si=Cao565tJQUaAd43JchIGpQ">Vulture Prince</a></i> - Arooj Aftab</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3pimNTNgv34WFrdooDB0TT?si=QtSdqdIWTT6g61FYU_4h6Q">Sympathy For Life</a></i> - Parquet Courts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0JGOiO34nwfUdDrD612dOp?si=61jdal3ATXWsfBfDYBolEQ">Happier Than Ever</a></i> - Billie Eilish</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6pOiDiuDQqrmo5DbG0ZubR?si=KKTOrG8KSueBYcIo1INy0g">Montero</a></i> - Lil Nas X</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WYZ09fT6bJ4gInFAKWWqg?si=33b0c34a11bf4ccd">Flying Dream 1</a></i> - Elbow</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6fkni2xUp3FvgQ8ZF9Z7A0?si=1397d5cc98d942a6">On All Fours</a></i> - Goat Girl</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman"; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2PfgptDcfJTFtoZIS3AukX?si=zUCQvnMeS_azeipja4LYEA">For the first time</a> </i>– Black Country, New Road</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3wcC3Rowkgk4CffWv84sJH?si=jrd41n05QfeilS-uI84TbQ">California Soil</a></i> - London Grammar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5xiePX6kXj5ZsmUsqIqzeD?si=kv-UI7h_R8yQWdxc5DMUMw">Long Lost</a></i> - Lord Huron</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4oNy189uvEgnJKNLsWx9Zz?si=nAoCGdxESsCUMmQ9ODYgig">New Long Leg</a></i> - Dry Cleaning</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">41. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7AsC27VDa3yOksZrfBSD6D?si=GBvlFbwVQXqk-oe5EBRfDQ">Cavalcade</a></i> - Black Midi</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3gpVbxElqwLZfc1ZWfiN27?si=kb-nCKsoSCOwS20HfUDz3A">For Those I Love</a></i> - s/t</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">43. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/24JeT9uxcmqL227jId3Pci?si=AEf2jrVbRGOFmMNks-FC2A">Comfort To Me</a></i> - Amyl & the Sniffers</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">44. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3IQRHa9iVLsGlSuVHiHZ3A?si=lhf_NT6lR1Ww4kTwPKOICg">Little Oblivions</a></i> - Julien Baker</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">45. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/233gqBTj1syIvhppH8NV7w?si=2mAAnOYpTg-vU3VeVhXGsg">Urban Driftwood</a></i> - Yasmin Williams</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">46. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/66A7X1EqFQEEvuE5Nezqrl?si=Wz9aPmEIR2qTPJ4uHskoEA">Good Woman</a></i> - The Staves</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">47. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0LmhIyLlw1NGzFvH39VOSX?si=bfc9b195163a489c">A Beginner's Mind</a></i> - Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">48. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4QIZtPbEAQTu1smtYyDHXz?si=7TsvsuK-SP6aQyO9c6ld4A">Van Weezer</a></i> - Weezer</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">49. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/75qSKqLqEt7zOei7If7Lms?si=x1o57N6NTDGsmHiZ5prsuw">They're Calling Me Home</a></i> - Rhiannon Giddens & Francisco Turrisi</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">50. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1t9ExiQZymQaJXxGXnXgXV?si=281eb661990b42f2">Infinite Granite</a></i> - Deafheaven</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">51. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3n8WHHm1XYXFsGMjY6v84D?si=Iann7VLFTCW9vo8EVZzPLQ"><i>A Few Stars Apart</i> </a>- Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">52. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5R5BvDeXiNyqhrimsTsRXN?si=SfXYN44EQmiykvSxxaA6FQ">Blame Game</a></i> - Beach Bunny</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">53.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6wH4W7BWjBiXNM3xIccgOR?si=Mja6R73kT722Gz66JWcjog">Seek Shelter</a></i> - Iceage</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">54. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5TE0TunG17dIPzrsGZAtjp?si=OfCb3VqtQ42tKgo4o--b1Q">As Days Get Dark</a></i> - Arab Strap</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">55. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ngwSRokoZYcPywWbpzVfi?si=EkPlW_62QJiNYewEEwTnDA">Dream Weapon</a></i> - Ghengis Tron</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">56. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4R21oaKCstE2fMc4XkuVlw?si=WPdc-3jqRL2Kb6mRcLVqzw">Outside Child</a></i> - Allison Russell</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">57. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4GJnb2XwVlS2HrVsBa9fI4?si=_1J0FCbqSuGIdEEeoIFS8A">Conflict Of Interest</a></i> - Ghetts</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">58. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1qMFjBarjO2xD15BwXZguD?si=QvQG5UL2QUCBbNoAsAXNww">Pressure Machine</a></i> - The Killers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">59. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/45ba6QAtNrdv6Ke4MFOKk9?si=P0gV7UueQqaWzqjOVtXz1g"><i>Call Me If You Get Lost</i> </a>- Tyler, The Creator</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">60. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ofh6hffQvD5vD3SqXENYI?si=P6Vke3gtTqKm6ygv9P3DIg">Cooler Returns</a></i> - Kiwi Jr.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">61. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4FKOLaEGqA7ZFYYW5r4X9z?si=c6dhgLFcTpagC1oO4fGS4Q">Seventeen Going Under</a></i> - Sam Fender</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">62. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6r3sWdrXNAhqOgGlM5ZKNY?si=Hb9Z6b-PTT-MP8TD4LOORQ">Playground In A Lake</a></i> - Clark</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">63. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1WXcTQXt1jeF5VGUNAeySv?si=UHLp8JMESgaaanhQvNPeRg">CRAWLER</a></i> - IDLES</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">64. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ddTgrLBjiaQbjcDeWtrUg?si=oZ2x1uvDQUi81OmiyzdXGg">American Noir</a></i> - Creeper</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">65. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RQArjhEoHV6Pvoc2kAtrw?si=SvLK2amoT5uQ1w2UinM_og">A Common Turn</a></i> - Anna B Savage</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">66. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nwfSapJ3YIq7Ofad4Vuh1?si=p5DQ00ozSI6oToNEPE8WOA">Home Video</a></i> - Lucy Dacus</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">67. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/682pJqnx8hcrCfSjvyNBki?si=7cYUW0gBTMedqA32J4U65g">Delta Kream</a></i> - The Black Keys</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">68. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0S0r2RFucaW9kVjBtcBOV1?si=VVjIrE_wTjiAQxKqmCgt_A">An Evening With Silk Sonic</a></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">69. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6QeosPQpJckkW0Obir5RT8?si=HkpmzrMhQt-hwD-w1L_QDg">Chemtrails Over The Country Club</a></i> - Lana Del Rey</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">70. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0kYKOTCAxIIEWKlNlhkOfJ?si=YmpSDulfQ2KNB9nGzE5KXw">The Path Of The Clouds</a></i> - Marissa Nadler</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">71. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4bBIsMKf6EmHRlhBwtC33N?si=7IYw2xmyTUK152SUt1iLEQ">Senjutsu</a></i> - Iron Maiden</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">72. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0iSh2sXytE5jbpPiKts3z4?si=WAQTsYOFSYuQGDduvUXfGA">Death Of A Cheerleader</a></i> - Pom Pom Squad</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">73<i>. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5puci7s1cYi93iBURc6z4T?si=qFZlHPagReqNcxUK45YGNQ">Epic Ten</a></i> - Sharon Van Eten</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">74. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0t5GazJOs8tEpPRSlg5odm?si=v5r61o-7RECMGnLgPBExvg">Seeking New Gods</a></i> - Gruff Rhys</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">75. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0IwmHFrTRo5Em6d72VNbs3?si=xKTpGdO0S2eBNEevWQDKDg">Dear America</a></i> - Eric Bibb</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">76. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/33xbAWdpX79o2YtXBiBWQv?si=J8bRUIAmQiKh8N0bzKu0Mg">Black Metal 2</a></i> - Dean Blunt</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">77. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/50WuzTucOcvfOPzldNVUXZ?si=B_v9VjFrTxadSoSxPFaOuw">The Apple Drop</a></i> - Liars</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">78. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13UW6YVK98https://open.spotify.com/album/02DqMqXTuEauf2EQsHZtmB?si=2_1hMefIRT-qyQlF85eiFQ">J.T</a></i> - Steve Earle</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">79. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1iNOO5VSJciTGogwlClRsa?si=zaJPXL94RAevpvYjwzUp6A">Quietly Blowing It</a></i> - Hiss Golden Messenger</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">80. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0WZbKzQT0ksGV5EnwA0Qor?si=TgsEUmCcRCeP6mSgxOeewQ">Pale Horse Rider</a></i> - Cory Hanson</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">81. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/62FYQGKcsi3nrkdicraMw7?si=E3zeZHzPRQK4IkUlqrVukA">Skin</a></i> - Joy Crookes</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">82. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5CQ3SOj1ZgudhbsTLcTTI2?si=XC69WDruQoyxAGoFFr9Xtg">Raise The Roof</a></i> - Robert Plant & Alison Kraus</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">83. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/06wtf2TCkmyTgS1yZGiSr5?si=D51EkYpnTziFOoBPzL4Vzg"><i>SINNER GET READY</i> </a>- Lingua Ignota</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">84. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0KuAi49HdkjHiuL7TjKsud?si=lLHDNJTOSHu7MW_JMe5YCw">Screen Violence</a></i> - Chvrches</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">85.<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6HwzIlrCDq3WF9vMq8meqG?si=NQqUwGecS_2ns4ikvnYTtg">We're All Alone In This Together</a></i> - Dave</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">86. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3sq0hRtlT2SYeYajr5Cx22?si=wL_Tj5N4R-yhUM5I2FTz3A">If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power</a></i> - Halsey</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">87. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/424bxvpYyNDM2DFFibeKs0?si=bGvIFCz2QKaNcerpTiEtaA">I Know I'm Funny Ha Ha</a></i> - Faye Webster</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">88. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BBYKRGhb3pBbxwM18B6oY?si=XFflfs8WSJO0lvnkNPRwqA">Endless Arcade</a></i> - Teenage Fanclub</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">89. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3wW4dsaL7EVVdAfu9aIU1M?si=mP4VDt5qQ2yjYGEskfMqxA">Open Door Policy</a></i> - The Hold Steady</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">90. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZyYffpgsnpB9iYyHZjMVC?si=3TejiFr6STC3DVaQDDI-cQ">Ultrapop</a></i> - The Armed</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">91. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7doW9YWOtpmqHBqAUuBaKO?si=sYI2FmfIRGSkFZwXPKzMuA">Pray For Haiti</a></i> - Mach-Hommy</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mild Recommends</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">92. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/15i2CVbvZzxiv9LfUkl2wU?si=g-sXixK-Rv6IrwZZchHbKg">DEACON</a></i> - Serpentwithfeet</div><div class="MsoNormal">93. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/38OCyRZGeYsWMoLCYYzx9l?si=5tNnDotNQP67Dj_D483GUQ">Former Things</a></i> - LoneLady</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">94. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3InSvUCYvJ5XWg6PegGNCv?si=O-St9T2ZSYm8nb7ee6rwBg">Things Take Time, Take Time</a></i> - Courtney Barnett</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">95. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3kmU9xUYWy6FtCkrsFrNOx?si=Gxnvhny5TrmF0BC3ebUgYQ">Flat White Moon</a></i> - Field Music</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">96. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2julo3Z5rNzSod7DoEuTz7?si=dv0KrXj7Q4yZVXPXQdchhw">The Asymptotical World EP</a></i> - Yves Tumor</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">97. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3DsVPs2X3o6HJOrioFo4lx?si=SWhXOwL6SiuvQBMd5K8Efw">Coral Island</a></i> - The Coral</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">98. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/25LHRDp5Wbc0fJilUkf04W?si=6pMSST0_TJWF6wAWDj3_bw">Forever Isn't Long Enough</a></i> - Alfie Templeman</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">99. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1j5J69n9TbcH51IfLWjJHs?si=EHVMibm1SnOkZP1llGfukg">Modern Fiction</a></i> - Ducks Ltd.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">100. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7k9PAeOo0haX0kudu3sMoP?si=Bo7Eets3R_-Kkdzb8utNlw">Losing Light</a></i> - Antlers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">101. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ibpHV6iYgRzBVMOuqBCwn?si=8ANShsgLSUWr-rfoL2Sfug">Vanities</a></i> - W. H. Lung</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">102. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6VuufjwylS8CGaUcq3Vs4e?si=rEoTLjxWTPGL-XafX3aoEg">Far In</a></i> - Helado Negro</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">103. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/65YAjLCn7Jp33nJpOxIPMe?si=GplRj77LTdmp6bROQPjtgQ">to hell with it</a></i> - Pink Pantheress</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">104. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7G7lPTcJta35qGZ8LMIJ4y?si=RYW2urc2S_yRKLFXKQfhwA">Any Shape You Take</a></i> - Indigo De Souza</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">105. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0zNWhYDalgisc4uweLIGZJ?si=2a10aaKXQoeBVnP9aC9pnQ">Valentine</a></i> - Snail Mail</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">106. <i><a href="I've Been Trying To Tell You (1) - Saint Etienne">I've Been Trying To Tell You</a></i> - Saint Etienne</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">107. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0958H6mglwYhFhwbpzHB8e?si=tfMksN7fRSWy6MC0E5WJTg">Fatigue</a></i> - L'Rain</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">108. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5MH2ICGjLf6Lm9G72Rfx2f?si=T4eSAHEISGinmmsj5g5c_A"><i>Let Me Do One More</i> </a>- Illuminati Hotties</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">109. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Em0b24eKa7vVf6sUYxOdI?si=Dr4NXjsdRoOU9I0J9WU0Lg">Greatest Hits</a></i> - Waterparks</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">110. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6AfA0FZhzRTpjDDYHkCd5B?si=uIWppyrYS82jt8Hft5XCcw">Black To The Future</a></i> - Sons of Kemmet</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">111. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ofEQubaL265rIW6WnCU8y?si=0nsCvviUQeS0QfrLTeXLIQ">KID A MNESIA</a></i> (Disc 3 only) - Radiohead</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">112. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1VQO9qF4W5tCsMfwDYh5FU?si=fAPp8MLCQpOlbyIRpnFYzA">Pink Noise</a></i> - Laura Mvula</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">113. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NQjznG8qdcW1Hhz7VxESD?si=CEj39K7ZTja8TtvHTC1pZw"><i>Boy From Michigan</i> </a>- John Grant</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">114. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6sQH9WNLJamVgyRudQV7eA?si=uTtEHb8DTtSD5mt_B57LUw">ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH</a></i> - SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other 2021 Albums of Critical Note</b></span></div>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Angel Tears In Sunlight</i> - Pauline Anna Strom</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Detroit Blues</i> - Danny Kroha</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Donda</i> - Kanye West</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Fat Pop</i> - Paul Weller</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Fever Dreams</i> - Villagers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Fire</i> - The Bug</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Glowing In The Dark</i> - Django Django</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>How Long Do You Think It's Going To Last </i>- Big Red Machine</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Illusory Walls</i> - The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>King's Disease II</i> - Nas</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Mood Valiant</i> - Hiatus Kaiyote</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>My Morning Jacket </i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Planet Her</i> - Doja Cat</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Shade</i> - Grouper</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sling</i> - Clairo</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Soberish</i> - Liz Phair</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Sound Ancestors</i> - Madlib</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Spiral</i> - DARKSIDE</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>star-crossed</i> - Kacey Musgraves</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Still Over It</i> - Summer Walker</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Talk Memory</i> - Badbadnotgood</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Blue Elephant</i> - Matt Berry</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Myth Of Happily Ever After</i> - Biffy Clyro</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Shadow I Remember</i> - Cloud Nothings</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Turning Wheel</i> - Spelling</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>These 13</i> - Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Typhoons</i> - Royal Blood</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Vince Staples</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last Updated 12.19.22</span><br />
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</div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-27416733104441901152021-06-27T10:11:00.009-07:002021-07-10T07:08:59.541-07:00McQ's Best Of 1980 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoH7toAMB3lwZIk2_ohHZdUuCi7bBmHdshdeOPsOGfHxFGHAuwxmvtZ5z0uXbVwIKawytysUTR8NWpjkjVXQ9kFc7EEAbWPM_Uhw5NDlkuUCmeJ0VkMb8NQA8qU9PqJBHPk4ffTWA8hAe/s225/Pretenders.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoH7toAMB3lwZIk2_ohHZdUuCi7bBmHdshdeOPsOGfHxFGHAuwxmvtZ5z0uXbVwIKawytysUTR8NWpjkjVXQ9kFc7EEAbWPM_Uhw5NDlkuUCmeJ0VkMb8NQA8qU9PqJBHPk4ffTWA8hAe/s0/Pretenders.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #1 album of 1980</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hey music fans. </p><p>It's almost Fourth of July weekend, which means it's time for the latest annual installment in our ongoing retrospective mix series celebrating loaded music years of the past.</p><p>And boy, was this year's subject, 1980, loaded. </p><p>Overwhelmingly so.</p><p>I had just entered high school in 1980, so many of the songs here touch a special memory nerve that still resonates deeply.</p><p>But even more surprising to me, as Nancy and I spent the last year and a half revisiting 1980's top albums and singles, was just how much of 1980's best music I flat out missed the first go round.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vid7av7PNUMilypO43J3ET5mFND9p3zSKLLOTMAJlTOYDpGA07BWiXSrMv8VhyES5JKjF-EksIjGuDGx9zoWv1pW3lft8xnEcCpM61dImQgIfCivD8jZPGb49eVEBWvY-QpLSA1CG9U2/s500/ACDC+-+Back+In+Black.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vid7av7PNUMilypO43J3ET5mFND9p3zSKLLOTMAJlTOYDpGA07BWiXSrMv8VhyES5JKjF-EksIjGuDGx9zoWv1pW3lft8xnEcCpM61dImQgIfCivD8jZPGb49eVEBWvY-QpLSA1CG9U2/w200-h200/ACDC+-+Back+In+Black.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #2 Album 1980</td></tr></tbody></table>But there is a slight justification for this, as 1980 was at its absolute musical best in its cutting-edge extremes, with many of its most fertile genres still marginalized or just beginning to emerge, so much of 1980s best music didn't make major inroads into mass-market radio (especially US mass-market radio) at the time of its release.<p></p><p></p>In New York, rap, though still closely tied to disco's 12" single culture, was rounding into its own true form, but it hadn't yet received more than a smattering of radio airplay outside of the east coast and a few other urban areas.<p></p><p>Heavy metal was undoubtedly crazy popular at the time, but looking back, I don't think anyone realized just how grand or important a metal year 1980 would turn out to be, wowing with one great title after another, and laying the accelerated-tempo groundwork for the thrash scene to emerge just a year or two later.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipNIyQ-Hs3ABQ_Z7Qbooq0_GvBfqIfnun3sX9F9h7F8CQwgTn0GdzUVIeRnj2O2BXe73DiiWtKLBXdhuLLTRzRkRS60odrkLo9f8WJNPbc1HMaAVQ7vmbp5vHAnslNa1zn7rpy7WUWbgv/s500/Joy+Division+-+Closer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="500" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipNIyQ-Hs3ABQ_Z7Qbooq0_GvBfqIfnun3sX9F9h7F8CQwgTn0GdzUVIeRnj2O2BXe73DiiWtKLBXdhuLLTRzRkRS60odrkLo9f8WJNPbc1HMaAVQ7vmbp5vHAnslNa1zn7rpy7WUWbgv/w200-h180/Joy+Division+-+Closer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #3 Album of 1980</td></tr></tbody></table>And then, more than any other genre, there was post-punk - taking the confrontational attitude of the still thriving punk scene, but cocooning those attitudes in the moodiest, chilliest and often most artificial and disconnected of tones. From a critical perspective, post-punk owned the year, producing dozens of full-length efforts that still rate as must hears to this day.<p></p><p>And speaking of full-lengths, it is in this regard that 1980 seems most overrun. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSjpJ09pQ75_wPj4J4iOI6Sqp9-aUvJBCBfS6qzrdHEYTcoZCQ2LXolKvHuWuM9QgduaP0K3B31UpRKW570E6UaveJgXFuaq4x5dSZXv7Mt6KWKc0UXXAn7FTedCjtB-lgtKF0Gxpmzk2/s600/talking+heads_remain+in+light.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSjpJ09pQ75_wPj4J4iOI6Sqp9-aUvJBCBfS6qzrdHEYTcoZCQ2LXolKvHuWuM9QgduaP0K3B31UpRKW570E6UaveJgXFuaq4x5dSZXv7Mt6KWKc0UXXAn7FTedCjtB-lgtKF0Gxpmzk2/w200-h200/talking+heads_remain+in+light.jpg.webp" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #4 Album Of 1980<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>From influential mic drops like Joy Division's <i>Closer</i>, The Talking Head's <i>Remain In Light</i>, Prince's <i>Dirty Mind</i>, and The Dead Kennedy's <i>Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables</i> (which basically launched the So Cal hardcore scene), prickly art-rock standouts like David Bowie's <i>Scary Monsters</i> and <i>Peter Gabriel III, </i>to enduringly timeless efforts like AC/DC's <i>Back In Black</i>, Motorhead's <i>Ace Of Spades</i>, Bruce Springsteen's <i>The River</i>, and <i>The Pretenders</i> eponymous debut, immersing oneself in 1980's top albums is to find oneself confronting one stone cold classic after another... after another... after another.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOFjc1RV8MrTfOyv9OaN2PsQUem4LYTfpp-9iCRZTMALpfHSdSv2LcNjmxTT-hZoV15jxJwoU6bYwye-X3dAZLjrhRXPFbq4t0NC4Iuy3zzxJ9SfeToMXIjqJYBqW8sKxlzKb-Stotryi/s900/Prince+-+Dirty+Mind.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOFjc1RV8MrTfOyv9OaN2PsQUem4LYTfpp-9iCRZTMALpfHSdSv2LcNjmxTT-hZoV15jxJwoU6bYwye-X3dAZLjrhRXPFbq4t0NC4Iuy3zzxJ9SfeToMXIjqJYBqW8sKxlzKb-Stotryi/w200-h200/Prince+-+Dirty+Mind.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #5 Album Of 1980</td></tr></tbody></table>Seen in conjunction with the 1977 collection Nancy and I put together a few years back, it is stunning how fully the Punk/New Wave aesthetic that was just emerging in 1977 had transformed the music landscape by 1980, and over 14 volumes, we will touch on all that, as well as what was great in the other popular genres of the day that were stubbornly holding their ground.<p></p><p>But before getting started - one note. No individual mix write-ups for this year's retrospective. Nancy and I have some cool things going on this year that require most of our attention. But trust me, the music's all here, accessible on the Spotify links listed below. </p><p>You can also access them by following me direct on Spotify - <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/1212604085?si=742506a9747d4544">David Francis McQuillen</a>.</p><p>So strap in for over a day's worth of musical bliss, and enjoy!</p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Volume 1 - Best Of The Best</span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">As noted above, most of the most exiting stuff in 1980 was not having much of an impact in the mainstream arena. As such, this is one of the edgier Best Of The Bests we've assembled in a while, but it's still great fun, and all intended in the service of promoting some genuinely fantastic (and often ground-breaking) albums from a transformative music year that's influence is still felt today. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/22Uny0jU6LC89qlnkn1wUE" width="100%"></iframe></div>
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With <i>Vol 1</i> kicking things off in a relatively rough-hewn fashion, thought it made sense to dive into 1980's most popular mainstream hits next in the longest mix in this collection, an assortment of AM cheese, pop, country, and soul gems, and 1980 efforts from various 60s and early 70s legends who were settling into the slightly less adventurous second act of their careers. </div><div class="MsoNormal">
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4mNJIUeBhxMl6iGmTKimSi" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 3 - New Wave Warriors</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />The first of four mixes in this collection highlighting various niches in 1980s new wave/punk takeover, Vol 3 zeros in on the most synth-driven and radio-friendly efforts of the year. Acts such as Devo, The B-52s, Blondie, Adam Ant, The Go-Gos and many more figure prominently.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1ZbViR1ZWr4VnBm7AS9KVb" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 4 - Heavy Metal Hammers</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />As already stated, 1980 was a phenomenal year for heavy metal, producing multiple all-time classics (AC/DC <i>Back In Black</i>, Motorhead <i>Ace Of Spades</i>, Judas Priest <i>British Steel</i>) and upping the pace just before thrash was about to break. Going double length here to fully capture the wide array of 1980 metal acts that all seemed to hit their creative peak at exactly the same time.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5K2bcUwhKbcfV2AOWWuYuk" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 5 - Dance-Floor Denizens</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />Contrary to Chicago DJ Steve Dahl's assertions at the time, disco didn't suck in 1980. It may have been losing steam, and definitely had its detractors, but overall, it was still thriving. What is interesting though in looking back, is that outside of Diana Ross's huge comeback album <i>Diana</i>, it's lesser regarded works at the time (Teena Marie's <i>Irons In The Fire</i>, Shalamar's <i>Three For Love</i>, and the Luther Vandross featuring <i>The Glow Of Love</i> from international outfit Change) that have emerged as 1980's finest dance-floor offerings, rising above the many efforts by the more established disco names also featured here. <br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5FgDOyvkYnhUgLF1lmyXZw" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 6 - Post-Punk Pariahs</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The least crowd-pleasing but most important genre of 1980, the year's key post-punk titles - <i>Killing Joke</i>, <i>The Psychedelic Furs</i>, Joy Division's <i>Closer</i>, The Sound's <i>Jeopardy</i>, Echo and the Bunnymen's <i>Crocodiles</i>, Fehlfarben's <i>Monarchie Und Alltag</i>, The Cure's <i>Seventeen Seconds</i>, Bauhaus's <i>In The Flat Field</i>, The Feelies <i>Crazy Rhythms</i>, The Falls <i>Grotesque</i>, U2's <i>Boy</i>, Ultravox's <i>Vienna</i>, Simple Minds <i>Empire and Dance</i>, Young Marble Giant's <i>Colossal Youth</i>, and the Julian Cope-led Teardrop Explodes' <i>Kilimanjaro</i> dominate the 1980 best album aggregates. In all likelihood, 1980 was the best twelve-month stretch the genre ever experienced, even though contemporary post-punk is one of the most vital scenes in underground rock today. Tried to squeeze in as many standouts as I could from this classic year without letting things get too consistently icy and dour (not an easy task), but truth be told, as much as I hope you enjoy this mix, if there's one set of 1980 releases best experienced listened to individually and in full, it's the group of 1980 albums highlighted here.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1h9JPwtHNIxDE4XLJ3pohD" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 7 - Jazz Giants And International Interlopers</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />Some of 1980s jazz, folk and non-reggae international pop highlights are featured here.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3RxpCb6itcOG1NCaGc28i1" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 8 - Pub-Rock Partiers</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />Lively efforts from the era's rich bar-band scene, simultaneously vital on three continents (<u>North America</u> - Bruce Springsteen, J Giels, Jim Carroll, Tom Waits. <u>Europe</u> - Elvis Costello, Nacho Pop, Dire Straits, Rockpile. <u>Down Under</u> - Cold Chisel, Squeeze, Split Enz), is the focus here, along with some energetic efforts by a few old-timers (Dylan, Van Morrison, Rocky Erickson, Paul Simon) that just fit.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2eGtZ1ZJ2DNipRAZy84fNU" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 9 - Two-Tone Triumphs</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />Reggae, British ska, and soul-inflected new wave come together here, on this mostly light and playful mix. Includes efforts from The Specials, Madness, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Bob Marley, UB40, The English Beat, The Police and others.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5BHSzyps0dMybbXnhJ1FmY" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 10 - Oddball Oracles</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />Some last shouts of triumph from the 1970s soon-to-fade art rock scene are highlighted here, anchored by selects from Peter Gabriels all-time best effort (and it's not <i>So</i>), the last great album of the David Bowie's peak era, and The Talking Head's remarkable <i>Remain In Light</i>.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6TSbzMTDP3r1KzHvXjHAe9" width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 11 - Funk Futurists and Hip-Hop Heralds</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />Some overlap in feel with <i>Vol 5 - Dance Floor Denizens</i>, but with an emphasis on the most aggressively funky or cutting-edge modern R&B releases of the year, along with a super fun assortment of 1980's nascent hip-hop releases. Acts like Prince, Defunkt, Kurtis Blow, The Sugarhill Gang, Was (Not Was), Spoonie G, and Grace Jones lead the way here in this long mix celebrating the 12" single vibe of the era.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6wbmwT5xl681omBfVoDRmu" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 12 - Punk Powerhouses</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Probably my favorite of the 1980 themed mixes highlights those punk/new wave acts that weren't ready to make the synthesizer the instrument of emphasis. Fast-paced and rocking, it features efforts from The Clash, The Pretenders, The Ramones, The Soft Boys, The Cramps, X, The Dead Kennedys, DOA, The Undertones and several more.<br /><br /></div><div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4XBR3iOVHGGDzS0JYjZGMB" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div><b><span style="font-size: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-size: 27.040000915527344px;">Volume 13 - Nancy's Favorites!</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />As with her 2020 mix, Nancy's running a touch late closing out her 1980 mix, but as soon as she's got it dialed in, we'll get it up here on this board.<br /><br /></div><div>????????????????????</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 14 - The Next 100</font></span></b></b></div>
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Just the next 100 tracks that were under consideration for the previous mixes - 7:18 of 1980 deep cut joy.</div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-26919049978466529572021-05-22T14:38:00.004-07:002021-05-23T06:33:55.728-07:00McQ's Best Of 2020 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHRMhnOkddDxVA6LwDdbPNPZVuMysWvwbE4E-wosvs5xrQ6AWxvcMhgQg1F1x_Lr3VWlYWbpv_GWRKJAAy8NktUWrGrStZDkMhvLOVQVSDKtBeblCKuLwtRL0qXrUdfeEcsfDxN28ChFK/s500/Fiona+Apple_Fetch+The+Bolt+Cutters.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHRMhnOkddDxVA6LwDdbPNPZVuMysWvwbE4E-wosvs5xrQ6AWxvcMhgQg1F1x_Lr3VWlYWbpv_GWRKJAAy8NktUWrGrStZDkMhvLOVQVSDKtBeblCKuLwtRL0qXrUdfeEcsfDxN28ChFK/w200-h200/Fiona+Apple_Fetch+The+Bolt+Cutters.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #1 Album of 2020</td></tr></tbody></table>Greetings, music fans. It's time once again to reveal our annual mix collection celebrating the best music of the year just passed.<p></p><p>And when it comes to that year just passed, whether intentional or not, it's safe to say the music of 2020 felt profoundly influenced by the trying year we have all just endured.</p><p>A lean, unspectacular, and non-transformative music year (though not without numerous small pleasures), the music of 2020 seemed to retreat into the safe and comfortably known just as we retreated into the safety of our homes. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15ZBgKUhNyq-tF5fDYIIHHJRPLeC0qFsDd58J4fNAcMc_5mN76TI0uEwe5xJIBBy9fhmKmC2ydTUfFGBZ3FCOsGGuUANv8ePUCQLEurAmdHIAoWUbIXrxFTtGLxW-n3jiU6h7V_jYOYk5/s700/Sault_Black+Is.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15ZBgKUhNyq-tF5fDYIIHHJRPLeC0qFsDd58J4fNAcMc_5mN76TI0uEwe5xJIBBy9fhmKmC2ydTUfFGBZ3FCOsGGuUANv8ePUCQLEurAmdHIAoWUbIXrxFTtGLxW-n3jiU6h7V_jYOYk5/w200-h200/Sault_Black+Is.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #1 Artist of 2020</td></tr></tbody></table>Outside of a quartet of ambitious neo-soul releases by Moses Sumney, Yves Tumor and the anonymous British production collective SAULT, and the year's one indisputable classic, Fiona Apple's <i>Fetch The Bolt Cutters</i> (which, perfect for a pandemic year, was most inventive in the way it felt so holistically recorded at home), there was little stylistic groundbreaking. Most artists seemed more focused on just delivering solid new additions to well-established genres, generating material the listener could cozy up to rather than be challenged by. <p></p><p>And even on those rare occasions when 2020 did get angry or political - as with the many 2020 album's released in direct response to George Floyd's murder - the protests were delivered with a resilient whisper (aka SAULT's <i>Wildfires</i>) as often as shouts of fury.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbHBulpbFajjPQgAEflIEd4EJIRbYND2VcZoUhzH_e60CoNba75cfHvrobrQlMuTaqnGXB38nw_JO2CICKJQCh_oYWFPu1R80hVSxuOWs352gxUY1rEgQbe1d6HktXH_yOOs_aVGKK3AF/s500/Dua+Lipa_Future+Nostalgia.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbHBulpbFajjPQgAEflIEd4EJIRbYND2VcZoUhzH_e60CoNba75cfHvrobrQlMuTaqnGXB38nw_JO2CICKJQCh_oYWFPu1R80hVSxuOWs352gxUY1rEgQbe1d6HktXH_yOOs_aVGKK3AF/w200-h200/Dua+Lipa_Future+Nostalgia.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #2 album of 2020<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>From a genre perspective, 2020 felt a lot like the last few years - hip hop, contemporary pop, intimate Spotify-driven indie-folk and arty, spikey post-punk continued to dominate present trends, and, as has been the case for most of this decade, female artists significantly outperformed the men. <p></p><p>But irony of ironies, the one genre that was bursting with life in 2020 was the one genre most restricted by Covid from shining in its ideal milieu - club-oriented, diva-fronted disco. </p><p>And that's really about it on 2020. Like I said, overall a lean music year (you can see our year-end album rankings <a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/01/mcqs-favorite-albums-of-2020.html">here</a>).</p><p><br /></p><p>So in response, I have simplified things tremendously, losing all the niche specific mixes and paring it all down to just three longer eclectic volumes - our standard starters <i>Best Of The Best</i> and <i>Nancy's Favorites</i>, and our standard closer <i>The Next 100</i>. </p><p>As always, clicking on the mix names will take you to a more detailed write-up with a thought or two on each included work, but you can also access all the mixes here. </p><p>So enough with the chit chat. On to the music. Enjoy!</p></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2021/05/mcqs-best-of-2020-vol-1-best-of-best.html">Volume 1 - Best Of The Best (The Big 42) - Vers. 1!</a></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">This mix will change in a few months when Nancy locks in her 2020 favorites to avoid repeats, but for now, here are McQ's choices for the 42 albums/singles he felt most passionate about in 2020.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Volume 2 - Nancy's Favorites!</span></span></b></div>
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Nancy's running a touch late this year closing out her mix, but as soon as she's locked it down, we will get it up here on this mix board and let fans of her mix know.<br />
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No write up for mix three, but this year, the track list breaks down into three phases. Songs 1-14 represent McQ's next 14 favorite albums of 2020. From song 15 - 75 - another 61 2020 albums/singles that sparked our interest, presented in alphabetical order, and in songs 76-100, a parade of outstanding deep cuts from albums/artists already touched upon in Vols 1 & 2. As with Vol 1 - this mix will be updated down the line once Nancy finalizes her selections.</div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-49024078157384104902021-05-21T08:08:00.428-07:002021-05-22T15:15:28.029-07:00McQ's Best Of 2020 Vol 1 - Best Of The Best (The Big 42)<p>This mix will likely change in a few months as Nancy locks down her favorites and steals away with several of the best cuts, but for now, for the first time in several years, you get McQ's uncensored <i>Best Of the Best </i>as originally intended.</p><p>Coming in at precisely three hours, top 2020 efforts in just about every major genre are represented here; metal, hip-hop, garage, punk, post-punk, brit-pop, indie, country, classic rock, neo-soul, contemporary-pop, folk, and - because they were the strongest performing genres this year - a whole bunch of disco and singer-songwriter recordings.</p><p>So here's hoping you all find something new to love, courtesy of a rising pool of gifted artists who helped make a difficult year a little bit more bearable.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7qUswfUbxsEKO50NhdsNY0" width="300"></iframe></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">About The Albums, Artists, and Songs:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVdRADAtws1lGXN6yXeMK6ml9XEw9lmvGMFSht3GjghVgJLRg9b8Rw6KidBxsuXgMOAqRmCuJxeGbCzr6SHBLJhAbLWQPgSF2tHIb8Hdb4BvLeD6vB4qA5ve-ADZJ66QXOAXrUGncyq7e/s500/Low+Cut+Connie+-+Private+Lives.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVdRADAtws1lGXN6yXeMK6ml9XEw9lmvGMFSht3GjghVgJLRg9b8Rw6KidBxsuXgMOAqRmCuJxeGbCzr6SHBLJhAbLWQPgSF2tHIb8Hdb4BvLeD6vB4qA5ve-ADZJ66QXOAXrUGncyq7e/s320/Low+Cut+Connie+-+Private+Lives.jpg" /></a> </div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1.<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6mDoWBhUIBufjUc7LkG63W?si=a55582c5b1004cfd"> <i>Help Me</i></a> - Low Cut Connie:</b> Kicking off our celebration of 2020's best music, a simple, pitch perfect, blue-eyed soul number (that also couldn't feel more pitch perfect for the year we all just endured) from Philly bar-band vets Low Cut Connie's sprawling, adventurous, and at times thrilling <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3St9TDDqrfyEwHLJe6vrmg?si=1XD9ADkNTomumH7IANIUCA">Private Lives</a> </i>(Solid Recommend).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH7a8IOoDeAu_TYW5qrK23mL-6JF1SiV1uFoKP20lEYxyfcxTgah4xiwqpR7UaH3Xwm08Bgqm4RP2XVyHEDveyeATaLoACCrWb_AECV2MzhAFEbnnK9LGp_bczZaoUL7piiGNCvGZW0dx/s500/Dua+Lipa_Future+Nostalgia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgH7a8IOoDeAu_TYW5qrK23mL-6JF1SiV1uFoKP20lEYxyfcxTgah4xiwqpR7UaH3Xwm08Bgqm4RP2XVyHEDveyeATaLoACCrWb_AECV2MzhAFEbnnK9LGp_bczZaoUL7piiGNCvGZW0dx/s320/Dua+Lipa_Future+Nostalgia.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3PfIrDoz19wz7qK7tYeu62?si=6cb5280dc4b24f81">Don't Start Now</a></i> - Dua Lipa:</b> While so far down the list of tragedies the world has endured in 2020-21 as to be rendered almost negligible, I still can't shake the thought of what a crime it is that this era's young twenty-somethings were denied the club experience in what was easily the best year in disco/dance music in over a decade (or at least since Robyn dropped <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0Rzg7fqyWE39G6wKipxrns?si=BeMecnuhRNGM48ui8kI29Q">Body Talk</a></i> in 2010). And leading that diva resurgence was Brit Dua Lipa's unstoppable, irresistible second album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7fJJK56U9fHixgO0HQkhtI?si=t1b_A7F9Tr-zOiqX918toQ">Future Nostalgia</a> </i>(Highest Recommend), a dance-floor hookup album for the ages.<i> </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhPIZ1NVwBH8v3JV0zm4t_tWlSPuYKmpsyyyVhQu_TnbADutHPFhVe93CJFTttWvmLQpjkqGtG_NNu-lh2j3RQT_sRk6Zh4IX3eyMVsDhrW_CgrVe9B3zrT07M7ooZcc1p-fwWMJscugn/s600/how+ill+thy+world+is+ordered_daniel+romano%2527s+outfit.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhPIZ1NVwBH8v3JV0zm4t_tWlSPuYKmpsyyyVhQu_TnbADutHPFhVe93CJFTttWvmLQpjkqGtG_NNu-lh2j3RQT_sRk6Zh4IX3eyMVsDhrW_CgrVe9B3zrT07M7ooZcc1p-fwWMJscugn/s320/how+ill+thy+world+is+ordered_daniel+romano%2527s+outfit.jpg.webp" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6ms9sYOYVe9MrC20mRkoJ8?si=8d8a6aca4228497d">Joys Too Often Hollow</a></i> - Daniel Romano's Outfit:</b> That this simple, elegant Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers-styled country-rocker from DIY Canadian indie veteran Daniel Romano may be (at least to my ears) the most note-for-note perfect song of 2020 is in itself an accomplishment. But when one considers that the song was just one of eleven high quality songs from his delightful 2020 album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0RyXPGowkGtC1ILqILIDsh?si=2NCUAdYbQ4KxL86V7J5N0w">How Ill They World Is Ordered</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), and that that album was just one of nine full-length efforts Romano released in 2020, producing this kind of dialed-in magic amid all that prolific output is extraordinary. Talk about making the most of pandemic down time. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hWmK3wM6Gi4mE-RXiF2fwrY4UlShbzgz1ppahK49ckfFtztwt8Vac_5ltIpHgaBVsUxylthu7thrhZMrYanNTvQ9ALte9yP8Qb75ovqoC5ZCQNbmxQY1bUhPlafxYEkBlOWIB1YLxKgt/s500/SAULT_Rise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hWmK3wM6Gi4mE-RXiF2fwrY4UlShbzgz1ppahK49ckfFtztwt8Vac_5ltIpHgaBVsUxylthu7thrhZMrYanNTvQ9ALte9yP8Qb75ovqoC5ZCQNbmxQY1bUhPlafxYEkBlOWIB1YLxKgt/s320/SAULT_Rise.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1BiO2H0lYkGwlqvqQGxrq3?si=2ea14ec6e89f46fb">Fearless</a></i> - SAULT:</b> Fiona Apple's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0fO1KemWL2uCCQmM22iKlj?si=tGSDIstHS7yUj9PPHZQsiw">Fetch The Bolt Cutters</a></i> was my clear choice for 2020's <u>album</u> of the year (as it was for most critics, running away with the aggregate polls). But if there is <u>one artist </u>that defined 2020, for me, it was anonymous British production collective SAULT. The ultra-prolific studio-wonks had already gained critical traction in recent years with their many, simultaneously retro/cutting-edge soul groove releases, but the outfit completely outdid themselves in 2020 with a pair of politically charged/stylistically off-the-charts daring albums both released in direct response to the George Floyd killing. And while neither album fully hits the mark (the group sometimes undone by the scale of their ambition and the complex stew of hip hop, trip hop, plunderphonic, neo-soul and contemporary pop influences they are trying to corral), the high points on each album are riveting. We'll hear one track from each album on this mix, starting with <i>Fearless</i>, my favorite cut from their second 2020 release, the slightly more upbeat, future-focused <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0K8jX7CLwxJaML5iXdxveF?si=QPUimR9oS4KbVf6TgT8Kpw">Untitled (Rise)</a> </i>(Solid Recommend).</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OXuRuS45Pne3mURQX0jKC5toxlFR1OhHvOqD2g8COGC3CKJn4jjY1p80ate4Y74KzIrrTGVvqPsPueGejS3w2wUZsmxFQBP-L_Hw0Ar6KM6ZYKHXscDH0_KragSGcTzXFQ2aaMj1VBLK/s500/Cornershop_England+Is+A+Garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OXuRuS45Pne3mURQX0jKC5toxlFR1OhHvOqD2g8COGC3CKJn4jjY1p80ate4Y74KzIrrTGVvqPsPueGejS3w2wUZsmxFQBP-L_Hw0Ar6KM6ZYKHXscDH0_KragSGcTzXFQ2aaMj1VBLK/s320/Cornershop_England+Is+A+Garden.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/26y1nkH1WtesBjXkXzD7ow?si=ed07939f17e64f6e">St. Marie Under Canon</a></i> - Cornershop:</b> Chock full of overstuffed arrangements and winning melodies, all spiriting a joyous musical attack that nonetheless packs a sharp lyrical bite, Cornershop's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6gHLOAoKYiuSjrZOFksGrQ?si=lohjrYETS62M0XKYYALIBw">England Is A Garden</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) was my favorite Brit-pop album of 2020 and the multi-ethnic London outfit's best album in a long, long time<i>.</i> If classic rock with a Beatle-esque or Madchester sheen is your cup of tea, this is the first 2020 album I would recommend.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cETbadw1jACLjL-qkgeuS8NlLoz1CaonMLihD6Whkg91pnUY6GHPFNkH41QeNQ-y66-di1Wc60-rTD0bSwbsaZxKemC2YEfE4p8tpZNNb5HRwTbtg-sH6JyWleCMBLyLzMSrcneUeOXV/s425/Moses+Sumney_Grae.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cETbadw1jACLjL-qkgeuS8NlLoz1CaonMLihD6Whkg91pnUY6GHPFNkH41QeNQ-y66-di1Wc60-rTD0bSwbsaZxKemC2YEfE4p8tpZNNb5HRwTbtg-sH6JyWleCMBLyLzMSrcneUeOXV/s320/Moses+Sumney_Grae.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6YheRoPUnQc0mXiWBUiQz5?si=fa380728a9934257">Cut Me</a></i> - Moses Sumney:</b> Along with the SAULT releases, Moses Sumney's sprawling double album <i>Grae </i>(Solid Recommend) might be the most artistically ambitious record of 2020<i>. </i>Focused on the concept of the personality multitudes lying within each individual, the album's ambition, again like on the SAULT efforts, sometimes exceeds its grasp (I still prefer his more narrowly focused but more consistent debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/30WjNaR79shSTGB52IJTw0?si=1QcADRvrSm2R7cFRhmZoJQ">Aromanticism</a></i>), but it is also another album with spectacular highlights. I was torn between my personal favorite, the overpowering, Radiohead-like <i><a href=" https://open.spotify.com/track/7tLwcjZXS4YblcRyh1xLCu?si=7542d60425124ed8">Bless Me</a>,</i> and the much lighter, more Prince-like funk of <i>Cut Me</i> for representative track, but ultimately decided <i>Cut Me</i> was more uniquely indicative of the adventurous new directions of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/35CHoLB0GEwYlOomriifC6?si=UzxGBX9_TaqCVXwi1LuNRw">Grae</a></i>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFEV0FS5GgDgUOMpxfxRuKi1uP6fZBxL-uHtBxZUqfWzRxJ0EFYRF02cNIjiwYE8d_iFrSj0WtXd-6dGKXHKNxwIqrUeWRqOps7rgX1PFaSERAeYJUgVpezOh3UgwfVoROnJQeBAYy7iP/s225/Andy+Shauf+-+The+Neon+Skyline.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFEV0FS5GgDgUOMpxfxRuKi1uP6fZBxL-uHtBxZUqfWzRxJ0EFYRF02cNIjiwYE8d_iFrSj0WtXd-6dGKXHKNxwIqrUeWRqOps7rgX1PFaSERAeYJUgVpezOh3UgwfVoROnJQeBAYy7iP/w320-h320/Andy+Shauf+-+The+Neon+Skyline.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Fjy4haCEoFaiJME5pvbgB?si=e49210efe2394af1">Try Again</a></i> - Andy Shauf:</b> One of 2020's most charming indie releases, most of Canadian Andy Shauf's narratively driven <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/41M6R2mWLgqU9aKFUvZv8S?si=bACMaoS6Sxe-8Dkr2wr8bw">The Neon Skyline</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) takes place in a single night, when the narrator agrees to join a group of close friends out for drinks at the local watering hole for which the record is named, only to learn upon arrival that his ex-girlfriend has returned to town and will soon be joining them. The delightful <i>Try Again </i>captures those awkward early moments of reconnection just after the ex arrives.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVC4vxowCyvcFqEyRBORye-K5HI17Z6FHVNATxbTmwFwI6BXbeyftuL-X85K9nsGFYCwx9TI8cyRA7O7SdeSmMQZVvAQsN3iy9sORXWeTCVSU8V5i7P3XMxqmv_zV8cipQgTVkDGU-qS/s425/Bob+Dylan_Rough+And+Rowdy+Ways.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVC4vxowCyvcFqEyRBORye-K5HI17Z6FHVNATxbTmwFwI6BXbeyftuL-X85K9nsGFYCwx9TI8cyRA7O7SdeSmMQZVvAQsN3iy9sORXWeTCVSU8V5i7P3XMxqmv_zV8cipQgTVkDGU-qS/s320/Bob+Dylan_Rough+And+Rowdy+Ways.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0JBFlDivbkrskU7oYnjdIU?si=217f6aa61a764609"><i>False Prophet</i> </a>- Bob Dylan:</b> No mix representing 2020's best albums would be complete without a tip of the hat to Bob Dylan's wonderful late, late, late career effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1Qht64MPvWTWa0aMsqxegB?si=Ce979UwNQV-xoBn27essMg">Rough and Rowdy Ways</a> </i>(Highest Recommend). As calm and reflective and memory-soaked as anything in Dylan's canon, it's far from his best on an instrumental level, but the album gains tremendous emotional power on its back half as Dylan takes stock of his life in long, gorgeously ruminative numbers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0qI2XsEDWAw04eINOxqwOt?si=e1faf6821e2646ae">Mother Of Muses</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0EHVdmnOEIMNQydf0sW2a1?si=5f1d33fbfde5432a">Key West</a></i>, and the critically praised-to-death (pun intended) seventeen-minute, Kennedy-assassination-anchored <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1LfTvT9JPYuuZanwxLtZCr?si=d1bca3c7746e4acc">Murder Most Foul</a>. </i>That said,<i> </i>to keep things moving on this mix, I felt it best to represent the record with its liveliest number, the grizzled blues workout <i>False Prophet</i>. </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnArV55tCmdoj63Pvy1di5Bc_F7SPew89kQQVBXGTtNBNfVYxL3Q6lWocCClVmfIhOQ-i3WgnU_XzViIR_AZ8fB38Ts_q7eErP9xsRDo_NKXLHpnAYJJi7BON_KtVI21IaOQrwmKawmIu/s425/Hayley+Williams_Petals+For+Armor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnArV55tCmdoj63Pvy1di5Bc_F7SPew89kQQVBXGTtNBNfVYxL3Q6lWocCClVmfIhOQ-i3WgnU_XzViIR_AZ8fB38Ts_q7eErP9xsRDo_NKXLHpnAYJJi7BON_KtVI21IaOQrwmKawmIu/s320/Hayley+Williams_Petals+For+Armor.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2moHnkHTSXBe9KjvPSQJvg?si=48edf62e62df4e53">Simmer</a></i> - Hayley Williams:</b> My musical preferences are really showing here with the inclusion of this slow-burning opener from Paramore front woman Hayley William's solo-debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4HXpQ5KQBVWN25ltjnX7xa?si=jCOMkq_UQWKka2HTvulPTg">Petals For Armor</a>,</i> as it hits a particular type of synth rock groove I've featured variations of many times over the years (Neneh Cherry's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0T85D5IZFPhml9CaCAPchx?si=007abe4ad37244b0">Blank Project</a></i>, School of Seven Bells <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3zw5DM2xjIftueBQB62UVM?si=5fff6acd85344df2">Ablaze</a></i>, Matthew Dear's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/55plAGQgL927kPJjhux9Ym?si=72670803c11b49a3">Earthforms</a>).</i> But hey, you can never have too much of a good thing, right? Especially when it's executed as crisply and charismatically as it is by Williams here.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUY6vkcHIIlsnM8KHIBiTMNJyw2d4nDV8cGm7nOZSkprI58JObt0fvPGtJfRxApuEm75ZRGzh1_AN3tKYKNuD7zT4xmHn7eEqWsBkNJQgs9Ft1_QFUw5ZR0v_j3CSaXlZtYvoD0qy4SJK/s500/Bonny+Light+Horseman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUY6vkcHIIlsnM8KHIBiTMNJyw2d4nDV8cGm7nOZSkprI58JObt0fvPGtJfRxApuEm75ZRGzh1_AN3tKYKNuD7zT4xmHn7eEqWsBkNJQgs9Ft1_QFUw5ZR0v_j3CSaXlZtYvoD0qy4SJK/s320/Bonny+Light+Horseman.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2ehQ2UuXplkqly0XBBAPud?si=2d2c36656c25493a">Deep In Love</a></i> - Bonny Light Horseman:</b> Easily my favorite folk album of 2020, the immaculately produced, eponymous debut for <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5OgTkrQuF1aL0FtsTi5KmV?si=b59Z8eofRVOOOnALJ24hKw">Bonny Light Horseman</a> </i>(Strong Recommend)<i>, </i>comes to us from the supergroup indie-folk trio of <i>Hadestown-</i>creator/Tony-winner Anais Mitchell, The Fruit Bats' Eric D. Johnson, and Hiss Golden Messenger collaborator Josh Kaufman. Equal parts originals and age-old folk classics, the delicate instrumental arrangements are often breathtaking, as with the gorgeously interwoven strummed and finger-picked progressions that form the bedrock of favorite track <i>Deep In Love</i> here.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-lYgbUVQBK3lMLDOzwao7IsJPjoV2AUIWeo4jIR_MhfnfWAoBqxQd_dinV78sI_xY_cJ82PJ493M5S7LIcugjZCI3yQyE0cJ-h3uGW98rpSCUIB8UWJUh7RgEvhHRN3SwimOc78fIa19/s500/Deftones_Ohms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-lYgbUVQBK3lMLDOzwao7IsJPjoV2AUIWeo4jIR_MhfnfWAoBqxQd_dinV78sI_xY_cJ82PJ493M5S7LIcugjZCI3yQyE0cJ-h3uGW98rpSCUIB8UWJUh7RgEvhHRN3SwimOc78fIa19/s320/Deftones_Ohms.jpg" /></a><i> </i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>11.<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5XQPlP8yHnXz5qTjIZ10gC?si=1fbe215b945a467d"> <i>Error</i></a> - Deftones: </b>My favorite song from the Sacramento-based alt-metal legends excellent <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0VEFy5MsBiq0u2lWL0OwOd?si=VtyT-3tfS9iUCw8GPq0_Rg">Ohms</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i>, </i>an album many of my friends with harder-rocking tastes passionately insist was the best album of 2020, and really brought the band's decades-long obsession with quiet/loud dynamics to a brilliantly fluid and seamless conclusion. Even if your not a metal fan, in its clever annexation of shoegaze/dream pop tactics without sacrificing its overall metallic verve, this is one heavy, heavy album that should generate a lot of crossover appeal.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OgZtWFMPdKnL2ysIzxgboApcyOnf2prUkJ_be-szt-DnOTEyIlSfSxBFr3qYsc9oHcO3m2PfPutPIqKmNv5dDVjA-QPeptl-PAuGsit5pMVG8hkYduYqe9sK_RFGYBA-_Lt5GuPJ-jtS/s500/HAIM+-+Women+In+Music+Pt+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OgZtWFMPdKnL2ysIzxgboApcyOnf2prUkJ_be-szt-DnOTEyIlSfSxBFr3qYsc9oHcO3m2PfPutPIqKmNv5dDVjA-QPeptl-PAuGsit5pMVG8hkYduYqe9sK_RFGYBA-_Lt5GuPJ-jtS/s320/HAIM+-+Women+In+Music+Pt+3.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2N2niBI0xAbLl3jI6l4S7g?si=765a8fb2431c4cc3">The Steps</a></i> - Haim:</b> For their third studio release,<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4qNGDMsRNqDQZPkTWyyeRF?si=e0umMX9uR2aqhlMzONsBoQ">Women In Music, Pt. III</a> (STRONG RECOMMEND)</i>, the sisters Haim turned inward lyrically, reflecting on troubled relationships with lovers, record labels, fans, and insensitive reporters (Este's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/15QH3WycatLyWlS4uEUgNk?si=a2fd89965d7248a3">Man From The Magazine</a></i> is a standout), and outward musically, bringing in Vampire Weekend ex Rostam as primary producer to broaden their sound. The end result, while less sunny and uptempo than previous efforts, is without question their best album to date, loaded with a diverse array of strong, Laurel Canyon-accented numbers. Going with <i>The Steps</i> as representative cut, but it could just as easily have been<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1lW4H8TPAXJpSQDYo1vz7H?si=97fac06b0abc493f">I'm Not Down</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0TCRoG3C8ItxMC4VYtN1La?si=f337ea3b545c4584">Now I'm In It</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1jEOPu0DE6FXyFP40R4Zdt?si=b9b907c956064427">FUBT</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4PsSph7wHmHGhhKk5fWAZ4?si=f52944e28d734194">Don't Wanna</a></i> or any number of the fine songs included amongst its fifteen tracks.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXVsRjvN0QFnB35916P4MGLB72YsiTK3lpyBz4E_tAFANVirgVVGYfr2bCZSMk-65njRC1Lt5_PV_y1nfnXbbFQQq71fND5Pz669kHGD-zfKJd51XO86LECp3BBe7Q1wCd6K9cMuUlq1m/s425/Coriky.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXVsRjvN0QFnB35916P4MGLB72YsiTK3lpyBz4E_tAFANVirgVVGYfr2bCZSMk-65njRC1Lt5_PV_y1nfnXbbFQQq71fND5Pz669kHGD-zfKJd51XO86LECp3BBe7Q1wCd6K9cMuUlq1m/s320/Coriky.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/45uTXOELBJgbBmtyWJWysY?si=2fdb246e511a47cf">Clean Kill</a></i> - Coriky:</b> Loved this jittery lead single for the promising eponymous debut of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5tq1YTBXOODRZERatJ7f1U?si=yiIIBhrxSwerpNj6zmt6jw">Coriky</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), a new collaborative effort<i> </i>anchored around the indie/punk talents of<i> </i>Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye, his wife and Evens lead singer Amy Farina, and Fugazi/Messthetics bassist Joe Lally. Stripped down, more angular and for the most part less aggressive than the output from their associated bands, I enjoyed the entire debut's quirky, minimalist vibe, and if you like <i>Clean Kill</i>, I think you will, too.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMd0h8icCZMl4LUaBI5eiXhfcDEKfrgUcuEbrzPvd2HKOJ7p5iW3aIWGqI5E7QtzKdsuO8nUOTL6OjNXnZrDC8m6uMSShzIy3EXhzNyRg_kdDzLIbYOXw5cOdaLm332rd8aOrQYkwYS5H/s500/Pheobe+Bridgers_Punisher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMd0h8icCZMl4LUaBI5eiXhfcDEKfrgUcuEbrzPvd2HKOJ7p5iW3aIWGqI5E7QtzKdsuO8nUOTL6OjNXnZrDC8m6uMSShzIy3EXhzNyRg_kdDzLIbYOXw5cOdaLm332rd8aOrQYkwYS5H/s320/Pheobe+Bridgers_Punisher.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/49UDOG8DoBajXTJSTqfRMg?si=ec045c36532246b1">Kyoto</a></i> - Phoebe Bridgers:</b> Harkening back to some of the most exciting mid-aughts work of Sufjan Stevens and Bright Eyes, my favorite cut from LA-singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers' critical juggernaut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2xECuqnvvmVktV7UO8Dd3s?si=uoAg146kTKOO6xWavPhNRw">Punisher</a> </i>(Solid Recommend here, but #2 in the year-end critical aggregates)<i> </i>warps a recurrent feeling of personal disassociation Bridgers experienced while touring Japan into a surging, richly arranged crescendo of ambiguous emotions. And while much of the remainder of the Punisher operates at Bridgers' more common delicate/acoustic level, the album is without question one of 2020's must hears.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGo9AuRx7Prtzyw1d4ddsdhCsA1sMfigAcSS9hQmhch53QJ3N7q6HVM9IwIs3YPvjEaWZadURucXhOW4xuaKk01rFuWjco5ewFcZlwF8M4uJ8R-iaF_kx9CI9flTYlj10ved3Mt02HEWCQ/s600/destroyer+-+Have+We+Met.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGo9AuRx7Prtzyw1d4ddsdhCsA1sMfigAcSS9hQmhch53QJ3N7q6HVM9IwIs3YPvjEaWZadURucXhOW4xuaKk01rFuWjco5ewFcZlwF8M4uJ8R-iaF_kx9CI9flTYlj10ved3Mt02HEWCQ/s320/destroyer+-+Have+We+Met.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2wcQaUeUAEOvGmtTFjw5th?si=c07e21e65b3f4cd1">Cue Synthesizer</a></i> - Destroyer</b>: I wasn't as high on Dan Bejar's latest effort as Destroyer <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com">Have We Met</a></i> (Mild Recommend) as I have been on many of his previous releases, finding his bored, late-night shtick pushed so far this time that some of the music felt boring as well. But the album's best songs, the instrumental<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0DBnkquMHvK4saGYpf7fy9?si=9ac3695357ee45df"> title track</a>, opener <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/450mSU53qr1tR82x1Oc0bM?si=aa5966bc23b848ae">Crimson Tide</a>, </i>and the very Bryan Ferry-ish<i> Cue Synthesizer</i> here, were still top-tier stuff.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SmuWoAfedf09ohniiEZCvglitZ12rZDCoCNyQHMZo1Vm5uQkYjJilm7RaMP5mQP_iKA5hrY-t2hwzSJQaZFAGBP2Ar9lixAsDRC38NZYyYp-CFS9R7k2hMERnZYB8Vtjy67Ny577QtAP/s225/AC%253ADC_Power+UP.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SmuWoAfedf09ohniiEZCvglitZ12rZDCoCNyQHMZo1Vm5uQkYjJilm7RaMP5mQP_iKA5hrY-t2hwzSJQaZFAGBP2Ar9lixAsDRC38NZYyYp-CFS9R7k2hMERnZYB8Vtjy67Ny577QtAP/w320-h320/AC%253ADC_Power+UP.jpeg" width="320" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4JDjZ2AzlHnde5uUy0TveV?si=647f404807924e29">Realize</a></i> - AC/DC:</b> From sophisticated new-wave anti-romanticism to a very different enduring 80s vibe. AC/DC, after experiencing numerous setbacks and departures over that last half-decade that would have easily destroy less-committed bands (including the death of founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young), finally reunited the remaining <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6mUdeDZCsExyJLMdAfDuwh?si=Us3aFA85RGmaei9n8KskTA">Back In Black</a></i> crew for what is likely to be die-hard fans favorite offering from the band in 20 years, 2020's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3bTNxJYk2bwdWBMtrjBxb0?si=HiOaQ0UuQ5Sn_mHdRP9m5w">Power Up</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i>. </i>We're going with <i>Realize </i>as representative track here, but really, any of the album's twelve three-minute shredders would do.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYt-Pj_2nCyHi3CU9ln-ZvU2mYDpZEug1g9I4Pa-LQtAWpGfqNs_F-ufhVksHtdf8yLJm80BCFQRKJevNWVIuRBtZ4ZjTwOdGjVFfy-F8i7j7mcrzCoePVfDL0Y91eqMrnYsfpQHQmz6gk/s425/The+Killers_Imploding+The+Mirage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYt-Pj_2nCyHi3CU9ln-ZvU2mYDpZEug1g9I4Pa-LQtAWpGfqNs_F-ufhVksHtdf8yLJm80BCFQRKJevNWVIuRBtZ4ZjTwOdGjVFfy-F8i7j7mcrzCoePVfDL0Y91eqMrnYsfpQHQmz6gk/s320/The+Killers_Imploding+The+Mirage.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5NnQpVPJKpFdGFkIdY1Gds?si=ef3250a015124333">My Own Soul's Warning</a></i> - The Killers:</b> We'll be featuring a song from Bruce's latest later, but make no mistake, the most exciting Springsteen/E Street Band-styled song of 2020, <i>My Own Soul's Warning</i>, came not out of New Jersey, but Las Vegas, from native son Brandon Flowers and the Killer's latest full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1uROBP2G4MP0O4w1v5Cpbg?si=2F3ets1OQWepAnElH8QJLg">Imploding The Mirage</a></i>.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5YvJOfAaquq5xvqiyi9NDLJPqxm6qPYtFNbJCEtRuyNZReppCU_7-NmySkcwuOwcELToKuPDn5YSk0-JqD9d0iTrInc0FTxIMSB6brYNurgdtoal88Va8RO19bhFNBxOfWdJShW9uuIp/s500/Jessie+Ware+-+What%2527s+Your+Pleasure.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5YvJOfAaquq5xvqiyi9NDLJPqxm6qPYtFNbJCEtRuyNZReppCU_7-NmySkcwuOwcELToKuPDn5YSk0-JqD9d0iTrInc0FTxIMSB6brYNurgdtoal88Va8RO19bhFNBxOfWdJShW9uuIp/s320/Jessie+Ware+-+What%2527s+Your+Pleasure.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1CTm3ARqDETSm7GfvNYNJp?si=OKz4r9ZTQ3OVyEx8IaX8Iw">What's Your Pleasure?</a></i> - Jessie Ware:</b> One of 2020's very best (even though parts of it have been recorded and released piece meal over the last several years), Jessie Ware's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1CTm3ARqDETSm7GfvNYNJp?si=OKz4r9ZTQ3OVyEx8IaX8Iw"><i>What's Your Pleasure</i>?</a> the album (Highest Recommend) is arthouse disco at its most sophisticated. As an artist, Ware is often compared to Sade, and the comparison is apt, but it's the sly splashes of old-school Bowie, Roxy Music and Radiohead textures dripped throughout mix that make <i>What's Your Pleasure</i> every bit as well suited to a solitary headphone listen as it is to the dance floor. </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ozf5CWFXEuMfyaPvbBpZGAWHwYL-ujSt9VN7iebuWkBP1TsligLVoSgDmXJxAjkR_rU-jwPmGwshGieEIaUrL9YZ3f1bV1fWKN12j3lVUbcAjYf_wR_cuOEPFUovNRux3xbalnL-ydW7/s500/Laura+Marling+Songs+For+Our+Daughter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ozf5CWFXEuMfyaPvbBpZGAWHwYL-ujSt9VN7iebuWkBP1TsligLVoSgDmXJxAjkR_rU-jwPmGwshGieEIaUrL9YZ3f1bV1fWKN12j3lVUbcAjYf_wR_cuOEPFUovNRux3xbalnL-ydW7/s320/Laura+Marling+Songs+For+Our+Daughter.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1HlSDISbjoxt2tpimT8s6f?si=d5e496ba2bf1414c">Alexandra</a></i> - Laura Marling:</b> After experimenting with faster tempos and more fleshed-out arrangements over her last few efforts, Brit indie-folk powerhouse Marling stripped things back down to her acoustic core on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0ubXthGSkZfe30Nuj91lcu?si=1lA4nXNQRQO6FKSsq9GrfA">Song For Our Daughter</a> </i>(Strong Recommend), and the end result was all the better for it. The album, inspired by Maya Angelou's <i>Letter To My Daughter</i>, is intended as a confidant and confidence builder for the 30-year-old Marling's yet-to-be-conceived future daughter, and contains a number of excellent songs focused on promoting self-acceptance (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5cK0wREGoDqNKECNlw8xzx?si=c7c3632687e24d56">Strange Girl</a></i>), appreciation for those that have sacrificed on your behalf, including Marling's own mother (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2UfQTKA8Rydw8bFvIO64yM?si=48c67647065d400b">Fortune</a></i>), and in the fine song featured here, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1HlSDISbjoxt2tpimT8s6f?si=6dd0a18990ea44d5">Alexandra</a></i>, following one's own heart no matter how strong the pull from others. A play on Leonard Cohen's song <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6UDouNjHCwal7zhVunKpGv?si=2cffddb1f05b4aba">Alexandra Leaving</a></i>, it ponders not the impact of Alexandra's departure on the individual left behind, as does Cohen's, but the mysterious sense of power inherent to a self-determined life.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d82fxm_RTDcjHwXwGrWO2LL9dpJVeYUwAz8nUKNN1Z1IHNcRyOcMXdntSD3co1YEP9CJpWXhQwHQrvQV5Y_YG4CeI41zWKtjM_8Mu-UjHYD4EPniSewtDbUxybCi8XFx8NUrOJ9_KD8z/s500/SAWAYAMA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d82fxm_RTDcjHwXwGrWO2LL9dpJVeYUwAz8nUKNN1Z1IHNcRyOcMXdntSD3co1YEP9CJpWXhQwHQrvQV5Y_YG4CeI41zWKtjM_8Mu-UjHYD4EPniSewtDbUxybCi8XFx8NUrOJ9_KD8z/s320/SAWAYAMA.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0HKr9aqzHBsVNnsUCdH4bw?si=c4e23014b9fa4d6a">STFU!</a></i> - Rina Sawayama:</b> A striking, in-demand model makes a career move into dance music and contemporary pop, and at first plays it conventionally, but before long unleashes the innate, freakiness that lies within her - it's hard not to speculate that Japanese Brit Rina Sawayama may emerge as this generation's Grace Jones. But whatever path her career ultimately takes, my favorite thing about her major studio debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3stadz88XVpHcXnVYMHc4J?si=RRa7lu6BQt6NdSMd05218Q">SAWAYAMA</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), is how unlike any of her contemporary pop peers, Rina is perfectly okay with blending the hard edges of our most aggressive, jarring male-dominated genres like metal, punk, prog and emo into her dance-pop stylings, a tendency well displayed on hit <i>STFU!</i> here.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwE9_4BPtFyiK0YYoRQI-Ltr359QWv4TvySw54-f1bq2yxkM2V5svpjwiZ54xfk5-_3-iZoLF2YploianGW_dZFuSLIKr9j5YlWxew20ARC7xdEnVnVJ2lxlIfm4jtfeJBmUQNqzelWK0Y/s500/Fleet+Foxes_Shore.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwE9_4BPtFyiK0YYoRQI-Ltr359QWv4TvySw54-f1bq2yxkM2V5svpjwiZ54xfk5-_3-iZoLF2YploianGW_dZFuSLIKr9j5YlWxew20ARC7xdEnVnVJ2lxlIfm4jtfeJBmUQNqzelWK0Y/s320/Fleet+Foxes_Shore.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6ttJq2kuufZBqkuowqMzhH?si=c095a5c4800b4a43">Jara</a> </i>- Fleet Foxes: </b>Continuing the sharp structural experimentation of third album <i>Crack-Up</i>, but this time bathing the tricky dynamic shifts in the warmest of textures, Robin Pecknold and Fleet Foxes' fourth full-length release<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0lmjCPEcec2k6L7ysNIcd3?si=WixJPqsUSgamBUVOBostWg">Shore</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is imho their best album since their 2006 self-titled debut<i>. </i>Boasting a quartet of fantastic songs around which the remaining ever-evolving material is anchored, I could have easily gone with the role call of passed inspirations <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/308prODCCD0O660tIktbUi?si=db619c15e21d4ecc">Sunblind</a></i>, the multi-facated <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/38b1DeACd0UbDYh3j2rZfs?si=4be4f9d6646c453b">Maestranza</a>, </i>or the national-park-celebrating <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3EwY3vKiiDQf2Bs4KWyBhx?si=b2645a48fa0c4bbc">Going-To-The-Sun Road</a> </i>to represent, but in the end, I just couldn't get Meara O'Reilly's wondrous supporting vocals on this tribute to murdered Chilean protest-singer Victor Jara out of my head.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8inmMIzTwSauu9YS_HVW5BKVdnLvbKec7iOesPAc82yuqhcvWbaMaq6FY72LUN5rwYs6wiCm1XCWji2dXcw5MKtN6i7Gg-wkWKFM0n0P47llmmgMaB6McMlTiRcgv0rr0jZ-82i1KvBz/s500/Run+The+Jewels+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8inmMIzTwSauu9YS_HVW5BKVdnLvbKec7iOesPAc82yuqhcvWbaMaq6FY72LUN5rwYs6wiCm1XCWji2dXcw5MKtN6i7Gg-wkWKFM0n0P47llmmgMaB6McMlTiRcgv0rr0jZ-82i1KvBz/s320/Run+The+Jewels+4.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6A0oV3M3A5MEfiTgNQRS6d?si=684b241e0e9648ad">goonies vs. E.T.</a></i> - Run The Jewels:</b> If not 2020's best hip-hop album, then without question the year's most impassioned, El-P and Killer Mike were months away from dropping <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0DLkBrivkPhPGeSowPUyde?si=TrQoWpjiS168_IDdPLcPvw">RTJ4 </a></i>(Solid Recommend) when the George Floyd killing overtook America and the two decided musical perfection was not the need of the moment. Lyrics were changed, mixing and finishing was accelerated, artists and producers worked around the clock, and just ten days after Floyd's death, <i>RTJ4</i> was in national release. Given the circumstances, it should come as no surprise that <i>RTJ4</i> is not the act's finest effort musically - both RTJ2 and RTJ3 offer superior beats - but as a blunt instrument of political protest it hits with a force no other 2020 album can match. That said, I do find myself favoring music over message on our representative track here, championing my favorite beat and closing rap from the album on <i>goonies vs E.T.</i> as opposed to selecting one of RTJ4's more supercharged protest numbers like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4PYyoXmSpm7tqd5ktLIKVm?si=e83ae4161d844bb7">JU$T</a></i> or <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7G3dhGDXbwSau6uEVJZDks?si=02959bdccebc4feb">Walking In The Snow</a></i>.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUm77hOtBUfqDIyfPbhaZKUnBEStAvBa5-_HeBeGnJvIeLhGabZgYIvn-HaGjQlCUxvQPlEOd67OmdYlbmJyZF9Ol4ev6_UPm-j3SjBhwVAVMCzOMxk8XDhgyWyhjrAyOVLaGmRcEleI8v/s500/X_Alphabetland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUm77hOtBUfqDIyfPbhaZKUnBEStAvBa5-_HeBeGnJvIeLhGabZgYIvn-HaGjQlCUxvQPlEOd67OmdYlbmJyZF9Ol4ev6_UPm-j3SjBhwVAVMCzOMxk8XDhgyWyhjrAyOVLaGmRcEleI8v/s320/X_Alphabetland.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. <i>Water & Wine</i> - X:</b> The mere fact that LA punk legend X released their first studio album in 27 years (and the first with their original lineup in 35), is cause for celebration. That many of <i>Alphabetland's</i> (Solid Recommend) songs were every bit as good as the best tracks on their highly influential early releases, like the playful <i>Water & Wine </i>here, is a huge bonus.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm6w6Kxhi_O7CFrwxDvaE3hIVCbJ88gI2ihIPP15YsP7_VV27dGrqiOlbZb9cbHlZYF2upSZNnsaClAGJgmmZaHKjpKl8tE25plaMy6v5UqcOQu9540y0qAno3ohb-0n0F3oaojEUZE8w/s500/Waxahatchee_St.+Cloud.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIm6w6Kxhi_O7CFrwxDvaE3hIVCbJ88gI2ihIPP15YsP7_VV27dGrqiOlbZb9cbHlZYF2upSZNnsaClAGJgmmZaHKjpKl8tE25plaMy6v5UqcOQu9540y0qAno3ohb-0n0F3oaojEUZE8w/s320/Waxahatchee_St.+Cloud.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>24.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5MDUdi9T4Ee4Kv33SbewC3?si=1c1989ae69014f5e">Lilacs</a></i> - Waxahatchee:</b> Moving away from the lo-fi Liz Phair spikiness of her earlier albums towards an increasingly cozy country-rock sound, Katie Crutchfield's (aka Waxahatchee's) <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/04HMMwLmjkftjWy7xc6Bho?si=v5SgUVDTRxulC27y1TNf_A">St. Cloud</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is her most consistent and melodically appealing album to date, though the constant whiff of instrumental genericism lurking in the arrangements prevents me from rating the album quite as highly as most critics did (it ended as the #7 album of 2020 in the year-end aggregates). That quibble aside, there's much to love about <i>St. Cloud</i>, starting with this magnificent soft rocker here.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSaaCmNZaP3WMXe1FhoDxrEvcwGt0Fu6OrArJTQN4bKX3-El_VJbiFYF0fwb6KojF4UI0NgGm7PXPGb3w81K7JGRIuu6DtEVHY9Ii4sHTO-sHLdsLzJO2XH6GvYxlDiHwrYzJjotEckO8/s500/Fontaines+DC+-+A+Heroes+Death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSaaCmNZaP3WMXe1FhoDxrEvcwGt0Fu6OrArJTQN4bKX3-El_VJbiFYF0fwb6KojF4UI0NgGm7PXPGb3w81K7JGRIuu6DtEVHY9Ii4sHTO-sHLdsLzJO2XH6GvYxlDiHwrYzJjotEckO8/s320/Fontaines+DC+-+A+Heroes+Death.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3SUNHWszXHmCx0J668tqq1?si=2dce153d94a746d4">Televised Mind</a></i> - Fontaines D.C.:</b> Steering away from the R.E.M.-ish and garage-punk-flavors of their brilliant 2019 debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7wMhg0YqDuqylEVnLQQ02R?si=A0ba8lhhRcSEDSDOEFB39w">Dogrel</a></i> for a denser, almost shoegaze-oriented post-punk sound, Dubliners Fontaines D.C.'s second outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1TG1jA82COlOCK63DjmiT3?si=PKHOQEsBTL2AkBoVx9Bb_Q">A Hero's Death</a> </i>(Mild Recommend) wasn't close to as successful overall, but it did significantly broaden the band's instrumental attack, and I did love its two best songs, the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3x9Fdxt2AvcFQDzt3hLu8h?si=e7383845fa8b4967">title track</a>, and the monolithic drone-fest <i>Televised Mind</i> included here. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Cq7yZn19FC2WmhkF8KqJW9RNQwEjEdqiMpwL3fwHSMbqECkdF0Sduwp1MDzAWT4XMr4dk6O3TgpEVVqrlk6Go4r9v-9Ra86jMT_8A5lRfE01MbxK0uiZ1yjpT2-kanTXho-jmLntfrYO/s500/Rose+City+Band_Summerlong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Cq7yZn19FC2WmhkF8KqJW9RNQwEjEdqiMpwL3fwHSMbqECkdF0Sduwp1MDzAWT4XMr4dk6O3TgpEVVqrlk6Go4r9v-9Ra86jMT_8A5lRfE01MbxK0uiZ1yjpT2-kanTXho-jmLntfrYO/s320/Rose+City+Band_Summerlong.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>26 & 27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4NuTi4LaR9T3vBO04sBggd?si=c3e566d64023479e">Wee Hours </a>> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4xPkceIDS9eGVFOiaJ7h6V?si=ea2abd8d6f1e445c">Wildflowers</a></i> - Rose City Band: </b> Another of 2020's most relaxing listens, the latest alter-ego Rose City Band offering from psych-rock vet and Wooden Ships/Moon Duo lead vocalist/ guitarist Ripley Johnson <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2xbuO6C2TK9hjQZFMi56Pf?si=rPg_p_2lSU2nVye6XEOdnw">Summerlong</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) serves up eight delightfully unassuming country-rock jams. Fans of Phish, The Grateful Dead or The War On Drugs will want to check this one out post-haste.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0ow_M0P2xnsgk214epm4FtZylEOUj4nFtjvcBNmBtRavGgvjPt90SrhyphenhyphenKFpnOMgxI7S0T9IY9uyEng5dl6wlWX2u0I0vVxm5Oa6REScc5L9Z-_PQ8Oi-x56705rmW5AuehY5js3UOFYC/s500/Roisin+Machine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0ow_M0P2xnsgk214epm4FtZylEOUj4nFtjvcBNmBtRavGgvjPt90SrhyphenhyphenKFpnOMgxI7S0T9IY9uyEng5dl6wlWX2u0I0vVxm5Oa6REScc5L9Z-_PQ8Oi-x56705rmW5AuehY5js3UOFYC/s320/Roisin+Machine.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6gwwsp3Yta4K6yCr3HRwKN?si=c67b1a07165b4ece">We Got Together</a></i> - Roisin Murphy:</b> The third masterful dance album of 2020 was almost a decade in the making. Irish art-pop queen Murphy's inspired love letter to the 12" disco single, <i>Roisin Machine </i>(Strong Recommend)<i>, </i>like Jessie Ware's <i>For Your Pleasure, </i>was assembled bit by bit, collecting her various standalone electro-pop singles of the last decade (2012's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0M1V6N3LuejYWDTrSPBKfZ?si=b4d4b30e6eff4b02">Simulation</a></i>, 2015's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/50n7BlnyClJrRaAy25PJug?si=fea6fccafef647bc">Jealousy</a></i>, and 2019's fantastic<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/02CkWazM7YqypIxYKy3iSy?si=10fde7f3b734443c">Incapable</a></i>) and surrounding them with a new batch of even more trance-like, badass gems. Amazingly cohesive given the fractured nature of how it was assembled, <i>Roisin Machine </i>often feels like a dangerous, cultish ritual of groove, with Murphy presiding over the whole affair like a pagan high-priestess of dance (as representative cut <i>We Got Together</i> here perfectly conveys). A touch overlong as club-oriented albums like this often are, but otherwise, great stuff.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VaLt-oYATNSSok02ZybNbpXV0CguWNY8UPBAof27UZ2npPQzPN2qgMGiwDuiIiTN9H2mmzS1WI3vsOWqOlGH0kaGNqcN-9GDFfEdJVEgPEzuPXUVx-znpB4EFjCLpz8Q5NvuoOmPQ698/s500/Soccer+Mommy_Color+Theory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VaLt-oYATNSSok02ZybNbpXV0CguWNY8UPBAof27UZ2npPQzPN2qgMGiwDuiIiTN9H2mmzS1WI3vsOWqOlGH0kaGNqcN-9GDFfEdJVEgPEzuPXUVx-znpB4EFjCLpz8Q5NvuoOmPQ698/s320/Soccer+Mommy_Color+Theory.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>29.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2drtd6SptpMJ1KylMQ7mrE?si=adf7c715cda74a79">circle the drain</a></i> - Soccer Mommy:</b> The second studio release from Nashville singer/songwriter Sophia Regina Allison (aka Soccer Mommy), <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2CISL0rSGzbO0MbQMlqBez?si=ieUAm9c3SNKTC8G2-qh_ug">color theory</a></i> (Solid Recommend)<i> </i>is a thematically heavy, color-coded song-cycle evoking three states of emotional being (blue/sadness, yellow/physical & mental illness, gray/darkness) Allison witnessed and experienced while caring for her terminally ill mother. Going with the album's clear standout <i>circle the drain</i> here, but there are several other outstanding, thoughtful numbers to be found on <i>color theory</i> for those willing to take on the album's difficult themes.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNwRBQEO8ovOunOZNWo6EYDRMDucQnXLe7L9ztxkvUvdzGW_fRzve9Xwj_Rf9uMpLAU_bK88pd7dDXgSeO8OXJQID5hjQDCtuefFLzQH2qAh2YpxJAVeS3L9m1htzDl6t0kJtPMizBCBt/s225/Bob+Mould_Blue+Hearts.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNwRBQEO8ovOunOZNWo6EYDRMDucQnXLe7L9ztxkvUvdzGW_fRzve9Xwj_Rf9uMpLAU_bK88pd7dDXgSeO8OXJQID5hjQDCtuefFLzQH2qAh2YpxJAVeS3L9m1htzDl6t0kJtPMizBCBt/w320-h320/Bob+Mould_Blue+Hearts.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1ZUJj6obNJaVMmCqccfBql?si=d987318a75fc4921">Siberian Butterfly</a></i> - Bob Mould:</b> Bob Mould doesn't get enough credit for how damn solid he has been as a recording artist in his later years. I might even go so far as to say outside of Nick Cave, and maybe Dylan and Springsteen, no rock artist who first broke by 1980 has been more vital over the last ten years. <i>Siberian Butterfly</i>, from 2020's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/13ioe4Gi99cfMH1glnKOUN?si=DU255l_MS7aZHi-6ccjIGA">Blue Hearts</a></i> (Solid Recommend) will appeal to any fan of Mould's early 90s days fronting his second band Sugar.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxbnsnXiZ7pcxOKWmubZzrBmg7YCRq5coAgvROXpyx6gDuyB26orQFULCNd58tWFMIKISgbU6FGtTgqCy15SFgvLlpVUVqe3HHMQTZ_KYViWOgbMM7-GCekQknyYi0YwqC3t4B6_Vmt8X/s600/J+Hus+Big+Conspiracy.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxbnsnXiZ7pcxOKWmubZzrBmg7YCRq5coAgvROXpyx6gDuyB26orQFULCNd58tWFMIKISgbU6FGtTgqCy15SFgvLlpVUVqe3HHMQTZ_KYViWOgbMM7-GCekQknyYi0YwqC3t4B6_Vmt8X/s320/J+Hus+Big+Conspiracy.webp" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1617E9xMnr1IuD891SrewO?si=1fead4d50efb4e7f">Helicopter</a></i> - J Hus:</b> One of 2020's most underrated records, British rapper J Hus's second release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ORNNahv0Z1IU0AKoliZwn?si=MTHukaIeRY6pBiqhOdvkUw">Big Conspiracy</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is as relaxing a listen as one finds in contemporary hip hop. Lyrically topical but as chill as it gets, the album feels fully immersed in and furthers recent international production trends brought forward by the likes Nigerian Burma Boy and reggaeton stalwarts Bad Bunny and J Balvin. <u>The</u> 2020 poolside record for the rum-soaked hip hop fan.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_XNNGNj9dzi447LRPWFUohTEtw_XvDBXo-FLSel5XCpGY2PV3tlItqpqJB_59MoNzqXmIe1ZV0JRnfH84vEljTGWqcfxOTzMMfB5f4PQFyFkxmWcvaLUIzCLXaTcCiHuBepeQPxsjAil/s500/Working+Men%2527s+Club.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_XNNGNj9dzi447LRPWFUohTEtw_XvDBXo-FLSel5XCpGY2PV3tlItqpqJB_59MoNzqXmIe1ZV0JRnfH84vEljTGWqcfxOTzMMfB5f4PQFyFkxmWcvaLUIzCLXaTcCiHuBepeQPxsjAil/s320/Working+Men%2527s+Club.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0nB4eK0gt35KiqxDteR8pi?si=d038a30fde714c72">John Cooper Clarke</a> </i>- Working Men's Club:</b> The eponymous good-not-great debut from Yorkshire hipster synth-rockers <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0nB4eK0gt35KiqxDteR8pi?si=820e494e005e4992">Working Men's Club</a></i> (Solid Recommend) won't make you forget the likes of Kasabian, !!!, or LCD Soundsystem, but it will definitely wet a dance-rock thirst that has been significantly underserved the last few years. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cwv2VzMnZrGa8mweNHAdsEBzYG7ocCmCyEdcDKic9GdJcmbQudFDoqakvq9Q6BoGqyHF5wYg-gh4APs8CUdDf6NPzhE5093jmkzjYV4zu07NKlUP6yM-y7LUsILQlgX0mix98tYBi8QQ/s500/Lucinda+Williams_Good+Souls+Better+Angels.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cwv2VzMnZrGa8mweNHAdsEBzYG7ocCmCyEdcDKic9GdJcmbQudFDoqakvq9Q6BoGqyHF5wYg-gh4APs8CUdDf6NPzhE5093jmkzjYV4zu07NKlUP6yM-y7LUsILQlgX0mix98tYBi8QQ/s320/Lucinda+Williams_Good+Souls+Better+Angels.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7LqXxG6IXTL7KbiywNZ5Tn?si=11d60718bba447ca">Bone Of Contention</a></i> - Lucinda Williams:</b> It is only fitting the the angriest album of Lucinda William's career <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3sF4iIrRTsRNKC6AMR6D2d?si=pj-RE5XdTweQx6nyBa_Ptg">Good Souls Better Angels</a> (Solid Recommend) </i>is her 13th release<i>. </i>With almost all her considerable vitriol aimed exclusively at one orange-hued public figure we've all come to love or hate, I'll leave it up to future generations to decide if this very direct sixty-minute screed of vicious, liberal echo-chamber name-calling represents a peak or valley in Lucinda's lyrical canon, but one thing is thrillingly certain, she's rarely rocked this hard before. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmBNHBu8DLquwpqYA1WEAKBbMPKD4JAyAMpyinhW3gPIaxF-8iPvn8QYpXhxTVwVVZkXqCBbH3rHwISInZN4amiOjl8KjxGuBvgo7VmxKDghL6jE6Jvn180hTGr90ogfqbjQVngbgZiev/s500/Yves+Tumor_Heaven+To+A+Tortured+Mind.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmBNHBu8DLquwpqYA1WEAKBbMPKD4JAyAMpyinhW3gPIaxF-8iPvn8QYpXhxTVwVVZkXqCBbH3rHwISInZN4amiOjl8KjxGuBvgo7VmxKDghL6jE6Jvn180hTGr90ogfqbjQVngbgZiev/s320/Yves+Tumor_Heaven+To+A+Tortured+Mind.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1Kjw0LwdniCWran4PxJqPQ?si=e3301a7b6e544d06">Kerosene!</a></i> - Yves Tumor:</b> An artist who seems to embrace a different genre each time out, after tackling noise and ambience in 2016's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2jCY7x3xWM2Gn8yWDCIbgK?si=5wzf6CR-QT-qgqi8LG1vag">When Man Fails You</a></i> and Prince-like R&B in 2018's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1IpYZkYoYCjXTYMDEW8Ksk?si=2TsHl8SXT0CQwUfNXmjpMg">Safe In The Hands Of Love</a></i>, French experimentalist Tumor now takes on the persona of the rock-and-roll seducer in the trippily fluid, psychedelic (and on several occasions simply great) <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5wnCTZtzIZxasRSHzI1JeW?si=KMXE5DEoQF6rzoZyKx-5dw">Heaven To A Tortured Mind</a> </i>(Strong Recommend)<i>. </i>On <i>Kerosene!</i>, for my money a top ten song in 2020, he slow burns his way towards an ecstatic guitar solo and an amazing supporting vocal turn from collaborator Diana Gordon.<i> </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnROAI5UWrGI_n94NlBADfFwwsLel9hyphenhyphen9SFGLYXSXaodK9pzm48yvO5f0GbWywXY-Arjf8exMK2Ay_TY6PA4IB6NVvPBQJ61nQgVOYkKrkJHMNwGzrBSemfwZhJVYB_SXHHX3E-topL-Tm/s680/Taylor+Swift_Folklore.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnROAI5UWrGI_n94NlBADfFwwsLel9hyphenhyphen9SFGLYXSXaodK9pzm48yvO5f0GbWywXY-Arjf8exMK2Ay_TY6PA4IB6NVvPBQJ61nQgVOYkKrkJHMNwGzrBSemfwZhJVYB_SXHHX3E-topL-Tm/s320/Taylor+Swift_Folklore.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>35.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6KJqZcs9XDgVck7Lg9QOTC?si=c5391b7eeda844b3">Seven</a></i> - Taylor Swift:</b> Forever onward to be known, as Pitchfork rightly pointed out, as Taylor Swift's "indie" album, I found Swift's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6KJqZcs9XDgVck7Lg9QOTC?si=600361efdb8349c8">Folklore</a></i> (Strong Recommend), her remote collaboration with The National's guitarist/songwriter/producer Aaron Dessner, to even more be a natural (and superior) extension of The National's own experiment in collaboration with female artists, 2019's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5M5LPGsAR9mxbBa22GOp5h?si=eAfxqQ-gTKeOiWLcTCwJbA">I Am Easy To Find</a></i>. Bottomline, lifelong Swifties and inveterate yacht rockers alike will find an abundance of material to love in this very mellow and well-crafted surprise pandemic release. A half-dozen songs I could have gone with from this one, but in the end, I just felt <i>Seven</i> was the prettiest.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIDv-dS1uS13jwZuc0zzT8J12-eOnrSF7UHV8o58qG8OdwioBUTHX_KiNb69Hk4g_c0pNakSx5uZTxJFB6oWl9_V7jL64tqrK3yt9mK8yE_cb7gumcFp1ptSsNJCLOXZQxPP0wd0zeu7E/s500/Perfume+Genius_Set+Your+Heart+On+Fire+Immediately.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIDv-dS1uS13jwZuc0zzT8J12-eOnrSF7UHV8o58qG8OdwioBUTHX_KiNb69Hk4g_c0pNakSx5uZTxJFB6oWl9_V7jL64tqrK3yt9mK8yE_cb7gumcFp1ptSsNJCLOXZQxPP0wd0zeu7E/s320/Perfume+Genius_Set+Your+Heart+On+Fire+Immediately.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4rpyJ4FCTawHW4ItDlpoka?si=3754b14d6ff749be">On The Floor</a></i> - Perfume Genius:</b> Having collaborated recently with choreographer Kate Wallich on a dance performance, and also a longtime sufferer of Chron's disease, Seattle's Mike Hadreas (aka Perfume Genius) set out to write a cycle of songs in which matters of the body, mind, and heart were treated as naturally interconnected rather than intellectually compartmentalized. The result, fifth album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6daEdTBi1hyFQgmsnR7oRr?si=LmaZZOnHRMO1z3ie9YAVxQ">Set My Heart On Fire Immediately</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is one of his finest efforts yet, an eclectic collection of uniformly excellent songs and arguably the best produced album of 2020. Going with the accessible dance-oriented cut <i>On The Floor</i> as representative track, but no one song can come close to capturing the full breadth of sounds and styles in play on the album. Strangely though, it is that broad, confidant eclecticism that is also the album's one weakness, as the sequencing never quite settles into an effortlessly connected flow, and the only reason I'm not giving <i>Set My Heart On Fire Immediately</i> a Strong Recommend, because based solely on song strength, the album deserves it.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEu33RvXy5Z63we0UtX6iHlDJF_lI4ITcDnwveU2lCxy1nF2T_J2wbT38ftfGmf2EdZjfe1lOmJ9fKxpcc76mmBdkRvffKZTb6_FeDlgFC89iG598kO1zLh5MB1MMJTvkEfesDKxYhZbWD/s425/Sparks_A+Steady+Drip+Drip+Drip.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEu33RvXy5Z63we0UtX6iHlDJF_lI4ITcDnwveU2lCxy1nF2T_J2wbT38ftfGmf2EdZjfe1lOmJ9fKxpcc76mmBdkRvffKZTb6_FeDlgFC89iG598kO1zLh5MB1MMJTvkEfesDKxYhZbWD/s320/Sparks_A+Steady+Drip+Drip+Drip.jpg" /></a><i> </i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>37.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/33iNSN1CnN9sndAvcRlnde?si=2ed1ec5a68d141e1">Please Don't Fuck Up My World</a></i> - Sparks:</b> A children's choir begging the adults of the world to deal with climate change now rather than leaving it for future generations to address. It's a concept so obvious we should have heard a tune like this a decade ago, but leave it to LA art-pop legends Sparks to come up with the song thousands should have written, but only they in their own inimitable style could. From their entertaining latest release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/43DZQacT84CN8EYfKcmeSL?si=FLfXek9DTieDARxHkESxqw">A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip...</a></i>(Solid Recommend)<i>. </i>If it weren't for the swearing, it's hard to imagine this song not becoming Greta Thuneberg's defacto play-in anthem. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkqmNwiAF3U1BM5wzDuHuKN0KlSI84KTW1c4FYaQJdZtLR_2cXUnCXjyFdUx8IAxgwhazovBSO8ZyVPzaXwVQWFzo7gl64hl26n80EYZQDxRxFvMbTzlGU4FaUXLckWlCLXIM88ie5No6/s500/Frances+Quinlan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkqmNwiAF3U1BM5wzDuHuKN0KlSI84KTW1c4FYaQJdZtLR_2cXUnCXjyFdUx8IAxgwhazovBSO8ZyVPzaXwVQWFzo7gl64hl26n80EYZQDxRxFvMbTzlGU4FaUXLckWlCLXIM88ie5No6/s320/Frances+Quinlan.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3fPlwDSXXLZUgYlE9hRHGn?si=1f4a4e45bec14b45">Went To LA</a></i> - Frances Quinlan:</b> One has to see Frances Quinlan live to understand how unique she is. Where most vocalists train lifetimes to develop the fierce, full-throated register she musters effortlessly, the Hop Along siren's natural vocal state is so frighteningly explosive, her process has clearly been the opposite: developing all manner of whispery, muted delivery tricks to protect her fans eardrums enough that they are able to return for future shows. On her first solo effort outside of Hop Along, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7rFS6udH3EVoKpgVs2QsSG?si=jUyr98AVRJunPko5sqitHA">Likewise</a></i> (Mild Recommend), Quinlan seems intent on exploring what it would be like to apply that same tension of restraint as much to her instrumental arrangements as her voice, delivering, in this instance, one of my favorite ballads of 2020.</span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFO8jKLlo-TeVMTcF5vzKn-OJLXuNxUOUy4AyMjJVDyl2iDTx68-K3cDYYgh1uaOPMuzr-DMHQS1p2scMD2v1oIqDJwE2ZjI1uHqPeQ2UAFdSBlTNOZaiMBY74N1nS6MEsRQMShT1Va7p/s1200/Empty+Country.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFO8jKLlo-TeVMTcF5vzKn-OJLXuNxUOUy4AyMjJVDyl2iDTx68-K3cDYYgh1uaOPMuzr-DMHQS1p2scMD2v1oIqDJwE2ZjI1uHqPeQ2UAFdSBlTNOZaiMBY74N1nS6MEsRQMShT1Va7p/s320/Empty+Country.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2dgBQL5decGNR4qXoLwhio?si=1363de177a4648aa">Mirian</a></i> - Empty Country: </b>Another artist to step out on his own for the first time, former Cymbals Eat Guitars' bandleader Joseph D'Agostino's first outing as <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1J7lWOhAGflNwS8Tv5d8M6?si=-Od2ePRFRkq0BU9b9_uIfQ">Empty Country</a></i> (Solid Recommend) shows his penchant for penning inscrutable but captivating alt-rock tunes hasn't diminished in the slightest. </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OySwau2oLtkYt64jnLiE0o-6yAY11UkG3c2YYQ6ixZrkaMWda68tY_6Qbj1wdTUhRmGs7OVl2z5msyOXRJMURC532mVr7sOtSdVoFKkVFtopCVRX0jCDTFQgdQ-MiEIWjvheSCniQ8zD/s700/Sault_Black+Is.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OySwau2oLtkYt64jnLiE0o-6yAY11UkG3c2YYQ6ixZrkaMWda68tY_6Qbj1wdTUhRmGs7OVl2z5msyOXRJMURC532mVr7sOtSdVoFKkVFtopCVRX0jCDTFQgdQ-MiEIWjvheSCniQ8zD/s320/Sault_Black+Is.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>40. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Tzw9IdZbVyzmpWrvsGaNX?si=348c035bab344960"><i>Wildfires</i> </a>- SAULT:</b> Run The Jewels<i> RTJ4</i> may have given better voice to society's anger in the wake of the George Floyd killing, but no song better captured the black community's weary, aching resolve to forge on despite experiencing horror after horror than this weeping but resilient trip-hop number from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0GPmuVuCdC5hCsiuy1wXle?si=jaeSANDVRE-QwNAuUyjCUA">Untitled (Black Is)</a></i> (Solid Recommend)<i>.</i></span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf4oM2CzrhKg6vG9Nj-pWldd-CwU2P2Odctp412ycrLNKT4g8nro21HVcJX45Lm_kpcmHQbOE1IwKhUBp38aqdPE0HNJhigQ69SXuutAQfxAScv2A1wBOE5VfNl3i5P_KvbZ4wTySVwFj/s500/Fiona+Apple_Fetch+The+Bolt+Cutters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf4oM2CzrhKg6vG9Nj-pWldd-CwU2P2Odctp412ycrLNKT4g8nro21HVcJX45Lm_kpcmHQbOE1IwKhUBp38aqdPE0HNJhigQ69SXuutAQfxAScv2A1wBOE5VfNl3i5P_KvbZ4wTySVwFj/s320/Fiona+Apple_Fetch+The+Bolt+Cutters.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>41. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4baGw8dAfqNl7RrmlMtzb5?si=03a36cd567d54b5a"><i>Drumset</i> </a>- Fiona Apple:</b> The one indisputable classic 2020 produced, they'll still be talking about Fiona Apple's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0fO1KemWL2uCCQmM22iKlj?si=A12ZMADORjScZsmVVPBCwA">Fetch The Bolt Cutters</a></i> (Highest Recommend) decades from now, but at the same time, the album couldn't have felt more right right now. As free-spirited, unguarded and spontaneous as album's come, most of the music was recorded in Apple's own home, with walls, counters, deceased-pet sarcophagi and kitchen utensils often substituted for more traditional percussive elements, and many of the recording "mistakes" and the surrounding neighborhood's natural ambience left in (five individually credited barking dogs even make the liner notes). As is usually the case with Apple's work, men do not fare well in the lyrical attack, but more than her words, it's Apple's instinctive and imaginatively applied vocal overdubs that really launch this one-of-a-kind recording into the stratosphere. Several future classics on this one, the depression-themed <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2OQpQTRogZ1AhnUHJiT9Nb?si=a651d113e4574b7d">Heavy Balloon</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/73SBAGI4fPFm4VkB3NjXq8?si=fa3237a2cf304075">I Want You To Love Me</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2pDKE8Q40TDGPl1O11DKKn?si=ff6d3a8967a64950">Shameika</a></i> (oh how much one kind word can inspire), <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/12WhIX6MvI93bS3wPSStSY?si=91347b1c7b5f404e">Under The Table</a></i>, the Cavanuagh-hearing-referencing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5BBWr1LUsCH1tECJLAUGnP?si=4f72123272f0418f">For Her</a></i>, but going with personal fav <i>Drumset</i> to represent. A bit of a cheat as it's this fearless album's most accessible track, but the song is just so damn catchy. </span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXhZhVmupLDmInWRk1NGgqev72Glx7ERS54JDjFOgh06qKsYv1eKdpnK70j4NkRv9ly5PBPBJEFJ6KuwcQDubp_QSTSQpUftPVeR37NpE2kaTgoZvgXGiOX1kqhLgbQ3odFC0arhnHarT/s500/Bruce+Springsteen_Letter+For+You.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXhZhVmupLDmInWRk1NGgqev72Glx7ERS54JDjFOgh06qKsYv1eKdpnK70j4NkRv9ly5PBPBJEFJ6KuwcQDubp_QSTSQpUftPVeR37NpE2kaTgoZvgXGiOX1kqhLgbQ3odFC0arhnHarT/s320/Bruce+Springsteen_Letter+For+You.jpg" /></a> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/23iSWEI5GZAGxHcJKYCuiC?si=cbb9e038749e427a">If I Were A Priest</a></i> - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:</b> Changing things up from his usual labored, exacting recording process, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5devPxQnSKVF2Ed0CVwQZh?si=R_xnxMlyT7uYP61dXeGrRA">Letter for You</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) was recorded live in the studio in just five days. A far-better-than-average but not spectacular addition to Springsteen's 21st-century catalog, there's a part of me that still wishes he had hung it up Jim Brown-style after last year's fantastic orchestral walk into the sunset <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BhqPpIgY83rqoZ2L78Lte?si=hm9MSfSLRnStIMcFAAEoLQ">Western Stars</a></i>, but the man is an unrepentant lifer, there are still plenty of fine songs here for devoted fans, and a bit of Boss-led uplift felt like just the right call for the tail end of this mix, hence fav track <i>If I Were A Priest</i> here.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AUpb0b15ckiVlLWh9Gax63T7y7zcihAfFqON9n3xBNv_C9KjGfqp7h9uI-4PbrMdUgustevftmKkUIlkOlo43lc6PsJhmMnZBC05mMahec-jiJjuFbJd78LOb3Fu4y4mbf3vX2oktBGt/s1200/Porridge+Radio+-+Every+Bad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AUpb0b15ckiVlLWh9Gax63T7y7zcihAfFqON9n3xBNv_C9KjGfqp7h9uI-4PbrMdUgustevftmKkUIlkOlo43lc6PsJhmMnZBC05mMahec-jiJjuFbJd78LOb3Fu4y4mbf3vX2oktBGt/s320/Porridge+Radio+-+Every+Bad.jpg" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>43. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2wzSJqHM39sWNvRnvaOL7X?si=2479a0199d364e21">Lilac</a></i> - Porridge Radio:</b> To close, we go with my vote for best song of 2020, which may seem an odd choice at first given how uncertainly this angsty-goth/post-punk anthem crawls out of the gate, but no lyric echoed in my head more as we passed through this tumultuous year than <i>Lilac's</i> closing refrain of "I don't want us to get bitter / I want us to get better / I want us to be kinder to ourselves and too each other," repeated ad nauseam over the song's spectacular final three minutes. The Brighton four-piece band's Secretly Canadian debut, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4DN3XbB33kHTJA7HhI0RFI?si=PUSijG38SFWOsG5JdIFv6A">Every Bad</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) is an at times merciless exercise in self-examination<i>, </i>but several of its songs are incendiary, led by phenomenal lead-vocalist<i> </i>Dana Margolin and her instinctive ability to craft unshakable catch phrases, that she then tags over and over with shifting nuance until the cup spills over with a depth of emotional meaning.</span></p>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-21119030615775223032020-08-01T10:13:00.008-07:002020-08-01T10:26:42.940-07:00HAVE WE MET - Destroyer (2020)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v1HKvQ2jC9bu-x2bDwH6hID7ht2wN3f95p1MDAjyLv72MMKSpeSdV-sjyDTSJedQ4OaEh6LadgMTybGLY1MznMokq6_-E7hkLxn-YdbPtXxkgNmdCxh2QDNjy3p-84i9G3VPibxSjx8H/s600/destroyer+-+Have+We+Met.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v1HKvQ2jC9bu-x2bDwH6hID7ht2wN3f95p1MDAjyLv72MMKSpeSdV-sjyDTSJedQ4OaEh6LadgMTybGLY1MznMokq6_-E7hkLxn-YdbPtXxkgNmdCxh2QDNjy3p-84i9G3VPibxSjx8H/w200-h200/destroyer+-+Have+We+Met.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Now active for well over 20 years, eccentric Canadian singer/songwriter and one-time New Pornographer Dan Bejar has knocked out several fantastic albums under his Destroyer moniker, from 2006's glammy <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/45xFWdfYE1s7zpenU78U0b?si=S-_FCLh8QQOcxAqW_EmOow">Rubies</a></i>, to 2011's amazing, instrumentally lush 80s nostalgiathon <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4WtvNVR7QeHUZGtHth9zND?si=o_M-wR_mTgyDP6bf4qYsCA">Kaputt</a></i>, to 2015's evocative, brass heavy, New York-celebrating <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1W2B8qW1EDywGkYE6UYDKB?si=h8rstWpjTQ6CtBO0tm4JMw">Poison Season</a></i>, and while for the first stretch of Destroyer's evolution the sonic template varied substantially from release to release, ever since <i>Kaputt</i> Bejar and his team of crack supporting musicians have locked on to a highly romanticized 80s solo Brian Ferry/Roxy Music <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3JXODSjT9mUz2lIb4YIErw?si=vJIuw0wITNK6tMAETzoOsQ">Avalon</a></i> synth sheen, and that is the case again on 2020's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3quNG7I59IYGauZ9Tn7Iyk?si=bpR08uNaTTmqsTmJDMWFlA"><i>Have We Me</i>t</a>. <div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, while the lyricism remains skillful, clever, and at time quite humorous, and the musicianship and production remain immaculate and perfectly dialed in to this very specific 80s vibe, the songs on <i>Have We Met</i> just don't land like they have on most of Destroyer's previous efforts. </div><div><br /></div><div>Much is probably due to Bejar's decision to dial down the arrangements on <i>Have We Met</i>, going for a relatively sparer, more intimate feel this time out, like walking in on some local hipster crooning to a near empty bar well after midnight, but whatever the thematic and stylistic intents (I suspect generating a sense of ennui was one of Bejar's specific goals), the end result is one of Destroyer's least impactful releases.</div><div><br /></div><div>That said, there are still enough decent songs like opener <i>Crimson Tide</i>, the funky throwaway <i>Cue Synthesizer</i>, the instrumental title track with its late night vibe, and the melodic closer <i>foolsong</i> to almost justify, when combined with the ace production, giving <i>Have We Met</i> a low solid recommend, but the meh-ness of most of the rest of the material is ultimately too much to overcome.<br /><div><br /></div><div>So definitely a decent enough effort to recommend for established fans, but if you are new to Destroyer, with past releases like <i>Rubies</i>, <i>Kaputt</i>, and <i>Poison Season</i> out there, there are much better albums with which to start.</div><div><div><br /><div><b>MILD RECOMMEND</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cherry Picker's Best Bets:</b> <i>Crimson Tide</i>, <i>Cue Synthesizer</i>, <i>Have We Met/The Man In Black Blues</i>, <i>foolssong</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="80" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3quNG7I59IYGauZ9Tn7Iyk" width="300"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>1.<i> Crimson Tide</i> - 8</div><div>2. <i>Kinda Dark</i> - 7</div><div>3. <i>It Just Doesn't Happen</i> - 7</div><div>4. <i>The Television Music Supervisor</i> - 5</div><div>5. <i>The Raven</i> - 7</div><div>6. <i>Cue Synthesizer</i> - 8</div><div>7. <i>University Hill</i> - 6</div><div>8. <i>Have We Met</i> - 8</div><div>9. <i>The Man In Black Blues</i> - 7 </div><div>10. <i>foolssong</i> - 8</div><div>Intangibles - Below Average</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a video of the album's best song Crimson Tide, which perfectly captures the albums "crooning to an almost empty bar well after midnight" vibe.</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9mFTgJQtCPk" width="560"></iframe>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-75740978729763548772020-07-24T05:05:00.005-07:002021-02-24T05:28:22.537-08:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhWmm74f1qJwffX59BftpQoHCqrvjvB-kAwahRgxWjGTzIdS2oFD93Yx9WCSdfeeeyKGBl6o3LtLB1VAg6OnjY7jnRD_t9KPIKpiJ9shF6hZ3-xbAVRJOCI5rvP12pGg5UiYuV8bSgz-L/s225/Purple+Mountains.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhWmm74f1qJwffX59BftpQoHCqrvjvB-kAwahRgxWjGTzIdS2oFD93Yx9WCSdfeeeyKGBl6o3LtLB1VAg6OnjY7jnRD_t9KPIKpiJ9shF6hZ3-xbAVRJOCI5rvP12pGg5UiYuV8bSgz-L/s0/Purple+Mountains.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's #1 Album of 2019<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>All right, here we go once again, the complete McQ mix collection highlighting the best singles and albums 2019.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We're going with fewer, longer mixes this time out, and as will become quite clear to those who dive in, it was a singer-songwriter dominated year, with the R&B and edgy art rock genres also making strong showings, but a subpar year just about everywhere else.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But even with that, and whatever your tastes, I'm sure you'll find something new to love amongst the many tunes and albums profiled here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So without further delay, I present to you the best music of 2019!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-1-nancys-favorites.html">Volume 1 - Nancy's Favorites</a></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Nancy gets us started this year with her most expansive collection yet of stirring singer-songwriter efforts and an upbeat rock, pop, hip hop, soul, blues and international hits.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Volume 2 - Best Albums Left</a></span></span></b></div>
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Next up, McQ highlights representative cuts from twenty more excellent 2019 releases Nancy missed. <br />
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-3-all-things-indie.html">Volume 3 - All Things Indie!</a></font></span></b></b></div>
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Indie may have been the worst performing genre of 2019 overall, but given wide swath of sounds the genre produces - from folk to psych-rock to shoe gaze to Brit rock to jangle pop to new wave to alt-country, it still led to one of our most varied and best 2019 mixes. Includes efforts from Helado Negro, Beirut, Sundara Karma, W.H. Lung, Lower Dens, Deerhunter, Chai, Metronomy, Bat For Lashes, and many, many more. </div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-4-all-things.html">Volume 4 - All Things Offputting!</a></font></span></b></b></div>
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If it had room-clearing potential in 2019 - be it metal, noise rock, hardcore punk, bleak IDM, depressing art rock, weirdly experimental or in-your-face with taboo subject matter - it goes here. 2019 produced a lot of fascinating music with room-clearing potential.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-5-all-things.html">Volume 5 - All Things Soulful!</a></font></span></b></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Several of 2019's best R&B, hip hop, and grime efforts get their due here. Includes tracks from Little Simz, Lizzo, Stormzy, Michael Kiwanuka, Rapheal Saadiq, Rhapsody, FKA Twigs, Da Baby, Malibu Ken, Jamila Woods, Dave, Kate Temptest, Kano, Anderson Paak, DJ Shadow, and many more...</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-6-all-things.html">Volume 6 - All Things Rockin'!</a></font></span></b></b></div>
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Southern fried rock, garage, blues rock, melodic punk and hard-charging indie lead the way on our highest energy mix of the 2019 collection. Includes tracks by Thee Oh Sees, Fontaines D.C., Amyl & The Sniffers, Steve Mason, The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Rival Sons, Queen Zee, Wilco, Sturgil Simpson, and several more.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-7-all-things-disco.html">Volume 7 - All Things Disco!</a></font></span></b></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Electronica and contemporary pop make up the bulk of this synth-driven mix. Includes cuts from Billie Eilish, Normani, Jai Paul, The Chemical Brothers, Four Set, Taylor Swift, Sigrid, Hot Chip, Roisin Murphy, Charli XCX, Clairo, Sault, Galcher Lustwerk, Mark Ronson, and several more.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-8-all-things.html">Volume 8 - All Things Lyrical!</a></font></span></b></b></div>
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We close with a look back at the year's best performing genre, teeing up several of 2019's top singer-songwriter highlights. Runs at a lower wattage level than the other mixes, but along with <i>All Things Offputting</i>, has the highest overall quality of our six 2019 niche specific mixes.</div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5">Volume 9 - The Next 100</font></span></b></b></div>
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In no particular order, here are the next 100 tunes I was considering for these 2019 mixes.</div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-73676013334476890912020-07-24T04:59:00.002-07:002020-08-24T06:50:09.095-07:00McQ's Best Of 1969 Mix Collection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's 1969 #1</td></tr>
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1969. What a year. So many great works. Maybe not an amazing year for fans of bright, melodic pop or psychedelic rock, both of which were quickly falling out of favor. But an extraordinary, often groundbreaking year in country-rock, jazz, prog, soul, and nascent punk and metal.<br />
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It was also an unbelievable year in terms of off-the-charts prolificacy.<br />
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Truth be told, so many great acts came out with multiple great releases in 1969 that putting this retrospective collection together proved to be an unusually daunting task.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McQ's 1969 #2</td></tr>
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Think about it, in this single twelve month period, just among those artists we're profiling here we've got Tim Buckley (2 1969 releases), Joe Cocker (2), The Beatles (2), Johnny Winter (2), The Temptations (2), Love (2), Led Zeppelin (2), The Moody Blues (2), Frank Zappa (2), The Grateful Dead (2), The Jefferson Airplane (2), Steppenwolf (2), Ten Years After (2), The Byrds (2), Miles Davis (2), The Guess Who (2), Fleetwood Mac (2.5), Creedence Clearwater Revival (3), Fairport Convention (3), James Brown (4).<br />
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So with that insane volume essential listening, I had no choice really but to throw out our typical 80 minutes per mix discipline, and the guard rails completely came off. <br />
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Other than volumes 1 & 2, only one other mix in this set comes in under two hours, and several creep into three, even four hour territory. Way too much for one sitting. <br />
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So to help out, on the write-up pages (which you can access by clicking on the mix titles below,) I've broken mixes 3-15 into multiple set and encore chunks, just like at a long live concert.<br />
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Tackling them in this manner may prove easier , but hey, get after them any way you wish. I just hope you'll take some time to dive in, because 1969 really was one of rock/pop/soul's greatest and deepest years and there is so much here worth hearing.<br />
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We'll be updating this central hub throughout the summer as more of the mixes and write-ups become available. But we've got a few up already...<br />
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So, without any further ado, here our the mixes in our 1969 retrospective collection. Enjoy!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/05/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-1-nancys-favorites.html">Volume 1 - Nancy's Favorites</a></span></span></b></div>
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Nancy's collection of her top favs from 1969 was just too much fun not to open with this year. This 1969 installment nabs some of the best blues, soul, and psychedelic pop of that elite music year.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/05/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-2-best-of-best.html">Volume 2 - Best Of The Best</a></span></span></b></div>
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McQ's top-tier compendium to Nancy's Favorites, with the exception of a very significant early song from one David Bowie, this mix focuses exclusively on representative tracks of 1969's best albums (minus a few of 1969's great albums Nancy already touched upon).<br />
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<b><b><span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6918844506081112786#editor/target=post;newUi=1;postID=5613338885222621883"><font size="5">Volume 3 - B. B.'s Badass Bluesdown</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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1969 was an extraordinary for the blues and blues-based rock, and the first of our genre-specific mixes capture's much of the year's best here. </div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4CEKSVF9e7iMIZzzmwsp4Q" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-4-international.html"><font size="5">Volume 4 - International</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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The best of 1969's non-US/UK efforts get due here. If you're a fan of late 60s reggae, tropicalia, or euro-pop, you're going to find a ton of great stuff to revisit here. </div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4EcruEaKd7R172qiNhPUHS" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-5-prog-gods.html"><font size="5">Volume 5 - Prog Gods, Krautrock Kings, And Canterbury Chaps</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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Three highly influential experimental rock genres that came of age in 1969 are presented here in this epic length mix. </div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3mISGLHfN2gflywGpeHbY7" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-6-psychedelic-fade.html"><font size="5">Volume 6 - Psychedelic Fade</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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As with melodic Pop, Psychedelic rock was experience a rapid fade in popularity following its zenith just two years prior, but as most of their peers ventured into country rock and early metal, a few artists stuck with what the did best, and were supported by a bunch of lesser but game second-wavers eager to jump into the fray. </div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4lQni7Uu2FVpINuelm5ffV" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-7-d-smalls-jazz.html"><font size="5">Volume 7 - D. Small's Jazz Odyssey</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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1969 was a great year for adventurous, exploratory jazz, and we've got a small (but still quite long) sample of some of the best here. Includes revered classics from the likes of Miles Davis, George Russell, Don Cherry, Les McCann, and Pharoah Sanders, among several others</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5hSTbapbQuA0x417s1ONWh" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-8-grade-schmaltz.html"><font size="5">Volume 8 - Grade A Schmaltz</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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This year's guilty pleasure installment focuses mostly on those Soul, Pop, and Country singles that won our hearts but felt behind the times even back when they were released in 1969. </div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/45JzSTiIuzpC8KryKHpBpe" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-9-jam-on-and-on.html"><font size="5">Volume 9 - Jam On... And On... And On... And On...</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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1969 was nothing if not loose, exploratory and jammy. This mix, designed something like a never ending Grateful Dead show of the era, captures that spirit and then some - celebrating much of the year's best extended, solo-heavy psychedelic, rock and experimental efforts in an epic four hour mix.</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3vYAqmIFOkdUYgOW3sgKWt" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-10-poptimists.html"><font size="5">Volume 10 - Poptimists & Operatics</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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The sugar sweet harmonic pop that dominated the charts just a few years ago was, like psychedelic music, quickly fading from mainstream favor, but in it's wake, a new angle on album-oriented pop, the Rock Opera, emerged. Features several selections from the year's two ground breaking rock operas, The Who's Tommy and The Kinks Arthur (Or The Decline Of The British Empire), as well as beloved tracks from the likes of The Beatles, Beach Boys, and Velvet Underground.</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2H0c0dPCY193UEcN0Dk0sD" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-11-stone-buttered.html"><font size="5">Volume 11 - Stone-Buttered Psychedelic Soul</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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What a groundbreaking year for Soul Music in 1969. Some of the year's edgiest and most forward-looking soul can be found here, including many efforts by the likes of Sly & The Family Stone, Isaac Hayes, The Temptations, and James Brown!</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0glKUXwurn8KUJd9i0Eziw" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-12-conventioneers.html"><font size="5">Volume 12 - Conventioneers</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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Anchored by three remarkable albums from the Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny-fronted Fairport Convention, British Folk Rock had one of its best years of the modern era in 1969. This mix captures much of the best of that, as well as a number of notable singer/songwriter efforts out of North America.</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6JNaEMX72Pyw4g0AKAoqUZ" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-13-creedence.html"><font size="5">Volume 13 - Creedence & Friends</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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Country Rock had suddenly become almost the end all and be all in 1969, led by a remarkable three album surge from Creedence Clearwater Revival, but augmented by The Band, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt and a seemingly endless supply of Byrd's offshoots including Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dillard & Clark, and The Flying Burrito Brothers.</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4opt9M1NfdXcPTiFfn81xP" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-14-hindenburgs.html"><font size="5">Volume 14 - Hindenburgs Rising</font></a></span></b></b></div>
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Proto, proto, proto, Baby! Early punk and heavy metal really rounded into form in 1969, and we've got much of what was exciting about the early days of those movements here, including boatloads of Led Zeppelin, Stooges, Deep Purple, and Mc5. </div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6QsnbhVe3c2ScKUatSOpkW" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-15-croony-croon.html"><font size="5">Volume 15 - Croony, Croon, Croon</font></a></span></b></b><br /><br />
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Blue-eyed soul was a huge player in 1969 and we focus on two groups of practitioners, the old-style crooners - especially Elvis Presley, Scott Walker, and Dusty Springfield - and a new crop of usually brass-drenched rockers - including Joe Cocker, The Guess Who, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2YqYgvcQdaPZRM8szKRItT" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<b><b><span><font size="5"><u>Volume 16 - The Next 100</u></font></span></b></b></div>
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In no particular order, here are the next 100 tunes I was considering for these 1969 mixes.</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="280" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/18JX0xLm84yLQTIaHN24nP" width="300"></iframe></div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-19028702902001810612020-07-24T04:58:00.000-07:002020-07-24T04:58:45.889-07:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Vol 1 - Nancy's Favorites!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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2019 was a weird music year. </div>
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Crazily lopsided, it was an unbelievable year for high quality singer/songwriter-styled efforts, a very good year in contemporary R&B and dark-as-night art-rock, but then depressingly tepid everywhere else - subpar in hip hop, uninspired in both mainstream rock and contemporary pop, and simply abysmal in indie, the worst year for that broad genre since I began doing these collections in 2004. </div>
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And because so many of the year's very best records came in that bleak, depressing art-rock category, we're going to flip the switch here for 2019, just as we did for 1969, and let Nancy's warmer, crowd-pleasing instincts ease us into 2019's brighter moments first before hitting those potent but difficult titles in later mixes over the weeks that follow</div>
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So here then, music fans, for your Fourth Of July weekend listening pleasure, is Nancy's most expansive Favorites effort yet, two and a half hours of exceptional songs from 2019's sunnier and/or more heartfelt side.</div>
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Here's the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UWzKAo6f8cyclDIdlRFOC?si=GYhLjJHUR2qUMLxgSdboog">Spotify Link</a>. Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5UWzKAo6f8cyclDIdlRFOC" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now, about the Artists/Albums/Songs on Nancy's Mix:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8YcXC7f4QLms9HrJdysJVkIvmjSySvrqLmvcB_yLW-PeQPG-0YhCxEfRdQOxRvZiJOH16co48iMiWiL-WppJyihmwK_vK5rPVQBhcWYEobgYh0QCobah4E-oudWiBY5RqcW80v_3ySFG/s225/Beyonce+-+Homecoming.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8YcXC7f4QLms9HrJdysJVkIvmjSySvrqLmvcB_yLW-PeQPG-0YhCxEfRdQOxRvZiJOH16co48iMiWiL-WppJyihmwK_vK5rPVQBhcWYEobgYh0QCobah4E-oudWiBY5RqcW80v_3ySFG/w320-h320/Beyonce+-+Homecoming.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1 & 2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/10OaEuICuFoKLq48NoMblA?si=nbeJXNGXSqqEDL6LEC3lrw">Crazy In Love</a></i> & <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2NTp1e0sRMHiw368rfCGvE?si=gFeLSxqwRGGvQ1iK7aMpJA">Freedom</a></i> - Beyonce:</b> Nancy launches things off with the spectacular opening minutes of Beyonce's legendary 2018 Coachella show (the last Coachella Nancy & I attended), which has now been captured for all posterity in a Netflix documentary and 2019 soundtrack album of the same name, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/10OaEuICuFoKLq48NoMblA?si=fYM_s1L7SfO31ieQzrlEmA">Homecoming</a></i> (Solid Recommend). Whether or not the concert was the best live show of all time, as many in the press have posited, is debatable, but as a cultural statement steeped in black tradition and as a piece of deeply thematic, thoughtful <i>musical theater,</i> the show, built around the concept of hanging in the stands with students and fans for a Friday night football game at a southern HBCU, has had no equal on the Coachella main stage </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">(at least over the 11 years I attended)</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">, and probably never will. Best of all, hanging in the bleachers with head-cheerleader Bey, was the band, a brass-and-drumline-powered monster that fueled the show's every uptempo number with an unbelievable adrenaline rush, and lent every one of her many hits a fresh new feel, all perfectly demonstrated by Nancy's selections here.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uao-w_ZCpAuPRb82QXydY1VLb8C3ZZp1QijBCTR75DWuZvAy6DOsM70UPw_nf9uDiqVsWg_Uz284Bps1rhoZtLGp9uLHQCUs09dMJ5-3op__o71xAoN9WgNchRS98fGMcqkbxM8Yxp5d/s225/Durand+JOnes+-+American+Love+Call.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uao-w_ZCpAuPRb82QXydY1VLb8C3ZZp1QijBCTR75DWuZvAy6DOsM70UPw_nf9uDiqVsWg_Uz284Bps1rhoZtLGp9uLHQCUs09dMJ5-3op__o71xAoN9WgNchRS98fGMcqkbxM8Yxp5d/w320-h320/Durand+JOnes+-+American+Love+Call.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4FAWqHL0FZ3DZ8pMISLc98?si=k1tSqwQjS4ib4yPf9W3eLA"><i>Morning In America</i> </a>- Durand Jones & The Indications:</b> While the University Of Indiana - Bloomington campus is not the likeliest of birthing places for a retro-soul band devoted to recreating the sound and feel of Marvin Gaye's and Curtis Mayfield's/The Impression's classic late 60s/early 70s work, I'll take 'em from wherever I can get them when the results are as good as <i>Morning In America</i> here from the band's sophomore full-length effort, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZCrk8P8S1iSsEXZjimtPY?si=Na3rMhg3SrWUzRAFMRJQLQ">American Love Call</a></i>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHY79g2XBHSoov2VGHH18wpk4bXgxHAsYYLi1CAM5M3kOUbLdcaau97pi5pQDI2Fb6Tqxhg6zRFHwtDNwN9xWgY6cWmTgndeGLQYh1JI93JVDn3scRkB1mT2LRcnHioE_ibneF1yRCrYC/s225/Gary+Clark+Jr+-+This+Land.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHY79g2XBHSoov2VGHH18wpk4bXgxHAsYYLi1CAM5M3kOUbLdcaau97pi5pQDI2Fb6Tqxhg6zRFHwtDNwN9xWgY6cWmTgndeGLQYh1JI93JVDn3scRkB1mT2LRcnHioE_ibneF1yRCrYC/w320-h320/Gary+Clark+Jr+-+This+Land.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6vO6F6JejeM7cxvCvO1kBz?si=O2MLYZmgRruz37ZeQTmBiw">What About Us</a></i> - Gary Clark Jr.:</b> Nancy and I were lucky enough to catch this talented blues-rocker with friends at the Hollywood Bowl just a few months before the concert world shut down. In the show, he debuted much of the material from his latest, much more socially conscious-minded album </span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6pwdy6oQdwSQo8XOfpfAJJ?si=RrG1tsTXRkOApmXlLdLpiA">This Land</a> </span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;">(Mild Recommend), and </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What About Us</i> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">was a definite standout. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qaUiZ7XVvfIsRtc0reIWfRWbTntBEYBVeuHGXQ4yCZHivVCwSLZ5pY78x4PQqbeqCETPB4nXLdHMPiFvhWELZQjckVgAo6h8_3PdXewh7HN5nFS-mLtfOfH7VFDvfCwgCKBR_-JwEK0L/s225/Black+Keys+-+Let%2527s+Rock.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qaUiZ7XVvfIsRtc0reIWfRWbTntBEYBVeuHGXQ4yCZHivVCwSLZ5pY78x4PQqbeqCETPB4nXLdHMPiFvhWELZQjckVgAo6h8_3PdXewh7HN5nFS-mLtfOfH7VFDvfCwgCKBR_-JwEK0L/w320-h320/Black+Keys+-+Let%2527s+Rock.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/365TSrFPqM66giaxJuafR3?si=BRNTtvJdR0WpswvCme40OA">Shine A Little Light</a></i> - The Black Keys:</b> After a half-decade of hit records, festival heading gigs, and unrelenting touring, by 2014, the Ohio blues-rock-duo of Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach were understandably wiped-out and had to take a break. But five years later, following a period of relative rest spent mostly with side-bands and producing albums for other artists, the Keys finally returned in 2019 with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0aA9rYw8PEv9G7tVIJ9dKg?si=NyMtJGjFRqWKfl7Fkan1iQ">"Let's Rock,"</a></i> (Solid Recommend), an encouraging effort that, while not on par with career peak full-lengths like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1rlGDm1KQJfDyT5v1U8Xk5?si=z1sGUvVoS-yBeW_Ct5Vq0Q">Rubber Factory</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7qE6RXYyz5kj5Tll7mJU0v?si=5BBmoQPYSYa7ToHo6O2gAA">Brothers</a></i> or personal fav <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5DLhV9yOvZ7IxVmljMXtNm?si=3ULdw0WEQs-18NXcnHD3qw">El Camino</a></i>, proves there's still plenty of life left in the duo's sturdy three-minute blues-single formula. Much to my chagrin, Nancy gobbled up not just one but two of the album's best songs, starting here with its take-no-prisoners lead single <i>Shine A Little Light</i><i>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4WbSLlQcUKRc6XIsYaiEn1?si=qcPCF9hwQEyDyVgcRGtH6w">Sunny Love Song</a></i> - Bob Mould:</b> Nancy has never gravitated towards noisy, hard-hitting punk, which is why it's always been surprising what a soft spot she has for Bob Mould. But maybe that's because Sugar's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2MJGuraShzoUqqonCup43C?si=CW9rTIZtS0OR94RGw5WhXw">Cooper Blue</a></i> was such a ubiquitous soundtrack presence at the bars and parties we hung out in while having the time of our lives in downtown Chicago in our early twenties, and taken in that context, I guess it's not that surprising that Nancy's grabbed the best song from Mould's latest release, 2019's fine, <i>Cooper Blue</i>-like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1BwE4dnyuM1ML3iA8yy2e5?si=jKZwEY7cSgGx8XSTxD42Eg">Sunshine Rock</a></i> (Solid Recommend).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeQqMWOleTVQ7tkqgbJJ9d8Yk5rUFy3fSeS5jK1ihQybNKi_qot_2EqKIUVk_u1Oswc_rSDU2s-N14EDDZj3zmC2vIK2uvrBirHbZmXujeVAIpDlhLMHaHH2S2qNKSCJqw4fz4_OT0QvD/s225/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeQqMWOleTVQ7tkqgbJJ9d8Yk5rUFy3fSeS5jK1ihQybNKi_qot_2EqKIUVk_u1Oswc_rSDU2s-N14EDDZj3zmC2vIK2uvrBirHbZmXujeVAIpDlhLMHaHH2S2qNKSCJqw4fz4_OT0QvD/w320-h320/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4dRqYKhLVujxiBXcq50YzG?si=ctjt8J-FRAq1--txnZlOrQ">This Life</a></i> - Vampire Weekend:</b> In what was easily the most dreadful year in indie-pop since I began doing these mixes in 2004, one indie-release stood head-and-shoulders above everything else: Vampire Weekend's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1A3nVEWRJ8yvlPzawHI1pQ?si=lxNlBJKoTZ6g0FBViYgaOg">Father Of The Bride</a></i> (Solid Recommend). And while the sprawling <i>Father Of The Bride</i> isn't nearly as consistent as the Columbia University band's two best efforts (2008's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7JcfNKXoHSaog85a1hd4lx?si=t5hDzUwZRtWwlwqLO-JQXA">eponymous debut</a> and 2013's sophisticated stunner <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2Qi2SySN2ePZwMLDSv9Krn?si=g7Lga797TmiB3Upk4j3_KQ">Modern Vampires Of The City</a></i>), it's one of the few 2019 releases in any genre that's best songs are straight-up showstoppers. Nancy's grabbed two of those showstoppers here, starting with <i>This Life</i>, and we'll hit two more on our upcoming <i>Vol 4 - All Things Indie</i>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoDCF5w2wVyT4Ab4py35FvsrfDR2iAzIkWduLiVFksWkg2hb5a1sg2-r8NoOaxUKEOod8RG6InlE4hDucJA_7s80W4Z7E3ldLmgpqMU5PVNA_NHjSxs9JWFlPvqiQPzcoZj6WWs_la11w/s225/Jay+Som+-+Anak+Ko.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoDCF5w2wVyT4Ab4py35FvsrfDR2iAzIkWduLiVFksWkg2hb5a1sg2-r8NoOaxUKEOod8RG6InlE4hDucJA_7s80W4Z7E3ldLmgpqMU5PVNA_NHjSxs9JWFlPvqiQPzcoZj6WWs_la11w/w320-h320/Jay+Som+-+Anak+Ko.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2bVGZZxrkTDmm3UgduHNyh?si=oYDdztZVTDWuijdofDYnYA">Superbike</a></i> - Jay Som:</b> Just a lovely, chiming number here from LA-based, Walnut Creek born DIY-er Jay Som's (aka Melina Mae Duterte) fourth full-length for Polyvinyl <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ufXh8u7kIJE5EiutbOjyj?si=n53HY-KqTFSCp_hKC3UkQQ">Anak Ko</a></i> (Solid Recommend). She's been slowly moving up the indie ranks the last few years, and getting better with each outing, so wouldn't surprise me to see her land an album near the top of the year end polls down the line. But for now, we have this fine song to enjoy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WU1ka3svoe7fmz7k8fNCP7kI0q4GxncLt6MlJzJGaGB8-VmXln41NL4B5kRLRf5o_cS-mtIpkDrWBhm2ZM3C56xObo5sJUiL8SiAhadc5z-C_jV8V4arIS1olYWlg-Awtmv3NaP4PTT7/s225/Haim+-+Summer+Girl.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WU1ka3svoe7fmz7k8fNCP7kI0q4GxncLt6MlJzJGaGB8-VmXln41NL4B5kRLRf5o_cS-mtIpkDrWBhm2ZM3C56xObo5sJUiL8SiAhadc5z-C_jV8V4arIS1olYWlg-Awtmv3NaP4PTT7/w320-h320/Haim+-+Summer+Girl.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1GZH9Sv6zCIse2GKihRHKy?si=WWHNkelxSlSkOA4rWRu35w">Summer Girl</a></i> - HAIM</b>: One of the best singles of 2019, love the breezy nature of this so-cal charmer from the LA-born, masters-of-bass-face hipster sisters, not to mention the track's deep indebtedness to Lou Reed's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5WyuRWUcOOhAic0tj9Pl28?si=w_O9MvQcQPqYVDsAHv4opw">Walk On The Wild Side</a></i>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXpr8C5cHDu-XbXW1yQjPq9yWGESs-B7HUU4MPcha441GHDH_NpKz9InxyjhM3e7FtWHB_iqKlgKvOva2ARvnu9VbM5UJ3WJUybQP5zDRCNFEZMtMJnrYqMn4fw8kAcU9ttm2J2L4Tuk2/s225/KIWANUKA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXpr8C5cHDu-XbXW1yQjPq9yWGESs-B7HUU4MPcha441GHDH_NpKz9InxyjhM3e7FtWHB_iqKlgKvOva2ARvnu9VbM5UJ3WJUybQP5zDRCNFEZMtMJnrYqMn4fw8kAcU9ttm2J2L4Tuk2/w320-h320/KIWANUKA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2Y61ZvCuuLOhdkgl1B9ekh?si=rrOpH7x_Rs63pjirKPYUbA">Hero</a></i> - Michael Kiwanuka:</b> For most of its seamless opening half, Michael Kiwanuka's Danger Mouse-produced third album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1yIqauTni1V7l7djYAKSsZ?si=IqaHAY0pTU2yQWyUZmkriQ">KIWANUKA</a></i> (Strong Recommend), which doubles down on that signature spaghetti-western-soul sound the duo formulated on their previous joint effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0qxsfpy2VU0i4eDR9RTaAU?si=xe9wHu8cTMWltnFpVHWLGA">Love & Hate</a></i>, plays like a serious album-of-the-year contender, until a decision to slow things way down on it's back half brings the excitement to a sudden halt. But even with that almost jarring shift in tone, <i>KIWANUKA </i>remains a top-10 release on the year, and contains many thrilling up-and-mid-tempo numbers like <i>Hero</i> here.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjoFpEicpL8kh3eonybKvS_qGHivtIHBVVgiZlJ8knaqybP8-SgcjtvfkehcelHVnMo8gzY7W9yY1FxovBkz8l178abMF0IQ88KYVOIbDOXQ-AmkbVqr_D7joxCigA3FgNRLdqcaHllJ_/s225/Aldous+Harding+-+Designer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjoFpEicpL8kh3eonybKvS_qGHivtIHBVVgiZlJ8knaqybP8-SgcjtvfkehcelHVnMo8gzY7W9yY1FxovBkz8l178abMF0IQ88KYVOIbDOXQ-AmkbVqr_D7joxCigA3FgNRLdqcaHllJ_/w320-h320/Aldous+Harding+-+Designer.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/04XeEuHyG4Z3NKY1zgAYEO?si=VMWmo6BoTTmdZZLzl1bqJg">The Barrel</a></i> - Aldous Harding:</b> That singer-songwriter dominated-year alluded to above - it starts taking over this mix here, with odd-ball New Zealand indie-folker Aldous Harding's (aka Hannah Sian Top) delightfully non-sensical <i>The Barrel</i> representing the year's sixth best release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0QNJa03XQeMOuQhi9izThh?si=1O36Us_4QCmDxchJJF2xLA">Designer</a></i> (Strong Recommend). Much like <i>The Barrel</i>, the rest of <i>Designer's</i> so quirky gems (two more of which we'll hit upon in <i>Vol 8 - All Things Thoughtful)</i> suggest an emerging female equivalent to peak-form Andrew Bird (minus the heavy reliance on pizzicato strings). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWh5z7-VY43li93Hax8bJGiKTEwnIcWrBdF8etznCJ2MlFYpcG8sW2ntA3QCabYfLeZ0xsU9yFFeAMz76T1efM86FEw2uMNNjBJQrLb2OCAGEyU1mr4ScUnXTUZ-yzckd-SX0BVq95eFb4/s220/Bon+Iver+-+i.i..jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWh5z7-VY43li93Hax8bJGiKTEwnIcWrBdF8etznCJ2MlFYpcG8sW2ntA3QCabYfLeZ0xsU9yFFeAMz76T1efM86FEw2uMNNjBJQrLb2OCAGEyU1mr4ScUnXTUZ-yzckd-SX0BVq95eFb4/w320-h320/Bon+Iver+-+i.i..jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0d6bZwEAi1XblGRhnzPfgC?si=0YYqquguRne_ab591jmD5g">Hey, Ma</a></i> - Bon Iver:</b> A far cry from '08's breathtakingly straightforward, achingly earnest <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2008/12/for-emma-forever-ago-bon-iver-2008.html">For Emma, Forever Again</a></i> (Highest Recommend), Bon Iver's fourth release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/54DU59anGQsdrFP7utpshG?si=VpHj9AyqTnOoywrAWV6Fhg">i,i</a> </i>(Mild Recommend) finds the Bard Of Eau Claire continuing in an increasingly electronic, obtuse, experimental direction, to significantly diminishing returns. That said, buried within all that noodling experimentation, there are still four or five numbers on <i>i,i</i> where Justin Vernon's elite talents with emotion and song dynamics rise to the fore, especially on <i>Hey, Ma</i>, which Nancy quickly snatched up here. Now if Mr. Vernon could just find it within himself to reverse course, and get back to his linear, acoustic roots on his next outing...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWDGiLaLOxG4cPYNgw4OfBWdGeUB6Sb7qOoZmru9dWycgazWWqKarGPq72ufdaW1OQrEmC3TbrBjEXN-xT0RoIgOnSef1hYj_2Ly6lJagITLhyFFcRWlpR1EdYz8PaDltHgRyApDmHBr9/s225/Burma+Boy+-+African+Giant.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWDGiLaLOxG4cPYNgw4OfBWdGeUB6Sb7qOoZmru9dWycgazWWqKarGPq72ufdaW1OQrEmC3TbrBjEXN-xT0RoIgOnSef1hYj_2Ly6lJagITLhyFFcRWlpR1EdYz8PaDltHgRyApDmHBr9/w320-h320/Burma+Boy+-+African+Giant.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/44SSviC4R1TkAdsyptjDpE?si=FxN1HebrQyqxoY0SYZNC4A">Anybody</a></i> - Burma Boy:</b> Nancy gets worldly with <i>Anybody</i>, one of six singles released from rising afro-fusion/reggaeton superstar Burma Boy's (actually Nigerian Damani Ebunoluwa Ogula Rex) fourth release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34vlTd4355ddD4q9pPsoqF?si=QmidxZKpRGSJQeWPFdJZGA">African Giant</a></i>, a 2020 Grammy nominee and 2019 Album of the Year winner at the All Africa Music Awards 2019.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCRDJ5lndExVPZNqIWv60dFSvDOnjkXxlO-CjAd9i5hbpll0ZjuZBqYTCu_SBwqz3-WN3UNLDwkbjT5thD2gB9v2fNR7fpEvMRL6t8Ix0EyAVcxnf8RtQxPuinmC01QPGdTdvUb2DY7ee/s225/Tedeschi+Trucks+Band+-+Signs.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCRDJ5lndExVPZNqIWv60dFSvDOnjkXxlO-CjAd9i5hbpll0ZjuZBqYTCu_SBwqz3-WN3UNLDwkbjT5thD2gB9v2fNR7fpEvMRL6t8Ix0EyAVcxnf8RtQxPuinmC01QPGdTdvUb2DY7ee/w320-h320/Tedeschi+Trucks+Band+-+Signs.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6MOrfW7O4zi1hZ5zfG7Qqj?si=CzP78Qg3RJej12-7eVeu3g">They Don't Shine</a></i> - Tedeschi Trucks Band:</b> This lively, gospel number comes to us courtesy of Jacksonville, Florida husband and wife blues tandem Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, the first of two rocking songs we'll be hearing over the course of this mix collection from their band's fourth studio release, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2SWcIu27vvZHPxEHU3FDck?si=PtaB5bRHSMattQR4IdzVQg">Signs</a></i>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2a48G9bXnr8bjRnqmwD238BfS6W5zpFhEUR7ePdzyLpid2E_SYHkHU2qpAZbW14IXN3mt_jXC_cMsg4QomaVe0VpJF2rg376OuBOmny6yUCzyU5HsASCL6X9wOAJLYTc238MrLtADeJG5/s225/Tyler+The+Creator%252C+IGOR.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2a48G9bXnr8bjRnqmwD238BfS6W5zpFhEUR7ePdzyLpid2E_SYHkHU2qpAZbW14IXN3mt_jXC_cMsg4QomaVe0VpJF2rg376OuBOmny6yUCzyU5HsASCL6X9wOAJLYTc238MrLtADeJG5/w320-h320/Tyler+The+Creator%252C+IGOR.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5hVghJ4KaYES3BFUATCYn0?si=2sZkVZ4DStiNlA8vkcsicw">EARFQUAKE</a></i> - Tyler, The Creator:</b> A surprise selection, Nancy goes with this unusual, poppy number from former rap shock master turned Frank Ocean-styled flower boy Tyler, The Creator's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5zi7WsKlIiUXv09tbGLKsE?si=obufbgHKRrKmEdvPubC4tg">IGOR</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), the most critically celebrated (it ended up #5 across all genres in the year-end aggregate polls) and original hip hop album of 2019.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qaUiZ7XVvfIsRtc0reIWfRWbTntBEYBVeuHGXQ4yCZHivVCwSLZ5pY78x4PQqbeqCETPB4nXLdHMPiFvhWELZQjckVgAo6h8_3PdXewh7HN5nFS-mLtfOfH7VFDvfCwgCKBR_-JwEK0L/s225/Black+Keys+-+Let%2527s+Rock.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qaUiZ7XVvfIsRtc0reIWfRWbTntBEYBVeuHGXQ4yCZHivVCwSLZ5pY78x4PQqbeqCETPB4nXLdHMPiFvhWELZQjckVgAo6h8_3PdXewh7HN5nFS-mLtfOfH7VFDvfCwgCKBR_-JwEK0L/w320-h320/Black+Keys+-+Let%2527s+Rock.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2scIG4pnqvCStKHTZiWB0V?si=cT6aLHtbTWa7G9rkGSiOyQ"><i>Tell Me Lies</i> </a>- The Black Keys:</b> Here's one more from the Key's '19 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0aA9rYw8PEv9G7tVIJ9dKg?si=p8fx26eCQpqDgEspgoUbQw">"Let's Rock"</a></i>, the very groovy <i>Tell Me Lies</i>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKqjQg-I8y5hfj7a068l5_WSfpI_zNzOCgHsUXop4jilgVPRpQARlyBI-psTUT5egC0nd7410lPYl9eM8zIgU_aXoSC4aEl9IAC6LeRZWed9vayiY5NT_ASxCQlr746CMAVJTREyTOiGM/s225/Lizzo+-+Cuz+I+Love+You.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKqjQg-I8y5hfj7a068l5_WSfpI_zNzOCgHsUXop4jilgVPRpQARlyBI-psTUT5egC0nd7410lPYl9eM8zIgU_aXoSC4aEl9IAC6LeRZWed9vayiY5NT_ASxCQlr746CMAVJTREyTOiGM/w320-h320/Lizzo+-+Cuz+I+Love+You.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0k664IuFwVP557Gnx7RhIl?si=9UHXCSNIQLKWt9ZgtiyjGw">Juice</a></i> - Lizzo:</b> A huge hit from Time Magazine's 2019 Entertainer Of The Year, Juice was actually just one of many winning tracks to be found on contemporary R&B "Queen Of Positivity" Lizzo's third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6dFFcYQ8VhifgdKgYY5LYL?si=Nz3UokQkQtOssBMdvZth-w">Cuz I Love You</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), the most nominated (8) album of the 2020 Grammys. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeQqMWOleTVQ7tkqgbJJ9d8Yk5rUFy3fSeS5jK1ihQybNKi_qot_2EqKIUVk_u1Oswc_rSDU2s-N14EDDZj3zmC2vIK2uvrBirHbZmXujeVAIpDlhLMHaHH2S2qNKSCJqw4fz4_OT0QvD/s225/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeQqMWOleTVQ7tkqgbJJ9d8Yk5rUFy3fSeS5jK1ihQybNKi_qot_2EqKIUVk_u1Oswc_rSDU2s-N14EDDZj3zmC2vIK2uvrBirHbZmXujeVAIpDlhLMHaHH2S2qNKSCJqw4fz4_OT0QvD/w320-h320/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Ww4jdVXTyvSnryNTtReRJ?si=sm-LDc4IT2yy_h6MP7CEZQ">Married In A Gold Rush</a></i> - Vampire Weekend:</b> Much changed for Vampire Weekend in the six years since their last release <i>Modern Vampires Of The City</i>. Lead singer/principal songwriter Ezra Koenig relocated to Los Angeles and became a parent. Around that same time, Rostam Batmanglij, the VW's ace multi-instrumentalist and dominant production voice up to that point in time, left the band to pursue a solo opportunities and his exploding producing career (he's been a dominant mixboard player in recent releases from Carly Rae Jepsen and Charlie XCX, among others). So a new direction for the band was warranted, and inspired his new So-Cal environs, Cohen choose to shift the band's next album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1A3nVEWRJ8yvlPzawHI1pQ?si=58EFb4-6QpexVLiLyBJx2A">Father Of The Bride</a></i> towards a classic Laurel Canyon sound, and to assist in capturing that 70s vibe, he brought in Danielle Haim, the daughter of 70s studio musicians, to share vocals on three songs. All three tracks featuring Haim are among the album's standouts, but arguably, <i>Married In A Gold Rush</i> here is the best. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3zy7Xg-RkT6DyuEVekRFvdlb8um7_WL6w8N4zoPJWRNPAJOChE-fmik2P_14zDHm_likqt333OGBEzzPwSjYRvqT1w6R_jHixJU21G6W-9wWzQog_r_KJAdK1_2eGpmIYqaAYpVzuEwu/s225/Julia+Jacklin+-+Crushing.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3zy7Xg-RkT6DyuEVekRFvdlb8um7_WL6w8N4zoPJWRNPAJOChE-fmik2P_14zDHm_likqt333OGBEzzPwSjYRvqT1w6R_jHixJU21G6W-9wWzQog_r_KJAdK1_2eGpmIYqaAYpVzuEwu/w320-h320/Julia+Jacklin+-+Crushing.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3bt6gBOA41MHQfXy0Jf855?si=-p4k0QaHRnCiibTvA-RMhw">Don't Know How To Keep Loving You</a> </i>- Julia Jacklin:</b> Among the amazing crop of contemporary female singer-songwriters that have emerged around the globe over the last decade, I'm not sure any of them do drama as well, or with such a sense of life-or-death urgency, as Sydney, Australia's Julia Jacklin, and that sense of high drama permeates every note of her fabulous release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4u3aIyQbywYaxgF7TcXuIu?si=Qjz63HbTS3uAYutJ9mY9XA">Crushing</a> </i>(Strong Recommend, the year's fifth best release, and the best 2019 album represented here on Nancy's mix)<i>, </i>perfectly embodied here by the anguished <i>Don't Know How To Keep Loving You</i>. <i> </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSTPRxbL4U0MFQOVV_IXAtaJsY0tUAsvcYc7M4NoIn8z8ZkBO-BlDCiSPtjCzGygtrwHTlW2UJnK81_xaC69zJTWKf5wZeLeiot90Hy2G7mJQgbb7hawdejH2F4CwaQveRTUWCYY04ESg/s225/Sharon+Van+Etten+-+Remind+Me+Tomorrow.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSTPRxbL4U0MFQOVV_IXAtaJsY0tUAsvcYc7M4NoIn8z8ZkBO-BlDCiSPtjCzGygtrwHTlW2UJnK81_xaC69zJTWKf5wZeLeiot90Hy2G7mJQgbb7hawdejH2F4CwaQveRTUWCYY04ESg/w320-h320/Sharon+Van+Etten+-+Remind+Me+Tomorrow.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7yMYqHqzye8vtyiHqdVlZw?si=Kcq10bNfTym5Op87SRCV_Q">Seventeen</a></i> - Sharon Van Etten:</b> A slightly more veteran presence on the female singer/songwriter front, Sharon Van Etten mixed things up to impressive results on her excellent 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2dvXk4nacVRmDSnbKniwrS?si=mr7CSC7FS0ypHT8WxUDU1w">Remind Me Tomorrow</a></i> (Strong Recommend), embracing a number of unusual electronic, experimental, and in the case of <i>Seventeen</i>, harder rocking approaches to make the album, if not her best, then definitely the most interesting and varied effort of her career. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20UyQOsrLwTdZQAUvOTh-yctfOzGU7uVxt0-fa6C4cdwpM7iGq-UPApSzwv845QcaJMcF69PFAPozgm0yMci4XKAnbU7tU3HKjLy7MoGaFmwhIBnwJYgjUutTKv4HUYg8L-fBYMCGh2av/s225/Lana+Del+Rey+-+Norman+Fucking+Rockwell.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20UyQOsrLwTdZQAUvOTh-yctfOzGU7uVxt0-fa6C4cdwpM7iGq-UPApSzwv845QcaJMcF69PFAPozgm0yMci4XKAnbU7tU3HKjLy7MoGaFmwhIBnwJYgjUutTKv4HUYg8L-fBYMCGh2av/w320-h320/Lana+Del+Rey+-+Norman+Fucking+Rockwell.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5XpEKORZ4y6OrCZSKsi46A?si=5imnu8CWS3eQGHPuaXoL_w">The Greatest</a></i> - Lana Del Rey:</b> Runaway 2019 winner of the year end critic's album polls, Lana Del Rey's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5XpEKORZ4y6OrCZSKsi46A?si=gJSQZ-TFRuuiBbXoqnQjEw">Norman Fucking Rockwell</a></i> (Strong Recommend) is a definite career high point, and like Vampire Weekend's <i>Father Of The Bride</i>, her most Laurel Canyon-inspired effort yet. At times on this exceptional record, it feels like Joni Mitchell is right there in the studio with Del Rey, whispering inspirations as Lana records. And of the album's many top tier numbers, Nancy has chosen to run with the album's mid-tempo centerpiece and biggest hit, <i>The Greatest</i>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZK0DwS-RsIMnUZZJ3NUeeNzpPqwRNQcR3k3SzqC_OsQHMCM-XTVLDWt0Si6PfYuqlqJeaxgSAspKAZbJVHMfnbGD9NQQzUuNssorIH4uyEh9n8eZ9s5FHUDdE43oTrr0BBQkpgk-j1EE/s225/Bedouine+-+Bird+Songs+Of+A+Killjoy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZK0DwS-RsIMnUZZJ3NUeeNzpPqwRNQcR3k3SzqC_OsQHMCM-XTVLDWt0Si6PfYuqlqJeaxgSAspKAZbJVHMfnbGD9NQQzUuNssorIH4uyEh9n8eZ9s5FHUDdE43oTrr0BBQkpgk-j1EE/w320-h320/Bedouine+-+Bird+Songs+Of+A+Killjoy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/26BBEneISaACDEMkHkvINY?si=PlM0zIseSa2pZcL_udDMkg">One More Time</a></i> - Bedouine:</b> Continuing, but far from done, with 2019's seemingly endless singer-songerwriter parade, Nancy next taps the delicately chill <i>One More Time</i> from Syrian-American Azniv Korkejian's equally delicate and chill sophomore full-length under her Bedouine moniker, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ijCn6Y1xj6rrLNV8NHUc0?si=J24AS9KrS6OyBDh7df0OWg">Bird Songs Of A Kill Joy</a></i> (Mild Recommend). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohq8xF46XeIqL6iOqtTKD9BCuhyDn1VCvob7-jI9Wmo-lL1mr_9N25zieP10pAykZ4BWQn3boOeo0M3Xst2wWh5rC_m4LttfyF4v8XCa6hgzlDnc1tUGJrn7geOBDg5Ixf3qpESAxHzXb/s225/Boy+Scouts+Free+Company.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohq8xF46XeIqL6iOqtTKD9BCuhyDn1VCvob7-jI9Wmo-lL1mr_9N25zieP10pAykZ4BWQn3boOeo0M3Xst2wWh5rC_m4LttfyF4v8XCa6hgzlDnc1tUGJrn7geOBDg5Ixf3qpESAxHzXb/w320-h320/Boy+Scouts+Free+Company.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6WRRUfP5HL8RS70QiroToP?si=wwOPMxZGQ5C0_OgURQgAHA">Get Well Soon</a></i> - Boy Scouts: </b>This gentle indie-rocker comes to us from Oakland DIY bedroom-artist Taylor Vick's major label debut as Boy Scouts, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/20VXWYnITE2j0Ag67VtX7p?si=YoyMIhCeSxO8_DHAwf1DhQ">Free Company</a></i> (Mild Recommend).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMuOjkZpSIrssDRLEii_1vaaT7Pzb2KHMsSyEvekNRDFZ9TmGxcbACMqRzPGX-aVgz-pC9amsUumdiwk4qCrNvFbfBACfClRMMOZX6QtqOPqEP1UUcNZrKcPCdVrlGLWW_PmdxVge-tpC/s225/Big+Thief+-+Two+Hands.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMuOjkZpSIrssDRLEii_1vaaT7Pzb2KHMsSyEvekNRDFZ9TmGxcbACMqRzPGX-aVgz-pC9amsUumdiwk4qCrNvFbfBACfClRMMOZX6QtqOPqEP1UUcNZrKcPCdVrlGLWW_PmdxVge-tpC/w320-h320/Big+Thief+-+Two+Hands.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7IzJ7EGpIpq2vW3ylVTtMh?si=KZA9PbGiQlSMc_AFqKPV8A">Not</a></i> - Big Thief:</b> Brooklyn's </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Big Thief was on fire in 2019, releasing two high caliber full-lengths, and while their second 2019 album, the looser, jammier </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7pg8T6pajjHVZbiyB8bGxo?si=rgV5lTFCTkOpkeAA-NvV6g">Two Hands</a> </i>(</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Solid Recommend) was the lesser of the two efforts compared to the subtle, Radiohead-caliber precision and invention of the indie-whisperers first release </span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5X0bIKvPtSDo4NpXqgrB6p?si=fvYdrcP3RHSnp-SPfh-cYA">U.F.O.F.</a> </span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;">(Strong Recommend), it definitely had the top track in the so urgent </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">Not</span>,</i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> which wasn't just one of Nancy and I's favorite tracks of 2019, but a top-ten mainstay on most year-end best songs lists, and one ex-President Obama's 2019 favorites as well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2Oqwj7qM9lctWRKhNaIHsUAhiHN7udti6V_3VD5KxZEH4GrE_EfshhTfFgPXWWtgnNOHHEGtSpzigreT0YVoqWfwxl-YCf29T8J1mRujx-Y7_O08fEOR0eQovlfvVXBDtCWc3z4-_0m/s225/The+Highwomen.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2Oqwj7qM9lctWRKhNaIHsUAhiHN7udti6V_3VD5KxZEH4GrE_EfshhTfFgPXWWtgnNOHHEGtSpzigreT0YVoqWfwxl-YCf29T8J1mRujx-Y7_O08fEOR0eQovlfvVXBDtCWc3z4-_0m/w320-h320/The+Highwomen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0CTNLJMN9dMG4cl5qgsZSv?si=D_j6NlrpRJCrh7kTYvThUA">Highwomen</a></i> - The Highwomen:</b> The brainchild of activist, fiddler extraordinaire, and Jason Isbell spouse Amanda Shires, The Highwomen was Shire's attempt to raise the profile of female artists (not to mention their perspectives) in country music by creating an all-female play on the 1980's all-male country supergroup dream team of Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, The Highwaymen. Little did Shires know (or maybe she knew all along) that she - along with her partners in feminist crime Maren Morris, Brandi Carlisle, and Natalie Hemby - were about to become one of the biggest acts in country music in 2019 with their <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7sGTt1N5XMIQPCYHAnO1Pl?si=7f-Us0s0Qmyb_U6nRO6iwA">self-titled debut</a> (Solid Recommend). To celebrate this accomplishment, Nancy's tapped two songs from the record and placed them back to back. First up, the album's title track, an impassioned ballad that pays tribute to the accomplishments, strength, and moral courage of great women of the past, and then...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2Oqwj7qM9lctWRKhNaIHsUAhiHN7udti6V_3VD5KxZEH4GrE_EfshhTfFgPXWWtgnNOHHEGtSpzigreT0YVoqWfwxl-YCf29T8J1mRujx-Y7_O08fEOR0eQovlfvVXBDtCWc3z4-_0m/s225/The+Highwomen.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u2Oqwj7qM9lctWRKhNaIHsUAhiHN7udti6V_3VD5KxZEH4GrE_EfshhTfFgPXWWtgnNOHHEGtSpzigreT0YVoqWfwxl-YCf29T8J1mRujx-Y7_O08fEOR0eQovlfvVXBDtCWc3z4-_0m/w320-h320/The+Highwomen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7IgYxRCJtp36BlDUEoLEg7?si=D6_LUOg3Sxiw6lNoiOz1BA">Redesigning Women</a></i> - The Highwomen:</b> ...the album's spunky lead single, a song that pays tribute to the wondrous, tireless day-to-day accomplishments of modern woman in this multi-tasking present (though I think many would assert its been this way for women all along). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaa589bcSXhfxrpP-fOSnLG9o5-BMWCEwKw4Bz0f1xGSaMEgn4xOfTMfvH6GLj4Bev_tJTE9xihIwyv6FpAcXJuYPCgNlzhhWsl85V5SlS-Iw7PsTtWJh1Z69jdi0fP-HZWV0bbdSU09m/s225/WIlco+-+Ode+To+Joy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaa589bcSXhfxrpP-fOSnLG9o5-BMWCEwKw4Bz0f1xGSaMEgn4xOfTMfvH6GLj4Bev_tJTE9xihIwyv6FpAcXJuYPCgNlzhhWsl85V5SlS-Iw7PsTtWJh1Z69jdi0fP-HZWV0bbdSU09m/w320-h320/WIlco+-+Ode+To+Joy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7KMKJeH5Yod8ziVxigIW77?si=2Bxi4RoZQcqciSx3dP1oFA">Hold Me Anyway</a></i> - Wilco:</b> Though unassuming and quiet in nature compared to most of the other tracks featured on this mix, <i>Hold Me Anyway</i> comes off almost as a relative barnburner compared to the rest of subtly experimental soft rock protest songs that make up Wilco's thoughtful, reflective eleventh studio album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0RR7qfOCOOHXbPAO1P3G5b?si=OqjsJfp0QD2vbI8c3JY2UQ">Ode To Joy</a></i> (Mild Recommend). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkJXPdUoo5Qb-Vv6QARkhKN-0a6E9RhH89WpDpBmTPHIj3zYycAl7nfA4xnsV2OOC1zQq38IyrYd0ffFmsE7lC-xnXuiZ5Kz30-P2FSuf3q45M6MMPlekEIjUT0PXWAgvhreXO0Os6ggm/s225/Patty+Griffin+-+What+I+Remember.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkJXPdUoo5Qb-Vv6QARkhKN-0a6E9RhH89WpDpBmTPHIj3zYycAl7nfA4xnsV2OOC1zQq38IyrYd0ffFmsE7lC-xnXuiZ5Kz30-P2FSuf3q45M6MMPlekEIjUT0PXWAgvhreXO0Os6ggm/w320-h320/Patty+Griffin+-+What+I+Remember.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3fxFMiYZumjDSwbPNUzjEn?si=BHTD97bpT1a9sW_0Gj5uFg">What I Remember</a></i> - Patty Griffin: </b>It's really just not a <i>Nancy's Favorite's</i> mix until the Patty Griffin songs start to land towards the end, and her 2019 edition is no exception. This year sees Nancy teeing up two from 2019 full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ZbfpLDN1yP3JYlqb7K6w0?si=cHmAaj_aTECtlo0aC8YvBw">Patty Griffin</a></i>, starting with the old-school flamenco torch song <i>What I Remember</i>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo6xbYRDMzg4JPA7qRHoIhVRloY29uPWErw16tK_jETXhpSEKP2MkTiPgoo35XrXdAt37QdigUzLqe7Tgaoy5cwwmNZLrLHbUSMMC8PDAWwA-3qRuFel6HqSe01bhRmi8_mD-A0lbZeq0/s225/Alicia+Keys+-+Alicia.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo6xbYRDMzg4JPA7qRHoIhVRloY29uPWErw16tK_jETXhpSEKP2MkTiPgoo35XrXdAt37QdigUzLqe7Tgaoy5cwwmNZLrLHbUSMMC8PDAWwA-3qRuFel6HqSe01bhRmi8_mD-A0lbZeq0/w320-h320/Alicia+Keys+-+Alicia.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4eFvubnLRBu8vMPZqu5eC9?si=Xil5jsuPR5O51XNyPWCn4g">Show Me Love</a></i> - Alicia Keys, 21 Savage & Miguel: </b>This remixed version of <i>Show Me Love</i>, featuring hip hop star 21 Savage and co-written with Miguel, was the lead single forAlicia Keys seventh studio album <i>Alicia.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xzsppK5Jvm1-TACiDHte4jD1PW4_U9gZ_oKrA-9E9AuLaLid3HR9_YGQGf1bJkbDMmgCYY3iYcL83zXVYU_4kF77RV2-LFW3SVOrUoa6Y3GzfbOYz0_Z_MkrIEyayr6mYgwAsE354jAq/s225/Maggie+Rogers+-+Heard+It+In+A+Past+Life.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xzsppK5Jvm1-TACiDHte4jD1PW4_U9gZ_oKrA-9E9AuLaLid3HR9_YGQGf1bJkbDMmgCYY3iYcL83zXVYU_4kF77RV2-LFW3SVOrUoa6Y3GzfbOYz0_Z_MkrIEyayr6mYgwAsE354jAq/w320-h320/Maggie+Rogers+-+Heard+It+In+A+Past+Life.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/68vxG1i6RSmrsY9mRdqDgG?si=5K4eTMaEQvGbV2_fC_oXCw">Burning</a></i> - Maggie Rogers:</b> A 2020 Grammy nominee for Best New Artist, excitement had been building for Maryland-based Maggie Roger's 2019 full length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5AHWNPo3gllDmixgAoFru4?si=c_6pGwx5R1mMC-Rr0g3_OA">Heard It In A Past Life</a></i> ever since her days as a college student at NYU's Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music, when<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22560%22%20height=%22315%22%20src=%22https://www.youtube.com/embed/TyimCGEkiUc%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allow=%22accelerometer;%20autoplay;%20encrypted-media;%20gyroscope;%20picture-in-picture%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E"> a video </a>of her playing an demo of her early composition <i>Alaska</i> for a visibly moved guest lecturer Pharell Williams went viral and started an industry bidding war for her talents. Here, that sense of promise is fulfilled with Nancy's favorite song from the new record, <i>Burning</i>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNWZFg_J2Y0wPRZDgXbQ1lyoaDqF9BzBVLPcBJAQhyphenhyphengUZDojC8Drt8C-Oib4Iwr5Ov5usJWsGnAjfBj9IUPW16vAZzpAAScDeX84UrFigwDMUaibFC6pi8ZyKdJyjQkH3CmYRWb3zEYnx/s225/Bruce+Springsteen+-+Western+Stars.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNWZFg_J2Y0wPRZDgXbQ1lyoaDqF9BzBVLPcBJAQhyphenhyphengUZDojC8Drt8C-Oib4Iwr5Ov5usJWsGnAjfBj9IUPW16vAZzpAAScDeX84UrFigwDMUaibFC6pi8ZyKdJyjQkH3CmYRWb3zEYnx/w320-h320/Bruce+Springsteen+-+Western+Stars.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4RJjxFnUWa1ZWxUiqZ3ZJN?si=cpvx7o0aSw6xHyiaL75asg">Stones</a></i> - Bruce Springsteen:</b> Boss fans would be loath to hear it, but Bruce should really think about calling it a day right here, with his beautiful, cinematic 2019 walk off into the sunset <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BhqPpIgY83rqoZ2L78Lte?si=WlWnBvXvR4eHt8_8qXJYhg">Western Stars</a> </i>(Strong Recommend), arguably his best album since 2006's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2O3avtEIE8xX9F0zcIjIZI?si=eOHBkEmxSQGUjhBYaTHmPQ">We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions</a></i>, if not 2002's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/23vzCh5cDn0LzdGmGWrT1d?si=vhgTBwZGR6aBG1ywFifKog">The Rising</a></i>, if not all the way back to 1987's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5Qcef60m4gcckV24PmPYVq?si=iWGwKWmERwCl7PbUbD-Z5A">Tunnel Of Love</a></i>. Full of rich, expansive orchestral arrangements worthy of Roy Orbison or a John Ford western, <i>Western Stars</i> is a big-themed, elegiac record obsessed with legacy, meaning, and how one gracefully copes with one's emotions, past history, and regrets as one's life and relationships near their end. Here, on <i>Stones</i>, the accumulation of past moments of weakness and their lasting impact on a long-term romantic partnership takes center stage.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxp30gjSQuY-8bZcWEHP-TXqmEwG1ca-l07wGJMvGprFQY7bKtdbyj1CVcBdbZKy1CDXPrS4cbGOTd2OII7_nG0JfnpvUhUpYphilzd7ooHPy9abV7RSwRyAZnnegjXTH4ohE2M7qNQe4/s225/Joe+Henry+-+The+Gospel+According+To+Water.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxp30gjSQuY-8bZcWEHP-TXqmEwG1ca-l07wGJMvGprFQY7bKtdbyj1CVcBdbZKy1CDXPrS4cbGOTd2OII7_nG0JfnpvUhUpYphilzd7ooHPy9abV7RSwRyAZnnegjXTH4ohE2M7qNQe4/w319-h320/Joe+Henry+-+The+Gospel+According+To+Water.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3dnhbFi2XbgsZi415v5UEv?si=8rfHvptjTIC6FzHDM6aHGQ">The Fact Of Love</a></i> - Joe Henry:</b> Moving, mystical acoustic number here from veteran producer and Grammy winning alt-country recording artist Joe Henry and his 2019 full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7thIYdo6Wfoz4avjvJLcD8?si=ha8g9gLSReuladywPImZBg">The Gospel According To Water</a></i>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghH7vokF91jmUqi5vbwjk_t4CNFhOZ-GMrysnJq5c-irna-f_Pxi0qmigZXp9nBW2ed2CGiz_MZRAAiRZnGFdFZDprsXKN9cEtQbFwEnWcgEBWlQqvMqxGimIKpUzOHZ_BiOp3STluEsBv/s225/Mavis+Staples+-+We+Get+By.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghH7vokF91jmUqi5vbwjk_t4CNFhOZ-GMrysnJq5c-irna-f_Pxi0qmigZXp9nBW2ed2CGiz_MZRAAiRZnGFdFZDprsXKN9cEtQbFwEnWcgEBWlQqvMqxGimIKpUzOHZ_BiOp3STluEsBv/w320-h320/Mavis+Staples+-+We+Get+By.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5BbYHHJEXOAJMQjLj5jJ3b?si=803klakjRE2HpoHO0-Z0-w">Change</a></i> - Mavis Staples:</b> Now 80, the indomitable gospel inspiration Mavis Staples just keeps keeping on, as evidenced here with <i>Change</i> from her Ben Harper-produced 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/162ZDwMcg8NGzp6BPKy58G?si=jJMjwED2QTCaz14p6G5YAg">We Get By</a></i>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPyl1a193mZDbqOjXCfgKgAWVRkAi-g5_qi9hLpwkz9EwLAKI4h7r9p_iZOFFv6Bh2irxiS07BGdallsUy9GqukAmOy2YQqMzSWAXKazgufnixDPcjrm1CWYyycDMBSSfi2qn7lpmtaXx/s225/The+National+-+I+Am+Easy+To+Find.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPyl1a193mZDbqOjXCfgKgAWVRkAi-g5_qi9hLpwkz9EwLAKI4h7r9p_iZOFFv6Bh2irxiS07BGdallsUy9GqukAmOy2YQqMzSWAXKazgufnixDPcjrm1CWYyycDMBSSfi2qn7lpmtaXx/w320-h320/The+National+-+I+Am+Easy+To+Find.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1QWDJMmEcR2cYrFENBZkLS?si=dEFAAkYDTKi52q2FDORTBg">Light Years</a></i> - The National:</b> Owners of the most reliable sound in present day music, a sound that has produced an elite stretch of albums over the last fifteen years, The National finally shook things up in 2019 by exploring their feminine side on their eight studio release <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7sGTt1N5XMIQPCYHAnO1Pl?si=7f-Us0s0Qmyb_U6nRO6iwA"><i>I Am Easy To Find</i></a> (Solid Recommend). Every aspect of the album was created in conjunction with female collaborators, from the Alicia Vickander cover photo, to the endless parade of duets featuring the likes of Sharon Van Etten, Gail Ann Dorsey, Kate Stables, Mina Tindle, Lisa Hannigan, even the the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. And while I'd label <i>I Am Easy To Find, </i>especially in light of how good the band has been before, more of a fascinating stab at artistic growth than a significant accomplishment in itself, it does boast a few tremendous songs, especially closing ballad <i>Light Years</i> which Nancy has selected here. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicud2TcxCR0OCsKQID5ZKqWvgTSM9Q2msHKRhvrZFEFVa04haPDkoBnIYjKinEX98F806Vp29pkbd89Fak7hGkcUUUYz8wSxeWSNGAEl8nGM6qgW_sM9bWw_ITJXg8hLzzhSeU60-qbQ01/s220/Craig+Finn+-+I+Need+A+New+War.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicud2TcxCR0OCsKQID5ZKqWvgTSM9Q2msHKRhvrZFEFVa04haPDkoBnIYjKinEX98F806Vp29pkbd89Fak7hGkcUUUYz8wSxeWSNGAEl8nGM6qgW_sM9bWw_ITJXg8hLzzhSeU60-qbQ01/w320-h320/Craig+Finn+-+I+Need+A+New+War.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6WAJ4MnIAm3AaOQl0UkGHO?si=94PLHUNdQhemyuwjkZbQig">Something To Hope For</a></i> - Craig Finn:</b> One of the very best songs of 2019, Craig Finn's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7sGTt1N5XMIQPCYHAnO1Pl?si=7f-Us0s0Qmyb_U6nRO6iwA"><i>Something To Hope For</i></a> is the empathetic centerpiece to the Hold Steady frontman's appealing fourth solo album <i>I Need A New War</i> (enthusiastic Solid Recommend). Tackling a theme rarely explored in rock, <i>I Need A New War </i>is the concluding chapter in Finn's trilogy of small-scale solo efforts examining the everyday minutiae of ordinary middle-aged, middle-management schlepps, decent people sticking it out, doing their modest best, and loving their friends and family, but whose lives and careers now hold out little hope of great advancement, accomplishment or adventure. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkJXPdUoo5Qb-Vv6QARkhKN-0a6E9RhH89WpDpBmTPHIj3zYycAl7nfA4xnsV2OOC1zQq38IyrYd0ffFmsE7lC-xnXuiZ5Kz30-P2FSuf3q45M6MMPlekEIjUT0PXWAgvhreXO0Os6ggm/s225/Patty+Griffin+-+What+I+Remember.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkJXPdUoo5Qb-Vv6QARkhKN-0a6E9RhH89WpDpBmTPHIj3zYycAl7nfA4xnsV2OOC1zQq38IyrYd0ffFmsE7lC-xnXuiZ5Kz30-P2FSuf3q45M6MMPlekEIjUT0PXWAgvhreXO0Os6ggm/w320-h320/Patty+Griffin+-+What+I+Remember.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>36.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/62h7AycdIWjq6uYWC0LBht?si=JBDNZApCQPWR1tDP5kk9xQ">River</a></i> - Patty Griffin:</b> Question: Name the Patty Griffin album that doesn't contain at least one song that moves you to your very core? Answer: You can't! That album doesn't exist! Here's that song, <i>River</i>, from Patty's 2019 eponymous release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ZbfpLDN1yP3JYlqb7K6w0?si=3HjtVF0DTD2gUiwmqFRHuA">Patty Griffin</a> </i>(Mild Recommend).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNWZFg_J2Y0wPRZDgXbQ1lyoaDqF9BzBVLPcBJAQhyphenhyphengUZDojC8Drt8C-Oib4Iwr5Ov5usJWsGnAjfBj9IUPW16vAZzpAAScDeX84UrFigwDMUaibFC6pi8ZyKdJyjQkH3CmYRWb3zEYnx/s225/Bruce+Springsteen+-+Western+Stars.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNWZFg_J2Y0wPRZDgXbQ1lyoaDqF9BzBVLPcBJAQhyphenhyphengUZDojC8Drt8C-Oib4Iwr5Ov5usJWsGnAjfBj9IUPW16vAZzpAAScDeX84UrFigwDMUaibFC6pi8ZyKdJyjQkH3CmYRWb3zEYnx/w320-h320/Bruce+Springsteen+-+Western+Stars.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>37. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3YJNKUN2oTEARBNooWxhlx?si=RQdpBtWcRKKHsQS9rFIBjg"><i>Moonlight Motel</i> </a>- Bruce Springsteen:</b> <i>Western Stars</i> gentle, understated closing track. Seriously, Bruce, let Jim Brown be your guide here.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWoq5QVTJZkhcknLhyphenhyphenV21VDSeIZygKvWFFTT_N4gU8uUkJxLAGsPhETJ0dwCmbPcrfchyphenhyphenGhNsFUjlFsl3iBs0uz1AobfajhLPlUiU1JcsBJdCv8RPaLicIdxkRGfKbZYhcCd_4QHOVjxv/s225/The+Chromatics+-+Closer+To+Grey.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWoq5QVTJZkhcknLhyphenhyphenV21VDSeIZygKvWFFTT_N4gU8uUkJxLAGsPhETJ0dwCmbPcrfchyphenhyphenGhNsFUjlFsl3iBs0uz1AobfajhLPlUiU1JcsBJdCv8RPaLicIdxkRGfKbZYhcCd_4QHOVjxv/w320-h320/The+Chromatics+-+Closer+To+Grey.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0P15IgSE0jbe0z7t7jvDf7?si=Mg7yWZebSDORzq6nKqGfEQ">The Sound Of Silence</a></i> - The Chromatics:</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Nancy loves herself some Chromatics classic rock covers. After tapping the Lynchian synth outfit in </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2001/01/mcqs-best-of-2012-volume-10-nancys.html">2012</a> for their killer cover of Neil Young's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0yjhcB1fBuZ9SN7nn4mVB2?si=06Jdu-itRHCmb9Q4Llaypg"><i>Hey Hey My My</i> (</a></span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0yjhcB1fBuZ9SN7nn4mVB2?si=06Jdu-itRHCmb9Q4Llaypg">Into The Black)</a></span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;">, she hits them again for their mesmerizing rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2YplrdHMBoRdnHgMeHEwHm?si=o-fWD7QHTFKXXg86RaSrCg">The Sound Of Silence</a></i> from the Johnny Jewel-led Portland, Oregon outfits long-awaited </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6A6RTFXwJWesdPhSGnm0tF?si=-ZoudboZS3WgvWX-r8L7FA"><span style="font-size: large;">Closer To Grey</span></a></i><span style="font-size: large;"> (Solid Recommend). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8YcXC7f4QLms9HrJdysJVkIvmjSySvrqLmvcB_yLW-PeQPG-0YhCxEfRdQOxRvZiJOH16co48iMiWiL-WppJyihmwK_vK5rPVQBhcWYEobgYh0QCobah4E-oudWiBY5RqcW80v_3ySFG/s225/Beyonce+-+Homecoming.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8YcXC7f4QLms9HrJdysJVkIvmjSySvrqLmvcB_yLW-PeQPG-0YhCxEfRdQOxRvZiJOH16co48iMiWiL-WppJyihmwK_vK5rPVQBhcWYEobgYh0QCobah4E-oudWiBY5RqcW80v_3ySFG/w320-h320/Beyonce+-+Homecoming.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0QRxJvOohS8yiGC1n98uFM?si=lejmuIC1SK6xl0KFnnhoFA">Lift Every Voice And Sing</a></i> - Beyonce:</b> Nancy closes the 2019 mix with the definitive moment of Beyonce's Coachella show, when Bey, after having whipped the mostly white twenty-something crowd into an absolute frenzy with <i>Crazy In Love</i> and <i>Freedom,</i> brought everything to a dramatic halt with this stirring rendition of The Black National Anthem, something probably 80% of the crowd was hearing for the very first time.</span></div>
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McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-56912110086528683022020-07-24T04:52:00.043-07:002021-01-04T03:38:25.853-08:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Vol 3 - All Things Indie!There's no point in downplaying things. 2019 was a poor year for indie rock, failing to produce a single album I'd confidently rate a Strong or Highest Recommend (though <i>Father Of The Bride, Ulfilas' Alphabet</i> and <i>This Is How You Smile</i> and one or two others did get fairly close). <div><br /></div><div>But even in a down year, the genre is just so wide ranging in terms of the styles, sounds, and textures that fall under its umbrella, it still produced one of our most compelling themed mixes of 2019.</div><div><br /></div><div>So settle back, and enjoy the lighter rock vibes of the fading in significance but still intriquing indie movement. Here's the Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6y3Ktzh4g02gD2EhDHatLN?si=YRslma1WRI-A5EQj_GPeCg">link</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6y3Ktzh4g02gD2EhDHatLN" width="300"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">SET 1</font></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqUexVfnlFA3Dyn4l2J20v23MXHrLvCmjFlnywlQoL-p92c3u5T8jSZEevlUBGshgCrM7Njz8fa8Ro2_7oww5GcpNToFBPyIExEdDudZAif9RnYNIDs57CApkFdV-EClzcE1uvTZE0tsv/s220/Helado+Negro+-+This+Is+How+You+Smile.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqUexVfnlFA3Dyn4l2J20v23MXHrLvCmjFlnywlQoL-p92c3u5T8jSZEevlUBGshgCrM7Njz8fa8Ro2_7oww5GcpNToFBPyIExEdDudZAif9RnYNIDs57CApkFdV-EClzcE1uvTZE0tsv/w320-h320/Helado+Negro+-+This+Is+How+You+Smile.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3tBv6X9z13TaMz8JOscHhF?si=29zWqXp_ShqWuGExrMHZqQ">Please Won't Please</a></i> - Helado Negro</b>: We start with the opening cut from Ecuadorian-American, latinx artist Roberto Carlos Lange's magical sixth and best album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17LsQV3q3cgTBrat3D5JSv?si=Czmrr0wfQP-i57LQGdGnhQ">This Is How You Smile</a> </i>(enthusiastic Solid Recommend), a <i>Best Of The Best</i> worthy album whose songs just seemed to play better here. As much electronic as indie, this so relaxed in feeling (though not message) album follows a pair of brothers as they go on a weekend stroll, with the older brother passing on all manner of little life instructions along the way. The conceit becomes a brilliant framework for thoughtfully exploring all manner of political, class, and identity issues, most anchored from a brown perspective, without ever becoming confrontational. One of 2019's essential listens, we'll hit another track from <i>This Is How You Smile</i> later in this mix. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnwgO7Loz60c5v5A85o8vlSIePZxV7uNJEGHw_CVmoNbUt4lU4rk7uEmRI7q-N2Q5v7HZtkQv208vM67uf07S8o7wFlhCfzkXucmEt6Det36Mv1CpkczNOLoIxcHCR3jg9UapKenAyUZF/s225/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnwgO7Loz60c5v5A85o8vlSIePZxV7uNJEGHw_CVmoNbUt4lU4rk7uEmRI7q-N2Q5v7HZtkQv208vM67uf07S8o7wFlhCfzkXucmEt6Det36Mv1CpkczNOLoIxcHCR3jg9UapKenAyUZF/w320-h320/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/39exKIvycQDgs4T6uXdyu0?si=srOC6WzcTQOL0wRYw_rn-Q">Harmony Hall</a></i> - Vampire Weekend</b>: I think Nancy liked what was arguably the best indie album of 2019, Vampire Weekend's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1A3nVEWRJ8yvlPzawHI1pQ?si=Pu9D0HkDSRmEbfLxKEYj7whttps://open.spotify.com/album/1A3nVEWRJ8yvlPzawHI1pQ?si=Pu9D0HkDSRmEbfLxKEYj7w" style="font-style: italic;">Father Of The Bride</a><i> (Solid Recommend) </i>even more than I did, grabbing both <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4dRqYKhLVujxiBXcq50YzG?si=OS60oLfgQoOuyIyjZ2Ltdg">This Life</a></i> and the Danielle Haim collar <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Ww4jdVXTyvSnryNTtReRJ?si=jmnKKSdJRWCRucx-yTfBbA">Married In A Gold Rush</a></i> for her <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-1-nancys-favorites.html">Vol 1 - Nancy's Favorites</a></i> mix<i>. </i></font><span style="font-size: large;">Luckily though, we had different favorite tracks from this album, and the bouncy, multi-passaged <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/39exKIvycQDgs4T6uXdyu0?si=kXFRxUfBQFqAzWoCSqxhcw">Harmony Hall</a>, </i>with its stellar gospel-tinged chorus was unquestionably mine. </span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2a1MhaCRD34RN_7jPtEkZ2bsL4ucW4uSn_KdoZUBKhpv9mIDZ3L0Z7wZA9G2LqNw7aVlRnYhZDaRp-AuoywJ6QpMzWGpyHQRLkpDyBy0zxGMqs7xbvyZrEs4dN8ClRwC67tZfN0sDi2p/s220/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2a1MhaCRD34RN_7jPtEkZ2bsL4ucW4uSn_KdoZUBKhpv9mIDZ3L0Z7wZA9G2LqNw7aVlRnYhZDaRp-AuoywJ6QpMzWGpyHQRLkpDyBy0zxGMqs7xbvyZrEs4dN8ClRwC67tZfN0sDi2p/w320-h320/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5ngLKGORggsAo0uZVjJMxl?si=8Ur_nzQVS6SW1GHB957vqA">Little Smart Houses</a></i> - Sundara Karma</b>: Though rarely top-tier great, Redding, England's Sundara Karma's second studio effort <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3W9OL9JVLBAGb1sz2pXO6c?si=x_mSqCoFTheHytMC0spLTg" style="font-style: italic;">Ulfila's Alphabet</a><i> </i>(Solid Recommend) is so consistently solid., energetic and fun with it's glammed up, Bowie-esque mix of art rock, dance floor and new wave tropes that it emerged as one of my favorite 80s flavored records of 2019. <i> </i></font><span style="font-size: large;">After highlighting the album on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i> with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0mfSX8n55Bo7GB9PlMv1yy?si=mkY6iJfNSoypSWHtWmb9Qw">Symbols Of Joy & Eternity</a></i>, here we unearth three more excellent tunes, starting with the so-Talking Headish <i>Little Smart Houses</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWZYFYSvvIIH3uz_BpELSHCx6tUdklTmyse9IaFJwQYDqPKEP5vnsL2Bn1JUoS0ne9flM7zlsu4vKRdUM62ZZpPYyvvHpJqYFmyKhoGUhLpkFIrIDjHA0J7B5_HvSpBlSQf09LNT-1aRk/s225/Jay+Som+-+Anak+Ko.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWZYFYSvvIIH3uz_BpELSHCx6tUdklTmyse9IaFJwQYDqPKEP5vnsL2Bn1JUoS0ne9flM7zlsu4vKRdUM62ZZpPYyvvHpJqYFmyKhoGUhLpkFIrIDjHA0J7B5_HvSpBlSQf09LNT-1aRk/w320-h320/Jay+Som+-+Anak+Ko.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2geZQEcNUBN5nvGjdZtxkz?si=DYWmP1v1SWCMfqe5CaRstA">If You Want It</a></i> - Jay Som</b>: Having already touched upon Walnut Creek-born Jay Som's 2019 indie hit <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2bVGZZxrkTDmm3UgduHNyh?si=V3d_UBFDRGuGL5e2FQdtbA">Superbike</a></i> on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/05/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-1-nancys-favorites.html">Vol 1 - Nancy's Favorites</a></i>, we now check out the edgily laid-back opener from the Filipino-American's singer-songwriter's well-received third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ufXh8u7kIJE5EiutbOjyj?si=eGDBYnj-TdeAO70PykhYiA">Anak Ko</a> </i>(Solid Recommend).</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOi-0m7fB4360GvSqNmKQmVBSLc-24eaERgurqifiUs_0wl27-3gHAiNTUQJJ88y-3TcOpEzaj7JpxYedGlhhCBC4vDvQ8gNo1-ZRN1yOSK3g5bWMz1jqZTRUXNigq1KUQZSyQtH378TZQ/s225/Beirut+-+Gallipoli.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOi-0m7fB4360GvSqNmKQmVBSLc-24eaERgurqifiUs_0wl27-3gHAiNTUQJJ88y-3TcOpEzaj7JpxYedGlhhCBC4vDvQ8gNo1-ZRN1yOSK3g5bWMz1jqZTRUXNigq1KUQZSyQtH378TZQ/w320-h320/Beirut+-+Gallipoli.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1WpzIV4chlExwghx3yQu57?si=yoSz6MCFT7mpFOEFWQwN6g">Gallipoli</a> </i>- Beirut</b>: If like me, you were a fan of Beirut, one of the freshest and most appealing twee-indie acts of the mid-aughts, then there surprisingly solid 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3uqDi2osUi7ASUu2uGIeys?si=gSc4dN5MSXO0XsyXjf9VXQ">Gallipoli</a> </i>is going to feel like reconnecting with a great old friend after a long time apart.<i> </i>There's nothing particular new here, just that classic Balkanized, brass-heavy Beirut song, applied to a super sturdy set of tunes. We're highlighting two numbers from this winning effort, starting with the title track.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWgDyQmYsgjWdy-EQl830oN36ilWS25Yks4rrls15MCePoSxbOO-_0VSgWtQANBtmuMHcfRqI9aU2ily_eEDIiCc0zkzvrFo1R8QuwfWtCuiG37UoEVg2gpp2bq8NFqzlx33L7ujulhpj/s225/Strange+Ranger+-+Remembering+The+Rockets.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWgDyQmYsgjWdy-EQl830oN36ilWS25Yks4rrls15MCePoSxbOO-_0VSgWtQANBtmuMHcfRqI9aU2ily_eEDIiCc0zkzvrFo1R8QuwfWtCuiG37UoEVg2gpp2bq8NFqzlx33L7ujulhpj/w320-h320/Strange+Ranger+-+Remembering+The+Rockets.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5e51In4A767e4k58zjeKMW?si=IzkDvW4xSE6zLqgjTcaQaw">Sunday</a></i> - Strange Ranger</b>: Originally hailing from Montana as the band Souix Falls, now based out of Philadelphia, Stranger Ranger was hard at work in 2019 keeping the spirit of old school indie-rock and jangle pop vibrantly alive on second release as Strange Ranger <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6kwsP0sJkHxJPzw6hfKWzL?si=thIqoxOZTbiGxPpRQeSP7A">Remembering The Rockets</a>.</i> Here we profile the album's strongest ballad <i>Sunday</i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmp9o_J1g1vhj_zjQSDJXw7_1bPxI7eJRvwBjyDS3HgX81NeqSRwSzqSOAS2lZInX6azqoBp2chGomblNacoeQzXNUiixLbTxEPQ93SeFbZ7Ls99DiMqLqgKci_lvUpIYiG48_nGw70mA/s225/Vanishing+Twin+-+The+Age+Of+Immunology.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmp9o_J1g1vhj_zjQSDJXw7_1bPxI7eJRvwBjyDS3HgX81NeqSRwSzqSOAS2lZInX6azqoBp2chGomblNacoeQzXNUiixLbTxEPQ93SeFbZ7Ls99DiMqLqgKci_lvUpIYiG48_nGw70mA/w320-h320/Vanishing+Twin+-+The+Age+Of+Immunology.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3IrBNFSkU4eI4D8SaxVttk?si=W8RyYy1PSwOC2oNpyxslfw">Magician's Success</a></i> - Vanishing Twin</b>: Just a lovely little dream-pop number here from London's Vanishing Twin, the intermittently active psychedelic side project of Fanfarlo guitarist Cathy Lucas, taken from the band's critically-praised 2019 full-length release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0GiTOlUP38QYUf0TJm12DT?si=sC7_M2liQPes1AwN8rm5Vg">The Age Of Immunology</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfBH2FXKS6YjrJeXnf1yJrXxEu91ys1c8m211gZKNx1SMOvvuFoIEUTJ9c-omzma6j2tYkhfYHggTaHaajM-DcBChwD9cNoCkGKLR3YklRUZ14GCuuJO0jfyP9TOm4QlGNoj1h3A3wqSK/s225/Metronomy+Forever.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfBH2FXKS6YjrJeXnf1yJrXxEu91ys1c8m211gZKNx1SMOvvuFoIEUTJ9c-omzma6j2tYkhfYHggTaHaajM-DcBChwD9cNoCkGKLR3YklRUZ14GCuuJO0jfyP9TOm4QlGNoj1h3A3wqSK/w320-h320/Metronomy+Forever.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4h33lJL2YU05kEMaSkao47?si=6rbcmCmHTnWqYQ4CbgbDuQ">Lately</a></i> - Metronomy</b>: Time constraints prevented me from checking out likable English electro-pop act Metronomy's sixth full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7IzNAyOsxeWhKPyNNz1urS?si=kRK_aieIQAeQ-53kRGLZ1Q">Metronomy Forever</a> </i>this year<i>, </i>but a year-end perusal of the 2019's highest ranked songs in the consensus critics polls revealed a few definite new-wave-flavored winners of which <i>Lately</i> was my definite favorite.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrlDDWAQ1zdo6FQrfWYp1nKNtZqDrl9jQ6S2pY-ySKKsKNOYFumyFuoNIrSUTGpv6rqjzCzf0M1x76VTlPGrp84wC9LSfGUJPsuvhkv4rpL721oU7kdl1qlAwDCb02AwAaCOtR3Rbi6vZ/s225/Faye+Webster+-+Atlanta+Millionaire%2527s+Club.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrlDDWAQ1zdo6FQrfWYp1nKNtZqDrl9jQ6S2pY-ySKKsKNOYFumyFuoNIrSUTGpv6rqjzCzf0M1x76VTlPGrp84wC9LSfGUJPsuvhkv4rpL721oU7kdl1qlAwDCb02AwAaCOtR3Rbi6vZ/w320-h320/Faye+Webster+-+Atlanta+Millionaire%2527s+Club.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>9. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5QKE7ODTNKUqo9ZAyhtZ5J?si=bBhcOHm1SzChfBl7eaUfjw"><i>Right Side Of May Neck</i> </a>- Faye Webster</b>: Just 21 and already three albums into her career, breezy Georgia-based folk-pop melange-ist Faye Webster's 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4vt0V1SmkaK1Y440P5Nsb4?si=mTIcTYC5S4utFmLhtQ1JOg">Atlanta Millionaires Club</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) was her most promising effort yet<i>, </i>exhibiting an ever improving, compelling command of feel. We're featuring two cuts from the album in this collection, <i>Right Side Of My Neck</i> here, and album opener <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5Ch5DnYhQB2j0kzxngTybS?si=bKf6cBF8Qg-ZDn_r-Y4Sxw">Room Temperature</a></i> on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-8-all-things.html">Vol 8 - All Things Lyrical</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBzd5wT7akDQWp5wHfPgwNXUqz9_ahhCwHyWQTy0Nzj-nrN9ZVZ4jCITbLTcKrI6_fH6pgT86W74rE8bX2uvi8lU0v5Ow5aSTGK_h1J3rU6Id13y7RZETRsXgqBUrgm-7enbfDC5sZC73/s225/Cherry+Glazer+-+Stuffed+And+Ready.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBzd5wT7akDQWp5wHfPgwNXUqz9_ahhCwHyWQTy0Nzj-nrN9ZVZ4jCITbLTcKrI6_fH6pgT86W74rE8bX2uvi8lU0v5Ow5aSTGK_h1J3rU6Id13y7RZETRsXgqBUrgm-7enbfDC5sZC73/w320-h320/Cherry+Glazer+-+Stuffed+And+Ready.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5u3mk3AEJFMHBrVbu8woXA?si=YlTbgqK0SHKZHWMAtFZzVA">Daddi</a></i> - Cherry Glazerr</b>: Over it's relatively brief existence, Clemantine Crevy-fronted rock trio Cherry Glazerr has already undergone significant stylistic transitions, progressing from the lo-fi garage rock of their debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZAwYbiz9BH9XtmoxzIt5R?si=YDb7D4_pQi6w8ywXuX4r6w">Haxel Princess</a></i> to the almost dreamy polished pop of latest release <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1EE4A8oz3gG7CZUdFj7KMh?si=21Oq1-jFRTqB47ovPnkojg" style="font-style: italic;">Stuffed & Ready</a><i> </i>as exemplified by the almost shoegaze-y <i>Daddi</i> featured here<i>.</i></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23OxJ8GN5GksLrXCQmICXpY-ikkOHHUpNjvrQoujCQE217QrEXfR9V3U9MBXoT5se4D9XmIKBd8kEElxoIWi7cfS7YDstVle97Sy8LRqXWK7EV_Plc4C9yt7uuVz98USwjpyetH17QxE/s225/Deerhunter+-+Why+Hasn%2527t+Everything+Already+Disappeared.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23OxJ8GN5GksLrXCQmICXpY-ikkOHHUpNjvrQoujCQE217QrEXfR9V3U9MBXoT5se4D9XmIKBd8kEElxoIWi7cfS7YDstVle97Sy8LRqXWK7EV_Plc4C9yt7uuVz98USwjpyetH17QxE/w320-h320/Deerhunter+-+Why+Hasn%2527t+Everything+Already+Disappeared.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ISC0OWlikS5VyvQNIttlK?si=5jcgQ9IbR4-hr3cds6HXcg">Death In Midsummer</a></i> - Deerhunter</b>: With their eighth album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/68cdl6awj5SQOJXxUwcQHd?si=1_Frm5ikQlqedGf-rpdQ2g" style="font-style: italic;">Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?</a>(Mild Recommend)<i>,</i> the Branford Cox-led Georgia collective returns to the subdued, meticulous pop of 2010's near classic <i>Halcyon Digest</i>, but this time out the band focuses their deceptively warm psych-pop sonics and nostalgic lyricism outward instead of inward, mediating time and again on man's historical inhumanity to man. And that look back at human cruelty throughout the ages is perfectly established through the album's opening, harpsichord driven track <i>Death In Midsummer</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpmGP7hRp5xn3VDbE1KeKQUHLi3mblEiDUr2wJbjN89xLfi_Sr6G5A3457pREi4DsXQII1WHvPA5G9Hf-0xegGRMcRty83XifqS6S5K00wEYBuSxnQLxwDCB0p6gcHo66ChKAc3ctqHf8/s225/Chai+-+Punk.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpmGP7hRp5xn3VDbE1KeKQUHLi3mblEiDUr2wJbjN89xLfi_Sr6G5A3457pREi4DsXQII1WHvPA5G9Hf-0xegGRMcRty83XifqS6S5K00wEYBuSxnQLxwDCB0p6gcHo66ChKAc3ctqHf8/w320-h320/Chai+-+Punk.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3duOc7QkdWBNAFX2fNige4?si=NPF65tSyRJeg-N0_mPLBsQ">Fashionista</a></i> - CHAI</b>: We've already spotlighted high-energy J-Pop act Chai's sugar rush of positivity <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7tcbI0Qp64LaGwHYgwkbBO?si=agGT00-wTYCh8mpT04mzHA">Punk</a> </i>(enthusiastic Solid Recommend) in <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-3-all-things-indie.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i>. Here we take a listened to the album's most popular track, <i>Fashionista</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n-flLOdX7ahBJKaSwMByCm1Ra9lQTuTthyphenhyphenJIiZ-_erz10bt80OAPDLtwEhnyh9rxoPhnS2ZZC0A07EKJUivlz5RalPOED2URGOJFFbgr-c7VMw2sODbCBvWROku-LkYgmz4WAhppJrh6/s225/Girlpool+-+What+Chaos+Is+Imaginary.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n-flLOdX7ahBJKaSwMByCm1Ra9lQTuTthyphenhyphenJIiZ-_erz10bt80OAPDLtwEhnyh9rxoPhnS2ZZC0A07EKJUivlz5RalPOED2URGOJFFbgr-c7VMw2sODbCBvWROku-LkYgmz4WAhppJrh6/w320-h320/Girlpool+-+What+Chaos+Is+Imaginary.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6RiI88pDWXUBJcRPuNkjHK?si=hBw8R2mqQDOU8hJunWazag">Hire</a></i> - Girlpool</b>: Fans of earlier Girlpool efforts will be in for a bit of a shock listening to the band's latest <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/58HB0yjdQE2MH5MrfWt4EO?si=HKxve8AZQp232ysnujhzlw">What <i>Chaos Is Imaginary</i></a> (Mild Recommend), the band's first since guitarist Cleo Tucker came out as transgender and began sexual reassignment therapy, which has significantly altered her/his voice. But the deepening vocal shift has allowed the band to pursue a much punkier/grungier direction to intermittently excellent effect, as on <i>Hire</i> profiled here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzV8hnfmtJlSIw7No3NOxGgzrylPsP14ztNScR6Bv9rTgmI7XWT5PxLERrvbUvsRvluqGPKmq_j3FirYd_D2z8POBoOocS_imiq66NASdAfsHMmMpckY8ghu3S12OcIpk6FI9QC4wQP5M/s239/Indoor+Pets+-+Be+Content.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="239" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzV8hnfmtJlSIw7No3NOxGgzrylPsP14ztNScR6Bv9rTgmI7XWT5PxLERrvbUvsRvluqGPKmq_j3FirYd_D2z8POBoOocS_imiq66NASdAfsHMmMpckY8ghu3S12OcIpk6FI9QC4wQP5M/w320-h283/Indoor+Pets+-+Be+Content.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0xPfQrNCFYD16yix5HG0Ct?si=s5_jjmcFSlajsZhlQC5Ynw">Good Enough</a></i> - Indoor Pets</b>: Find yourself craving some lively, old fashioned, squeaky voiced power-pop in the vein of The Weakerthans, Weezer, or (in their rockingist moments, Death Cab For Cutie), then Kent, England's Indoor Pets' full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4OnQDv9959XqtXaN9GIM4u?si=mG-h6DHlRcOh8WdxekfFTg">Be Content</a> </i>(Mild Recommend) may be just what you are seeking. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeJBlFYcAtcw5dtuGlHbZbp36mhgJEPIkk01QJSyDapHL3I-HJzP2FOYSCLHntn_l5DKh16W77ajWnWJVhf1MAqTRVs0H0ld2dM1XkDgBVQJbpBykEKFJAv9dSVttTWXQqfzfW_odp6o9/s220/Marika+Hackman+-+Any+Human+Friend.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeJBlFYcAtcw5dtuGlHbZbp36mhgJEPIkk01QJSyDapHL3I-HJzP2FOYSCLHntn_l5DKh16W77ajWnWJVhf1MAqTRVs0H0ld2dM1XkDgBVQJbpBykEKFJAv9dSVttTWXQqfzfW_odp6o9/w320-h320/Marika+Hackman+-+Any+Human+Friend.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3TwJeCfbNpL2yTMmkpmMSM?si=U25y0y9VQK-L2A_S56bktQ">hand solo</a> </i>- Marika Hackman</b>: Frank discussions of sexual pleasure dominate Brit folk-rocker Marika Hackman's engaging third full-length effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3fAQ8miSpElUzh7RGYyXff?si=tvurr7-XSZ2119iTvE4Z-Q">Any Human Friend</a> (Solid Recommend), </i>as will be lyrically obvious on this feminist masturbation ode.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">SET 2</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYS3qGRsoYWQHDnS8-2jNfwnmJ8LWmWag3CD32LSFAk689U2kzlCuHTTsJQSDzAaHT34MW8z9HcV6qeXOkh85C9-8ywUNDGGGKAj8qIvESAr4fA321-GSIQYssc-sQ8q1eGG4cp-eYfXKr/s225/W.H+Lung+-+Incidental+Music.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYS3qGRsoYWQHDnS8-2jNfwnmJ8LWmWag3CD32LSFAk689U2kzlCuHTTsJQSDzAaHT34MW8z9HcV6qeXOkh85C9-8ywUNDGGGKAj8qIvESAr4fA321-GSIQYssc-sQ8q1eGG4cp-eYfXKr/w320-h320/W.H+Lung+-+Incidental+Music.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2V2EpnlXCLj7EWTH1npVVz?si=tb9jt1YJQO6AgXikG4eF9g">Simpatico People</a> </i>- W. H. Lung</b>: We start our second set with the killer ten-minute opening track from Manchester trio W. H. Lung's promising debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5XM61zcwGVgTvTRnhiPK62?si=D30tOxtvTwCS6yjoFyf6fw" style="font-style: italic;">Incidental Music</a><i> (Solid Recommend)</i>. </font><font size="5">A compelling, flowing brew of psychedelic, krautrock, post-punk and synth-pop influences, if you like <i>Simpatico People</i> you'll like most of the record. Other highlights include <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1j7FXoyKfYbzc9jZlvfEDk?si=BKQTSaTERFWRIN4QGKuygg">Nothing Is</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7hvRmccdrkGVU9me8FcNkb?si=eky6zV-MQAS52MEoU9FRuQ">Want</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVgsl0SciuTyL44ZSyfJSCYlTCMR7kUvx2mE1UEThBUAtJQsfQwcs10eEFyMFMVB34ykWlOdtQmMeqPF5e9pKIIuJneW84LJNhNlAyERCm4bGmv4sfLeJyodmoF6WnulMOivTlgQSySIc/s225/Whitney+Forever+Turned+Around.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVgsl0SciuTyL44ZSyfJSCYlTCMR7kUvx2mE1UEThBUAtJQsfQwcs10eEFyMFMVB34ykWlOdtQmMeqPF5e9pKIIuJneW84LJNhNlAyERCm4bGmv4sfLeJyodmoF6WnulMOivTlgQSySIc/w320-h320/Whitney+Forever+Turned+Around.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0jWKeM9GbmR1tG6yLP2wX2?si=peObzxPuQW6lLiPK1UDJ9w">Used To Be Lonely</a></i> - Whitney</b>: With their second release, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2tEnM0jAnGCfNvrhVVVZ3h?si=xw-Ttc-ATyiyKggGbsw6rQ">Forever Turned Around</a></i>, popular Chicago-based 70s-styled soft-rockers Whitney softened things up even further, but whatever their music may lack in visceral oomph, it more than compensates for with subtle, likable melodies and a serious degree of arrangement/production finesse, traits well presented by album single <i>Used To Be Lonely</i> included here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrfEi961kxPtVCHPU7vGo0J7bSbD717C69Vr-AHPY_hoPkWIQVcxobEZzgU74NtClgQY9mVtjUNF_KizfUBvqyZ0NCmKMQaWt6Dg-kM45AjAGOzlzMEA3kxDc84RkCK_is016zU0gHGAq/s225/Bat+For+Lashes+-+Lost+Girls.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrfEi961kxPtVCHPU7vGo0J7bSbD717C69Vr-AHPY_hoPkWIQVcxobEZzgU74NtClgQY9mVtjUNF_KizfUBvqyZ0NCmKMQaWt6Dg-kM45AjAGOzlzMEA3kxDc84RkCK_is016zU0gHGAq/w320-h320/Bat+For+Lashes+-+Lost+Girls.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2QQpcVWc8QOXp1IlDcoI7K?si=8uWUQUL0Qn2984pOK0A31A">Feel For You</a></i> - Bat For Lashes</b>: There's always been a palpable whiff of 80's new wave to Brit Natasha Khan's (aka Bat For Lashes) moody musical explorations, but on 2019's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7grVw3ARnEdYQAbJlXcPii?si=_L-CYGxzQt-GZhSkCaeFLQ">Lost Girls</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), cheekily inspired by the soundtrack to the 1987 teen vampire camp classic <i>Lost Boys</i>, she tackles retro synth-pop head on, leading to what will be for many the most accessible album of her career to date.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG-ptqZcfeUNTELnDHMPFzNW7DtHY3KKaUhtNKwNxPOgKj9QJDUyhuIbCj1DB7DTz2eNo9fytrMSQ-CdVqG82rfCITQrtjBhLO6STBO3czxul7fOKvU1mQaaT-FU5X3sF0bD0Uc1ODv64/s220/Stella+Donnelly+-+Beware+Of+The+Dogs.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG-ptqZcfeUNTELnDHMPFzNW7DtHY3KKaUhtNKwNxPOgKj9QJDUyhuIbCj1DB7DTz2eNo9fytrMSQ-CdVqG82rfCITQrtjBhLO6STBO3czxul7fOKvU1mQaaT-FU5X3sF0bD0Uc1ODv64/w320-h320/Stella+Donnelly+-+Beware+Of+The+Dogs.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/46jCRQeHmNXk64pbye12h0?si=LKVwwNzkR-mR-K_RilgNSw">Tricks</a></i> - Stella Donnelly</b>: Went for the breezier <i>Tricks</i> over more heralded tracks <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6K9QPIt8AR422heY9O372w?si=iV0rAKi5SuyLgJZ1xRB03Q">Old Man</a></i> or <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6PzxnSCD8vU5unIbnJkWk0?si=GvygEq6_TZaza6DLa7vTBQ">Boys Will Be Boys</a></i> from rising Welsh-Australian indie-chanteuse and Courtney Barnett super-fan Stella Donnelly's major-label debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1pKIMs0GEePXjDC2EiYEb7?si=jFvPsOqZS7S7Y20jPI0tPw" style="font-style: italic;">Beware Of The Dogs</a><i>, </i>but regardless of which song you bond with, the lyrical message of her music is a constant - guys are jerks. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4VdxRpSNStbzJRM96jWVONDMoyST2puvL87VMhYUlT9iLtCiYkCQpi3ovnSYQK-Zg6vy6kjAlAkZbJGzGJ8utqEUqmnOLmKTmz7Vy0PDJ_6ngSnrGi90mSAh8LKrd5wlJoXw1EE56xuM/s225/Blood+Red+Shoes+-+Get+Tragic.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4VdxRpSNStbzJRM96jWVONDMoyST2puvL87VMhYUlT9iLtCiYkCQpi3ovnSYQK-Zg6vy6kjAlAkZbJGzGJ8utqEUqmnOLmKTmz7Vy0PDJ_6ngSnrGi90mSAh8LKrd5wlJoXw1EE56xuM/w320-h320/Blood+Red+Shoes+-+Get+Tragic.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3IhVtZeeF7niV1xlPyFHCE?si=avccrT2WSDqvC8hYMlz0vg">Mexican Dress</a></i> - Blood Red Shoes</b>: Harder rocking fare here from Brighton-based alt-rock duo Blood Red Shoes' fifth full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6RTFLPrkxHf95y4YLec3ti?si=zIAvn981RmykxCHlK9B4_Q">Get Tragic</a> </i>(Mild Recommend). If <i>Mexican Dress </i>floats your boat, I also recommend checking out the album's sludgy opener <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5WqLcSAGG38qXH95IaSgBK?si=AcVrYXSMRv2uR_8ITWLX5Q">Eye To Eye</a></i>, if not the album in full.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCqn8N7r7FqeFWp_djIxzgkNmAIdGeEeZSBIH0_Ppxypg3Zox6qmNJhC2B3pEgCX2KMl2kAEPcua_na19-6DVOY7T7ZO7bNvwGBTEegGlj5AxxU4WpuUpDEoKUbP_9wiLEoBfTw5w-YNG/s225/Mannequin+Pussy+-+Patience.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCqn8N7r7FqeFWp_djIxzgkNmAIdGeEeZSBIH0_Ppxypg3Zox6qmNJhC2B3pEgCX2KMl2kAEPcua_na19-6DVOY7T7ZO7bNvwGBTEegGlj5AxxU4WpuUpDEoKUbP_9wiLEoBfTw5w-YNG/w320-h320/Mannequin+Pussy+-+Patience.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6ICtYhjPU0GFkR1jZk5UrN?si=cJdBF3T5S8WtveKzlA0xrQ">Fear/+/Desire</a></i> - Mannequin Pussy</b>: <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4j1OTpSF5ejqYPKwqHvlzM?si=LrNt2qMrT9iMZbM_ZePC4A">Drunk II</a></i> (See <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i>) from Philly punk-rockers third outing <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1X0Na8DRV5U6G9grTPDWKF?si=zdglB6SmQuW823LHwYkFFw" style="font-style: italic;">Patience</a> (Solid Recommend), was one of my favorite songs of 2019<i>. </i> </font><font size="5">Following in the same kinder, gentler, shoegazing musical footsteps as <i>Drunk II</i>, <i>Fear/+/Desire</i>, also from <i>Patience</i>, is almost as good. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovODf_hzDfUr3H9Q2C66_24gyc9HWEeT2mYJGU1YYlY4p_VsBpXTgfvPGB5QDEaUA6ZnYrVTL_MqGkYFCaaosciC09TagfPfWaL8kCIArb1OMAcLIkyNflYyv6IIJkTeoTAR6ZV1YYr0-/s225/girl+in+red+-+dead+girl+in+a+pool.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovODf_hzDfUr3H9Q2C66_24gyc9HWEeT2mYJGU1YYlY4p_VsBpXTgfvPGB5QDEaUA6ZnYrVTL_MqGkYFCaaosciC09TagfPfWaL8kCIArb1OMAcLIkyNflYyv6IIJkTeoTAR6ZV1YYr0-/w320-h320/girl+in+red+-+dead+girl+in+a+pool.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5MAjVARSIDzwz8jFG36hFu?si=KcKW7mybSPWyBcvdczF3gA">dead girl in the pool.</a></i> - girl in red</b>: Just another promising single from another promising talent in this dramatic wave of openly gay singer-songwriters that have swarmed through band camp and Spotify the last half decade, this time courtesy of rising twenty-one-year-old Norwegian bedroom popper Marie Ulven Ringheim (aka girl in red) from her 2019 <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7A8meGDqKo7DqqYgILTnUy?si=zs69_KfRShi-NNJqFqNlSg">Chapter 2</a> </i>EP. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQxf3avdOaqaw7CIbidD5NQeu6eI6WfYg4NDx7orX9Xczk_DjmMYFOqBTHFd5cS6L_EIk9K2bnGbUN0bIwXnRtAC2nR3domUyMMd9-xzwrPbrgsCi7S73E4ovLzppaFzk7skmByU5NYOf/s225/White+Reaper+-+You+Deserve+Love.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQxf3avdOaqaw7CIbidD5NQeu6eI6WfYg4NDx7orX9Xczk_DjmMYFOqBTHFd5cS6L_EIk9K2bnGbUN0bIwXnRtAC2nR3domUyMMd9-xzwrPbrgsCi7S73E4ovLzppaFzk7skmByU5NYOf/w320-h320/White+Reaper+-+You+Deserve+Love.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5YTDnlr6qzl0XIGCqHP7sx?si=66K4MClcQdKbfRynL9XnVg">Might Be Right</a> </i>- White Reaper</b>: Nifty lead power-pop single here from Louisville-based garage rockers White Reaper's third full-length release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2hzRKcoWZUPY5M1qMrgtmR?si=sAOzTwsFRR-cz5KgpfaflA">You Deserve Love</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFlzZqSNc_a2rJeksyjem1E76jXEYoFreqj9DBPDdFzgzUULkBN4bzYt1463ZwrRM-C4C4vqgT1ppF-LsD0J82rl4BdNau0OOLmjEF2PPYpnafPCP_Gb0RZzsniiCdGMn4rb2LnEO-5FX/s225/Boy+Scouts+Free+Company.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFlzZqSNc_a2rJeksyjem1E76jXEYoFreqj9DBPDdFzgzUULkBN4bzYt1463ZwrRM-C4C4vqgT1ppF-LsD0J82rl4BdNau0OOLmjEF2PPYpnafPCP_Gb0RZzsniiCdGMn4rb2LnEO-5FX/w320-h320/Boy+Scouts+Free+Company.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><font size="5"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/64A9DZXPterqi5iNspTdDe?si=haXelCtoSyq0blHW3OMm5w">All Right</a> </i>- Boy Scouts</b>: Having already tapped one song from indie singer/songwriter Taylor Vick's (aka Boy Scouts <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/20VXWYnITE2j0Ag67VtX7p?si=uTLIS2IjRWm1673da4TuSA">Free Company</a> </i>on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/05/mcqs-best-of-1969-vol-1-nancys-favorites.html">Vol 1 - Nancy's Favorites</a>, </i>we profile the up-and-coming talent's work one more time here with the airy <i>All Right. </i></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnwgO7Loz60c5v5A85o8vlSIePZxV7uNJEGHw_CVmoNbUt4lU4rk7uEmRI7q-N2Q5v7HZtkQv208vM67uf07S8o7wFlhCfzkXucmEt6Det36Mv1CpkczNOLoIxcHCR3jg9UapKenAyUZF/s225/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnwgO7Loz60c5v5A85o8vlSIePZxV7uNJEGHw_CVmoNbUt4lU4rk7uEmRI7q-N2Q5v7HZtkQv208vM67uf07S8o7wFlhCfzkXucmEt6Det36Mv1CpkczNOLoIxcHCR3jg9UapKenAyUZF/w320-h320/Vampire+Weekend+-+Father+Of+The+Bride.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2YegRTu9IjiUg4VWfnXyM3?si=83CtFapQQkya1AFyLnawgw">Sympathy</a></i> - Vampire Weekend</b>: Our second inclusion on this mix from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1A3nVEWRJ8yvlPzawHI1pQ?si=Pu9D0HkDSRmEbfLxKEYj7w">Father Of The Bride</a> </i>is a bit of an outlier for the band, far edgier and clanky than what one typically associates with Vampire Weekend, but the shift made a mark with the critics, as it ended up the top rated song from the album on many year end polls, most notably Pitchfork's best songs of 2019. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Izl-1w_3n3AjzUSyaFSJ2LIUPQ9WuEpTRyMbAj37qjHd-ad1bD4SsXW6TxoE4c7QdR_xzMwvjm4kh_TILtrBQvN1rzPWt2ZdfDVHlwvk2TZeN1VX2psR20YSpQfmYy_QAN9FHGfFkBLW/s225/Alex+G+-+House+Of+Sugar.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Izl-1w_3n3AjzUSyaFSJ2LIUPQ9WuEpTRyMbAj37qjHd-ad1bD4SsXW6TxoE4c7QdR_xzMwvjm4kh_TILtrBQvN1rzPWt2ZdfDVHlwvk2TZeN1VX2psR20YSpQfmYy_QAN9FHGfFkBLW/w320-h320/Alex+G+-+House+Of+Sugar.jpeg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><font size="5"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2S1hnlNW4hVAfmC4kqshP6?si=spgaVi4gRIaHCa230VKiKQ">Cow</a></i> - Alex G</b>: I've never been a huge fan of Philly-based, Elliot Smith-like lo-fi pop artists (Sandy) Alex G despite his near constant presence on year-end polls over the last half decade, but I have to admit, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2kCDZ3gCr5hXFgbFsPMcxP?si=GfsEI2znRKmHbcS2qjsoTw" style="font-style: italic;">House Of Sugar</a><i> </i>(Solid Recommend) is my favorite album of his to date, powered by delightfully relaxed tunes such as the live <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1V0mZgcXX5CAr1cGrlh6bz?si=65uuGTNnTXWB6f9Pt5L0GQ">SugarHouse</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/022KnoVZaB3IJx21uW5tDH?si=OThP-uZFRTCm6SVROhKrTA">Southern Sky</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/36zqSzaPzQWZYDCNm1klgY?si=-jaYetzXS1OUWO7LGlpwsA">Gretel</a></i>, and my personal fav Cow presented here. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2a1MhaCRD34RN_7jPtEkZ2bsL4ucW4uSn_KdoZUBKhpv9mIDZ3L0Z7wZA9G2LqNw7aVlRnYhZDaRp-AuoywJ6QpMzWGpyHQRLkpDyBy0zxGMqs7xbvyZrEs4dN8ClRwC67tZfN0sDi2p/s220/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2a1MhaCRD34RN_7jPtEkZ2bsL4ucW4uSn_KdoZUBKhpv9mIDZ3L0Z7wZA9G2LqNw7aVlRnYhZDaRp-AuoywJ6QpMzWGpyHQRLkpDyBy0zxGMqs7xbvyZrEs4dN8ClRwC67tZfN0sDi2p/w320-h320/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3JlHHrg8hDUqUpjitm5s8B?si=rSaQLBu5TYyY4BE-fNiruQ">A Song For My Future Self</a></i> - Sundara Karma</b>: For inclusion number two of three on this mix from Sundara Karm's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3W9OL9JVLBAGb1sz2pXO6c?si=x_mSqCoFTheHytMC0spLTg">Ulfila's Alphabet</a>, </i>we hit the album's slow </font><span style="font-size: large;">building, folksy opener.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23OxJ8GN5GksLrXCQmICXpY-ikkOHHUpNjvrQoujCQE217QrEXfR9V3U9MBXoT5se4D9XmIKBd8kEElxoIWi7cfS7YDstVle97Sy8LRqXWK7EV_Plc4C9yt7uuVz98USwjpyetH17QxE/s225/Deerhunter+-+Why+Hasn%2527t+Everything+Already+Disappeared.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23OxJ8GN5GksLrXCQmICXpY-ikkOHHUpNjvrQoujCQE217QrEXfR9V3U9MBXoT5se4D9XmIKBd8kEElxoIWi7cfS7YDstVle97Sy8LRqXWK7EV_Plc4C9yt7uuVz98USwjpyetH17QxE/w320-h320/Deerhunter+-+Why+Hasn%2527t+Everything+Already+Disappeared.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7dLIBLyWAsbXDhcZFMzKVv?si=ufYozZfCStCUdMN4c6cX9A">Futurism</a> </i>- Deerhunter</b>: One more from Deerhunter's eighth <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/68cdl6awj5SQOJXxUwcQHd?si=1_Frm5ikQlqedGf-rpdQ2g">Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?</a>, </i>this time its liveliest psych-pop rumination <i>Futurism</i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOi-0m7fB4360GvSqNmKQmVBSLc-24eaERgurqifiUs_0wl27-3gHAiNTUQJJ88y-3TcOpEzaj7JpxYedGlhhCBC4vDvQ8gNo1-ZRN1yOSK3g5bWMz1jqZTRUXNigq1KUQZSyQtH378TZQ/s225/Beirut+-+Gallipoli.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOi-0m7fB4360GvSqNmKQmVBSLc-24eaERgurqifiUs_0wl27-3gHAiNTUQJJ88y-3TcOpEzaj7JpxYedGlhhCBC4vDvQ8gNo1-ZRN1yOSK3g5bWMz1jqZTRUXNigq1KUQZSyQtH378TZQ/w320-h320/Beirut+-+Gallipoli.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/026OCabht6zFyPRLCPBBzY?si=LbSkKuBtRHO1nH_U1p7oiQ">Varieties Of Exile</a></i> - Beirut</b>: One more fantastic number from one of the most surprising late career albums of 2019, Beirut's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3uqDi2osUi7ASUu2uGIeys?si=gSc4dN5MSXO0XsyXjf9VXQ">Gallipoli</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArkksD09yIMPGz-CtcAQEBdcFk1Wd3bdEi5TVp62rxGPmBc_I4vHVDeHZwmqIKsZ027F2C92KjKeEYjEVRj19jZl96ihuG2gPQdzQPNeKNJkF_tkTYnibP_bhfO2FyG09aT1KIhAVkVqi/s225/The+Japanese+House+-+Good+At+Falling.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArkksD09yIMPGz-CtcAQEBdcFk1Wd3bdEi5TVp62rxGPmBc_I4vHVDeHZwmqIKsZ027F2C92KjKeEYjEVRj19jZl96ihuG2gPQdzQPNeKNJkF_tkTYnibP_bhfO2FyG09aT1KIhAVkVqi/w320-h320/The+Japanese+House+-+Good+At+Falling.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0NuIfPuBhUAt4aA4HP0rUu?si=10jw4L7ZSYu7NmWo9tY-AQ">You Seemed So Happy</a></i> - From </b><i><b>The Japanese House</b>: </i>Super appealing number from Brit and ex-Marika Hackman girlfriend Amber Mary Bain (aka The Japanese House) from her latest release<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3Pa8W1UOD018R21VgOPTYZ?si=h48fcGqwQIaOTv1-bXuX4A">Good At Falling</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWgDyQmYsgjWdy-EQl830oN36ilWS25Yks4rrls15MCePoSxbOO-_0VSgWtQANBtmuMHcfRqI9aU2ily_eEDIiCc0zkzvrFo1R8QuwfWtCuiG37UoEVg2gpp2bq8NFqzlx33L7ujulhpj/s225/Strange+Ranger+-+Remembering+The+Rockets.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWgDyQmYsgjWdy-EQl830oN36ilWS25Yks4rrls15MCePoSxbOO-_0VSgWtQANBtmuMHcfRqI9aU2ily_eEDIiCc0zkzvrFo1R8QuwfWtCuiG37UoEVg2gpp2bq8NFqzlx33L7ujulhpj/w320-h320/Strange+Ranger+-+Remembering+The+Rockets.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>31: <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2vBwJsqKEi9ZQTCsvUJRXS?si=1Hp0JdUMSEGvdy-rQoadYQ">Leona</a></i> - Strange Ranger</b>: One more track from Philly-based indie-rockers Strange Ranger's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6kwsP0sJkHxJPzw6hfKWzL?si=thIqoxOZTbiGxPpRQeSP7A" style="font-style: italic;">Remembering The Rockets</a>, this time the album's best song,<i> Leona.</i></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_O27z7OcbkKldevPDTSxyX77_jKMrPCSJzq5y1LmS_USLMcPjNDLjdJZ_qmVPoKIzm8XPaEcaw34Px_Stlaol1OlO3mqyCoNfzdvrosp2tO8D-vfJ5hFZVblsg0fbKRaE9jUAh7eEOTK/s225/DIIV+-+Deceiver.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_O27z7OcbkKldevPDTSxyX77_jKMrPCSJzq5y1LmS_USLMcPjNDLjdJZ_qmVPoKIzm8XPaEcaw34Px_Stlaol1OlO3mqyCoNfzdvrosp2tO8D-vfJ5hFZVblsg0fbKRaE9jUAh7eEOTK/w320-h320/DIIV+-+Deceiver.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0K8N0F3efUhd55TxNGgmGD?si=4Lswi2J4Rqq1WCfBNGIrLg">Like Before You Were Born</a></i> - DIIV</b>: Like DIIV's preceding record <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5PPPABn2aZ0jRuHPMONwSR?si=plJW_n8qQ3Cydk5X4RP0HA">Is The Is Are</a></i>, the Brooklyn shoe gaze outfit's third album <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/66aYL3AZPfk6leHxlJDYQ0?si=ktaPebagRoiOgD58SLraTA" style="font-style: italic;">Deceiver</a><i> </i>explores the difficulties and stumbles of drug and alcohol addiction recovery, a subject informed by band leader Zachary Cole Smith's personal struggles in the arena.<i> </i>But where <i>Is The Is Are</i> by Smith's own admission may have painted too rosy and facile a picture of the recovery process, <i>Deceiver</i> is far grittier and open-ended, recognizing that recovery from addiction is a never-ending battle. Despite the heaviness of theme, however, it never impacts the music which surges and flows in the spirit of My Bloody Valentine's best work, as clearly encapsulated by <i>Like Before You Were Born</i> here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-xktRAj_o0F7QIxlHCKM9Ncug5JbKIBCvoqnXVOua1D6YOGwgXhO_3WGSSr-mADvHL8JfM6iHxxS4vfjTQ8uwU5LaS7iGj_OZzeDIKfmKqm3tJ7RhKg_J6cjQU_40j684Qtg32FeG2Q2/s225/Coldplay+-+Everyday+life.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-xktRAj_o0F7QIxlHCKM9Ncug5JbKIBCvoqnXVOua1D6YOGwgXhO_3WGSSr-mADvHL8JfM6iHxxS4vfjTQ8uwU5LaS7iGj_OZzeDIKfmKqm3tJ7RhKg_J6cjQU_40j684Qtg32FeG2Q2/w320-h320/Coldplay+-+Everyday+life.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZlVUhjO8c0bOx1D2Btznf?si=ynjhRJA5TyyS6n49CYe_Qg">Arabesque</a> </i>- Coldplay</b>: Coldplay's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2FeyIYDDAQqcOJKOKhvHdr?si=QnGansFhTdeuEJgEowoIkg">Everyday Life</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), was a bit of a late career surprise, showing the band to be much more interested in experimenting and broadening their musical attack as opposed to just unleashing another batch of guaranteed crowdpleasers this time out, and most interesting in this new set of songs was this long, Middle-Eastern accented, brass-driven groover.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">ENCORE</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqUexVfnlFA3Dyn4l2J20v23MXHrLvCmjFlnywlQoL-p92c3u5T8jSZEevlUBGshgCrM7Njz8fa8Ro2_7oww5GcpNToFBPyIExEdDudZAif9RnYNIDs57CApkFdV-EClzcE1uvTZE0tsv/s220/Helado+Negro+-+This+Is+How+You+Smile.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqUexVfnlFA3Dyn4l2J20v23MXHrLvCmjFlnywlQoL-p92c3u5T8jSZEevlUBGshgCrM7Njz8fa8Ro2_7oww5GcpNToFBPyIExEdDudZAif9RnYNIDs57CApkFdV-EClzcE1uvTZE0tsv/w320-h320/Helado+Negro+-+This+Is+How+You+Smile.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7wEUhXGYbeUuhXdbDOExZU?si=NoHyvPPfSqihJY5yLiEEjQ">Imagining What To Do</a></i> - Helado Negro</b>: Tough call narrowing down to a second song from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17LsQV3q3cgTBrat3D5JSv?si=Czmrr0wfQP-i57LQGdGnhQ">This Is How You Smile</a></i>. Also considered the album's biggest hit <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/090a3fK6DnEKCECdfctvYy?si=saN8uVeoQtGDvwEFdU77Mg">Running</a></i> and the fabulous <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1XvLOHFuYm5HZt60nSsiKL?si=xPso38OPQbqTSE7xgkGbhg">Two Lucky</a> </i>(both on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3wDb0MadxeYdSyQUSaT4PE?si=GulKE9w_SF2JPPKBAmxYiA">Vol 9 - The Next 100</a></i>), but ultimately settled for <i>Imagining What To Do</i> here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisR_yhOuM-UgGl8g9Q2cE8y5Xl0V0M0YxZ3pKUM0aNIlfp2AzZL4-KipRtQY5c7Y_0RHvASZI1kXBG1EH7zcR57cr_F7qsRD2kEymXD4nnu_8WMtH6Bf9KdOF9Q-kfocWHYpH_P0z4A4fA/s225/Elbow+-+Giants+Of+All+Sizes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisR_yhOuM-UgGl8g9Q2cE8y5Xl0V0M0YxZ3pKUM0aNIlfp2AzZL4-KipRtQY5c7Y_0RHvASZI1kXBG1EH7zcR57cr_F7qsRD2kEymXD4nnu_8WMtH6Bf9KdOF9Q-kfocWHYpH_P0z4A4fA/w320-h320/Elbow+-+Giants+Of+All+Sizes.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>35. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7vt419ygTNF0BXbgMuVGAI?si=P8Z5Vm-DSVaKXBmPQ-m1vA"><i>My Trouble</i> </a>- Elbow</b>: While hardly best release of their career, inventive Brit alt-rock act Elbow's eight release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4EqYFNisfHX1IPA0IoaKI2?si=33ShLEO-QPefW_RqgWEhEA">Giants Of All Sizes</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is still a sturdy effort with more than it's fair share of highly compelling tunes, from the multi-faceted prog-workout <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7mc2TjVBVys9kTNOx9LzYF?si=kUh8AuuRS3GvUjXSbymVKQ">Dexter & Sinister</a></i> (featured on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i>), to the surging <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5hNDjCzZlSo6fTLCjnzbOO?si=wNME13aWSKOLAP0FZlFqWg">Empires</a></i>, to the Fleet Foxes-reverent <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1wxLTi6vrLWXsa1qQ42SGf?si=dPxVDfiYRBqf8tGd5vFFCg">On Deronda Road</a></i>, to the lovely orchestral ballad <i>My Trouble</i> included here. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGWnWwhZXQEDUNBqJyVX6GdI5wSyUkvBHwiTdjHzQXlEWU9QfiQV73HZaIE-Krejn-jbVk7cLjE0opSlffcF4oQdo3cwXBTHdScqmN_WUFRjyQxDLE1Si8BRfFIm5PqIfc2fUjqF-Kobw/s225/Lower+Dens+-+the+Competition.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGWnWwhZXQEDUNBqJyVX6GdI5wSyUkvBHwiTdjHzQXlEWU9QfiQV73HZaIE-Krejn-jbVk7cLjE0opSlffcF4oQdo3cwXBTHdScqmN_WUFRjyQxDLE1Si8BRfFIm5PqIfc2fUjqF-Kobw/w320-h320/Lower+Dens+-+the+Competition.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1WaXc60Xltofp2ZdRfu3xQ?si=HxtkslenTuinQ4jqUTuQzQ">Young Republicans</a></i> - Lower Dens</b>: Pure Eurythmics-styled androgynous new wave bliss in this standout track, albeit nastily politically one-sided, from Baltimore indie-rockers Lower Dens' four full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6rx96PrG4n2r80W391kTfZ?si=GckCgLRxT223ygh8OJEu-g">The Competition</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2a1MhaCRD34RN_7jPtEkZ2bsL4ucW4uSn_KdoZUBKhpv9mIDZ3L0Z7wZA9G2LqNw7aVlRnYhZDaRp-AuoywJ6QpMzWGpyHQRLkpDyBy0zxGMqs7xbvyZrEs4dN8ClRwC67tZfN0sDi2p/s220/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2a1MhaCRD34RN_7jPtEkZ2bsL4ucW4uSn_KdoZUBKhpv9mIDZ3L0Z7wZA9G2LqNw7aVlRnYhZDaRp-AuoywJ6QpMzWGpyHQRLkpDyBy0zxGMqs7xbvyZrEs4dN8ClRwC67tZfN0sDi2p/w320-h320/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4bkS139R86PjVhqJ0sKdpC?si=CdODBMRuQHy-_u0jxECvig">One Last Night On This Earth</a></i> - Sundara Karma</b>: For our final inclusion from Sundara Karma's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3W9OL9JVLBAGb1sz2pXO6c?si=x_mSqCoFTheHytMC0spLTg" style="font-style: italic;">Ulfila's Alphabet</a>, we tap the album's hardest-charging song, which at times feels like it could have been ripped right off of Bowie's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0lITGovWgaQGi42EfqcE5P?si=ZCpWX7O6QbGN0gqm2ALFwg">Young Americans</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA81wQVQ1ZjsZOXfhhyphenhyphenRHWDrFbNoITA55j4mvIzWJtEOuA7hd5TfnQVHRuo5OmrXhNCf59Uo1yVKQC_fsUiaVlJsC3c1hfsfZXr3mGjQjKFJe2EGqAA46yLWO6Wv4JNVmpS7bmiIueBIy/s1200/Charly+Bliss+-+Young+Enough.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA81wQVQ1ZjsZOXfhhyphenhyphenRHWDrFbNoITA55j4mvIzWJtEOuA7hd5TfnQVHRuo5OmrXhNCf59Uo1yVKQC_fsUiaVlJsC3c1hfsfZXr3mGjQjKFJe2EGqAA46yLWO6Wv4JNVmpS7bmiIueBIy/s320/Charly+Bliss+-+Young+Enough.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4l22haapWcx3EDHYbx5ptU?si=T_zevn9LR-qBLWCfnS7arw">Young Enough</a></i> - Charly Bliss</b>: Brooklyn-based alt-rock sugar pop quartet Charly Bliss's sophomore full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1r4TaIR9nZHCM2umwoEiWB?si=L9XCewvHSjyE8nLuIcp8sg">Young Enough</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is about on par with their exciting debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2nHZYXFcuUsOCVWAIS4TTi?si=LNIGhY32RE2iUG69ZqeFIQ">Guppy</a></i>, but the Eva and Sam Hendricks outfit, which also features Incredible Dash Parr (actually grown-up child actor Spencer Fox) on backing vocals and guitar, has never come up with a song as great as the title track before. Almost <i>Best Of The Best</i> material here. Just a phenomenal teen angst rocker with shades of some of The Replacements more earnest efforts.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFBZMrWSrh7NdmkHoYXgUyIlVwINflFStNs60J7FSXz_YSuXTuBrg3UO7LPRUqb32O6UO9PBTczGEqlHlMFLj9z6t-Ppe7ue42FfeBA83C51NeaL5yFc174UL_sF-KGD5mK5sMCFrYYEj/s640/Foals+-+Everything+Not+Lost+Pt+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFBZMrWSrh7NdmkHoYXgUyIlVwINflFStNs60J7FSXz_YSuXTuBrg3UO7LPRUqb32O6UO9PBTczGEqlHlMFLj9z6t-Ppe7ue42FfeBA83C51NeaL5yFc174UL_sF-KGD5mK5sMCFrYYEj/w320-h320/Foals+-+Everything+Not+Lost+Pt+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4Wt0oSeCIfNSuzXXgi4eXC?si=Bf61PtyWSCOvdGdPn7LEWg">Sunday</a></i> - Foals</b>: Long a staple of these mix collections since the release of jittery debut <i>Antidotes</i> in 2008, Foals released a pair of companion albums in 2019, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5oT2zoIrVGJcbVZoNGGZwc?si=s6Q92A_HRVK5tqQkP0nGVg">Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt 1</a> </i>and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2gA6WSERaJVOWwuB0hegvp?si=F6rAzBasRA-pg7eaaZWPwA" style="font-style: italic;">Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt 2</a> (both Mild Recommends)<i>, </i>and while neither album quite matched the excitement of their earlier, turn-of-last-decade albums, each still possessed several sturdy anthemic songs like <i>Sunday </i>that I'm sure, as is almost always the case for this band, kicked royal ass live. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPM8lfsVIwApVUBHDcz80GUzE4ni59YsJxQzgfugdCXAo8ERvtecN8DHwmm2J80MJYHSjj6nOq_l5B2SrQTaIiAlnMMcwcJrjGD5fPPUcmUy6-zU7ePOkXd8a90wZoBSzFyfv3WpRsVUNt/s225/The+Chromatics+-+Closer+To+Grey.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPM8lfsVIwApVUBHDcz80GUzE4ni59YsJxQzgfugdCXAo8ERvtecN8DHwmm2J80MJYHSjj6nOq_l5B2SrQTaIiAlnMMcwcJrjGD5fPPUcmUy6-zU7ePOkXd8a90wZoBSzFyfv3WpRsVUNt/w320-h320/The+Chromatics+-+Closer+To+Grey.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1XiPbxVSCgMLO0QsUPazBt?si=255Zqzb8SKGP_3LBR9Zxbw">On The Wall</a></i> - Chromatics</b>: After seven long years, moody Portland, Oregon indie-electro act The Chromatics finally released a follow up to their exceptional 2012 album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2Fp5KBgyC0ac2oitVlsJhY?si=5UvtmhrTRIajjKVUNrpBbQ">Kill For Love</a></i>, though it was not the long awaited <i>Tommy</i> from which several singles have been teased in the ensuing years, but an album of entirely new material <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6A6RTFXwJWesdPhSGnm0tF?si=BVDlLqdBQN-Tui6ljaZYYA">Closer To Grey</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i>.</i> And while not the front-to-back stunner that was <i>Kill For Love</i>, <i>Grey</i>, sporting the act's trademark blend of Cure-ish and Julie Cruise textures, is sure to whet the whistle of just about any fan. Given the band's dead center posture between the indie and electronic music worlds, we're splitting representative tracks across several mixes, going with band's stirring cover of The Jesus And Mary Chain's <i>On The Wal</i>l to close things out here. </font></div></div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-13023510470993432722020-07-24T04:52:00.002-07:002020-07-24T06:02:54.272-07:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Vol 2 - Best Albums Left<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With Nancy going so expansive with her 2019 selections, and because she and I had so much overlap this year with our personal favorites, I tweaked my traditional <i>Best Of The Best</i> approach this year to focus exclusively on standout 2019 albums Nancy left out.<br />
<br />But unfortunately, as I alluded to in the preamble to the write-up for Nancy's mix, the cream of 2019's album crop skewed really dark - dominated by real-world themes of fractured relationships, grief, racism, suicide, and physical abuse. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />So this is far from the most light-hearted or energetic of our annual <i>Best Of The Best</i> mixes I've thrown at you over the years, but I do feel that with the exception of those albums Nancy highlighted and a small sexset of albums that felt better served residing exclusively on our upcoming genre-specific mixes - <span style="text-align: center;">Thee Oh Sees epic, psych-rock as jazz </span><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2asqm6ydqbRKZKbXfGIhrX?si=e1tzBtdXRgaAnFiHlJP05g">Face Stabber</a></i><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><span style="text-align: center;">Black Midi's promising noise-a-thon debut </span><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/14LuwckQuyWIvVlKrYuLzP?si=Nb8v5Q0JRsKGFhO10YPqpA">Schlagenheim</a>, </i><span style="text-align: center;">Rapheal Saadiq's soulful exploration of his brother's tragic life</span><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/19XrcGMwoQffwTDVDoigSu?si=xidbslTRTu6r6ae1PBJi2g"> Jimmy Lee</a>, </i><span style="text-align: center;">Helado Negro's warm and gentle Latin/electronica fusion </span><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mUKlrxxrtBXD6kXnNH60S?si=7KWhcPUvTQ22B6zlrsvXsg">This Is You Smile</a>, </i><span style="text-align: center;">Sleaford Mod's latest rap-rant </span><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1P6dyGkghY6vQobZhdFn7m?si=etgVv32LRX2NEnIlIIHNUg">Eton Alive</a>, </i><span style="text-align: center;">and </span><span style="text-align: center;">former Beta Band frontman Steve Mason's eclectic solo outing </span><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1IOnfFfswEAQzFbfUI68XE?si=h7BUQvAYRa-SC0tAoOje4A">About The Light</a> </i>- all of 2019's other best albums are represented here. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So gird yourself for a rewarding, but at times very heavy, listen. Here's the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ihRtZyXfi7o6h0Tmlo2Vx?si=ahVaGHLWRhu-rfQiYQcz6Q">Spotify link</a>.<br />
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<span><b><u><font size="5">About The Songs/Albums/Artists on this mix:</font></u></b></span><br />
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<font size="5"><span><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1WMawd1HhdmEojY4b1Ouyi?si=g_INFPxERXGTqq8frPbnqg">FAITHFUL SERVANT FRIEND OF CHRIST</a></i> - Lingua Ignota:</b> We open, fittingly enough in this COVID summer of 2020, with a desperate prayer to St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes, sung by a surging chorus of the once truly devout. Let's hope St. Jude is more responsive to our pleas than he is to those of the brutalized female protagonists in Rhode Islander Lingua Ignota's (aka Kristen Hayter) overwhelming exploration of the trauma of physical abuse <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2GBJg7nTQs3go1w24ECKvy?si=NptynVfUST6yAWeMTygRew">CALIGULA</a> </i>(Strong Recommend, McQ's #4 album of 2019). A no-holds-barred, </span><span>"de-phallisized" goth-metal revenge fantasy for female survivors from a two-time survivor of domestic abuse herself,</span> Hayter draws upon all her horrific experiences, all her anger and depression, and all her skill as a classically trained musician and opera-caliber vocalist, as well as past century historic atrocities like the Salem witch trials, to call to account all those who allow such suffering to continue to exist, from perpetrating men, to the enabling, male-centered tenets of the Judeo/Christian religions, to even God him/her/itself. Loaded with spine-chilling primal screams, dark, dense string arrangements that sound nothing like metal but feel exactly like metal, and lyrics that mirror the gaslighting, demoralizing arguments abusers use to hold their subjects in check (when not espousing a violent end for those abusers), this is no album for the easily disturbed or offended, without question the toughest listen of 2019. But as an unrelenting, emotionally honest experiential presentation of the pain, rage and enduring despair male violence against women propagates, <i>CALIGULA</i> may have no equal in recorded music.</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<span><font size="5"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1MnS69P2pIQlbiN7QYPQaH?si=DTx-bbVARKagfIEAxsxy8w">That's Just The Way That I Feel</a></i> - Purple Mountains:</b> Lightening things up musically, but in no way contextually, we turn next to McQ's #1 album of 2019, Silver Jews' frontman David Berman's musical return after a decade-long societal drop out <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NCdiiTgky5PbjmCtcgwtn?si=fTOnG8J0SCmBcBtriCTkKw">Purple Mountains</a> </i>(Highest Recommend). An immediate critical darling, reviewers, disarmed by the album's abundant self-deprecating humor and rich, warm musical tones (all provided by indie-outfit Woods) fell over themselves praising the album, suggesting it as proof that Bermen, a life-long battler of depression, had finally gotten control of his demons. In hindsight, they couldn't have been more wrong. Purple Mountain's warmth and sense of calm wasn't fueled by triumph, but a peaceful acceptance of defeat. Less than a month after the album's release, Bermen was dead by his own hands. <i>Purple Mountains</i> the album was, quite literally, his suicide note. And yet, as awful as sounds, and as sad as some of the lyrics do hit (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3NEeKJm8LcdaDG98oZwSZx?si=vUYNAjyTT-ChNFMLTKbZQA">All My Happiness Is Gone's</a></i> opening line of "<i>Friends are warmer than gold when your old / But keeping them is harder than you might suppose"</i> gets me every time.), there wasn't a more vibrantly alive and human album released in 2019, from one of those well-intentioned but awkward misfits who no longer felt pressure to be anything but completely honest, and wanted to set the record straight with his fans and loved ones before he passed. The album contains "it wasn't your fault" mea culpa's for his beloved mother (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5XDuHR3VUOfXKYo13Q5O8o?si=Ko1VjPZhRWOiyxljLg5C_Q">I Loved Being My Mother's Son</a></i>) and estranged but still cherished wife <i>(<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/43Y8aaM9mHqfQJ9glFcWwj?si=ODIoikqYTA27tdfMwYhgrw">She's Making Friends, I'm Turning Stranger</a>)</i>, ruminations on what lay at the heart of his malaise, be it the utter lack of meaning (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0ExMn0I38LtLKDMo5mCKsf?si=igs5KgkBQz2UQG-nysUFHA">Margaritas At The Mall</a></i>) or the way artificial societal and personal narratives have warped our appreciation of everything (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Esgwj34jO5T0kPlWXO11F?si=0OWIJiPCRjmqng-y4joQ3g">Storyline Fever</a></i>), and a few reassurances that it wasn't all pain and heartbreak for him along the way (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7n18ciXgwKjjfktEx66HVa?si=C2SW9rmORROwt6-k2yqsjQ">Snow Is Falling In Manhattan</a></i>). But starting things off here and on the album is <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1MnS69P2pIQlbiN7QYPQaH?si=oOG5px6pQBirUuOfK4N0qA"><i>That's Just The Way I Feel</i></a>, Berman let's us know, in his so humorous fashion, just how he wasted those ten years he disappeared. </font></span><br />
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<span><font size="5"><b>3.<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2cYALQZNXmuFGp2ecgpKMa?si=ylx3FG-kSyakV1VpoI95Ig"> <i>Cellophane</i></a> - FKA Twigs:</b> Raised Catholic, British multi-media sensation FKA Twigs finds deep parallels between a present-day society that would have her significance and life diminished in the same way Mary Magdalene's (likely historical Jesus's wife) significance has been altered and denigrated in biblical rewrites over the centuries by male-led churches in <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2w8Wshbp9RCPJdPU1iOpaY?si=mt0VIDe0Q1m1F9l167PWtg">MAGDALENE</a></i> (Strong Recommend, McQ's #8 Album of 2019). Those parallel's peak painfully on album closer <i>Cellophane</i>, Pitchfork's top song of 2019. Hounded unrelentingly by racist British tabloids and <i>Twilight</i> fanboys who couldn't stand to see their white-knight, vampire-in-chief actor Robert Pattinson head-over-heels in love with a multi-racial provocateur, <i>Cellophane</i> perfectly captures the desperate devastation that comes from trying to please those who will never be satisfied with who or what you are, no matter how hard you strive to gain their acceptance. </font></span><br />
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<font size="5"><span><b>4. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0iJX82OGewFWpyRtB8zzo4?si=F9PAiyTIREiblmwYjE8jZQ"><i>Boys In A Better Land</i> </a>- Fontaines D. C.:</b> My favorite song from my favorite rock album of 2019, Fontaines D.C.'s tuneless but literate, Dublin-cherishing punk debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7wMhg0YqDuqylEVnLQQ02R?si=UwalwFIkQauWHXPeLAeV-w">Dogrel</a> </i>(Strong Recommend, McQ's #3 album of 2019). Love the timeless motorik groove to this one. </span><br />
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<span><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4cakdyTV2GRb9ktqBNMChH?si=oOyRqSpmQo2lxKPWcSB0yg">Offence</a></i> - Little Simz:</b> My favorite hip hop track of 2019 from my favorite hip hop album of 2019, versatile Brit grimer and Jay-Z protege Little Simz's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Wwm4xg2748zhYuzDRFTgY?si=KiRcnOKcQQa67Y_4NwJ0bA">GREY Area</a> </i>(Strong Recommend, McQ's #11 album of 2019). Alternating between smooth, feminine R&B like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2G2k2ZFsQkIEkAWDTvqHXM?si=q3rTap3yRd2I41Mq2FTR0Q">Selfish</a></i>, and swaggering hip hop tracks like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1TNLYKpEPZ0g6jQq34pDcU?si=jGCM8aQIRU-1fLNxSo_HwQ">Boss</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Vc8I8pCsC914pHTzaMwtl?si=ynbebMQYSu6_x_HnK0-1Sg">Therapy</a></i>, and <i>Offense </i>(best couplet - <i>I'm Jay-Z on a bad day / Shakespeare on my worst days) </i>anchored to cool as f*** left field minimalist beats, <i>GREY Area</i> is one of rap's few potent front-to-back listens in a somewhat lean year for pop culture's dominant genre. </span><br />
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<span><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6wIwQaux8ooqB7nDGBfPuv?si=INbRdAcUSxKbYtr9sRU5ZA">Bright Horses</a></i> - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds:</b> <i>Bright Horses</i> isn't the best song on Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6UOvMBrdfOWGqSvtQohiso?si=c5Cs4S2SQ4-ZzD_EbU-Ujg">Ghosteen</a></i> (that would be the album's emotionally crushing fourteen minute closer <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6k52oa1yaAHNxzXk4My7N5?si=R8fz8c3-SISWTIE1_if69w">Hollywood</a></i>, McQ's #1 song of 2019), nor is it the coolest (that being <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/45VfmXBlB2Ej0fOTbt9h1l?si=rFR63Br0QLuh640XPDY7zw">Leviathan</a>)</i>, but as a song that perfectly encapsulates the style and theme of the album as a whole, there is no better track. Still reeling over the accidental death of his fifteen-year-old son in 2015, Cave is no longer the broken man of 2016's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34xaLN7rDecGEK5UGIVbeJ?si=BTHucGS-Qm-leojxqyvqIA">Skeleton Tree</a></i>, but now a soul struggling to make sense of life in the aftermath and move beyond the numbing, lingering fog of grief. And central to the album's narrative thesis is the very human tendency to drift into fantasties as a means to push through such emotionally difficult times, even though one knows on a rational level it's all nonsense. Here, on <i>Bright Horses</i>, Cave wrestles with that dichotomy, seeing metaphoric signs of his deceased son everywhere he looks, only to call bullshit on his hopeful wanderings moments later, only to fall back into wishful fantasy once again. And lingering in the background, ready to wash forward at a moment's notice, is the album's secret weapon, its astonishing backing vocals, which crest and fall in uncontrollable fashion just like the waves of grief and spirits reaching out they are meant to emulate. There's no question </span><span><i>Ghosteen</i></span><span> (Highest Recommend, McQ's #2 album of 2019) </span><span>is a downer, but it's also beautiful, poetic, and unflinchingly honest, and there wasn't a more </span><span>note-for-note artful, purposeful, and skillfully executed album in 2019</span><span>. </span></font></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7mc2TjVBVys9kTNOx9LzYF?si=qDPr4v9uSjCe1MfdKZvghA">Dexter & Sinister</a></i> - Elbow:</b> Elbow's been better before (in the case of peak aught's titles like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7o4viKB5Rqod8h2xcE60Tw?si=Kz2jLjD5Q--Wz0rNy9jzXQ">Leaders Of The Free World</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/44w1MmIi5i05Y0UVBHaWRt?si=cDgzsKhlQZGFmAL1f4vRuA">The Seldom Seen Kid</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2EGjzBmR1AUOcCn70EpzF4?si=S_2xTAL8SVOQgleJzDpTSg">Build A Rocket, Boys</a></i>, significantly better), but as far as warm, arty, old school Brit-rock goes, with subtly inventive tunes like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7vt419ygTNF0BXbgMuVGAI?si=r8xmZE70SUyHULypciawQg">My Trouble</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5SejNdzsMP8OidHUwnlouo?si=uJQ8hTTXTaSv_F5qreOx-w">Empires</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Er3YHnMhHvjSyHusJpvpB?si=eoGfjrm0QpmcsuTsoBE1IA">The Delayed 3:15</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0G9zqMopSJ4cgf3UOjMljD?si=H2QjXnyuRCyyDrfR0svOxg">White Noise White Heat</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7alEKzQ5OEVZlNrceRrYnd?si=DzQVHyP8TtamuNiCYXz-0g">On Deronda Road</a></i>, and knotty, shifting prog-opener <i>Dexter & Sinister</i> profiled here, the enduring Manchester outfit's eighth studio release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4EqYFNisfHX1IPA0IoaKI2?si=UDZVsOvdQSqfDJOsQTF1Og">Giants Of All Sizes</a></i> (Solid Recommend, McQ's # 26 album of 2019) still wins the best in category award for 2019. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tZ1QgyQQnPyVRtv1GUd1hErnCqlXg3L6z9bix0_p9WvF0NqFbf4XxzmWwDkL-3zJr3vwLaTcFfbvSM7OikGP_-0z7IX6joARZLQLvbCUXPFXIE7hM5pQcCeT5mZcwbosZge-4rTszRaQ/s1600/Kevin+Morby+-+Oh+My+God.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><font size="5"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tZ1QgyQQnPyVRtv1GUd1hErnCqlXg3L6z9bix0_p9WvF0NqFbf4XxzmWwDkL-3zJr3vwLaTcFfbvSM7OikGP_-0z7IX6joARZLQLvbCUXPFXIE7hM5pQcCeT5mZcwbosZge-4rTszRaQ/s320/Kevin+Morby+-+Oh+My+God.jpeg" width="320" /></font></a></div>
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<span><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1dkjhxfTkIag3Kv7hV0bB3?si=UfJCxS9vSlyTVZt5mfDkvg">No Halo</a></i> - Kevin Morby:</b> Even though the record falls of a quality cliff on its back end, the first third of former Woods bassist Kevin Morby's fifth solo outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3Xugyt3sTfDgvALU1St1QA?si=p2qHiCMPQVS5zX_lctR6cQ">Oh My God</a></i> (Solid Recommend), a clever merging of Dylan gospel phase and Lou Reed <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5p3JunprHCxClJjOmcLV8G?si=PLauL054Sc-kMeU5ImUBlQ">Walk On The Wild Side</a></i> aesthetics, is so engaging I'm including a representative track on our best albums left mix nonetheless.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ9OF_t804gTFw-UGGScwePV3J5SXAJQrUiCCOLQHilFKc43cMP-Th2k_wlLT_Xv0gp3D4yoCdPlAjn_6bySYj7Nze745fdudo9V2hB3YNxKTuUgugUFJCX49zSDYzoc_wS3CCPSdZZnC/s1600/Big+Thief+U.F.O.F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><font size="5"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ9OF_t804gTFw-UGGScwePV3J5SXAJQrUiCCOLQHilFKc43cMP-Th2k_wlLT_Xv0gp3D4yoCdPlAjn_6bySYj7Nze745fdudo9V2hB3YNxKTuUgugUFJCX49zSDYzoc_wS3CCPSdZZnC/s320/Big+Thief+U.F.O.F.jpeg" width="320" /></font></a></div>
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<span><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3qq91s3NENmAC3fx4e8fAr?si=J3fbSNnwSZmVIfmEzEMoog">Open Desert</a></i> - Big Thief:</b> If <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7pg8T6pajjHVZbiyB8bGxo?si=S3mBnRAkSc-BuZxh-fEIrQ">Two Hand's</a></i> <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7IzJ7EGpIpq2vW3ylVTtMh?si=od7_Zi6pR4qvp1OgDRqplg">Not</a></i> was Big Thief's best song of the year, the subtle, sophisticated <i><a href="http://U.F.O.F.">U.F.O.F.</a></i> (Strong Recommend, McQ's #7 album of 2019) was definitely their best album of the year. Almost unassuming at first with its delicate, whispery textures, repeated listens will reveal <i>U.F.O.F.</i> to be an album of ceaselessly inventive and often remarkable instrumental intricacy. One of the best records of 2019, and almost certainly the best headphone listen. </span><br />
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<span><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6rGi0GY8EYym1dZOFpa69f?si=E-IZRwjLSC6V_TOuwkbC0Q">Gat Damn</a></i> - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib:</b> Arguably the year's best gangster-leaning hip hop effort, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/31KbO7WnDp2AjPdmRTJzdf?si=t9AYeNovSZ-Jf4EztU3Hxg">Bandana</a></i> (Solid Recommend, McQ's #24 album of 2019) is the second collaboration between MC Freddie Gibbs and in-demand beat-producer Madlib, following 2014's well-received <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/43uErencdmuTRFZPG3zXL1?si=pUUwE4K2SsiN26EuJ8bSOQ">Piñata</a>. </i>In truth, it was a collaboration that wasn't meant to happen. Madlib originally created this batch of beats for Kanye West, but upon hearing them, West rejected all but one. So Madlib got back in touch with his old partner, who has asserted repeatedly he can rap over anything, did just that over the remaining beats, and the rest, as they say, is history. </span><br />
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<b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/48YTF9XxJiiFdTa6IpCMpq?si=PsIdL5zPR0SHwXE0P99BEQ">747</a></i> - Bill Callahan:</b> As a counter to all the darkness on this mix, I give you what may be the warmest album of the year, singer-songwriter and former Smog-frontman Bill Callahan's sixth solo release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/48YTF9XxJiiFdTa6IpCMpq?si=lST2-lBdRqOdoGB8X8TW1A">Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest</a> (Solid Recommend, </i>McQ's #19 album of 2019<i>)</i>. Starkly spare and quiet, Shepherd finds Callahan gently ruminating on all that has happened over the past two years in his life (marriage, the birth of his first son, the death of his mother), with a strong, reflective, positive acceptance of the circle of life suggested by the album's title.<br />
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<span><b>12. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4j1OTpSF5ejqYPKwqHvlzM?si=VGnjhCr8QgyE6O6WmVq3zw"><i>Drunk II</i> </a>- Mannequin Pussy:</b> One of the best punk releases of 2019, Philadelphia-based Mannequin Pussy's third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1X0Na8DRV5U6G9grTPDWKF?si=zAqnOcffRbKWAHaXefKgXw">Patience</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is most notable for how much more balanced it is in pace and feel compared to the act's earlier, far more assaultive efforts. Here, moments of relative restraint, even quiet, are given as much attention as the band's trademark in-your-face ragers, resulting in the most dynamic record of the their career, highlighted by the fantastic, almost shoegazey <i>Drunk II</i> included here. </span><br />
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<span><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4J1xWO6bVEm06X0ziEo4aS?si=ZYgMCHjZT_y4CQXAn-vkyw">Choose Go!</a></i> - Chai:</b> The most upbeat and infectious release of 2019, all-female J-Pop outfit Chai's sophomore outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7tcbI0Qp64LaGwHYgwkbBO?si=JG8Eb1bBSqCcq6k952jjIg">Punk</a></i> (enthusiastic Solid Recommend, McQ's #16 album of 2019) is a thirty-minute sugar rush of good vibes. I mean how could an album featuring songs with titles like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5WaYBSJVDBrdSBkJu2f7jF?si=zy4KWJBlR9CjWvGPpN4nIw">Great Job</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5GwCdfNhXfc9mFaU8hYnCF?si=OxWYcKZMRKSyHduavUV4kA">Curly Adventure</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4eaNzyrU9FUPTu3O2PYaoi?si=1aa8SCSQQc6PT6UhXrpJBA">Wintime</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3duOc7QkdWBNAFX2fNige4?si=1w_KwdVwRd2KItMOlilSqA">Fashionista</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3gDW8sxarh7MVfw2tK6g3m?si=-JOAXKscR8OfuI4pSPhLcg">I'm Me</a></i> be anything else. But amongst all of <i>Punk's</i> sunny Mario-Cart poptimism, nothing tops the joyous vibrancy of its opener <i>Choose Go!</i>, which represents the album here.</span><br />
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<b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/64Gm656mjugvqc23gd8bFw?si=MjQtWxQDSjaqb6mTQnBUZw">Green & Blue</a></i> - The Murder Capital:</b> The second best punk/post-punk album of 2019, Dubliners The Murder Capital's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17ozByfYT9iEhfGNcT6mdz?si=siSqmD40RYmKw9Y9GvH9QQ">When I Have Fears</a></i> (Strong Recommend, McQ's #13 album of 2019) is - big surprise here - a dark, heavy, depressing listen, with the entire album dedicated to the emotional aftermath of a dear friend's suicide. Alternating between passages of raging anger and muted despondency, and deeply indebted to the sonic stylings of Joy Division and pre-War U2, <i>When I Have Fears </i>tackles its subject matter with fearless aplomb, and its icy guitars thrill throughout. As representative track here, we're going with the album's emotional centerpiece, <i>Green & Blue</i> with its impactful midpoint breakdown where lead singer James McGovern calls out to his deceased friend repeatedly - "I felt you!"<br />
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<b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NzK7S7oQQnO8eLRf7kDJx?si=RLyNep3-R0S4HdUwOoGDig">BASQUIAT</a></i> - Jamila Woods:</b> Born out of a teaching exercise in which Chicago poet, activist, and singer/songwriter Jamila Woods instructed her Young Chicago Authors students to find a poem that spoke to them, rework it to incorporate an element of personal history or reflection, and then cover it musically, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NzK7S7oQQnO8eLRf7kDJx?si=r1dvDhzGRAuleEuLDvbC6g"><i>LEGACY! LEGACY!</i></a> (enthusiastic Solid Recommend, McQ's #22 in 2019) is the end result of Woods and her frequent Chicago collaborator (rappers Saba & Nico Segal and producer/DJ Slot-A) taking on that exercise themselves. With each song named after and partially about a prominent artist or activist of color, <i>LEGACY! LEGACY!</i> is a thoughtful, eclectic R&B/hip hop amalgam that uses these great's accomplishments and/or point of view as a launching point for a many-angled, contemporary exploration of race and identity, but always (even when yelling "Shut up mothers*****, I don't take requests" as on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Jel1sNeAIxUcYyOVQOWrH?si=Cx6M35L2Qt--4Dla68_fWw">MILES</a></i>) with a gentle touch. Ironically though, on an album where the majority of songs are dedicated to female icons, it's the few songs dedicated to male influencers - <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5S0twx04effIaDPshAt7DS?si=MmIcjscaS_yR-VDWcnNHuw">MUDDY</a></i>, <i>MILES</i>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5djKvDxjAywbUAFlduFngq?si=P4GwUVaeT3yFQa3mu-pG3Q"><i>GIOVANNI</i></a>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0b4gC187hjb89e8VP0e4EQ?si=GVunieodSGqpH9BrTHuyRQ">BALDWIN</a></i>, and our representative selection <i>BASQUIAT </i>here - that provide the record's biggest highlights. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVLK5HgHvb7f-WgJACswc7uxBd-o_dY2uO9crbS0_v3v2MoYE9AmRl-599xCRY377SlR4UpzDdXzU6DbphZRMjH_AEJz3ZkfS0VJUQc3uxQbJg7SUqq0d6pGlpxDSxkQTN-FmTzUDJ2lJ/s1600/Weyes+Blood+-+Titanic+Rising.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><font size="5"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVLK5HgHvb7f-WgJACswc7uxBd-o_dY2uO9crbS0_v3v2MoYE9AmRl-599xCRY377SlR4UpzDdXzU6DbphZRMjH_AEJz3ZkfS0VJUQc3uxQbJg7SUqq0d6pGlpxDSxkQTN-FmTzUDJ2lJ/s320/Weyes+Blood+-+Titanic+Rising.jpeg" width="320" /></font></a></div>
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<span><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/31LKL7XfxR1PTm6Or9KTKv?si=7FdKxmKVSziHpEodBa_NVw">Movies</a></i> - Weyes Blood:</b> One 2019's best reviewed records (#6 in <a href="https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/summary/2019/">albumoftheyear.org's</a> year-end aggregate and McQ's #12 album), Portland singer-songwriter Natalie Laura Mering's fourth outing under her Weyes Blood moniker <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/53VKICyqCf91sVkTdFrzKX?si=wbwtN12eSzq04XmxZqcXVQ">Titanic Rising</a></i>(Strong Recommend) plays like the great lost Joni Mitchell album, if that album had been produced by an avant-pop maestros like Brian Eno or The Flaming Lips - gorgeous, lush orchestral pop inflected with experimental touches and underscored with a pervading sense of present-day doom. Several of the album's songs scored high in the year-end polls as well, especially singles <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3NQMi6VzmxmKeqhcbE02WI?si=KThys0cUROuTTio29F7y6Q">Andromeda</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5bDXDHFVw0dscRDv0Qu1bu?si=jnDQtEWJQDOAAXzYAyqChw">Everyday</a></i>, but my favorite among favorites has always been the album's most electronic track, the worshipful <i>Movies</i>.</span><br />
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<span><b>17. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5F0Bf5M5lTO8SwfRQai4or?si=An6PFNlrRHukddXHHVZ9SA"><i>Lesley</i> </a>- Dave:</b> Signed by Drake all the way back in 2016, with several hit singles already to his name, British grime artist Dave (aka David Orobosa Omoregie or Santan Dave) took his own sweet time to get is debut album right, and the end result was my second favorite hip hop release of 2019, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4GrFuXwRmEBJec22p58fsD?si=9ZwWdOslTq2f1ErtT-Ezyg">PSYCHODRAMA</a></i> (enthusiastic Solid Recommend, McQ's #17 album of 2019). Anchored around fictional psychotherapy conversations meant to mimic those his brothers were forced to partake in while in prison, <i>PSYCHODRAMA</i> is a deeply personal, big-themed album broken into three acts reflecting on environment, relationships, and social compass, and it's in the social compass section of the album the Dave drops this almost overpoweringly tragic number about a casual acquaintance caught up in an abusive relationship. Basically Eminem's <i>Kim</i> if Eminem were trying to be as empathetic and socially responsible as possible rather than every parent's worst nightmare, it is the most narratively gripping song on this mix, and one hardest songs to shake in 2019 </span><span><br /></span>
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<span><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1vzC9THkjIpnEy2nKRf7Je?si=dd49uJ4NRmCtSNbVSoUu6w">Bad For The Boys</a></i> - Alex Cameron:</b> Australia's lyrical heir apparent to the acerbic, button-pushing musings of Randy Newman, Cameron's third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/33u2PRETjYklC6UqxJBGW2?si=t3voS7JAQqOzHGn9aeT9ug">Miami Memory</a></i> (Solid Recommend) finds the synth-rocker examining the lives of another collection of characters living on societies margins, but this time seeking out the good in them as well as the bad. That said, Cameron's rapier wit is always just a quick stoccoda away, as on this humorous take on a bunch of classic bros struggling to adjust to their new </span><span>#metoo </span><span>reality.</span></font></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span><font size="5"><br /></font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT1tD36aVX4_Cv202lOV5pRWkm0FMFV_w8KjUgpqivfGJDK_WFmqAWEdQsUHU44hoJQSUtQGNG7l5xu7wMX0UmLIUS0n-OCJKr97MlSaeW_TT-bCuCohEJZDM1bH02NdtUPp7aCa7XGof/s220/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font size="5"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT1tD36aVX4_Cv202lOV5pRWkm0FMFV_w8KjUgpqivfGJDK_WFmqAWEdQsUHU44hoJQSUtQGNG7l5xu7wMX0UmLIUS0n-OCJKr97MlSaeW_TT-bCuCohEJZDM1bH02NdtUPp7aCa7XGof/w320-h320/Sundara+Karma+-+Ulfilas%2527+Alphabet.jpeg" width="320" /></font></a></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span><font size="5"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0mfSX8n55Bo7GB9PlMv1yy?si=noyklz8KQuuXe6ylZIm9Ww">Symbols Of Joy & Eternity</a></i> - Sundara Karma:</b> <i>Symbols Of Joy & Eternity</i> is probably the fifth or sixth best song on Brit outfit Sundara Karma's winning, lively, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/78MM8HrabEGPLVWaJkM2t1?si=gfdV9VWHSl-A5p-t9Zz3GQ">Speaking In Tongues</a></i> meets <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/78MM8HrabEGPLVWaJkM2t1?si=gfdV9VWHSl-A5p-t9Zz3GQ">Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)</a></i>, sophomore art rock outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3W9OL9JVLBAGb1sz2pXO6c?si=dXG1yaEKT6S3yVG3TwtzFA">Ulfila's Alphabet</a></i> (Solid Recommend, McQ's #20 album of 2019), but the song fits perfectly here, giving this mix a little boost of joy and energy to go out on before hitting one last emotional closer, and the album itself was one of the few genuinely worthwhile indie-rock releases of 2019. </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/35cBgI0peRDZhmRGHVfqZb?si=i1HSNrpKRyKUUepDxWpzig">Tonight</a></i> - Angel Olsen:</b> We'll need to wait another year or two to make a full assessment of Chicagoan Angel Olsen's at times achingly beautiful <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0RedX0LZkGUFoRwFntAaI0?si=BXKxDs6dSh28wUWUJglxkg">All Mirrors</a></i> (Solid Recommend) because she recorded this song-cycle on the power of raw emotion twice, first in an absolutely threadbare DIY folk-fashion (yet to be released), and then second with the backing of a full band and a twelve-piece string section, which she then decided needed to be the version to come out first. If I'm being honest, even with all the rich orchestration, there's a lo-fi feel to much of <i>All Mirrors</i> production, similar to the lo-fi vibe on her earlier outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/358elHWlgNqitp1lenb5Jn?si=2nBXHSq6SZejvCdIi5jeDw">Burn Your Fire For No Witness</a></i>, that works to the album's detriment, which is why I've got it rated significantly lower on the year (#25) than the critical aggregate (#6). But where those mix issues are less noticeable, as on the torch songs <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3OL2ngf19YzNjsTPgwkPDp?si=GVNw4lgyR_m4Wl-yLIdxBQ">Endgame</a></i> and the even better <i>Tonight </i>included here<i>,</i> the emotional impact is spellbinding.</font></div>
McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-46509278213757261202020-07-24T04:50:00.043-07:002021-02-20T09:46:32.088-08:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Vol 4 - All Things Offputting!2019 may have been a very weak year for the most of the popular, more-mainstream genres, but it was often exceptional in the fringes.<div><br /></div><div>This mix collects representative cuts from the vast bounty of this year's excellent metal, art rock, noise rock, goth, and dark IDM releases. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd close with my traditional "enjoy," but that's really not the point here. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nonetheless, this is one of the two best of of our 2019 genre-specific mixes, closing with two of 2019s most striking songs in Lingua Ignota's searingly intense <i>DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR</i> and Nick Cave's long mediation on the acceptance of death <i>Hollywood</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KfxllAsKHga15IIWo5oHv?si=gn7WT0KETeqlw9obFlhWBw">Link</a>. Explore!<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4KfxllAsKHga15IIWo5oHv" width="300"></iframe></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">SET 1</font></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BCFu4MfdkrUhy3rYYPIViMhScACSUuPTckiyNKwjphE9ZLWfTi1xAjaVqh6wT4eVfGsXkamBeZkaQBJ09f0NrN_GyYvagWusxGpqQBxPs31CJf8-0uu_TEa1SmqPn3hcf85AC53XuFqt/s1200/Jenny+Hval+-+The+Practice+Of+Love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BCFu4MfdkrUhy3rYYPIViMhScACSUuPTckiyNKwjphE9ZLWfTi1xAjaVqh6wT4eVfGsXkamBeZkaQBJ09f0NrN_GyYvagWusxGpqQBxPs31CJf8-0uu_TEa1SmqPn3hcf85AC53XuFqt/s320/Jenny+Hval+-+The+Practice+Of+Love.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4jIzdfJ3rvzvC6XZAyyUWd?si=timpmfIgRhGBCU19nm_VOw">Lions (featuring Vivian Wang)</a> </i>- Jenny Hval</b>: Inspired in part by the 1985 German film of the same name, Norwegian avant-poppist Jenny Hval's seventh album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Ia2sw3y79k40GHeNjCfLh?si=Amtnp1OeSoKB0_z1iN6f-w">The Practice Of Love</a> </i>is her first to ever tackle the weighty subject of love, but unsurprisingly, does so in an iconoclastic way, never once concerning itself with romantic love, but instead all the other ways passion drives our lives. Also Hval's first foray into dance-inspired music, particularly 90s-flavored trance, paganistic album and mix opener Lions suggests a deep connection to the natural world is far more important and spiritual than a relationship with God.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGqdkKX7dwTfkhh7cU7bE3zk_g1Sc6QBGv72nAHxdwpIQoRgx7PtaOYLIodRz05TaK3Acd8UZv0LnrnZRzAiKG_RmipIO3mRhmNw9x7aVJhJMwpGEh0G-Yot9ND4zzggBprLF3XqLj3o_/s225/The+Murder+Capital+When+I+Have+Fears.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGqdkKX7dwTfkhh7cU7bE3zk_g1Sc6QBGv72nAHxdwpIQoRgx7PtaOYLIodRz05TaK3Acd8UZv0LnrnZRzAiKG_RmipIO3mRhmNw9x7aVJhJMwpGEh0G-Yot9ND4zzggBprLF3XqLj3o_/w320-h320/The+Murder+Capital+When+I+Have+Fears.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6ntBvycRMW2jcGn73yuvu2?si=bhDrnp3-R7qKVaNj9TG5VA">For Everything</a></i> - The Murder Capital</b>: Searingly intense, this opening track from the Dublin post-punker's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17ozByfYT9iEhfGNcT6mdz?si=urorcPRyQtauIqE5dg9uIQ">When I Have Fears</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) sets the table perfectly for all that follows on the album, the Pixie-ish quiet/loud dynamics, the often brilliant, unpredictable guitars, and the impassioned, angst-ridden vocals, all packaged in a jagged, festering wound-styled presentation. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_QclZlbAsAnqrCiIG7vT6Nk57k0OOTcjIqK66a2wmFqahYagOcc-QOCN_14AvBR0eCAJ2A7dpH0M3cep11ry524U4Y0IrdJiGbzkYdqVAsa9ObktxIU1ll0WKXX9aEOL_dinsbgegXTW/s600/blackmidi_%25E2%2580%258BSchlagenheim.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_QclZlbAsAnqrCiIG7vT6Nk57k0OOTcjIqK66a2wmFqahYagOcc-QOCN_14AvBR0eCAJ2A7dpH0M3cep11ry524U4Y0IrdJiGbzkYdqVAsa9ObktxIU1ll0WKXX9aEOL_dinsbgegXTW/s320/blackmidi_%25E2%2580%258BSchlagenheim.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7dF151sPnAGBOC8RfjuKE1?si=vX8MhVToQdWZjHZ1a-bcow">bmbmbm</a></i> - black midi</b>: Quite possibly the best noise-rock album of 2019 came to us via a quartet of BRIT school performing art students out of London. Labeling themselves black midi, their debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/14LuwckQuyWIvVlKrYuLzP?si=Xf8iF0cTRdeQRCgMliK6rg">Of Schlagenheim</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i> </i>traffics in many of the most repellent aspects of whiny indie, post-punk, math rock and experimental rock, but it all comes together in a surprisingly compelling way. Brilliantly mixed and daringly unpinned down directionally, the songwriting doesn't always match the band's youthful ambition, but there's enough conceptual daring convincingly pulled off here to suggest a we might have a budding new Radiohead-caliber art-rock talent on the horizon. We're profiling two songs on this mix, starting here with the band's lead single and best known song, the marvelously grating, in-your-face <i>bmbmbm</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAFTh-JaS4URwGTEvxqwQznYpu3iaPxxsRdkDTdw3onJ-ZIqEIT2pmpEpmaII-zIkil9aOBTTiONCpXuO9S0UFUlCnL8uuslMRix9bSsz6kBdFgGwRwMqAk3kqlEA_lWuyruyX_XlysS8/s225/Lingua+Ignota+-+Caligula.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAFTh-JaS4URwGTEvxqwQznYpu3iaPxxsRdkDTdw3onJ-ZIqEIT2pmpEpmaII-zIkil9aOBTTiONCpXuO9S0UFUlCnL8uuslMRix9bSsz6kBdFgGwRwMqAk3kqlEA_lWuyruyX_XlysS8/w320-h320/Lingua+Ignota+-+Caligula.jpeg" width="320" /></b></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3DgH8JVn8baGEGi0PqOnFQ?si=4eeFvyH_QR-HTfWJvb6F0g">FRAGRANT IS MY MANY FLOWER'D CROWN</a></i> - Lingua Ignota</b>: The brotherhood of men (in the worst, protective-of-each-others-misdeeds, sense of the concept) is the focus of Lingua Ignota's fury on this relatively quieter number from her devastating <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2GBJg7nTQs3go1w24ECKvy?si=CqKAIzqzR1mU0k4EbDz-mA">CALIGULA</a> (</i>Strong Recommend).</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-vPt2_zFA7Jd6pgQbRTCmmUupzVVFoLB56yQD646J-GQEk_mF_v-_10W8MEIonaicRe5BIiFg0Z4905LHwYQZmn4hE76JQRbbEhleykQxZoA048x3ZBrGrUcJ0ko2-WrzjW-Nc_RQfNk/s600/xiu+xiu_girl+with+basket+of+fruit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-vPt2_zFA7Jd6pgQbRTCmmUupzVVFoLB56yQD646J-GQEk_mF_v-_10W8MEIonaicRe5BIiFg0Z4905LHwYQZmn4hE76JQRbbEhleykQxZoA048x3ZBrGrUcJ0ko2-WrzjW-Nc_RQfNk/s320/xiu+xiu_girl+with+basket+of+fruit.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2WuS3PjLJW15ckkwWXO8V2?si=x9sBAyc6TYWKcXFEHfx4lg">Girl With Basket Of Fruit</a></i> - Xiu Xiu</b>: One of the most jarring (and at times most exciting) listening experiences of 2019, experimental San Jose-based avant-rockers Xiu Xiu's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2WuS3PjLJW15ckkwWXO8V2?si=8_55HNciRHqlsY-JKRp8QA">Girl With A Basket Of Fruit</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i> </i>is a Death Grips-reminiscent non-stop assault of<i> </i>chaotic percussive hammers and aggressively off-putting lyrical fragments, as the album's opening track presented here makes more than clear.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmWzX9XyPcxwiRc0QZfeHusKD_Rlw3dBarXTY4Bq75i5tb1EMWM4tqHWdMi24Z5o6hScc_G1_A4MCvcilrHmbanlMi_QUVvCo1aYGRp6XDFM9c8aMwXlXNeG-prlI0HbQGXbmpvOfN8zn/s220/Nick+Cave+-+Ghosteen.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmWzX9XyPcxwiRc0QZfeHusKD_Rlw3dBarXTY4Bq75i5tb1EMWM4tqHWdMi24Z5o6hScc_G1_A4MCvcilrHmbanlMi_QUVvCo1aYGRp6XDFM9c8aMwXlXNeG-prlI0HbQGXbmpvOfN8zn/w320-h320/Nick+Cave+-+Ghosteen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/45VfmXBlB2Ej0fOTbt9h1l?si=NV-owvv3RFqM48CM_eXtkg">Leviathan</a> </i>- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds</b>: A bit of an anomaly on an album full of deeply probing lyrical mediations on working through grief following the loss of his son, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6UOvMBrdfOWGqSvtQohiso?si=87WMZOO1TbekaGYd0PQ1XQ">Ghosteen</a> </i>(Highest Recommend) disk one closer <i>Leviathan</i>, seems by contrast, simplistic, maybe even banal, the phrase "Oh my oh my oh my oh my / I love my baby and my baby loves me<i>"</i> just repeated over and over on top of gorgeous backing vocals for 95% of the song.<i> </i>But personally, I think, given the songs title and placement, it may be the most personal and important song on the album, a simple positive mantra Cave actually repeated to himself regularly to carry the weight of the pain, stay connected to his son, or maybe even more likely, given how many marriages are destroyed by the death of a child, to not lose connection to his wife as they worked through the aftermath in very different ways. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliXXX87q-r_RE1XdI8IRTvjkwMnl5aZpHk1tXpEz-L9JgtQXppqxsuZvXIK8CFENHlcVOBBRSjvQk2YQS9bSnNY9b-nNY6yDDqzYELSZXkNdmY_f8xVqHxV3CQzbjgGlJZGtoMgh5vWHw/s807/King-Gizzard-Infest-the-Rats-Nest.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="807" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliXXX87q-r_RE1XdI8IRTvjkwMnl5aZpHk1tXpEz-L9JgtQXppqxsuZvXIK8CFENHlcVOBBRSjvQk2YQS9bSnNY9b-nNY6yDDqzYELSZXkNdmY_f8xVqHxV3CQzbjgGlJZGtoMgh5vWHw/s320/King-Gizzard-Infest-the-Rats-Nest.jpeg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4lV1tx0EdlIChOw7Kz7fP0?si=mhpHzjeeSIKegk7GkEH83A">Mars For The Rich</a></i> - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard</b>: Give credit where credit is due; while not all of this crazy prolific Aussie psych rock act's efforts are of the highest caliber, the deserve high marks for always switching up their conceptual approach. On 2019's banging <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5Bz2LxOp0wz7ov0T9WiRmc?si=IljTR8FSQbqLfiy_bAMOcQ">Infest The Rat's Nest</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i>, </i>arguably the band's best effort since <i>Nonagon Infinity</i>, they eschew their psychedelic tendencies to dial in directly into the spirit of Judas Priest's early speed metal efforts and an appropriately over-the-top tale of planetary exploration spurred by cataclysmic global warming to produce one of the most satisfying (and blistering) hard rock albums of the year, perfectly encapsulated by opening track <i>Mars For The Rich</i> featured here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWk7MfPRQdfpPMxwQOqZZc8M5w1TQuCK4AkhUAnHRHmAZ0quFe7QTAWpegeQIWWluWumIJ-TuCZtvBrqkgqc0yztD5Ho26ADm6B7Vq3Wmimp6Kwl1Z6U3y64vukJCuPpS8oqRdtHC5pnt/s709/ANIMA-Thom-Yorke.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWk7MfPRQdfpPMxwQOqZZc8M5w1TQuCK4AkhUAnHRHmAZ0quFe7QTAWpegeQIWWluWumIJ-TuCZtvBrqkgqc0yztD5Ho26ADm6B7Vq3Wmimp6Kwl1Z6U3y64vukJCuPpS8oqRdtHC5pnt/s320/ANIMA-Thom-Yorke.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6CbeTloXS88ShOW42RYqGz?si=dHm7wPrRRpKum7vU2r1PpA">I Am A Very Rude Person</a></i> - Thom Yorke</b>: Though at first listen it seems comfortable to follow very much in the same dark electronic path Yorke and regular producer Nigel Goodrich have carved out on Yorke's previous two solo releases, deeper examination reveals 2019's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1g4vEVvVVFvFju0gS0DMbh?si=eRWSbKPaQAqixoSKnbSdHA" style="font-style: italic;">ANIMA</a><i> </i>(Solid Recommend) has added light elements of R&B and Funk swing to the established formula Yorke/Goodrich formula, a subtle shift that effectively powers my favorite cut for the record, <i>I Am A Very Rude Person. </i></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8c1maiAuD5jHCMw_SLATLAO5yhO1PNqzCkwFjLoaAcKg1bBAMxDN-7XWh56jBAxAMrPbEUvwSfmvvNRemQ9eARIlU4ojB5gF5I6Ee36dUH2GRw_T5YzQJoMAaEAT8DAYtX95Gck3-OHnH/s225/Richard+Dawson+-+2020.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8c1maiAuD5jHCMw_SLATLAO5yhO1PNqzCkwFjLoaAcKg1bBAMxDN-7XWh56jBAxAMrPbEUvwSfmvvNRemQ9eARIlU4ojB5gF5I6Ee36dUH2GRw_T5YzQJoMAaEAT8DAYtX95Gck3-OHnH/w320-h320/Richard+Dawson+-+2020.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0lxNyWSAa2sbWZg5qHI9Xv?si=DSDOKdiGRNaU8tFP2lsT5A">Civil Servant</a></i> - Richard Dawson</b>: One of the darkest, most agitated albums of 2019, British Freak-folker Dawson's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6IDM4kjUWU82mzE7F9CB8R?si=MwNLC5n7S3iReU_fjK7ahg">2020</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is an intentionally anything but pleasant listen, with jarring, jittery, inorganic musical backdrops laying the foundation for ridiculously detailed third person narratives exploring the humanity crushing flaws of capitalism and modern day barbarism coursing through the veins of contemporary British life. In short, not an album for the weak-eared or more mainstream-oriented, but for those that can stomach it, a fascinating listen both musically and lyrically. Representative track <i>Civil Servant</i> here is very much par for the course.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdUZ1Y8KNMoLrGYZ6zEQSdB3ZoN5k7_EZPgTzxRWqBDsDNm2g0Bk00gxfCbHyUwLg-8K-JgQMswSLOrMsXRfzr9wucdk6ZaHxRK1-U86AxjB9sRjkVBpyDEwaxsuHn7olzI2kcW7DFCwu/s600/75+Dollar+Bill+-+I+Was+Real.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdUZ1Y8KNMoLrGYZ6zEQSdB3ZoN5k7_EZPgTzxRWqBDsDNm2g0Bk00gxfCbHyUwLg-8K-JgQMswSLOrMsXRfzr9wucdk6ZaHxRK1-U86AxjB9sRjkVBpyDEwaxsuHn7olzI2kcW7DFCwu/s320/75+Dollar+Bill+-+I+Was+Real.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0nqO6VjFq1aBXnJ6ZonRMW?si=9EmJFNR8TfGZmBYn-ECDDw">Every Last Coffee Or Tea</a></i> - 75 Dollar Bill</b>: Though not everyday fare, </font><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Every Last Coffee or Tea</i> is one </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>of the more genuinely appealing tracks on this oft-antongonistic mix, </span><span>finding the New York experimental rock/jazz duo 75 Dollar Bill fully incorporating guitarist Che Chen's passion for traditional Mauritanian music in this flowing, riveting instrumental opener from 2019's </span><span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/64qoWnFx2mdaRHuTsM8ORd?si=7aRjnyyqRnavueniC_AiFQ">I Was Real</a></i>.</span><span> </span></span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdV2VHffQuHv714kBuy2pTA2GIZtaOgOJFDkMNVOJqwDEqqE9hdfAMK42hinicTtZ8y_78deYJFPqr7XeJL0WXGFOL_r3JhBOHnUFWNnxnK2-D9EawM0h0pGL1GmQ4S6LQ_AjdaqFCt2h/s700/Fat+White+Family+-+Serfs+Up.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdV2VHffQuHv714kBuy2pTA2GIZtaOgOJFDkMNVOJqwDEqqE9hdfAMK42hinicTtZ8y_78deYJFPqr7XeJL0WXGFOL_r3JhBOHnUFWNnxnK2-D9EawM0h0pGL1GmQ4S6LQ_AjdaqFCt2h/s320/Fat+White+Family+-+Serfs+Up.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5beD1qYJyyWd5AR1Nz8TN8?si=riquJ-jeT6ePo7-3An6Gyw">Feet</a> </i>- Fat White Family</b>: After taking a detour to explore artificial madness with the likes of Sean Lennon and Yoko for enjoyably decadent and theatrical <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Gf3U9YgRm4tKR8Bx9CaIu?si=u1_el0dmQaeb4Dn4wnd-Qg">Interplanetary Class Classics</a></i> as 2017 Moonlandingz, British lo-fi gutter rockers returned proper in 2019 with their third album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3rCHThZSo7zO5dmmsPjTtQ?si=4aNTqayfS7Cgl56Mja-zkA">Serf's Up</a>! </i>which added some dance beats, better production, and produced what very well may be their best song to date, <i>Feet</i> presented here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6YXuo55mJ4UZqxIUOB9x_148nfZEollta-ajQsvZw5ygb51dk7qvI-VcromR7q1gQjC1g1kFHWE4SX7arFgBpa_W0LSvcJ-s1HJu7C8adN0Sp8S2bN-CAb6WTI6t86gIawQP1zaIb1Ww/s600/FlyingLotus_Flamagra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6YXuo55mJ4UZqxIUOB9x_148nfZEollta-ajQsvZw5ygb51dk7qvI-VcromR7q1gQjC1g1kFHWE4SX7arFgBpa_W0LSvcJ-s1HJu7C8adN0Sp8S2bN-CAb6WTI6t86gIawQP1zaIb1Ww/s320/FlyingLotus_Flamagra.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/185ZAmEXHzplBXOWqNtwAa?si=_3bNH3PrSAGFkclTkk3yZw">Fire Is Coming</a></i> - Flying Lotus w/ David Lynch</b>: Throwaway nuttiness from inventive LA-Based producer Flying Lotus and his 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5WfDyog8yO7ZF8JdJxeZfl?si=HXOJkhX3SLCQ5sXp9RuNuA">Flamagra</a> </i>as he sets one of his trademark beats underneath a twisted spoken-word David Lynch narrative.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JPUjA5E_ylWQ6jN-sskGSd2ZmFV6tjxLyNH4XWx9SXoK1_jkdIa5OX0jIooJISvhZHl6TObsjaTUYx8psT_gWNz4i6dQY0x1HDHtahekzqTUvNzTt-qJawHyzECjrQDx923IDe8_km8a/s1200/Otoboke+Beaver+-+Itekoma+Hits.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JPUjA5E_ylWQ6jN-sskGSd2ZmFV6tjxLyNH4XWx9SXoK1_jkdIa5OX0jIooJISvhZHl6TObsjaTUYx8psT_gWNz4i6dQY0x1HDHtahekzqTUvNzTt-qJawHyzECjrQDx923IDe8_km8a/s320/Otoboke+Beaver+-+Itekoma+Hits.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0o15du2j41QoYBJd7MoNhc?si=reEBqBOVQK6WTVMWif-lGQ">I'm Tired Of Your Repeating Story</a></i> - Otoboke Beaver</b>: One of my favorite discoveries of 2019, Japanese all-female punk rockers Otoboke Beaver offer up an crazed high-energy attack that has to be seen live to be fully appreciated (and which I was fortunate enough to at the last Coachella I attended). This track comes from their US debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0A7dXsu3QAMbs2Wu0FUdF4?si=eygD2AHcRK2RQ3sLAPxQgw">ITEKOMA HITS</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), which compiles all their early Japanese singles with a near equal number of impassioned originals. If being screamed at enthusiastically by diminuative Japanese waifs is your thing, Otoboke Beaver is the band for you.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">SET 2</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSn-z6wJMKGyJLmBiq25wAjZZ1tPeOzfompEs7NaP15ixldVb4ToaPthsyF8Np3Og6N6DxkwrytLN7XaPN4-YHjUfZHOfAIs2CbGN3jdCLK9-ZD-FjDhzajR7TXeER6cNsFa5QISumJLT/s807/Tool-Fear-Inoculum-artwork.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="807" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSn-z6wJMKGyJLmBiq25wAjZZ1tPeOzfompEs7NaP15ixldVb4ToaPthsyF8Np3Og6N6DxkwrytLN7XaPN4-YHjUfZHOfAIs2CbGN3jdCLK9-ZD-FjDhzajR7TXeER6cNsFa5QISumJLT/s320/Tool-Fear-Inoculum-artwork.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/39zWYYZStDgWi32sOU9AX4?si=JV_40nwXR6ihPC6UdhYBsQ">Fear Inoculum</a></i> - Tool</b>: Love the opening three minutes here from the opening track to trance-metal-legends Tool's otherwise mildly disappointing, low energy <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7acEciVtnuTzmwKptkjth5?si=73ER6Hh3RFC8RCRMooJjnw">Fear Inoculum</a> (Solid Recommend)</i>, a sophisticated, polished album which never feels bad by any stretch, but outside those opening minutes here and a few short stretches in the back half also almost never truly takes flight.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsZVLr0yjHmh8pj4HBl57TrZ62AfKn8a0FcnztZRgJQ35_AqlGUrk1aGxg_n8yIzyHs7CR49PFo0lQQTwrahrB58lzdFkmGXdPhmWn7E2T08vqo2wtIePTWku04HxAmuyqLefjgdF95A5/s830/rammsteinalbum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="830" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsZVLr0yjHmh8pj4HBl57TrZ62AfKn8a0FcnztZRgJQ35_AqlGUrk1aGxg_n8yIzyHs7CR49PFo0lQQTwrahrB58lzdFkmGXdPhmWn7E2T08vqo2wtIePTWku04HxAmuyqLefjgdF95A5/s320/rammsteinalbum.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/15f16lrsDzFeNpHYBTzHLI?si=i0wewcO0RqWQq-wfE6HsUg">Sex</a></i> - Rammstein</b>: 2019's best selling album in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1LoyJQVHPLHE3fCCS8Juek?si=PsXP4qLiSsCeey96c2rYZg">RAMMSTEIN</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i> </i></font><span style="font-size: large;">finds the Neue Deutsche Hart/industrial dance-metal pioneers still in peak form despite the ten year layoff since their previous studio release. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivhy47COP4R_JR8m-CueDqXNa2nTotsbWgegKltp5SWqp3WQZ47ng5yTLJI-PWpWVE9tNjh5lFlxXJZLiRETxaYiktly9kjVCNjihRW6-0uzI6pxLYFF022gPw76UMsXRMJsr5ak3NBRZ/s600/kimgordon_nohomerecord.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivhy47COP4R_JR8m-CueDqXNa2nTotsbWgegKltp5SWqp3WQZ47ng5yTLJI-PWpWVE9tNjh5lFlxXJZLiRETxaYiktly9kjVCNjihRW6-0uzI6pxLYFF022gPw76UMsXRMJsr5ak3NBRZ/s320/kimgordon_nohomerecord.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3xQi4kBvNq14XgmBE3QIik?si=rXkJyphTSQmeAe8tDG4MJQ">Murdered Out</a></i> - Kim Gordon</b>: A bit of a cheat, Murdered Out was first recorded in 2016 when Sonic Youth founder Kim Gordon met producer Justin Raisen at an airbnb and he asked if she'd be willing to lend vocals to some stuff he was working on. But since first effort led to further collaboration between the two that ultimately resulted in Gordon's first solo album, 2019's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4WgO7FEa9fzcyOIabUIbQR?si=dM_QGRI-Qd6rgBRJnA40Lg">No Home Record</a> </i>(Mild Recommend)<i> </i>it felt like <i>Murdered Out</i> was the only logical representative cut.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhFLV1X4U3rN1vNr1fbUV3uO6YPmfViGvclkZfkmCD6I9yCoFEhk2PTGFWnRU4nwPrS0OPLF5p-KT50vh20Dsh818BSBzF4fJtRLVtGwq-3EiB-RTij59yigcZJrwdsBvV-47mhU1w6Tu/s600/Matmos_PlasticAnniversary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhFLV1X4U3rN1vNr1fbUV3uO6YPmfViGvclkZfkmCD6I9yCoFEhk2PTGFWnRU4nwPrS0OPLF5p-KT50vh20Dsh818BSBzF4fJtRLVtGwq-3EiB-RTij59yigcZJrwdsBvV-47mhU1w6Tu/s320/Matmos_PlasticAnniversary.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3hbxSBTE3REYFtWRuin5am?si=dkzP4zFASzmxrNd4vwo-Sw">Breaking Bread</a></i> - Matmos</b>: After having crafted genuine, surprisingly effective music solely from field-recordings of non-instruments as wildly diverse as washing machines and manipulated cow bladders, San Francisco sample-masters Matmos turn their attention to the musical possibilities of everyday plastics on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/07wd7C50XiBaZg1kRe543z?si=csTOBGOrR1yfBJUo6kXgaA">Plastic Anniversary</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), and once again, the results are surprisingly effective. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzShWpK92e59w1W6gh72jtXxTQadncHooANs-fjuTuwVFY8BHGt0L6Cbu1AvRFvFBG0VORbDxI9sXJ58YshPeobhmPJ_ldd7KBmgtuGG7kAjUzpnNcCx_GPEGimQ2Y_Qaivdp2_Dh8NON/s600/Slipknot+-+We+Are+Not+your+Kind.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzShWpK92e59w1W6gh72jtXxTQadncHooANs-fjuTuwVFY8BHGt0L6Cbu1AvRFvFBG0VORbDxI9sXJ58YshPeobhmPJ_ldd7KBmgtuGG7kAjUzpnNcCx_GPEGimQ2Y_Qaivdp2_Dh8NON/s320/Slipknot+-+We+Are+Not+your+Kind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5mpUKTdskZea0gStWzeHUZ?si=aW8IkYCJTX68shUsSYsLsw">Unsainted </a></i>- Slipknot</b>: My favorite song from one of the strongest metal efforts of 2019, Slipknot's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/754RY5WpZ2LTUZsk8kDBju?si=ZjBVzsHrSb6hlGTac4Ut7g">We Are Not Your Kind</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) finds the veteran band both delivering the requisite top tier pummeling riffs while also finding plenty of room for experimentation and broadening of the palette. Doesn't quite hit the majesty of say a Tool or Deafheaven at their best, but at many times the album feels like they are successfully gunning for the same broad appeal (as least as far as contemporary metal acts can court broad appeal). </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNWVDNt_3qS2x1Na63_8WN_vOp5pZgHCXmY1juKsEzIBoOOSKw2qDajigbyjfCvokOT9J0dk4WIvG94umeuYXPJSHPUY5QQQi2OG2kiA5QX-Yh-NaMNf8JV8h19szUCWWYMC7aqwjgPT7/s600/KARYYN_TheQuantaSeries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNWVDNt_3qS2x1Na63_8WN_vOp5pZgHCXmY1juKsEzIBoOOSKw2qDajigbyjfCvokOT9J0dk4WIvG94umeuYXPJSHPUY5QQQi2OG2kiA5QX-Yh-NaMNf8JV8h19szUCWWYMC7aqwjgPT7/s320/KARYYN_TheQuantaSeries.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3qIPMvXKcDQQq284RYNzBw?si=oAPaCXFKRryDxkdpeoEZEA">CYTOKINESIS</a></i> - KARYYN</b>: Maybe the most haunting electronic release of 2019, Syrian-American multi-faceted artist KARYYN's full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4VEBWwVc7dIuWkOKe0dTK4?si=8O5JdzFESGifbKmcWJdnuA">The Quanta Series</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), is highly abstract but nonetheless heavy, emotionally charged stuff, as Karyyn works through the emotional anguish triggered by the loss of beloved relatives and a cherished childhood summer school in the ongoing Syrian conflict.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmjCPVcmedmWPSJYEVEx2VKbUUatuNhEfINyT-w30zj5JQOkrkPGLkVq5C7H1-g1zu-T1-M6JI8yb75FxxlujzR61y_WyvnIB93Slp3J0RPkiJtZM0W79Bk8p0hYOndSEedkwF9kay2QN/s600/Notes+on+a+Conditional+Form_The+1975.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmjCPVcmedmWPSJYEVEx2VKbUUatuNhEfINyT-w30zj5JQOkrkPGLkVq5C7H1-g1zu-T1-M6JI8yb75FxxlujzR61y_WyvnIB93Slp3J0RPkiJtZM0W79Bk8p0hYOndSEedkwF9kay2QN/s320/Notes+on+a+Conditional+Form_The+1975.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/39sJbSgJmIrB9J1pkRbpaX?si=d8nuLVERTTaLHaUSwuieHQ">People</a></i> - The 1975</b>: I haven't heard popular mainstream Brit pop act The 1975's 2020 release <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0o5xjCboti8vXhdoUG9LYi?si=dh6lPqzTTKC2QEybKet8ng" style="font-style: italic;">Notes On A Conditional Form</a> yet, but man was this lead single from the album a surprise. Talk about a stylistic shift! <i>People</i> is one of the most in-your-face aggressive songs of 2019, and has to have repulsed a significant number of the bands fans. Will be interesting to see if the rest of the new album follows form, or if people is just an edgy outlier. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAp2VZpnOfne4CknZSYpZqqJsTxJ_pr2yIkyhMKiikwQ-b1ioFLfiyqWcrkDeFb_5JS5nqKNvFhrxMYK3zhsi6mllKDKIFlj5_skYvSi_Nef4uPsQ0-Sn4PACk1yS6NNiKk3_yi9ZdxcK9/s600/girlband_thetalkies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAp2VZpnOfne4CknZSYpZqqJsTxJ_pr2yIkyhMKiikwQ-b1ioFLfiyqWcrkDeFb_5JS5nqKNvFhrxMYK3zhsi6mllKDKIFlj5_skYvSi_Nef4uPsQ0-Sn4PACk1yS6NNiKk3_yi9ZdxcK9/s320/girlband_thetalkies.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1WjKhN87OOgdHSM4cjqYTz?si=dCoc-U9dQ8aCsvi9Ijg4mA">Aibohphobia</a></i> - Girl Band</b>: There are conceptually anchored songs, and then there's Girl Band's awesome <i>Aibohphobia </i></font><span style="font-size: large;">from the Irish post-punk/noise rock acts 2019 full-length release</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7CcsQ8Y3s65IZCoaBrZuIT?si=V9_QBxMORhy0fdV51bZa_Q">The Talkies</a>, </span></i><span style="font-size: large;">which viscerally captures the song's central theme (a fear of palindromes) by physically recording the song backwards in the studio and then playing that backwards recording backwards as the final version was committed to disc/vinyl - the exact same trick David Lynch utilized to create the Dwarf's singular speaking rhythms in <i>Twin Peaks</i>.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WbTvYCfgwDQQyYfmy1_0UKVe0Uy7s_ZAr1jW_z-rQ9a1PmzRIBFAt3rVLnW9PghWof9DpT6o7ugDuE2xoGZ7VBVXmz7O-yjJ5sc6v-lAbexLFVSfK9YsWEGnePR7QbZ14cSuRR6Klhai/s512/These+New+Puritans+-+Inside+The+Rose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WbTvYCfgwDQQyYfmy1_0UKVe0Uy7s_ZAr1jW_z-rQ9a1PmzRIBFAt3rVLnW9PghWof9DpT6o7ugDuE2xoGZ7VBVXmz7O-yjJ5sc6v-lAbexLFVSfK9YsWEGnePR7QbZ14cSuRR6Klhai/s320/These+New+Puritans+-+Inside+The+Rose.jpg" /></b></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Ji1xtPIThSHiKjxBrVlsg?si=4X_5yRykToS-K3P0HhZSVQ">Infinity Vibraphones</a></i> - These New Puritans</b>: Heavy shades of the recently passed Mark Hollis and Talk Talk on this track here from the Barnett brothers-led British neo-classicists These New Puritans fourth studio release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1aR2DgCopvc2dcTQiVOs98?si=wxSUdB0JRe2ZjtNqYUpStg">Inside The Rose</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGqdkKX7dwTfkhh7cU7bE3zk_g1Sc6QBGv72nAHxdwpIQoRgx7PtaOYLIodRz05TaK3Acd8UZv0LnrnZRzAiKG_RmipIO3mRhmNw9x7aVJhJMwpGEh0G-Yot9ND4zzggBprLF3XqLj3o_/s225/The+Murder+Capital+When+I+Have+Fears.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGqdkKX7dwTfkhh7cU7bE3zk_g1Sc6QBGv72nAHxdwpIQoRgx7PtaOYLIodRz05TaK3Acd8UZv0LnrnZRzAiKG_RmipIO3mRhmNw9x7aVJhJMwpGEh0G-Yot9ND4zzggBprLF3XqLj3o_/w320-h320/The+Murder+Capital+When+I+Have+Fears.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0S6QIzZMX8r2jdsVTARExI?si=akXBqoWcSBCDa9k7ZOvq-g">Feeling Fades</a></i> - The Murder Capital</b>: Self-loathing takes center stage here on this standout track from </font><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/17ozByfYT9iEhfGNcT6mdz?si=urorcPRyQtauIqE5dg9uIQ"><span style="font-size: large;">When I Have Fears</span></a> </i><span style="font-size: large;"><span>as Murder Capital lead singer James McGovern's castigates himself for his diminish emotional reaction to his friend's suicide as time passes on</span><span>. </span></span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH8qM_Om8wR7zAxKJVNRNiiDlAFEXLf3Gl0Bdvr7cSO_PDlaach4qUNxNKyZZWUjV9FFFK3i_nIIqTajL1OLCJQFwrA1HHvg9paam2ihrw-bYsiOoXhVH-GuJCTkkkSsWGP4_APAimBtI/s807/Refused-War-Music.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="807" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH8qM_Om8wR7zAxKJVNRNiiDlAFEXLf3Gl0Bdvr7cSO_PDlaach4qUNxNKyZZWUjV9FFFK3i_nIIqTajL1OLCJQFwrA1HHvg9paam2ihrw-bYsiOoXhVH-GuJCTkkkSsWGP4_APAimBtI/s320/Refused-War-Music.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6knvGpq54l2Rvobxaw6zkQ?si=_FI2XtmeQD2xOZQ1wtUieg">Economy Of Death</a></i> - Refused</b>: While not the ear-opening groundbreaker that was 1998's versatile <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2Us9qPHLvLoTl6HkYAPcz2?si=QEti3JRJTJGqv2LtrX5bUA">The Shape Of Punk To Come</a></i>, Refused's 2019 release, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/34OxtemPbAWuvw8RsSe9sx?si=udIPnvrmRJ2pXKx8exlZCw">War Music</a>, </i>was an encouraging return to form for the anarchist Swedish hardcore outfit since getting back together in 2012.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qXDNgkuLw3ym-djQgNONJlN7jsPipKeQI9P9_7jL3IF6rdceew0dljNHYEdgEA-1XSlx7JA43m_2W0wlIkpmb2zeoh9DAYpqkpd8yClGL8bqe4DqIa4xGj_HGJfpqQgYSa7QistgYcHG/s225/Baroness+-+Gold+%2526+Grey.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qXDNgkuLw3ym-djQgNONJlN7jsPipKeQI9P9_7jL3IF6rdceew0dljNHYEdgEA-1XSlx7JA43m_2W0wlIkpmb2zeoh9DAYpqkpd8yClGL8bqe4DqIa4xGj_HGJfpqQgYSa7QistgYcHG/w320-h320/Baroness+-+Gold+%2526+Grey.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0QPepHlc9aqzgvFauejQPi?si=lOTNWoCQR2qvQByZMOp7Uw">Pale Sun</a></i> - Baroness</b>: One of the best reviewed heavy metal albums of 2019, Barnoness's sprawling <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6BK62pLb3I24L5zr2zaYoI?si=L3DdNqxeQu2JFZw73yQfJg">Gold & Grey</a> (Solid Recommend) </i>is overstuffed with surging rockers and artful, unpredictable prog-metal excursions, but it was one of the album's quieter numbers, brooding album closer <i>Pale Sun</i>, that caught my ear most. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8DCYr7pj5kM3QAYOVSx0wh2cN-DyPVNhAAf10OvrN8uRW42S2bRxSy1KHmXVaOe0_04-sOIwPC7od9bzWidY2G6UWLP6WuBMEeFGcvqjF4ld6NIb9r_6hLVFOlHSR2-VzwyAzIsrnltV/s1200/holly-herndon-proto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8DCYr7pj5kM3QAYOVSx0wh2cN-DyPVNhAAf10OvrN8uRW42S2bRxSy1KHmXVaOe0_04-sOIwPC7od9bzWidY2G6UWLP6WuBMEeFGcvqjF4ld6NIb9r_6hLVFOlHSR2-VzwyAzIsrnltV/s320/holly-herndon-proto.jpg" /></b></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4csDtVEcBKdlf55VY256Wh?si=8kAA5Kg_QZSoy83ZqBecZA">Alienation</a></i> - Holly Herndon</b>: It will be interesting to see if fifty years from now, cutting edge electronic musician Holly Herndon's fascinating <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3PkYFFSJTPxOhnSYBtyZsk?si=Xj4Q5B81SDWRIA8hmXLVgA">Proto</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is referenced in a historical retrospective on the development of arts oriented AI, because if I'm correct about this, Proto is the first album in which artificial intelligence deserves a portion of the songwriting credit. Herndon, a Stanford doctorate in music and acoustics, worked with collaborator Mat Dryhurst to train an AI affectionately named spawn in genre vocal traditions, especially folk, gospel, and old-world choral harmonies, and then let Spawn do its thing. And the most surprising thing, though definitely unusual, the album, which includes some of those recorded training sessions in addition to actual compositions, is actually quite accessible, even emotionally stirring at times. Can't wait to see if there's another chapter for this project.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTY2Q40pOpcfTyZ72z8uCodyRiODabR5un051EHm0iKl69MYjcbtxBhL0g9z2LdEzYIszs3dtkoHR79lPtAS1VmXPfeuUPKPl4FnLP2sDkNAuBBiLqGZhzonVoK-rMaextUdichi963vz/s800/MARK_LANEGAN_-_Somebodys_Knocking_LP_-_artwork_800x800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTY2Q40pOpcfTyZ72z8uCodyRiODabR5un051EHm0iKl69MYjcbtxBhL0g9z2LdEzYIszs3dtkoHR79lPtAS1VmXPfeuUPKPl4FnLP2sDkNAuBBiLqGZhzonVoK-rMaextUdichi963vz/s320/MARK_LANEGAN_-_Somebodys_Knocking_LP_-_artwork_800x800.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>27. <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/50t1kM4uKaBBXJrROwhO6r?si=r7weivdfRx-PSdbXlZOsEA"><i>Name and Number</i> </a>- Mark Lanegan</b>: Though I wouldn't quite call veteran grunge pioneer Mark Lanegan's latest solo effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6udwWMjAd1Q5zyNzjxJu4g?si=gmSQuj-wSPGYiJYX7GjFLQ">Somebody's Knocking</a> </i>(Mild Recommend) a full blown move into electronic music, I did see one review that labeled it as Lanegan's equivalent to a dark disco party album, and I feel that description is fairly apt. Definitely fits the bill with our representative track <i>Name and Number</i> here at least. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMRUekij3zetY4BGdYP8la3xU5eew3cqgur9x4LTc-TiIboHz_ZhiLRzkKKD3zwbV7K-7c74ewNP3o_NsZLRtnws7gM5DQCeAov3SS8Ny_F2PRUlb-fHPxzyuvLzrCDNx7jWaTo1z117L/s640/control-top-covert-contracts-1554410240-640x640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMRUekij3zetY4BGdYP8la3xU5eew3cqgur9x4LTc-TiIboHz_ZhiLRzkKKD3zwbV7K-7c74ewNP3o_NsZLRtnws7gM5DQCeAov3SS8Ny_F2PRUlb-fHPxzyuvLzrCDNx7jWaTo1z117L/s320/control-top-covert-contracts-1554410240-640x640.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0n3DEVNPu9Xo0CZhrGgOfc?si=ofrhA1ZySR6Zm8MWWtNVyg">Office Rage</a></i> - Control Top</b>: Early single here from an up-and-coming Philly-based hardcore trio and their 2019 debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1vcdjzIFsREnxektt7YpiE?si=Qt1O80wIR26XYx7oGaaALQ">Covert Contracts</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61N-yPzhCqR6eR4teR9x8xdyl5QWygU1Ffqr9X1r6csp89fGIgOgmfKFPAnYi2h7fFMD7U4rqnocM5W0UjXCoN9QnIeFM0VlX9WmhlhiTGgCOZ0UNoRODfDb8zXce9hhHhXZW69LqOk8T/s600/Klein_Lifetime.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61N-yPzhCqR6eR4teR9x8xdyl5QWygU1Ffqr9X1r6csp89fGIgOgmfKFPAnYi2h7fFMD7U4rqnocM5W0UjXCoN9QnIeFM0VlX9WmhlhiTGgCOZ0UNoRODfDb8zXce9hhHhXZW69LqOk8T/s320/Klein_Lifetime.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3uSjp9rT55R0WjPSfnoyT8?si=k-fjlJP1S5mfoZPoZWr3JQ">Claim It</a></i> - Klein</b>: Intriguing dark electronic piece from Nigerian/South London pop-collagist Klein's full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6vZszIMZ7Spzca3C7QSgaY?si=XOOjLlDpS0esYnypevDYnA">Lifetime</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAo4XGyDegdqmX2m1C7qC3aoaWseVGj895YvkNWXx-jMVXgvwWpR8euX3KJMDlhWk4MY-xmVLrjxtw_B6vatJqD-lYElW_WXtMB-gNrf72IuTE5zZ0SAPJ9mVFDoozdeXeFDvfahNdPhI/s600/blanckmass_animatedviolencemild.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAo4XGyDegdqmX2m1C7qC3aoaWseVGj895YvkNWXx-jMVXgvwWpR8euX3KJMDlhWk4MY-xmVLrjxtw_B6vatJqD-lYElW_WXtMB-gNrf72IuTE5zZ0SAPJ9mVFDoozdeXeFDvfahNdPhI/s320/blanckmass_animatedviolencemild.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5Zji0mEVDjPYlVjWNpCl7t?si=tByWx95CTZ-NUiACDdBPqA">Love Is A Parasite</a></i> - Blanck Mass</b>: It just wouldn't be an off-putting mix proper without a kick-ass, surging, droney contribution from Fuck Buttons veteran noise maker Benjamin John Powers and his fourth full-length outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/74tQiCbJ97DTI7zsRbj55f?si=kJdLxsSfR5Ow1rs20Ngqqg">Animated Violence Mild</a> </i>under his Blanck Mass solo moniker.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5jpOOsKEXXW_cPzYQjSgt4vmDtbjmkIx0EUIjBRZliZRINM-yhb68Y4Iru33Q0PTFRu36kEZUzBDvlafQEpZ8HUvuai6GvBu64yYbhmoJX7ZUNjNHlEHb6xls0xG4ntXQEz4XZLhM7If/s316/PUP_-_Morbid_Stuff_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5jpOOsKEXXW_cPzYQjSgt4vmDtbjmkIx0EUIjBRZliZRINM-yhb68Y4Iru33Q0PTFRu36kEZUzBDvlafQEpZ8HUvuai6GvBu64yYbhmoJX7ZUNjNHlEHb6xls0xG4ntXQEz4XZLhM7If/s0/PUP_-_Morbid_Stuff_cover.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5pyXMKcD2WHuzCuRczcXpw?si=BTbemr0tToq4prQwOblD0Q">Full Blown Meltdown</a></i> - PUP</b>: We'll hear a better representative track from Canadian punk-pop outfit Pathetic Use of Potential (aka PUP) <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/504XSXhUJlzztcMV4YMaDV?si=L-XQ45GORxyvfgHpfUqjGg" style="font-style: italic;">Morbid Stuff</a><i> </i>(Solid Recommend) a bit down the line on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-6-all-things.html">Vol 6 - All Things Rockin'</a></i>, but best track <i>Full Blown Meltdown</i> has such an in-your-face, screamo-feel, it felt better served on this mix here. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZY_tsPDnvM1DoNwzWyWENXPz8oTpoFI8hcNKC4Q4OCdPUvqPHE8dHrX_JCZ4asIqM1clcJ1ZPqYUmOmlExb2307ugsYr1EMRpecViMubPLyL0CeMbyatdkq1Y_EFizcJFrLOOCXs3paM/s600/Swans+-+Leaving+Meaning.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZY_tsPDnvM1DoNwzWyWENXPz8oTpoFI8hcNKC4Q4OCdPUvqPHE8dHrX_JCZ4asIqM1clcJ1ZPqYUmOmlExb2307ugsYr1EMRpecViMubPLyL0CeMbyatdkq1Y_EFizcJFrLOOCXs3paM/s320/Swans+-+Leaving+Meaning.jpg" /></b></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7DcypcPwnPiYbFEgYXuj2Y?si=T84mDrthQBWzhuwm7vix-Q">It's Coming It's Real</a> </i>- Swans</b>: Starting over with a revamped lineup after having created arguably the finest body of experimental/post rock music of the 2010s in the oft championed here <i>Seer</i> Triology (<i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5hXTuGzaOREp5WHYGQXXB1?si=fu_UfGwlQg6l2MwHc2yNwQ">The Seer</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4dq7JNcHKrnozzFQg5bpmn?si=T1KkL0d4Ra-uzysoboRaZw">To Be Kind</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/30FjZ3FGnMz4ita5zhqgkl?si=JeOyQR8FS0KL0ZHziiHP6g">The Glowing Man</a></i>), this new incarnation of Swans presents a far quieter, more mediative Michael Gira than what one encountered in the decade before on <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6zCMGYKxPgrV8snJYHGh13?si=Wo12-JutSCCFrxvmr3WPAg">Leaving Meaning</a> </i>(Mild Recommend).<i> </i>But despite the very chill, almost folksy vibe, there are still a number of compelling tracks, particularly our selection here - <i>It's Coming It's Real</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">ENCORE</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAFTh-JaS4URwGTEvxqwQznYpu3iaPxxsRdkDTdw3onJ-ZIqEIT2pmpEpmaII-zIkil9aOBTTiONCpXuO9S0UFUlCnL8uuslMRix9bSsz6kBdFgGwRwMqAk3kqlEA_lWuyruyX_XlysS8/s225/Lingua+Ignota+-+Caligula.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAFTh-JaS4URwGTEvxqwQznYpu3iaPxxsRdkDTdw3onJ-ZIqEIT2pmpEpmaII-zIkil9aOBTTiONCpXuO9S0UFUlCnL8uuslMRix9bSsz6kBdFgGwRwMqAk3kqlEA_lWuyruyX_XlysS8/w320-h320/Lingua+Ignota+-+Caligula.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/27mFsmEWiSablfQTyZZhgp?si=HpvSOf7lSHeXW7-29sglbw">Do You Doubt Me Traitor</a></i> - Lingua Ignota</b>: And now the song nobody has been waiting for but everyone should hear at least once, Lingua Ignota's horrifying deep dive into the primal anguish of physical abuse, taken once again from her masterful <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2GBJg7nTQs3go1w24ECKvy?si=Kt7mhGlISc-R3kCPJs2qgA">CALIGULA</a> </i>(Strong Recommend). A song to be experienced and felt rather than analyzed.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_QclZlbAsAnqrCiIG7vT6Nk57k0OOTcjIqK66a2wmFqahYagOcc-QOCN_14AvBR0eCAJ2A7dpH0M3cep11ry524U4Y0IrdJiGbzkYdqVAsa9ObktxIU1ll0WKXX9aEOL_dinsbgegXTW/s600/blackmidi_%25E2%2580%258BSchlagenheim.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_QclZlbAsAnqrCiIG7vT6Nk57k0OOTcjIqK66a2wmFqahYagOcc-QOCN_14AvBR0eCAJ2A7dpH0M3cep11ry524U4Y0IrdJiGbzkYdqVAsa9ObktxIU1ll0WKXX9aEOL_dinsbgegXTW/s320/blackmidi_%25E2%2580%258BSchlagenheim.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5JMGdYY6bjPprAGtTBmFkb?si=tlckKcSeT4W1VuAaCRzq0g">Ducter</a></i> - Black Midi</b>: Here's one more from young London art-rocker's Black Midi's debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/14LuwckQuyWIvVlKrYuLzP?si=Xf8iF0cTRdeQRCgMliK6rg" style="font-style: italic;">Schlagenheim</a>, the album's wild ride closing track <i>Ducter</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmWzX9XyPcxwiRc0QZfeHusKD_Rlw3dBarXTY4Bq75i5tb1EMWM4tqHWdMi24Z5o6hScc_G1_A4MCvcilrHmbanlMi_QUVvCo1aYGRp6XDFM9c8aMwXlXNeG-prlI0HbQGXbmpvOfN8zn/s220/Nick+Cave+-+Ghosteen.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmWzX9XyPcxwiRc0QZfeHusKD_Rlw3dBarXTY4Bq75i5tb1EMWM4tqHWdMi24Z5o6hScc_G1_A4MCvcilrHmbanlMi_QUVvCo1aYGRp6XDFM9c8aMwXlXNeG-prlI0HbQGXbmpvOfN8zn/w320-h320/Nick+Cave+-+Ghosteen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6k52oa1yaAHNxzXk4My7N5?si=fzJ5zGZNQCKKiHOd4eNmkw">Hollywood</a></i> - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds</b>: At 14:12, it was too long to stand as the representative track of Nick Cave's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6UOvMBrdfOWGqSvtQohiso?si=87WMZOO1TbekaGYd0PQ1XQ" style="font-style: italic;">Ghosteen</a><i> </i>(Highest recommend) on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i>,<i> </i>but for my money, this final meditation on dealing with the enduring grief following the death of his son in 2015, which concludes with the ages old parable of the mustard seeds, is the #1 best song of 2020.</font></div></div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-23082614536998924942020-07-24T04:48:00.050-07:002021-04-15T07:19:16.174-07:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Vol 5 - All Things Soulful!2019's top R&B and hip hop efforts land here. Set 1 has a much heavier R&B/upbeat lean. Set 2 gets into edgier stuff, though still contains a lighter number or two. High impact social consciousness/political statements dominate the encore. <div><br /></div><div>Lots of good stuff in the genre this year, especially on the female R&B side. Here's the Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50KjD63fa7QBOn4U5ZzaFf?si=PoKyt91hTYmT0DerDKX_Vg">link</a>. Enjoy. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/50KjD63fa7QBOn4U5ZzaFf" width="300"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">SET 1 (<i>Fun, Lively, Smooth</i>)</font></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlEUHtPlN4mKd3toBRd59KtaZrsq1XWsPoAfusRuH22mp5v6eJngNYKfFjgieDEe8_rC32ggMQxBw0Fy1JJgsShB0gPFZFMlj6rj_iw4-O5XozVF07PQ6ahnLKMVQ6R3ua2EfiYqfwSGF/s600/DJ+Shadow+-+Our+pathetic+Age.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlEUHtPlN4mKd3toBRd59KtaZrsq1XWsPoAfusRuH22mp5v6eJngNYKfFjgieDEe8_rC32ggMQxBw0Fy1JJgsShB0gPFZFMlj6rj_iw4-O5XozVF07PQ6ahnLKMVQ6R3ua2EfiYqfwSGF/s320/DJ+Shadow+-+Our+pathetic+Age.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZTRTKx8uqpzqqWOA3JyNN?si=XEibufP7QGqGsZUR1UaH_g">Rocket Fuel</a></i> - DJ Shadow (feat. De La Soul)</b>: Just a super fun, super old school hip-hop number with an assist from some golden era greats to start things off from DJ Shadow's 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5zzoZKPXrbDWQv8Czwz7oi?si=uFiaWrBYQ6GKMr5Q8cSfbw">Our Pathetic Age</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFO-1wUyvnjL61UBvqV0gTTDe0418Xg7ddgtFsWJ13JzwTIvs1KFzaRwvuRFYCaCxPNI7kZMKsQGhuw6CcbCVsGnm2e2rDcyIWB5uSo5a4l9SMZnlPENsUVHHbtF8AujX8lwzy2DCq_Nm/s600/Lizzo_CuzILoveYou.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFO-1wUyvnjL61UBvqV0gTTDe0418Xg7ddgtFsWJ13JzwTIvs1KFzaRwvuRFYCaCxPNI7kZMKsQGhuw6CcbCVsGnm2e2rDcyIWB5uSo5a4l9SMZnlPENsUVHHbtF8AujX8lwzy2DCq_Nm/s320/Lizzo_CuzILoveYou.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6YdQgWSpsxhVeX6Xmv3IFJ?si=NlQOl_PrRhCDRah34UveZg">Cuz I Love You</a></i> - Lizzo</b>: One of the standout R&B releases of 2019, Detroit-born ultra-posi singer/rapper/actress Lizzo's breakout third album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6dFFcYQ8VhifgdKgYY5LYL?si=YwptewPyRh2-JVVz1u2Cwg">Cuz I Love You</a></i> (Solid Recommend) is one thrilling, wild ride, full of inventive numbers that seem to fall fully within the accessible mainstream R&B & Hip-Hop bubbles while simultaneously pushing hard against their barriers, a dichotomy well on display in the album's title track here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbPPo63jB0oV2Ss8SJY7hnq1SZfY4MUn1sGhbvUI2NJQtuVMMTJeEKUSAYhTJ5DWFxvmlX2Z5Dj_OBlZSo5mIJWGwWLZuYYMEtP0b11fqj2MwlrWMGPWWzzgQgm8YPH7K2dWQDbU4YTlJ/s600/Kiwanuka.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbPPo63jB0oV2Ss8SJY7hnq1SZfY4MUn1sGhbvUI2NJQtuVMMTJeEKUSAYhTJ5DWFxvmlX2Z5Dj_OBlZSo5mIJWGwWLZuYYMEtP0b11fqj2MwlrWMGPWWzzgQgm8YPH7K2dWQDbU4YTlJ/s320/Kiwanuka.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3zJ5RDG0bLQAV2rntFgUtb?si=iE6WJ21mRHqhOj6aPNqCpg">You Ain't The Problem</a></i> - Michael Kiwanuka</b>: We're tapping three more songs from the marvelous first half of Michael Kiwanuka's third full-length effort and second album in his and Dangermouse's distinctive spaghetti-soul vein <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1yIqauTni1V7l7djYAKSsZ?si=RdgpRWEXSRC0yJtpI5GVSg">KIWANUKA</a></i> (Strong Recommend), starting with the critics favorite song off the album, the Richie Havens-ish opener <i>You Ain't The Problem</i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRXsrrw40wB0o8bPmxDmMiO-kCzhsublspvckj7IOIxjVnDf0RQt9x_Ua4cloItUajyyC7-DckuHe6HOGXuVT0wONuYdYrSUGZlJI58HLYa_ciFWEyeJhEClpMe6tCkqFAPTfBhPvyFEX/s600/7_LilNasX+-+7+EP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRXsrrw40wB0o8bPmxDmMiO-kCzhsublspvckj7IOIxjVnDf0RQt9x_Ua4cloItUajyyC7-DckuHe6HOGXuVT0wONuYdYrSUGZlJI58HLYa_ciFWEyeJhEClpMe6tCkqFAPTfBhPvyFEX/s320/7_LilNasX+-+7+EP.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2YpeDb67231RjR0MgVLzsG?si=XcNMfhkhRYiOKG5JLzeHVg">Old Town Road</a></i> - Lil Das X (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)</b>: Not much I can add to the conversation on Lil Nas X's mega-hit <i>Old Town Road</i> from his 2019 <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4IRiXE5NROxknUSAUSjMoO?si=QPikkBryTFOTNThHUnramQ">7 Ep</a> </i>other than agreeing it's a super fun song, and notable stylistically for being one of the first successful mainstream mergers of country and hip hop aesthetics. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMqdJTW_wmWmfgaEaKc1zg3bIJC8MowvIyaupVzR-KpJOAoBZOnZYZQqPkDxF0NbaqtgrpRE_Mez7J3HQgmVBxuZT3en2D3IY48_bYI8Qws5223mL3DRfC1Whj-QyeXAJoNobMG6jbjhS/s600/RaphaelSaadiq_JimmyLee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMqdJTW_wmWmfgaEaKc1zg3bIJC8MowvIyaupVzR-KpJOAoBZOnZYZQqPkDxF0NbaqtgrpRE_Mez7J3HQgmVBxuZT3en2D3IY48_bYI8Qws5223mL3DRfC1Whj-QyeXAJoNobMG6jbjhS/s320/RaphaelSaadiq_JimmyLee.jpg" /></b></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Lp9zP5kaIhwnGyzyMJie4?si=p4zcnxoaTMWAMFWLsb5O-w">This World Is Drunk</a></i> - Raphael Saadiq</b>: We're going to tap a few songs from former Tony! Toni! Tone! frontman's deeply personal and eclectically moving <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/42qt8FhWtmal27Gasz3r4v?si=qNz0Dq9vTfObbOyfrkav3A">Jimmy Lee</a></i> (Solid Recommend), which tackles a number of stressors and hot button issues central to the poorer African American experience, most filtered through the perspective of his troubled older brother who died of a heroin overdose several years ago. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDJ7GWkytNlG5u-KhiwA7S33y3EjzNQg_rJbLqzFIVVpBRZp1YRgdBzPU_vahkCTdbzJRjxEgLA1aiemqbckcA8vOTFhDYZFzPgZqIUo641RKiZZm3G_QJHkfur-1IlrAAfoLUipYPd8h/s600/brittanyhoward_jaime.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDJ7GWkytNlG5u-KhiwA7S33y3EjzNQg_rJbLqzFIVVpBRZp1YRgdBzPU_vahkCTdbzJRjxEgLA1aiemqbckcA8vOTFhDYZFzPgZqIUo641RKiZZm3G_QJHkfur-1IlrAAfoLUipYPd8h/s320/brittanyhoward_jaime.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7u0FwjCZoc3uZA4OJtlUrB?si=rJ3zdRgcQFSBzZUbzoB6-Q">History Repeats</a></i> - Brittany Howard</b>: Alabama Shakes' frontwoman's Brittany Howard's solo debut was very well received by critics, but I think Alabama Shakes more classic rock and blues-leaning fans will struggle, as I did, to find a lot to like in the highly experimental, far more contemporary neo-soul-angled <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6fbphjr9j57oxMB2bnhzUf?si=NIXuvYRNTPmq8Y1IwL1MrQ">Jamie</a></i> (Mild Recommend). Howard deserves major props for her willingness to charge full force into a number of fascinating, exploratory R&B ideas, but except on the fantastic <i>History Repeats</i> included here, and to a lesser degree on a few other tracks, she rarely sticks the landing. Here's hoping the end result match the huge aspirations on Howard's next solo outing, because from a raw talent standpoint she remains a force of nature whom I still think could have an stone-cold classic in her down the line. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX3aEaeBwUfgHS1c-898wEEw1wWmxyOClRKT5JGplMRB_d46Vz5nv-KUqb3l1AZCi1zEwgUP33YyZFcay9kNReE05FAGx8cH4XPJrgnM6rf5X__Q4kvivjoKQrk1bclx55L9UnCibzFmt/s600/Anderson.Paak_Ventura.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX3aEaeBwUfgHS1c-898wEEw1wWmxyOClRKT5JGplMRB_d46Vz5nv-KUqb3l1AZCi1zEwgUP33YyZFcay9kNReE05FAGx8cH4XPJrgnM6rf5X__Q4kvivjoKQrk1bclx55L9UnCibzFmt/s320/Anderson.Paak_Ventura.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6RpunyUP44SDweJPDScLSF?si=wDQHIhPVRMuwZKVv8Kn8Mw">Come Home</a></i> - Anderson .Paak (feat. Andre 3000)</b>: While not quite as exciting as his 2016 debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4VFG1DOuTeDMBjBLZT7hCK?si=6R-KAwmrQQGwMsov8WNTmw">Malibu</a></i>, omnipresent hip-hop hyphenate and Dr. Dre protege Anderson .Paak's sophomore full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0YF8PfcGbsKg5IaFyPnlyY?si=9XJguI0JTUmvWLl_B1Ll_Q">Ventura</a></i> (Solid Recommend) still provides a lot of the same pleasures as what came before from one of the best vocal talents presently active in the genre. Here on record opener <i>Come Home</i> he teams up with Outkast's Andre 3000 to get things started off in a wining way. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqsoFjmP_fXi63g1tUQ8HOCBp9Tbn2mb9kvLnA3Ep5YrN9wMIR3S4z9OqSBsNxxZuFvK-mjCmqaZ-42yS9NVkxnFHUOqwh8R7tNezfoE4vT0fXDKYGj9QwkQBM85lsyqvoEBFBgpPnEz-/s600/AriLennox_SheaButterBaby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqsoFjmP_fXi63g1tUQ8HOCBp9Tbn2mb9kvLnA3Ep5YrN9wMIR3S4z9OqSBsNxxZuFvK-mjCmqaZ-42yS9NVkxnFHUOqwh8R7tNezfoE4vT0fXDKYGj9QwkQBM85lsyqvoEBFBgpPnEz-/s320/AriLennox_SheaButterBaby.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5BOBHIBuzvQuIYL1E1nDzl?si=tKikfM_8S4yXwu9JQKllzw">Shea Butter Baby</a></i> - Ari Lennox (feat. J. Cole)</b>: Another promising neo-soul enchantress to make her full-length debut in 2019 with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3hejjJbFsinMBc1KBqF71w?si=KYRY2XijTiWSpFgOAXRY9A">Shea Butter Baby</a></i>, we're going with a bit of a cheat here for representative cut with the album's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5BOBHIBuzvQuIYL1E1nDzl?si=57vJRyg7SHyG0CMd9aQ0Dg">title track</a>, which originally appeared in 2018 on the <i>Creed II</i> soundtrack.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM46KaovLxCh0Fw98-c-QjUmCmERSHvcFrQDsI96jHWPukgXcNVi59r6Y0QBNVC_L0R5vtTBs7u66rSlYFkZw-7oYZVsx_I2C5lmOYS7HISRGmY-WeBCaXwNLdBI0gJUXPRnJRklxfJhs/s600/stormzy_heavy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM46KaovLxCh0Fw98-c-QjUmCmERSHvcFrQDsI96jHWPukgXcNVi59r6Y0QBNVC_L0R5vtTBs7u66rSlYFkZw-7oYZVsx_I2C5lmOYS7HISRGmY-WeBCaXwNLdBI0gJUXPRnJRklxfJhs/s320/stormzy_heavy.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4QPEwDdOMhY7rNS05mTyMR?si=DvhP0hvOSTOB3OsZZclDJg">Own It</a> </i>- Stormzy (feat. Ed Sheehan & Burma Boy)</b>: Continuing to be one of the most exciting artists on the present day British Grime scene, we're gonna profile two of the rappers three top ten UK singles from his sophomore effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3y4AaloFccKNLQcZNS9L8c?si=cOMAdvsORda_TiP16yjMDw">Heavy Is The Head</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), starting with my favorite uptempo number from the record, <i>Own It</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0jZctcr73CpPNT7H90rOVPayjx1DRTRZDTwmmiRXnF3NxPnFw2F0toF_XGRSdrjo9AuS5VgD1gijIIJLdo7zT9Pw6E6bZm9Crhm0hyphenhyphenZz4KCVrO6s59wmrcJgPdug1-rsjruismnWMtnv/s225/Jamila+Woods+-+Legacy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0jZctcr73CpPNT7H90rOVPayjx1DRTRZDTwmmiRXnF3NxPnFw2F0toF_XGRSdrjo9AuS5VgD1gijIIJLdo7zT9Pw6E6bZm9Crhm0hyphenhyphenZz4KCVrO6s59wmrcJgPdug1-rsjruismnWMtnv/w320-h320/Jamila+Woods+-+Legacy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Jel1sNeAIxUcYyOVQOWrH?si=7rxvyVrOQtm0aH-yMs0WuQ">MILES</a></i> - Jamila Woods</b>: Three-fourths of Jamila Woods tribute to inspirational artists and writers of color <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NzK7S7oQQnO8eLRf7kDJx?si=lWhZKOhJTj6_cHISpA1Cjw">LEGACY! LEGACY!</a></i> (Solid Recommend) </font><span style="font-size: large;">is dedicated to females, but as said earlier, for some reason, the most musically exciting songs are those dedicated to men. On this mix, we touch on three more male artist tributes from the album, starting with the Miles Davis tribute <i>Miles</i>.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfZ2Y2uEXuy-fUx8l0WTZMX7gFHD1S28YWQLl89Ca4Dd-W7Qg-95R1cihWdm52h8Wi_fIYL2_Otdev8-R_jg5KEcOfcj8MYI14A0VgzguUWlRK9suq-5O8Lbrhe2cBbMlhBUL3J2ySdXk/s600/CometIsComing_TrustInTheLifeforce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfZ2Y2uEXuy-fUx8l0WTZMX7gFHD1S28YWQLl89Ca4Dd-W7Qg-95R1cihWdm52h8Wi_fIYL2_Otdev8-R_jg5KEcOfcj8MYI14A0VgzguUWlRK9suq-5O8Lbrhe2cBbMlhBUL3J2ySdXk/s320/CometIsComing_TrustInTheLifeforce.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/26qvxre8pKtLTatKPYAR8Q?si=xb4AC8Z9TFik6-6EgILXvA">Super Zodiac</a></i> - The Comet Is Coming</b>: The year's most celebrated jazz album (at least in more pop/rock-oriented critical circles) was the crazed, futuristic tuba-heavy sophomore effort from The Sons Of Kemmet's acid-jazz alter ego The Comet Is Coming's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2mvz0NPBCPTbSEgRViuDLK?si=A_W46_mkSOWTo2cFbYatLQ">Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery</a></i> (Solid Recommend). At times as much electronic as Jazz, we'll be checking out highlights on both this mix and <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-7-all-things-disco.html">Vol 7 - All Things Disco</a></i>, starting with the album's most aggressive number <i>Super Zodiac</i> here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ni6rfC1XPo62JoBcfJd72FBWJxMcP0M10wGUsNJQW2KKNQOf3vTX9s-1zIrelxDruCFqwWYcQ-PYz6obx3DGZ8hy5OdUf-qrhdrkpqYz3vhllZtASVSqLFT6_bxbj-CDB3turDeX4u/s225/Little+Simz+-+GREY+Area.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ni6rfC1XPo62JoBcfJd72FBWJxMcP0M10wGUsNJQW2KKNQOf3vTX9s-1zIrelxDruCFqwWYcQ-PYz6obx3DGZ8hy5OdUf-qrhdrkpqYz3vhllZtASVSqLFT6_bxbj-CDB3turDeX4u/w320-h320/Little+Simz+-+GREY+Area.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2G2k2ZFsQkIEkAWDTvqHXM?si=zQI3aJacR2CiG8ED8rAsyw">Selfish</a></i> - Little Simz (feat. Cleo Soul)</b>: While for me, most of the best moments on rising grime superstar Little Simz's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Wwm4xg2748zhYuzDRFTgY?si=O6g3gEZiSf-ZeI9PscnZ7Q">GREY Area</a></i> (Strong Recommend) focus on the multi-talented artist's impressive rapping skills over compelling minimalist beats, she is also a commanding presence in the contemporary R&B world, as best demonstrated on the album's biggest hit <i>Selfish</i> here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSVn2J3U-bzOzMgRUJZXiIhTOwhIX9TkyOw4cLO91B8BGODyILKVDR4QEk27Y08rUbCndnZ39lvwRgkhPImuOcstgppn2wYYVKOp_lvWlo2FlXt_WsrapCs2eiRcU9RMm4VvH8llxcxTq/s225/Gary+Clark+Jr+-+This+Land.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSVn2J3U-bzOzMgRUJZXiIhTOwhIX9TkyOw4cLO91B8BGODyILKVDR4QEk27Y08rUbCndnZ39lvwRgkhPImuOcstgppn2wYYVKOp_lvWlo2FlXt_WsrapCs2eiRcU9RMm4VvH8llxcxTq/w320-h320/Gary+Clark+Jr+-+This+Land.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5O6cfjyWsteTs6Mnaz9VGE?si=9X-pfQc2QDuLo0yw6ihuEg">Pearl Cadillac</a></i> - Gary Clark Jr.</b>: He's among the most exciting contemporary blues guitarists out there, but I'm still waiting for the day when Gary Clark Jr.'s songwriting capabilities consistently rise to the level of his instrumental chops. On <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6pwdy6oQdwSQo8XOfpfAJJ?si=nzJl83i8S0OjR9bFWe3U1g">This Land</a></i> (Mild Recommend), Clark Jr. stretches out lyrically, tackling political and racial issues in a far more outspoken manner than before, to significant success, but it's his continuing attempts to be near every type of contemporary black musician - raging bluesman, classic smooth-soul crooner, Prince-like funk futurist, acid-jazz shaman - that make This Land, just like his previous studio albums, such a simultaneously exciting and maddeningly uneven affair. Still, the peaks make every Clark Jr. effort worth checking out, and that was no different on <i>This Land</i>, as on the <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/54X78diSLoUDI3joC2bjMz?si=uc8DoeNuTcSGo8cWn0KcYg">Purple Rain</a></i>-ish <i>Pearl Cadillac</i> with its crushing closing jam perfectly demonstrates.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcGERLe_0HYjcnxH8Yzv1Ubzkth20hhkf4z42Ugu3Ug_wmHrbSEUExwTpu5R2WyZ57Jv4Q2vK6XtFm2lyXFAuRRQibmf1UlpkcW_o15sI3rCE19Y1T4iWBXkGsecBLbNnXkL7PzDqYRE6/s600/Sudan+Archives+-+athena+.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcGERLe_0HYjcnxH8Yzv1Ubzkth20hhkf4z42Ugu3Ug_wmHrbSEUExwTpu5R2WyZ57Jv4Q2vK6XtFm2lyXFAuRRQibmf1UlpkcW_o15sI3rCE19Y1T4iWBXkGsecBLbNnXkL7PzDqYRE6/s320/Sudan+Archives+-+athena+.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3X2poeXeV5sAbOpFnineHX?si=0Hk9QckoQCKpwb10E0vHlA">Limitless</a></i> - Sudan Archives</b>: One of the most likeable songs on this mix, from Cincinnati-born, LA-based violinist and beat-maker Brittney Denise Park's (aka Sudan Archives) 2019 full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4HOPqliDYxpuwdsRwXwpOJ?si=OyyrBdBORIeXuP-h-F5pgw">Athena</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnO09Ymgw9HhUdpL5dc2cavg2BMybW0_n8IQRaCnf13MFHCRWsQzrfoJqyp8Gqo1crHXl69udgrVM7VZRxjbi8ZZw7SqsjQaVjSCdTxDZKq1h9POsMBWbTl91QNzyBRskP6I-Oe2zzrUJ/s225/Durand+JOnes+-+American+Love+Call.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnO09Ymgw9HhUdpL5dc2cavg2BMybW0_n8IQRaCnf13MFHCRWsQzrfoJqyp8Gqo1crHXl69udgrVM7VZRxjbi8ZZw7SqsjQaVjSCdTxDZKq1h9POsMBWbTl91QNzyBRskP6I-Oe2zzrUJ/w320-h320/Durand+JOnes+-+American+Love+Call.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2TdzkYQmKSBMkc4cCJg46q?si=ECT8u2arSJCb2TgiRCQPUg">Sea Gets Hotter</a></i> - Durand Jones & The Indications</b>: Some absolutely top-tier retro-soul here from one-time Hoosier college band Durand Jones & The Indications second full-length release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZCrk8P8S1iSsEXZjimtPY?si=Joa-2DreSZq3WyPaNgHwrw">American Love Call</a>. </i>And damn, is Anderson Paak. like the best gun-for-hire vocalist out there these days? Love his guest turn on this song.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6MMb1LYMiRGeIPLi47OdwOL7OKMmuQpGGXDU_ESsTDtDYxAQkD2EtUMJuFmnCkX7vUXTASkmmNlFrZmH6YwGm6iPjtFAy1226eW39Qf14mXOEmQatV95AUI6whlx4EsV8vJN-k4mgUnf/s600/Sault+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6MMb1LYMiRGeIPLi47OdwOL7OKMmuQpGGXDU_ESsTDtDYxAQkD2EtUMJuFmnCkX7vUXTASkmmNlFrZmH6YwGm6iPjtFAy1226eW39Qf14mXOEmQatV95AUI6whlx4EsV8vJN-k4mgUnf/s320/Sault+5.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5fzUKYfATEqxDmRWfbikAm?si=0SS0YRybTfWvvt-BzrbrnQ">Let Me Go</a></i> - SAULT</b>: One of the most prolific and mysterious forces at the moment in contemporary R&B, anonymous UK electro-funk outfit SAULT's fifth release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/57EkTny9UjqpLhFzMO4Hdb?si=_F3rKFEcQ6G_rqfWRqMeJQ">5</a> </i>presented one of the freshest production updates on the genre in 2019, as clearly exhibited by the album's best song <i>Let Me Go</i> here with its cavernous sonics. Watch out for this guys/gals/whoever they are in 2020!</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBpfo1s9_xVTkI92jjI181I7q3VHmpwZfCrwr2DS8m5Wz4c8RBl1zQ2E06-PUP8qrqqhrW37Hk1ByivoyzRumq_UpzyXacA3da-f_heYuxdK1N_He5cVVsHOYowRWNjstu1-DNCpddgWa/s600/james+blake_assume+form.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBpfo1s9_xVTkI92jjI181I7q3VHmpwZfCrwr2DS8m5Wz4c8RBl1zQ2E06-PUP8qrqqhrW37Hk1ByivoyzRumq_UpzyXacA3da-f_heYuxdK1N_He5cVVsHOYowRWNjstu1-DNCpddgWa/s320/james+blake_assume+form.jpg" /></a></div><div><font><b style="font-size: x-large;">17. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6voR6zsWIn7vgZYGOFKYSZ?si=qjjXBqd2T9mqwFSg3MzpjA">Can't Believe The Way We Flow</a></i> - James Blake</b><span style="font-size: large;">: While this gorgeous ballad from the soulful electronic producer's fourth release </span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/23dKNZpiadggKHrQgHLi3L?si=UbStO6wBRvSKvI-Im-VAfQ" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">Assume Form</a><i> </i><span style="font-size: large;">follows (pun intended) very true to the classic James Blake form, listeners who check out the rest of the album while find a much stronger hip-hop influence than on his earlier records.</span></font></div><div><font><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFO-1wUyvnjL61UBvqV0gTTDe0418Xg7ddgtFsWJ13JzwTIvs1KFzaRwvuRFYCaCxPNI7kZMKsQGhuw6CcbCVsGnm2e2rDcyIWB5uSo5a4l9SMZnlPENsUVHHbtF8AujX8lwzy2DCq_Nm/s600/Lizzo_CuzILoveYou.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFO-1wUyvnjL61UBvqV0gTTDe0418Xg7ddgtFsWJ13JzwTIvs1KFzaRwvuRFYCaCxPNI7kZMKsQGhuw6CcbCVsGnm2e2rDcyIWB5uSo5a4l9SMZnlPENsUVHHbtF8AujX8lwzy2DCq_Nm/s320/Lizzo_CuzILoveYou.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>18. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1xJAmebcsIOntzmfYtXrfc?si=r7V4uXxvRAifL6zcWvRaHA">Heaven Help Me</a></i> - Lizzo</b>: Another standout cut from Lizzo's adventurous, wildly eclectic breakout release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6dFFcYQ8VhifgdKgYY5LYL?si=YwptewPyRh2-JVVz1u2Cwg">Cuz I Love You</a></i> (Solid Recommend) to close out Set 1 with a bang!</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">SET 2 (Bangers, Art and Edge)</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz-cJShSg3qhxZEhtcVKviLEi9bd1N1aFGlE3AH7relbJR47aY51_RhW33nFmibPwE_ugE9ZFqwjCzFc5n0ST3F4iPALh4PpOreQOd7XMwy0oZ3mhNc4JwTAG0V3AdFMZyI4BhOqkL6vQ/s600/Kate+Tempest+-+Book+Of+Traps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz-cJShSg3qhxZEhtcVKviLEi9bd1N1aFGlE3AH7relbJR47aY51_RhW33nFmibPwE_ugE9ZFqwjCzFc5n0ST3F4iPALh4PpOreQOd7XMwy0oZ3mhNc4JwTAG0V3AdFMZyI4BhOqkL6vQ/s320/Kate+Tempest+-+Book+Of+Traps.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3t4LbXby7ursukK0P3JZIa?si=NEym7oToSQu6p7PXux7-0Q">All Humans Too Late</a></i> - Kate Temptest</b>: Pure poetry, there's no music to be heard on this interstitial cut from the Irish spoken-word artist Tempest's third full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1SwvcCnfC9boKSuWCMKPB4?si=cVhl-UP9QGe2bjbFZgqKlw">The Book Of Traps And Lessons</a></i> (Solid Recommend), but few tracks hit harder in 2019 than this three minute number. Talk about having on finger on the pulse of the times. Came very close to including this one <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSL2iXnZetMaa-Dc7xxKSz4m-Xp3CfPxAMrbuvZX3PNvwpJYU3nelph5WBeEgs-HDsXdtM-vCFlXUT41hh7AuRk_q_alKviwb7HIsn12c3pFSU2bvITrd3RqEQEPDczAEb8ewtjtnbv8u/s600/Matana+Roberts+-+Coin+Coin+Chapter+4+Memphis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSL2iXnZetMaa-Dc7xxKSz4m-Xp3CfPxAMrbuvZX3PNvwpJYU3nelph5WBeEgs-HDsXdtM-vCFlXUT41hh7AuRk_q_alKviwb7HIsn12c3pFSU2bvITrd3RqEQEPDczAEb8ewtjtnbv8u/s320/Matana+Roberts+-+Coin+Coin+Chapter+4+Memphis.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4hMMTvzsZFPwlp7O008jng?si=7haUzHSATjuhLjF3mypLYg">Her Mighty Waters Run</a></i> - Matana Roberts</b>: The most experimental album represented on this mix, Chicago-born, New York-based multi-media artist Matana Roberts latest chapter in her ongoing <i>COIN COIN </i>album series exploring history, memory and ancestry <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5mIDlb3HP4bTFU7SbmuIoF?si=A2hheg95QcOdOeuCcXmQxA">COIN COIN Chapter 4: Memphis</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) is an unusual but often exhilarating work, mixing African American traditions with dramatically avant-garde techniques.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36XPyhdXXKvYOxfzPXdMJNYHIUNMmMUgqhIEt_g_ifSJhe2TevFG2KBpqyyJeEc7aAzmeMuIO0EHB3hDyS8r4H1omL6xZBSMMK9HOLItAGf4Op692l6cpby7RBtaoOzQWuJ1VrBlpf6e-/s600/malibu+ken.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36XPyhdXXKvYOxfzPXdMJNYHIUNMmMUgqhIEt_g_ifSJhe2TevFG2KBpqyyJeEc7aAzmeMuIO0EHB3hDyS8r4H1omL6xZBSMMK9HOLItAGf4Op692l6cpby7RBtaoOzQWuJ1VrBlpf6e-/s320/malibu+ken.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2YSdttfME0OmOj9mPwHFIK?si=6FiTSKTCTDaY9QxTT3B_VQ">Corn Maze</a> </i>- Malibu Ken</b>: One of my favorite rap efforts of the year, experimental hip-hop duo Malibu Ken's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Cun8XaplQbI9DtM1zPvFr?si=csASiYjqQDiKVUdKEvpcmg">self-titled debut</a> (Solid Recommend) which combines the talents the hyper-literate Aesop Rock and inventive multi-instrumentalist Tobacco, features some of the most unusually cool beats of 2019. We're including two cuts from this fairly unique album on this mix, starting with the album opener <i>Corn Maze</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOctjsB2XlTmkgcsk3U2Y34cpecpGuzQKsAQrvG4XmEcuI_OLNvvGQfdqXvkAxTMhhkjl1ePMRk8XYqWC_5xy9jd_VMV0plp1_XWyGEXdC31sPXR1CMxmamJoT5iO9SG6YTo0IPfDbo4Kn/s600/DenzelCurry_ZUU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOctjsB2XlTmkgcsk3U2Y34cpecpGuzQKsAQrvG4XmEcuI_OLNvvGQfdqXvkAxTMhhkjl1ePMRk8XYqWC_5xy9jd_VMV0plp1_XWyGEXdC31sPXR1CMxmamJoT5iO9SG6YTo0IPfDbo4Kn/s320/DenzelCurry_ZUU.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2QbGvQssb0VLLS4x5NOmyJ?si=Vpa9XVQaQvWkRSVqmVkEWQ">Ricky</a></i> - Denzel Curry</b>: Like your hip-hop banging? Few 2019 hip-hop releases offered more pop-per-minute than Florida-based rapper Denzel Curry's celebration of his hometown of Miami <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6PkSBdx19zarn4ae1D08gA?si=JZqnHU47TbGWXavvfmzs_w">ZUU</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieY-K74WQDVyYLWLV1B2Bi9qzLOFuDowddqiEGERufSGoUWm0aga6SCHmzGBxsRpE1PDhiFWF-g6WQfI4rvyDbEPLa2mIEx9ZtV7t9ZImoAkITOrxB9JVgP1SFAV6aPnLnTs3QKyriOwLx/s600/slowthai_NothingGreatAboutBritain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieY-K74WQDVyYLWLV1B2Bi9qzLOFuDowddqiEGERufSGoUWm0aga6SCHmzGBxsRpE1PDhiFWF-g6WQfI4rvyDbEPLa2mIEx9ZtV7t9ZImoAkITOrxB9JVgP1SFAV6aPnLnTs3QKyriOwLx/s320/slowthai_NothingGreatAboutBritain.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7wMCECqH5hlj6HF2J2LKAZ?si=c-xxw0rfQNOV_v0APvKyKA">Doorman</a></i> - slowthai (feat. Mura Masa)</b>: The most punkish hip hop track on this mix comes from provocative and humorous grimer Tyron Kaymone Frampton's Mercury Prize nominated debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5Ki4YFQrUx7hCcQx1LJUQb?si=GPl5PgikT-2zPCp_108uVg">Nothing Great About Britain</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ni6rfC1XPo62JoBcfJd72FBWJxMcP0M10wGUsNJQW2KKNQOf3vTX9s-1zIrelxDruCFqwWYcQ-PYz6obx3DGZ8hy5OdUf-qrhdrkpqYz3vhllZtASVSqLFT6_bxbj-CDB3turDeX4u/s225/Little+Simz+-+GREY+Area.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ni6rfC1XPo62JoBcfJd72FBWJxMcP0M10wGUsNJQW2KKNQOf3vTX9s-1zIrelxDruCFqwWYcQ-PYz6obx3DGZ8hy5OdUf-qrhdrkpqYz3vhllZtASVSqLFT6_bxbj-CDB3turDeX4u/w320-h320/Little+Simz+-+GREY+Area.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1TNLYKpEPZ0g6jQq34pDcU?si=hpS_MO3cSjOcUKcgJiZnXQ">Boss</a></i> - Little Simz</b>: Having already presented British rapper Little Simz's neo-soul-chops with Selfish, we get back to showcasing the hyper-cool, minimalist rap numbers that made her third studio outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Wwm4xg2748zhYuzDRFTgY?si=O6g3gEZiSf-ZeI9PscnZ7Q">GREY Area</a></i> (Strong Recommend) the best hip hop album of 2019 on either side of the Atlantic.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRpPqy8EzcePImS8I6vkc037suvxzsWrTt5e6RXIItoebNVCtCBCq2Zb-93X07Aef8Sg5CXAoq1bedfo5XJMe84fmiJ2kMXojw3CxQ9dvXBKon0KrXePTvMfCTjqSH0h5XFcmmq-LOEWj/s225/Tyler+The+Creator%252C+IGOR.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRpPqy8EzcePImS8I6vkc037suvxzsWrTt5e6RXIItoebNVCtCBCq2Zb-93X07Aef8Sg5CXAoq1bedfo5XJMe84fmiJ2kMXojw3CxQ9dvXBKon0KrXePTvMfCTjqSH0h5XFcmmq-LOEWj/w320-h320/Tyler+The+Creator%252C+IGOR.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6bOkaEXc5CopinGazSLokx?si=pezzxBNZSoO058AkGq3Brg">WHAT'S GOOD</a></i> - Tyler, The Creator</b>: As already stated on the write up for <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5hVghJ4KaYES3BFUATCYn0?si=oGJ-kuA8TIaCK4twBYB0Gg">Earfquake</a> </i>on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/07/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-1-nancys-favorites.html">Vol 1 - Nancy's Favorites</a></i>, I was not a huge band wagoner on Tyler, The Creator's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5zi7WsKlIiUXv09tbGLKsE?si=okoo99MGQymTmKeZT-XYdA">IGOR</a> </i>(Mild Recommend), 2019's most critically praised hip hop album. Admire the album for it's genuine adventurous originality, but in the end, just didn't jive with it's sound except for <i>Earfquake</i> and the by comparison harder-hitting <i>What's Good</i> presented here. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"> </font><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRSfhWEPZOCUE08tSaRVNmeYxY711gCRfPW_ri81AiTLlFgkZ0pW9GQnAESlRqniv042eij_C-Ewq83l5kxmDwYBcBqq71D4b8RCUKHUklaoOztd4OxNwJeNyXh3h1H-SlrlZaNhu0VHE/s600/Dababy_BabyOnBaby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRSfhWEPZOCUE08tSaRVNmeYxY711gCRfPW_ri81AiTLlFgkZ0pW9GQnAESlRqniv042eij_C-Ewq83l5kxmDwYBcBqq71D4b8RCUKHUklaoOztd4OxNwJeNyXh3h1H-SlrlZaNhu0VHE/s320/Dababy_BabyOnBaby.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2gwkD6igEhQbDQegRCcdoB?si=T1evAMmpRG-v8gnlbn_peg">Suge</a></i> - DaBaby</b>: One of the biggest hip hop hits of the year from breakout artist DaBaby's debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0O1PJ0t69iTO5yWrIeIga0?si=oBFow-PYQp-Y68OGGryIcQ">Baby On Baby</a>, </i>I enjoyed this number, but it's here mostly because my teenage children might have pulled something Suge-like on me had I not included it.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0jZctcr73CpPNT7H90rOVPayjx1DRTRZDTwmmiRXnF3NxPnFw2F0toF_XGRSdrjo9AuS5VgD1gijIIJLdo7zT9Pw6E6bZm9Crhm0hyphenhyphenZz4KCVrO6s59wmrcJgPdug1-rsjruismnWMtnv/s225/Jamila+Woods+-+Legacy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0jZctcr73CpPNT7H90rOVPayjx1DRTRZDTwmmiRXnF3NxPnFw2F0toF_XGRSdrjo9AuS5VgD1gijIIJLdo7zT9Pw6E6bZm9Crhm0hyphenhyphenZz4KCVrO6s59wmrcJgPdug1-rsjruismnWMtnv/w320-h320/Jamila+Woods+-+Legacy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5S0twx04effIaDPshAt7DS?si=Zy8sYdUzSROfGtsDN1u4XA">MUDDY</a></i> - Jamila Woods</b>: It should come as no surprise that on the artist by artist homage that is Jamila Woods <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NzK7S7oQQnO8eLRf7kDJx?si=lWhZKOhJTj6_cHISpA1Cjw" style="font-style: italic;">LEGACY! LEGACY!</a><i>, </i>the song dedicated to Muddy Waters has the most forceful guitar-driven punch. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTsidlM595BhPyko5BVVcmxFBneF4polYhB1Rlaz_yCwPgWknzyOpveLCVslavsuqg6bm2SdpFepGkXgdc9Gx81mIzt4FHJ86Tu_MMrmhZ5A2Egu8KDuQKNi_iTxbCsDUzcGsmUbUUCti/s225/Freddie+Gibbs+-+Bandana.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTsidlM595BhPyko5BVVcmxFBneF4polYhB1Rlaz_yCwPgWknzyOpveLCVslavsuqg6bm2SdpFepGkXgdc9Gx81mIzt4FHJ86Tu_MMrmhZ5A2Egu8KDuQKNi_iTxbCsDUzcGsmUbUUCti/w320-h320/Freddie+Gibbs+-+Bandana.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0jc0dX55DtUJaHRw8rreNd?si=Jz_nsBVIRDamsuoszehYDw">Giannis</a></i> - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib (feat. Anderson .Paak)</b>: And now one of our greatest contemporary hoopers gets his due on Freddie Gibbs & Madlib's second collaborative album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/31KbO7WnDp2AjPdmRTJzdf?si=X4ZHfTd_Th6eVvXMzn07Cg">Bandana</a></i> (Solid Recommend).</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1y7I1L9Qy7qqhJP36KdQWHjPqHohQCE5yub9LRAqv1FAFivVBuUnAEAOA3H8JnIXHiipQp14cmFgGeN7DFvivo_5KVBV53pNzk4RtpmuVB3xiqI342GdcYDVFAG2lmIP5HaSfcRaVSRW/s600/woods%252Bsegal_HidingPlaces.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1y7I1L9Qy7qqhJP36KdQWHjPqHohQCE5yub9LRAqv1FAFivVBuUnAEAOA3H8JnIXHiipQp14cmFgGeN7DFvivo_5KVBV53pNzk4RtpmuVB3xiqI342GdcYDVFAG2lmIP5HaSfcRaVSRW/s320/woods%252Bsegal_HidingPlaces.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1OPeLwCz1MqeRITVzNy2Qw?si=mWN6zEaMSHOmmyU_oJGVwQ">Spongebob</a></i> - Billy Woods & Kenny Segal</b>: After Malibu Ken's debut, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0HmKhR7Umt3ACs52ZLnKyK?si=WLWdq1WATBy_WZELStv4Rg">Hiding Places</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), </font><span style="font-size: large;">the collaborative fever dream debut between Brooklyn rapper Billy Woods and LA producer Kenny Segal offered up some of 2019's coolest left-field beats.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiPwuoUqNm1EYiOshsTqRxVDP0S95H6ZMY2_hCLhubIZWm_BysCw4vz-T8Iiv3V3Ytqx7ylP6kMe4t2qmnemf8HczDy0XQ6KQhyUbzyJX4bwFwZEgq4GmPJVobfcj0GWvkpDcjJqkKL6y/s600/rapsody+-+Eve.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiPwuoUqNm1EYiOshsTqRxVDP0S95H6ZMY2_hCLhubIZWm_BysCw4vz-T8Iiv3V3Ytqx7ylP6kMe4t2qmnemf8HczDy0XQ6KQhyUbzyJX4bwFwZEgq4GmPJVobfcj0GWvkpDcjJqkKL6y/s320/rapsody+-+Eve.jpeg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3mMpLkkVjO69cEo5E2wq4Y?si=u4r3WVZ3RLmNIDYqaV9F2A">Cleo</a></i> - Rapsody</b>: One of Phil Collin's edgiest tunes gets a glitchy reworking on this fine hip hop number from veteran North Carolina rapper Rapsody's latest full length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4W5qCJNSN3oNHB986TdO9S?si=EFJ5wjirTh61G7Ep2iHVUw">Eve</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWqxiNcNSZwfF-EldkemolC8ajP9QhNlP71uJcOV4OIbJ17HjwL8W3X2Is3XQt9NFBuu01g4-xKk7r1KjiFQWu-lUqUApPwKVqPlc-P3dzfaKQCYfgpuHD8q3dJazwGR_-2Moeg5O-sUo/s700/Kano+-+Hoodies+All+Summer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWqxiNcNSZwfF-EldkemolC8ajP9QhNlP71uJcOV4OIbJ17HjwL8W3X2Is3XQt9NFBuu01g4-xKk7r1KjiFQWu-lUqUApPwKVqPlc-P3dzfaKQCYfgpuHD8q3dJazwGR_-2Moeg5O-sUo/s320/Kano+-+Hoodies+All+Summer.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7oGNNZfDVgw39xwkupZEpU?si=1XsKCZjCSgaJLb-o7Bfa3Q">Free Years Later</a></i> - Kano</b>: An interesting counterpoint to Dave's <i>Pyschodrama</i>, Grime pioneer Kano's sixth release, the Mercury Prize nominated <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0N6HQ1sWJTf4QJxipeEazS?si=iPR6mMuxTu2FX0uM3y-Jmg">Hoodies All Summer</a> </i>(Mild Recommend), found the charismatic rapper tackling similarly lyrical topics and sonic territory in the same thoughtful manner as the newcomer, but from the perspective of a grizzled veteran. As a representative track, we're going with the album's exceptional opener, <i>Free Years Later</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkvvjHePsHtIEEkbvCNJ7d4PFDPfYj4-4FAwtfeZLoNgWoNIFvUv81NKW1gFrA3ZM4F_f34t4WYgDiZbom1ERyncXZfiC7vzx9aGADXwxg1rV-_aeAYYmu6RgEb__SA-XZNW8uV3Rhyphenhyphencx/s600/Polo+G+-+Die+A+Legend.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkvvjHePsHtIEEkbvCNJ7d4PFDPfYj4-4FAwtfeZLoNgWoNIFvUv81NKW1gFrA3ZM4F_f34t4WYgDiZbom1ERyncXZfiC7vzx9aGADXwxg1rV-_aeAYYmu6RgEb__SA-XZNW8uV3Rhyphenhyphencx/s320/Polo+G+-+Die+A+Legend.png" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6uFn47ACjqYkc0jADwEdj1?si=wBiNcWA-QT6JEfeFQVutmQ">Pop Out</a> </i>- Polo G (feat. Lil Tay)</b>: One of the biggest breakout mainstream hip-hop singles of year here from rising Chicago rapper Polo G and his full-length debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/26ztFK3E69j5THJQdyxC5w?si=_Ch1aWfUReW3obIvIaYv_Q">Die A Legend</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_zeURmmORL3zlLNPY93tbABZfrIlex9p95-uncyiZnySCU0Hhvbsuiqeo6rGorQfwfy6LqXsNdNTy0FGzVQl4cheikbazO49Fl2csZB-5kfA73NIT9mX1wHf9rIJtDzmyto-xWVhyd6d/s600/sampathegreat_thereturn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_zeURmmORL3zlLNPY93tbABZfrIlex9p95-uncyiZnySCU0Hhvbsuiqeo6rGorQfwfy6LqXsNdNTy0FGzVQl4cheikbazO49Fl2csZB-5kfA73NIT9mX1wHf9rIJtDzmyto-xWVhyd6d/s320/sampathegreat_thereturn.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6nUXH6o7OXDVykgwAtIIFU?si=6qXsts-yTaqjFg2EpOtKhQ">Final Form</a></i> - Sampa the Great</b>: My favorite song from <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1HxsSJHTqeUxDoKN26h8pB?si=lOhsqrqBRte3wLTAwGjhjg">The Return</a>, </i>the full-length debut for this rising Zambian-born, Australia based rapper, a bit of a Aussie scandal surrounds this song, as when the track won Best Hip Hop release at the 2019 ARIA's (Australia's own Grammys), television producers choose to cut to commercial rather than air Sampa's acceptance speech. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3R_0cXC9mkRzSYozRFyqElETZmlgLB6rVy-lmH3IvpzbKfjmTGEJvZIlVpa9DbYsTxPpj3lrGNhFI52uI9xO3b6pO7aehOXDkJDTIgbDDn35DrWPL1S5n3r_w-JlE5qGnpSe41xwmDpU7/s600/JPEGMAFIA_AllMyHeroesAreCornballs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3R_0cXC9mkRzSYozRFyqElETZmlgLB6rVy-lmH3IvpzbKfjmTGEJvZIlVpa9DbYsTxPpj3lrGNhFI52uI9xO3b6pO7aehOXDkJDTIgbDDn35DrWPL1S5n3r_w-JlE5qGnpSe41xwmDpU7/s320/JPEGMAFIA_AllMyHeroesAreCornballs.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6EIz62zN5Atz9GK0LjWtCC?si=zgbp19b4T7uXxwl5bnXaEA">Papi I Missed U</a></i> - JPEGMAFIA</b>: Edgy Digible Planets-like effort from former US soldier JPEGMAFIA's critically lauded but difficult latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5ilsl5R2lGACTnPZMKIp7o?si=gR2_YGWiRKWndYJd4xiVMg">All My Heroes Are Cornballs</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpELnWo8e-aI79kjXqYeUBH-cSuqaODSTGDBe01_FZfn4LPfuG_cfwzFsJ52UwoWORZvPy0NEnyMcp2zUcyduSoy6PT5elY2f5zc9cCavisvd03dtJKEUdQwT0NfFVoj-V1f2AVB6wHgc/s600/solange_when.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpELnWo8e-aI79kjXqYeUBH-cSuqaODSTGDBe01_FZfn4LPfuG_cfwzFsJ52UwoWORZvPy0NEnyMcp2zUcyduSoy6PT5elY2f5zc9cCavisvd03dtJKEUdQwT0NfFVoj-V1f2AVB6wHgc/s320/solange_when.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6l82XaHZyodfRvNo85Pdqr?si=zWNJDDVTRV-1c51zK2HMBA">Time (is)</a></i> - Solange</b>: My favorite cut from Solange's wonderfully produced 2019 release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4WF4HvVT7VjGnVjxjoCR6w?si=eU_A3J07TXSod-8cLGs_Mw">When I Get Home</a></i> (Mild Recommend). </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq-xLlBGKedloUTAc4aOzf-2YM8KJ1heN7rVQQqVkADsk5BiNMCdPs2sL6jtCyeqzJMr4KGqhlJiYnG-PSev9-SwS18z3DEIwWA4jHYlsnonqIpw6nrHAGoeXLSzpvExzKzZyq3qBYnOQ/s600/Danny+Brown+-+uknowhatimsaying.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq-xLlBGKedloUTAc4aOzf-2YM8KJ1heN7rVQQqVkADsk5BiNMCdPs2sL6jtCyeqzJMr4KGqhlJiYnG-PSev9-SwS18z3DEIwWA4jHYlsnonqIpw6nrHAGoeXLSzpvExzKzZyq3qBYnOQ/s320/Danny+Brown+-+uknowhatimsaying.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0tu5HH23FGMhQiJxHRK3bp?si=IoHQFdw5TwCkuLudAdFrlg">Dirty Laundry</a></i> - Danny Brown</b>: Another oddball number from one of hip hop's most unpredictable and unique gangsta' rappers, Detroit-veteran Danny Brown, and his fifth full-length effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4G3BRVsGEpWzUdplFJ1VBl?si=I4sugAsKQoqupMK3pDuxxw">uknowwhatimsayin?</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ni6rfC1XPo62JoBcfJd72FBWJxMcP0M10wGUsNJQW2KKNQOf3vTX9s-1zIrelxDruCFqwWYcQ-PYz6obx3DGZ8hy5OdUf-qrhdrkpqYz3vhllZtASVSqLFT6_bxbj-CDB3turDeX4u/s225/Little+Simz+-+GREY+Area.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq6ni6rfC1XPo62JoBcfJd72FBWJxMcP0M10wGUsNJQW2KKNQOf3vTX9s-1zIrelxDruCFqwWYcQ-PYz6obx3DGZ8hy5OdUf-qrhdrkpqYz3vhllZtASVSqLFT6_bxbj-CDB3turDeX4u/w320-h320/Little+Simz+-+GREY+Area.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>37. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6Vc8I8pCsC914pHTzaMwtl?si=3XrjdmGnTpGb0hJlYSDrnQ">Therapy</a></i> - Little Simz</b>: One last exercise in cool from Little Simz' kick-ass <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Wwm4xg2748zhYuzDRFTgY?si=O6g3gEZiSf-ZeI9PscnZ7Q">GREY Area</a></i> (Strong Recommend), the swaggering slow burner that is <i>Therapy</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_HZb0TAc_rDbD9FkY_HjOALeFfB6RFMgyRPRvJSOH56LAk1-kpwMSi3peZ1kGHdAMqULFGCIb-99MR7-hAIRb6k8U2s8IqGi4daqQawoxd0ufTQ-rUxtXSTcar-qn4HqdoVph9fc4zZD/s600/YoungThug_SoMuchFun.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_HZb0TAc_rDbD9FkY_HjOALeFfB6RFMgyRPRvJSOH56LAk1-kpwMSi3peZ1kGHdAMqULFGCIb-99MR7-hAIRb6k8U2s8IqGi4daqQawoxd0ufTQ-rUxtXSTcar-qn4HqdoVph9fc4zZD/s320/YoungThug_SoMuchFun.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>38. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2UcJF4S4yazTz1uQ7Tb8SA?si=zPhCyKFTRI6TbtnHOcvpYw">The London</a></i> - Young Thug (feat. J. Cole & Travis Scott)</b>: The closing track and lead single to Atlantan Young Thug's 2019 full length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/24jAbLMFzCTlIv3kQ94HwK?si=p-Cm5kL-QYiD0KH-2vYZ2w">So Much Fun</a>, </i>it was 2020 Grammy nominee for <i>Best Rap/Sung Performance</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36XPyhdXXKvYOxfzPXdMJNYHIUNMmMUgqhIEt_g_ifSJhe2TevFG2KBpqyyJeEc7aAzmeMuIO0EHB3hDyS8r4H1omL6xZBSMMK9HOLItAGf4Op692l6cpby7RBtaoOzQWuJ1VrBlpf6e-/s600/malibu+ken.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36XPyhdXXKvYOxfzPXdMJNYHIUNMmMUgqhIEt_g_ifSJhe2TevFG2KBpqyyJeEc7aAzmeMuIO0EHB3hDyS8r4H1omL6xZBSMMK9HOLItAGf4Op692l6cpby7RBtaoOzQWuJ1VrBlpf6e-/s320/malibu+ken.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>39. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4734NZT49UObWXKHhjIDp0?si=6wOgCeGORPydra4Ezle48Q">1+1=13</a></i> - Malibu Ken</b>: A logic perfectly suited to these Orwellian times, here's our second selection and my personal favorite number from Malibu Ken's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Cun8XaplQbI9DtM1zPvFr?si=csASiYjqQDiKVUdKEvpcmg">self-titled debut</a>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0JeGIH0zsiuPZ4Y6HnUMICnVb4O5bV8J4hkvIUwBGmnH4oGsXNK-8cI4yn8AI9L2XIqDt5_2eYwcSiC-umdo87usHrXuYWutxO7ToDLHXqS77xc8cf5ABl3ojnIUQDGgGDVcNRDGhT6J/s225/FKA+Twigs+Magdalene.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0JeGIH0zsiuPZ4Y6HnUMICnVb4O5bV8J4hkvIUwBGmnH4oGsXNK-8cI4yn8AI9L2XIqDt5_2eYwcSiC-umdo87usHrXuYWutxO7ToDLHXqS77xc8cf5ABl3ojnIUQDGgGDVcNRDGhT6J/w320-h320/FKA+Twigs+Magdalene.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>40. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4KfgBq7SrmjavjQS4ZQGHC?si=oAiw__VSRUKp3u0BZkPvcQ">sad day</a></i> - FKA twigs</b>: Another highlight from FKA Twigs stunning <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2w8Wshbp9RCPJdPU1iOpaY?si=qlRGI0XtSci5tEdwtueaxQ">MAGDALENE</a></i> (Strong Recommend), as she hopes for another chance at romance with a past lover.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">ENCORE</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbPPo63jB0oV2Ss8SJY7hnq1SZfY4MUn1sGhbvUI2NJQtuVMMTJeEKUSAYhTJ5DWFxvmlX2Z5Dj_OBlZSo5mIJWGwWLZuYYMEtP0b11fqj2MwlrWMGPWWzzgQgm8YPH7K2dWQDbU4YTlJ/s600/Kiwanuka.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbPPo63jB0oV2Ss8SJY7hnq1SZfY4MUn1sGhbvUI2NJQtuVMMTJeEKUSAYhTJ5DWFxvmlX2Z5Dj_OBlZSo5mIJWGwWLZuYYMEtP0b11fqj2MwlrWMGPWWzzgQgm8YPH7K2dWQDbU4YTlJ/s320/Kiwanuka.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>41 & 42. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3CQBal6JaIQziWGgX7FUqB?si=gGv28UBPT1ybAynIjtvwqg">Rolling</a></i> & <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7o0Wmu96vJWVW0KqTowxD3?si=aCfg4LK4Rt6g9pg6LmyYZw">I've Been Dazed</a></i></b>: We lead off our encore with a joined pair of tracks, one funky, one deliciously chill, that perfectly communicates the intoxicating, seamless flow of the first half of <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1yIqauTni1V7l7djYAKSsZ?si=RdgpRWEXSRC0yJtpI5GVSg">KIWANUKA</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFO-1wUyvnjL61UBvqV0gTTDe0418Xg7ddgtFsWJ13JzwTIvs1KFzaRwvuRFYCaCxPNI7kZMKsQGhuw6CcbCVsGnm2e2rDcyIWB5uSo5a4l9SMZnlPENsUVHHbtF8AujX8lwzy2DCq_Nm/s600/Lizzo_CuzILoveYou.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFO-1wUyvnjL61UBvqV0gTTDe0418Xg7ddgtFsWJ13JzwTIvs1KFzaRwvuRFYCaCxPNI7kZMKsQGhuw6CcbCVsGnm2e2rDcyIWB5uSo5a4l9SMZnlPENsUVHHbtF8AujX8lwzy2DCq_Nm/s320/Lizzo_CuzILoveYou.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>43.<i> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3kxsEF30mM0TZWfkOv4XsS?si=FB2oiAdSTZ-nFnO7y6ubUg">Jerome</a></i> - Lizzo</b>: One last hit from Lizzo's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6dFFcYQ8VhifgdKgYY5LYL?si=YwptewPyRh2-JVVz1u2Cwg" style="font-style: italic;">Cuz I Love You</a><i>, Jerome, </i>which ironically, on an album so playful and adventurous, was the 2020 grammy winner for Best Traditional R&B Performance.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM46KaovLxCh0Fw98-c-QjUmCmERSHvcFrQDsI96jHWPukgXcNVi59r6Y0QBNVC_L0R5vtTBs7u66rSlYFkZw-7oYZVsx_I2C5lmOYS7HISRGmY-WeBCaXwNLdBI0gJUXPRnJRklxfJhs/s600/stormzy_heavy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM46KaovLxCh0Fw98-c-QjUmCmERSHvcFrQDsI96jHWPukgXcNVi59r6Y0QBNVC_L0R5vtTBs7u66rSlYFkZw-7oYZVsx_I2C5lmOYS7HISRGmY-WeBCaXwNLdBI0gJUXPRnJRklxfJhs/s320/stormzy_heavy.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>44. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4CEGyF5A5u5BjweVvkgCsn?si=Sy9WTyiTSHGR4qUq2OFxTg">Crown</a></i> - Stormzy</b>: Here's our second top-ten UK hit single to be profiled on this mix from Brit grimer Stormzy's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3y4AaloFccKNLQcZNS9L8c?si=cOMAdvsORda_TiP16yjMDw">Heavy Is The Head</a>, </i>the emotive <i>Crown</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0jZctcr73CpPNT7H90rOVPayjx1DRTRZDTwmmiRXnF3NxPnFw2F0toF_XGRSdrjo9AuS5VgD1gijIIJLdo7zT9Pw6E6bZm9Crhm0hyphenhyphenZz4KCVrO6s59wmrcJgPdug1-rsjruismnWMtnv/s225/Jamila+Woods+-+Legacy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0jZctcr73CpPNT7H90rOVPayjx1DRTRZDTwmmiRXnF3NxPnFw2F0toF_XGRSdrjo9AuS5VgD1gijIIJLdo7zT9Pw6E6bZm9Crhm0hyphenhyphenZz4KCVrO6s59wmrcJgPdug1-rsjruismnWMtnv/w320-h320/Jamila+Woods+-+Legacy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>45. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0b4gC187hjb89e8VP0e4EQ?si=XMhuvJEuQGybl04Ac9UoGg">BALDWIN</a> </i>- Jamila Woods (feat. Nico Segal)</b>: Shifting her attention away from musicians and towards those armed with the pen, this tribute to the sixties writer and activist James Baldwin is the moving penultimate cut from <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5NzK7S7oQQnO8eLRf7kDJx?si=lWhZKOhJTj6_cHISpA1Cjw"><i>LEGACY! LEGACY!</i></a></font><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz-cJShSg3qhxZEhtcVKviLEi9bd1N1aFGlE3AH7relbJR47aY51_RhW33nFmibPwE_ugE9ZFqwjCzFc5n0ST3F4iPALh4PpOreQOd7XMwy0oZ3mhNc4JwTAG0V3AdFMZyI4BhOqkL6vQ/s600/Kate+Tempest+-+Book+Of+Traps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz-cJShSg3qhxZEhtcVKviLEi9bd1N1aFGlE3AH7relbJR47aY51_RhW33nFmibPwE_ugE9ZFqwjCzFc5n0ST3F4iPALh4PpOreQOd7XMwy0oZ3mhNc4JwTAG0V3AdFMZyI4BhOqkL6vQ/s320/Kate+Tempest+-+Book+Of+Traps.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>46. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/67nOd8IqBeaWD2xSg2NuER?si=URnLldLgTzWx5zrIBi1inQ">Hold Your Own</a></i> - Kate Tempest</b>: In the end, it all comes down to character, principal and perseverance. An age-old lesson, one too many on the national stage seem to have forgotten recently, but one poetically and persuasively repurposed for today's times on Kate Tempest's impassioned <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1SwvcCnfC9boKSuWCMKPB4?si=cVhl-UP9QGe2bjbFZgqKlw">The Book Of Traps And Lessons</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjySVerVCR1gXyWjIE1w8N1fI0oHkGWGBLoumb_eMAmlpN_bonnQ84w-ROYav0Y_N_CXMs6GCznTSTCB6snZiqVebj16LsLXdfj2aMbmL18YYlJO0lcgMx5c1Yvbtx4_wrdEJSxYFkzOdw/s225/Dave+-+Psychodrama.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjySVerVCR1gXyWjIE1w8N1fI0oHkGWGBLoumb_eMAmlpN_bonnQ84w-ROYav0Y_N_CXMs6GCznTSTCB6snZiqVebj16LsLXdfj2aMbmL18YYlJO0lcgMx5c1Yvbtx4_wrdEJSxYFkzOdw/w320-h320/Dave+-+Psychodrama.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>47. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7l1P6WtVtq1zQMq6qazNA4?si=hqqeGyCGQRKS-svNKXZnCw">Environment</a></i> - Dave</b>: We've already heard the devastating <i>Lesley </i>on our <i>Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</i>. Now here's another empathetic number from Dave's excellent debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4GrFuXwRmEBJec22p58fsD?si=F01s9pkEQEeYzIsgx8FaWQ">Psychodrama</a></i> (Solid Recommend) where he breaks down the gulf between an artists public persona and the actual life lived behind the curtain</font><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMqdJTW_wmWmfgaEaKc1zg3bIJC8MowvIyaupVzR-KpJOAoBZOnZYZQqPkDxF0NbaqtgrpRE_Mez7J3HQgmVBxuZT3en2D3IY48_bYI8Qws5223mL3DRfC1Whj-QyeXAJoNobMG6jbjhS/s600/RaphaelSaadiq_JimmyLee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMqdJTW_wmWmfgaEaKc1zg3bIJC8MowvIyaupVzR-KpJOAoBZOnZYZQqPkDxF0NbaqtgrpRE_Mez7J3HQgmVBxuZT3en2D3IY48_bYI8Qws5223mL3DRfC1Whj-QyeXAJoNobMG6jbjhS/s320/RaphaelSaadiq_JimmyLee.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>48 & 49. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4IbyFZD9KRujoYzHUxWKef?si=VNGZWMroShWMwosDvaOugg">Rikers Island</a> </i>& <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7hCHyl1ubaKKXzQrWfVXeq?si=EuZ8iSdNT5aDgcNoVLQ-bg">Rikers Island Redux</a></i> - Rapheal Saadiq</b>: Raphael Saadiq closes out his musically thrilling but emotionally difficult examination of his older brother's tragic life <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/42qt8FhWtmal27Gasz3r4v?si=qNz0Dq9vTfObbOyfrkav3A">Jimmy Lee</a></i> </font><span style="font-size: large;"><span>with a broader examination of the debilitating impact of mass incarceration on African-American society, potently capped with a guest closing rap from guest Daniel J. Watts.</span><span> </span></span></div></div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6918844506081112786.post-47050132521565444972020-07-24T04:46:00.040-07:002021-03-17T06:14:48.963-07:00McQ's Best Of 2019 Vol 6 - All Things Rockin'!Punk-pop, garage rock, southern-friedrock, guitar-anchored pysch-rock, harder-hitting indie and rousing bar band efforts make up the bulk of this, our liveliest of the 2019 mixes. Not an exceptional year in this neck of the woods, but you wouldn't know it based on the strength of these tunes.<div><br /></div><div>Here's the Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ii9UxB5HBxqmg0FYIEeAP?si=GAAErz91R1KuP1CYZnEYBg">link</a>. Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="180" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1Ii9UxB5HBxqmg0FYIEeAP" width="300"></iframe></div><div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><font size="5">SET 1</font></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y5IZVa-be8WVnzGpCUiQh4o6LvYRrIG1OUf1LXMkOiZJrapQa6SyuXbn89Nxel_y5LNWzCjEIX362c7As62InqXofldIO_tmnP2oJa0LABx89W10whJI4g7sajQSHKk38IqUOvyacMl/s225/Fontaines+DC+-+Dogrel.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y5IZVa-be8WVnzGpCUiQh4o6LvYRrIG1OUf1LXMkOiZJrapQa6SyuXbn89Nxel_y5LNWzCjEIX362c7As62InqXofldIO_tmnP2oJa0LABx89W10whJI4g7sajQSHKk38IqUOvyacMl/w320-h319/Fontaines+DC+-+Dogrel.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>1. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0QpZn8zWh1gaNZqyAaii2k?si=ejrRL3ehT8i7hjL53NSCDQ">Chequeless Reckless</a> </i>- Fontaines D.C.</b>: We'll be hitting three more songs from Dublin post-punkers 2019 Mercury prize nominated <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7wMhg0YqDuqylEVnLQQ02R?si=SIKmTNoCTO-IYnHIxJHpKQ">Dogrel</a> </i>(Strong Recommend) on this mix here. First up, <i>Chequeless Reckless</i>, owner of my favorite opening rock verse of 2019. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG6FCOuU8T9Wq3QMHeTp7K4bcscW2TwzaFSPDw-B1aq1sPAS1qWnNApy5pXm2FXqdc7RcZ9lVbNP3Iyj99MI3aXSVDix_EvxzOLsIDNzGoegWlk7kMuTPddwtG7f4S6Z2LhedFcWiAzix/s600/steve+mason_about+the+light.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG6FCOuU8T9Wq3QMHeTp7K4bcscW2TwzaFSPDw-B1aq1sPAS1qWnNApy5pXm2FXqdc7RcZ9lVbNP3Iyj99MI3aXSVDix_EvxzOLsIDNzGoegWlk7kMuTPddwtG7f4S6Z2LhedFcWiAzix/s320/steve+mason_about+the+light.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>2. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1h3rvNrG8Az14p0jnN5Elm?si=IuJ7rDV7Roe9et9SyRyXVQ">Walking Away From Love</a></i> - Steve Mason</b>: Really found myself enjoying former Beta Band frontman/guitarist Steve Mason's varied but unpretentious fourth solo album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1IOnfFfswEAQzFbfUI68XE?si=sC5bDgthRBGaCZm-wVYQsg">About The Light</a> </i>(Solid Recommend). On this number here, Mason strikes a straightforward uptempo rocking pose.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMzbs-cXv8wlv9zSMcEqpZTs1eesny8UxJ3sY7WXfinUgay9koOqitgrF6mwoSB3VapHSfQYF1HxgBylLvuHLCDXowaI5cB1M4zqPGRtWV_dyBp4-xOaDIjphWoHdru-LsSm7C0H-KDKf/s600/facestabber_ohsees.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMzbs-cXv8wlv9zSMcEqpZTs1eesny8UxJ3sY7WXfinUgay9koOqitgrF6mwoSB3VapHSfQYF1HxgBylLvuHLCDXowaI5cB1M4zqPGRtWV_dyBp4-xOaDIjphWoHdru-LsSm7C0H-KDKf/s320/facestabber_ohsees.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>3. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6xkaFPsS8wfrD6y0GQbBkQ?si=9Bft3E0xQAa-bt35C11EXA">Psy-Ops Dispatch</a></i> - Thee Oh Sees</b>: <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6U9keLY7FaSfTj8LW3IUKI?si=Ue51ONTzTluSrSISLwG1LQ">Face Stabber</a> </i>(Solid Recommend)<i> </i>is not the best of the Thee Oh See's<i> </i>now twenty-two full-length releases (I'm still partial to the Brigid Dawson/Petey Dammit-era garage-anchored peaks <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7JC1vAUtlOwe8AJ3hLmr91?si=fMZqCTJjSjGsZL6fkhEtTg">Carrion Crawler/The Dream</a></i> and <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6UpdRU3P0AAMA6MVCzsW3c?si=IJ9Tzg7aRlOYRnaHClqShg">Floating Coffin</a></i>), but I'll be damned if this isn't the most adventurous album of the act's prolific career. On <i>Face Stabber</i>, guitarist John Dwyer takes all the textural experimentation that has increasingly dominated the band's last few releases and channels it into a supremely ambitious attempt to deliver a pysch-rock album every bit as fluid and improvisational as jazz. <i> </i></font><span style="font-size: large;">More often than not, as on the pounding <i>Psy-Ops Dispatch</i> here, he and the band succeeds, but the album's supreme triumph is coming up a bit later in this mix. </span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1SrXpxJC_SvBrjHnIYYufCF-XyhA5AD4UpbDkxDw-TwRbHru-J-SLkCsI63La-sxhthVE1zfsedVRZC7iE2K6Ph23mlSrYElrkHUZDdDciGgUrTHO-qrklGRzpRN3cIiRFzgBjntQW4g/s600/Sleaford+Mods+-+Eton+Alive.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1SrXpxJC_SvBrjHnIYYufCF-XyhA5AD4UpbDkxDw-TwRbHru-J-SLkCsI63La-sxhthVE1zfsedVRZC7iE2K6Ph23mlSrYElrkHUZDdDciGgUrTHO-qrklGRzpRN3cIiRFzgBjntQW4g/s320/Sleaford+Mods+-+Eton+Alive.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>4. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/14jchGOlTJQ91SNYVCSTLr?si=CI_cRMUGSTeDzPp9a5cRNg">Kebab Spider</a></i> - Sleaford Mods</b>: Now well into their second decade, Nottingham's greatest punk-rap ranters continue to mine caustic gold from their very narrowly defined but utterly unique formula on their 10 the full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3QiU8JCc97mcqfJ3caEMzs?si=JYKKPOn3S4q7rGCmOhXa1A">Eton Alive</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6gfOVWSsOg8Fkv4rWrrGsziqQJPqcA6UIGpavxMFE5qwVuLHkUiLLfSgzQoGeka8K7CMdEoNCFF6XY_BVxUo4xlSYDVdn71HJ2sozJOWUti8Tk4nVOY0_SLonp_e5z4uEZUebZG6wSW6/s696/The+Long+Ryders+-+Psychedelic+Country+Soul.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6gfOVWSsOg8Fkv4rWrrGsziqQJPqcA6UIGpavxMFE5qwVuLHkUiLLfSgzQoGeka8K7CMdEoNCFF6XY_BVxUo4xlSYDVdn71HJ2sozJOWUti8Tk4nVOY0_SLonp_e5z4uEZUebZG6wSW6/s320/The+Long+Ryders+-+Psychedelic+Country+Soul.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>5. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2OjBSgPMaBxycINHYQpn5d?si=cgD6c2x6Tx6MR031I5LM_Q">Greenville</a></i> - The Long Ryders:</b> One of the best comeback stories of 2019, 80's LA Paisley Underground legends The Long Ryders returned with their first studio album in 32 years in the warm, oft charming <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5DwzpELUcdfPenOzR80iWx?si=wYNWakokRdCe1JAP_W8yLQ" style="font-style: italic;">Pyschedelic Country Soul</a><i> </i>(Solid Recommend), ably abetted by the most surprising of patrons, Dr. Dre, who donated recording time at his personal studio in support of the effort.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2souFpQmU4sFd8LcUzQnvr5S_pEI9NR2H2oWF4vi5_wYPWVbzeqx6cTwV6Ih3PiaiGOVwNfRDoQbW-PkNYcFSAY3j81u1uAWIBRvhLu_KoxmINKSFRJlgqTPnD-rwbWIg7_lK7oJ4wzB/s1200/Amyl+And+The+Sniffers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2souFpQmU4sFd8LcUzQnvr5S_pEI9NR2H2oWF4vi5_wYPWVbzeqx6cTwV6Ih3PiaiGOVwNfRDoQbW-PkNYcFSAY3j81u1uAWIBRvhLu_KoxmINKSFRJlgqTPnD-rwbWIg7_lK7oJ4wzB/s320/Amyl+And+The+Sniffers.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>6. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/17LNB3qJgUTYW4Azv4tMmO?si=zYAMhC0rSTOxbbLcufvopw">Starfire 500</a> </i>- Amyl And The Sniffers</b>: One of 2019's top punk releases, debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7nhDk3RQWJxF4MPsWZ2ONJ?si=M3ozk6sUTCanlzTUDh9XmQ">Amyl And The Sniffers</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) introduced the world to this hyper-charged up-and-coming Aussie act and their charismatic, Wendy O. Williams-voiced lead singer Amy Taylor. Opener <i>Starfire 500</i> is just one of several top tier barn burners on the album. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTUjPp5DEF4_GvNXSxCyQc9-3tQpUsualDce6r5ua1iQWBMW6NwWvEuDZtNGROn_vh_WubcSusRiqA_cBykT4OSTGAqr58mC33rf80B6XZouzOC67shp9fwtyFcvjsIePnzTFXLIEFn5a/s225/Black+Keys+-+Let%2527s+Rock.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTUjPp5DEF4_GvNXSxCyQc9-3tQpUsualDce6r5ua1iQWBMW6NwWvEuDZtNGROn_vh_WubcSusRiqA_cBykT4OSTGAqr58mC33rf80B6XZouzOC67shp9fwtyFcvjsIePnzTFXLIEFn5a/w320-h320/Black+Keys+-+Let%2527s+Rock.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>7. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4AjBIRQNZDDVB0MrGlQHvB?si=siu6Xzz3SLexcYOloLmjGg">Get Yourself Together</a> </i>- The Black Keys</b>: While not a peak work in their discography, I found the Black Keys self-produced ninth album and first in five years <i>"</i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0aA9rYw8PEv9G7tVIJ9dKg?si=qf32xQXJRwe5rLX7FFSMjQ" style="font-style: italic;">Let's Rock."</a>(Solid Recommend) to be a highly entertaining, streamlined, unpretentious party-rock effort in the vein of 2011's fantastic <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5DLhV9yOvZ7IxVmljMXtNm?si=xvHkuEwaTIatGE0hCzm8QA">El Camino</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS4nTnapopBMhJ8cuo_BieG6cibX-ZAIn8KgFlhBWsYRMP0JT_XplQX08WP5-y0MGeGsTujCZ7fGjLJS3-LarTP8Lhj6wc7NcNXkpT9Xjb7bnMj6bnwmwNsPZ4jU-mZLb_fYnp7ZGFuge/s640/redd-kross-Beyond+The+Door.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS4nTnapopBMhJ8cuo_BieG6cibX-ZAIn8KgFlhBWsYRMP0JT_XplQX08WP5-y0MGeGsTujCZ7fGjLJS3-LarTP8Lhj6wc7NcNXkpT9Xjb7bnMj6bnwmwNsPZ4jU-mZLb_fYnp7ZGFuge/s320/redd-kross-Beyond+The+Door.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>8. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0Mxgx2OlE68UkbJieEddrB?si=6u-Jft5PTj69YMEdG0yh_A">Fighting</a></i> - Redd Kross</b>: The venerable LA-alternative act led by the McDonald brothers stepped forward in 2019 with their second release of the decade with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5MJaYnl9U8qqiPAtCmgPFd?si=kb5gMOQERfC9VNwUdKhIaw">Beyond The Door</a> </i>(Mild Recommend), and though the album overall is at times a bit of a mess with its chaotic, Cheap Trick-flavored mix of heavy metal tropes and Beatle-esque harmonies, I found my several really enjoying the madcap track <i>Fighting</i> presented here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYD1-T8IfCeLgxZzDRLUjXHrnN4Pw66zgRQJGKMYp55mpfzLIhlBn0z0SF-pBbRNpFTeN27Ya4vI7Jc95O8Caf_qWEU51svaekTWdO9lkVlOzpMSXhyfWS2IONYMQGQH0iudN9wjsfq7K/s600/SamFender_HypersonicMissiles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYD1-T8IfCeLgxZzDRLUjXHrnN4Pw66zgRQJGKMYp55mpfzLIhlBn0z0SF-pBbRNpFTeN27Ya4vI7Jc95O8Caf_qWEU51svaekTWdO9lkVlOzpMSXhyfWS2IONYMQGQH0iudN9wjsfq7K/s320/SamFender_HypersonicMissiles.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>9. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6CltzquypraYIlWFp48m1O?si=jvirKYHFSj6MrYic3A-gdg">Hypersonic Missiles</a></i> - Sam Fender</b>: The appealing title track from young, slightly Springsteenish mainstream rocker Sam Fender and his full-length studio debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7FWCgfnTgupXdyBy51ME9m?si=YhLiY3rDR4-_1IFNs3dkcg">Hypersonic Missiles</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrQD4v7xSoSw-cpQpzFTQi1q-7NEATIeJCPFyyxKgYbmlcE3_-aB7ThYrBMwnOlCaHiTn5bq7083pPOAg9tk2ANHN9z81gx-1BQwyY6kW_8gZHPvLD3evHrJXT0zCmWxIydiizOyaudzK/s600/Queen_Zee.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrQD4v7xSoSw-cpQpzFTQi1q-7NEATIeJCPFyyxKgYbmlcE3_-aB7ThYrBMwnOlCaHiTn5bq7083pPOAg9tk2ANHN9z81gx-1BQwyY6kW_8gZHPvLD3evHrJXT0zCmWxIydiizOyaudzK/s320/Queen_Zee.jpeg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>10. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1wguzFgFSHnDzK4iSXO5xB?si=deQUXWV8RFGHvtP_1RhO-w">Loner</a> </i>- Queen Zee</b>: Queen Zee, we hardly knew thee. Formed in 2017, the British queercore garage-punk act had already call it quits by the end of 2019, but not before releasing their highly entertaining self-titled debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/63Rggji5w5RZEJjT262Spr?si=yubN4El3QoOSgaYdYvgmoQ">Queen Zee</a> </i>(Solid Recommend). It's an album loaded with snarky, spirited, youthful gems, including tracks like <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3XPJMp4eqVLiA2OPUxlBL0?si=9LubAsFYQKKuln9q_GcCbg">Sissy Fits</a></i>, <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7Jh26uB4bFCy9iTYAhacB8?si=bmPSFCAnSQ2SS4gUZqnPTQ">Porno</a></i>, and awesome closer <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3nQa0lqlFmaZp1tysc8OxU?si=gl1KAdHJTmWf8G4vO6VQsQ">I Hate Your New Boyfriend</a></i>, but nothing on the album hits with quite the punch of the absolutely classic slab of garage rock <i>Loner</i> included here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8A74zAPJ0ls5Rpn1XbgI-GCg8J4zeokRoR6YQ-gECKaeJrlBeBsn5APW8BLv12R25ruhtaLrS5RSB_ox74HI8d21VSfnnLmHAKgYOmalGhZKMpx7LgwOTMb_hBshp6Q-kRVQDsjAsUX6/s600/OsoOso_BaskingInTheGlow.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8A74zAPJ0ls5Rpn1XbgI-GCg8J4zeokRoR6YQ-gECKaeJrlBeBsn5APW8BLv12R25ruhtaLrS5RSB_ox74HI8d21VSfnnLmHAKgYOmalGhZKMpx7LgwOTMb_hBshp6Q-kRVQDsjAsUX6/s320/OsoOso_BaskingInTheGlow.png" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>11. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/55t3jfG3Z96gKTC8bXXoak?si=KswQpHY2Ri-HWHhRjoLPvw">One Sick Plan</a></i> - Oso Oso</b>: One of the few songs on this mix with a clear 90s alternative rock indebtedness, it's a highlight from Long Island rocker Oso Oso's similarly styled third studio release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0W3zHdIMXAfAAueEWaagRH?si=YzOhueJ6TLeJelIblLy6Bg">basking in the glow</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP9BodM7ytSzWdpo2-aBbZFsc6u4d2O-0fLTS_td_cz_2Ks7IQz0shHEvcwo6ecYu0IeINQ4GRFWez1jUH2j9O2eJdCQPBtGsldwechjyKA4a2JSGRUORnSTuGTU3kbIBi9AS_LNXe5r5/s600/TheRaconteurs_HelpUsStranger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP9BodM7ytSzWdpo2-aBbZFsc6u4d2O-0fLTS_td_cz_2Ks7IQz0shHEvcwo6ecYu0IeINQ4GRFWez1jUH2j9O2eJdCQPBtGsldwechjyKA4a2JSGRUORnSTuGTU3kbIBi9AS_LNXe5r5/s320/TheRaconteurs_HelpUsStranger.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>12. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/17zgwQPgs1njHvgJeEiwiV?si=sga83sUxTkKP02_WUkv7Uw">Now That You're Gone</a></i> -The Raconteurs</b>: We're including our two favorite songs in this mix from the Jack White-led Raconteurs first studio album in eleven years, the sturdy <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5G8EOb1IVj7ivig1qzQfuj?si=ZCh0kbl2RhaVVldqi1xplg">Help Us Stranger</a> </i>(Mild Recommend), starting with the effective slow burner <i>Now That You're Gone</i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP55vEbGpb-g7i8PUxLYcfnGjIiFeBahO5SELYiK0h3hgLN3w5MXQiFYM7W5sucLUI1wJ43j3b9TuC2Zsuk-LtTWnQcn3V9lhKBJJ-EqZXkncbhIjlbElLbU7zHYDaCmbc8Vg1t9E7gy9X/s1000/The+Coat+The+Devil+You+Know.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP55vEbGpb-g7i8PUxLYcfnGjIiFeBahO5SELYiK0h3hgLN3w5MXQiFYM7W5sucLUI1wJ43j3b9TuC2Zsuk-LtTWnQcn3V9lhKBJJ-EqZXkncbhIjlbElLbU7zHYDaCmbc8Vg1t9E7gy9X/s320/The+Coat+The+Devil+You+Know.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>13. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4BpECvnMJHOYZzo8tmfOT4?si=SZ3nzsJzQfeZp4_b-7J7lg">F The NRA</a></i> - The Coathangers</b>: They had me at "F." No way I couldn't include this very pointed song from all-girl Atlanta garage-rock veterans The Coathanger's latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3l2tdjOiogXnv0VGJtWzq8?si=BBRVDBiARZSZZPScw3D8hw">The Devil You Know</a> </i>(Mild Recommend). </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ml2cWRHXXpaA870JBKao7pHCtnStJKkJogfLm-c4WLGKnAjxz7FZdsTVq4VGIXnhjkrDO9kCIzO83Iffkz53ocSCo5qA1o8G3E6G1aIEFOexTs5x1xzSNV-IfvwwgBiM5iA1lQ7zS9F6/s800/mikal-cronin-seeker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ml2cWRHXXpaA870JBKao7pHCtnStJKkJogfLm-c4WLGKnAjxz7FZdsTVq4VGIXnhjkrDO9kCIzO83Iffkz53ocSCo5qA1o8G3E6G1aIEFOexTs5x1xzSNV-IfvwwgBiM5iA1lQ7zS9F6/s320/mikal-cronin-seeker.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>14. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5pq9ail2SPHnJXEDlt0EMj?si=GeCMZ_7RSfSyHfzmhmS8Zw">Show Me</a></i> - Mikal Cronin</b>: Engagingly patient but insistent garage rocker with an rich, varied arrangement here from Bay Area resident and Ty Segall bassist Cronin's fourth solo studio release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/62XWADJuNmJKEmb4pyzF40?si=DRlC63paSzuSKNWTNOzDWQ">Seeker</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9_SZ7BUAhitMF42DdLePMYN6ealgcEGVLkN5oxpu47TDC3zawqJgs8xreMT_sJ3r0kHKO6VGxqgc_E5TNJsQZW7Bt-JVqH1D4y79gwbzZrv25uF4dDAv5u3fNdMvgVHyiCLnJxynkhMa/s225/Tedeschi+Trucks+Band+-+Signs.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9_SZ7BUAhitMF42DdLePMYN6ealgcEGVLkN5oxpu47TDC3zawqJgs8xreMT_sJ3r0kHKO6VGxqgc_E5TNJsQZW7Bt-JVqH1D4y79gwbzZrv25uF4dDAv5u3fNdMvgVHyiCLnJxynkhMa/w320-h320/Tedeschi+Trucks+Band+-+Signs.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>15. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2ugzSmr5FKy9AwBmTUkEiT?si=wkssYxAHQJWjjemnElOcpA">Signs, High Times</a></i> - Tedeschi Trucks Band</b>: Killer, super grooving Gospel/Blues number here from Jacksonville-based, husband/wife-led Tedeschi Trucks Band taken from their fourth studio album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2SWcIu27vvZHPxEHU3FDck?si=0izY26eiRzOteXZgrgvmOg">Signs</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y5IZVa-be8WVnzGpCUiQh4o6LvYRrIG1OUf1LXMkOiZJrapQa6SyuXbn89Nxel_y5LNWzCjEIX362c7As62InqXofldIO_tmnP2oJa0LABx89W10whJI4g7sajQSHKk38IqUOvyacMl/s225/Fontaines+DC+-+Dogrel.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y5IZVa-be8WVnzGpCUiQh4o6LvYRrIG1OUf1LXMkOiZJrapQa6SyuXbn89Nxel_y5LNWzCjEIX362c7As62InqXofldIO_tmnP2oJa0LABx89W10whJI4g7sajQSHKk38IqUOvyacMl/w320-h319/Fontaines+DC+-+Dogrel.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>16. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0tpmL2WPjwuWBivC9B3GQA?si=3GK3FHObQVSRqsiODpSzaw">Roy's Tune</a></i> - Fontaines D.C.</b>: Most of Fontaines D.C.'s debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7wMhg0YqDuqylEVnLQQ02R?si=SIKmTNoCTO-IYnHIxJHpKQ" style="font-style: italic;">Dogrel</a><i> </i>is an aggressive, fairly snarling affair, but on a couple of occasions the band shows it's more than capable of taking things down a notch or two, as on this so appealing, almost REM-ish mid-tempo number here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><font size="5">SET 2</font></b></u></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQvj0_WgVyTw4aToomdjP7JucLH0k1MbYU0QI-54DFWYLN3dLx4twiCctRaMFRrMIjS4FROhr_vzVVKnV7N-ZIzt0-JTF-nSDpWpDeVxPLhFD8CS8Tk3oJSsT2p-8TzhBj3TbLyl6B0Qe/s606/Sturgil+Simpson+-+Sound+%2526+Fury.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQvj0_WgVyTw4aToomdjP7JucLH0k1MbYU0QI-54DFWYLN3dLx4twiCctRaMFRrMIjS4FROhr_vzVVKnV7N-ZIzt0-JTF-nSDpWpDeVxPLhFD8CS8Tk3oJSsT2p-8TzhBj3TbLyl6B0Qe/s320/Sturgil+Simpson+-+Sound+%2526+Fury.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>17 & 18: <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/72FTwwTOazhuJ1titOxq65?si=GhjjZEJ3Qkmcbs5YvpV-cg">Ronin</a></i> & <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/254suDtwoe5QLcMjzCWMjV?si=UsNWX8NBRYCyCyj3fu_WHQ">Remember To Breathe</a></i> - Sturgil Simpson</b>: A record that almost landed a spot on <i><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i>, Sturgil Simpson's <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2ITJBRqMwZ0luWBnnZQ4Hq?si=Mm85vpD4RvmCXRoMP6fX1Q">SOUND & FURY</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) holds a dichotomous slot in his discography, being both in one sense his weakest album to date, but at the same time by far his liveliest and most entertaining. After embracing his inner Van Morrison on 2016's excellent <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5I3UdCxtIh6hkQ7rMPUvA4?si=Tsc_tKw7TBqgGFqvVM2i5A">A Sailor's Guide To Earth</a></i>, here Simpson embraces the essence of classic Southern Fried Rock and synth-anchored New Wave tropes simultaneously. The entire album possesses a full-throttled, over-the-top, schizophrenic, cacophonous energy, especially on the album's positively bad-ass instrumental opener <i>Ronin</i>, paired </font><span style="font-size: large;"><span>in tandem</span><span> </span><span>here, as on the album, with second song </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Remember To Breathe</i>.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0_c6xvFViun4wVDTgZ_zJ0A-G9HjB9B9DacV-L-5ZAphUeLoOcuYR0yBGaT_nuxt3MjgTp0VAZxmRr4qam0j1ZRWRE1LmI58DNyJpu9Folivv1vvfbO024VVNreB7KQE6DjrHGI45iRO/s513/The+Regrettes+-+How+Do+You+Love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0_c6xvFViun4wVDTgZ_zJ0A-G9HjB9B9DacV-L-5ZAphUeLoOcuYR0yBGaT_nuxt3MjgTp0VAZxmRr4qam0j1ZRWRE1LmI58DNyJpu9Folivv1vvfbO024VVNreB7KQE6DjrHGI45iRO/s320/The+Regrettes+-+How+Do+You+Love.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>19. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1KgS3NtxZ0yCVvWWHhYtyx?si=wl5pAmqwSqiQOuYS2hlHCA">California Friends</a></i> - The Regrettes</b>: Sunny female-fronted, Go-Gos-flavored garage from fittingly, a rising So-Cal quartet and their sophomore outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0uIC8BxmLHZLpQX81ZqQE0?si=cbkvNShFTuK6E23s5LMWNQ">How Do You Love</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2MGHdkzDC-DtfnSUZ1Y6Rpu-LhSsgA3TRAZpRmsK_fFn5KRH4UEHaVf-hilGn9HLwVIa_qQrLu6gzhJxTZ2uV6PEl2geZMyQRv4GvDvrxCsp6arsvZsP2xbTdjgF1yvRrefr3f68xD40/s500/The+Hold+Steady+-+Thrashing+Thru+The+Passion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2MGHdkzDC-DtfnSUZ1Y6Rpu-LhSsgA3TRAZpRmsK_fFn5KRH4UEHaVf-hilGn9HLwVIa_qQrLu6gzhJxTZ2uV6PEl2geZMyQRv4GvDvrxCsp6arsvZsP2xbTdjgF1yvRrefr3f68xD40/s320/The+Hold+Steady+-+Thrashing+Thru+The+Passion.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>20. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/33Paj2d89AFmiehuCV2efM?si=lId1Wo9ARjq9bO7nPSWHtg">You Did Good Kid</a> </i>- The Hold Steady</b>: Lively, encouraging return to form here for the witty Minnesota yarn spinners, taken from their loose and spirited seventh album <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/16XUMEdixzqRXVVPZsB3ak?si=OcKu5id3S3uwcREI04zL_w">Thrashing Thru The Passion</a> </i>(Solid Recommend), their first full-length release since the return of beloved keyboardist Franz Nicolay to the lineup after over a decade spent away.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1LNiJlTF_6LxRdQ6NqPXmrPLTYqxoJZHVPBCog0N1pu7jfH3luiNcmozHnBzniEUKtRjwMi608KVmy8wRNMuM_gfxmtPW1G3b2jvB29cwg54MxR6pBLOuebcl6bv8feY1-6fQaL5SEgR/s600/sheermag_adistantcall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1LNiJlTF_6LxRdQ6NqPXmrPLTYqxoJZHVPBCog0N1pu7jfH3luiNcmozHnBzniEUKtRjwMi608KVmy8wRNMuM_gfxmtPW1G3b2jvB29cwg54MxR6pBLOuebcl6bv8feY1-6fQaL5SEgR/s320/sheermag_adistantcall.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>21. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0x5JYHZbiApyi17eriw0eC?si=zIRBYEBmRDqGFwuBIMXnRg">Hardly To Blame</a></i> - Sheer Mag</b>: Philly-based Sheer Mag was at it again in 2019 with their second full-length album of southern-fried punk numbers (including <i>Hardly To Blame</i>) <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0Diq2A7FjraCWgDW1B5u9S?si=hGLjQU7pRimjF6p9rmmcEA">A Distant Call</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgSgQqgyNe5noMVGSukWWhdxfELW-Vm49DVoP72zUAAYf1YLVRyPj0LKFUoYzz2rm7HoOQhpDPziQ7PzyLPlTPbPd3_SFoxppQPSAk1IbqGEmi0-715Wjxe046Y62_D85FMzyg3WNAgva/s600/Twilight_Sad_It+won%2527t+be+like+this+all+the+time.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgSgQqgyNe5noMVGSukWWhdxfELW-Vm49DVoP72zUAAYf1YLVRyPj0LKFUoYzz2rm7HoOQhpDPziQ7PzyLPlTPbPd3_SFoxppQPSAk1IbqGEmi0-715Wjxe046Y62_D85FMzyg3WNAgva/s320/Twilight_Sad_It+won%2527t+be+like+this+all+the+time.jpeg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>22. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1FFLjNUzNiidNyq9NDacBR?si=LMksjBJnTc6us6xWDXHlng">I/m Not Here [missing face]</a></i> - The Twilight Sad</b>: Impassioned Scottish post-punkers The Twilight Sad dropped their fifth (and imho best) album in 2019 with <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6fjyKpK2tERtcadT1FOKS5?si=sUU9wFgUR8iUvIa_aVRZpQ">IT WON/T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME</a> (Solid Recommend)</i>. Had a tough time picking between the self-loathing of <i>I/m Note Here [missing face]</i> and the equally excellent but slightly more positive <i>VTr</i> as representative track, but ultimately, the sheer intensity of <i>I/m Not Here</i> won out. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNw8AygmvLwN42_nVs9wUW3dHCNXIjsKwIUvPad1-jr6dGzkUOg3jRhMshLfzgKmc5N2CsetKt0Oex_EnZvttrrplLQgebt6LFSBafd-lw29ANhKvctMvzQZuXP-_Ax2IppJru10aVQyd/s600/AmericanFootball_LP3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNw8AygmvLwN42_nVs9wUW3dHCNXIjsKwIUvPad1-jr6dGzkUOg3jRhMshLfzgKmc5N2CsetKt0Oex_EnZvttrrplLQgebt6LFSBafd-lw29ANhKvctMvzQZuXP-_Ax2IppJru10aVQyd/s320/AmericanFootball_LP3.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>23. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/03k5XShK3FRSfDJq1zvYsB?si=cL4HFo8aSdS8-3B14mjVQA">Uncomfortably Numb</a></i> - American Football</b>: The almost identically named Pink Floyd classic gets a rethinking by the Urbana, Illinois emo veterans, complete with a vocal assist from Paramore's Hayley Williams, to highlight their third full-length outing of intricately paced sonics and misery <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ki5b310cwDVVJBevBLwdw?si=n1zF59ooR7yrFMEQMzdjuw">American Football (LP3)</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqKrDgzrPQn2fpA9o47d9P4g9oldljRz9cJVuFt0X5vXz_eKUQwm1WjiPacpMOUvCVsLwEEJkWWpnKsPIud3oWCeQkxnZ6F_M-dnSHGWeH8yXcFulqePn_jo0IEudgx7tVE_sPuXLEusG/s600/furman_twelvenudes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqKrDgzrPQn2fpA9o47d9P4g9oldljRz9cJVuFt0X5vXz_eKUQwm1WjiPacpMOUvCVsLwEEJkWWpnKsPIud3oWCeQkxnZ6F_M-dnSHGWeH8yXcFulqePn_jo0IEudgx7tVE_sPuXLEusG/s320/furman_twelvenudes.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>24. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1SLdWKZSYbOFDSWIYBezQI?si=o7A24IASQ-uZGymaURn-HQ">In America</a></i> - Ezra Furman</b>: No outright narrative themes this time out following a couple of critically acclaimed concept albums, but the the ragged, DIY charm of the engaging binary Chicago rocker remains on this single from his latest outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5Pm5mcnn8gRxiY4b4qXD1P?si=p8_XrfpUSfSX42rpcwECOQ">Twelve Nudes</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5Vl-3mpa_eIfP5a-r8WgbWaxQdv_-EMAyRKILOkGNMx9QyQoPgMKIHxHLn57MKtZWksod70bxkvRDC5m3uINhcjFjBnwP0SD_Wm4iXiYj7sXmbrJspWCEhAh2833QNFfHbXF_MSARuSD/s700/Ex+Hex+-+It%2527s+Real.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5Vl-3mpa_eIfP5a-r8WgbWaxQdv_-EMAyRKILOkGNMx9QyQoPgMKIHxHLn57MKtZWksod70bxkvRDC5m3uINhcjFjBnwP0SD_Wm4iXiYj7sXmbrJspWCEhAh2833QNFfHbXF_MSARuSD/s320/Ex+Hex+-+It%2527s+Real.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>25. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/33tmSzeYElGdU0gEGAwxpk?si=QgFQCDtbThWc28st6ZA3Bw">Tough Enough</a></i> - Ex Hex</b>: The best slab of classic rock restoration from Mary Timony-led Ex Hex's slightly disappointing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2Dpp8c1HZwOcPvirEjHFQf?si=qvYLsKcrTye3WNrjiuZUVg">It's Real</a> </i>(Mild Recommend), a decent enough record that will definitely appeal to fans, but one that doesn't quite match the excitement of the band's excellent live performances or their exuberant 2014 debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6vGiA8B378Z6ykIbLi4qZZ?si=lHSnIvVBSb-sovbmm7AVPg">Rips</a></i>.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p7eISaRRJ9vba84nXQxwKW548NVi-kRhKMBfdjY2XWIA5C1rEsuO40q90QNHm0JOzoRcdEYPcL6YfLsZYrRiwYrvjSBqP0r4x7t3Uojpw71z5u3BrrGWET6LvQsg1yNxAnbFoI5MEdyR/s316/PUP_-_Morbid_Stuff_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p7eISaRRJ9vba84nXQxwKW548NVi-kRhKMBfdjY2XWIA5C1rEsuO40q90QNHm0JOzoRcdEYPcL6YfLsZYrRiwYrvjSBqP0r4x7t3Uojpw71z5u3BrrGWET6LvQsg1yNxAnbFoI5MEdyR/s0/PUP_-_Morbid_Stuff_cover.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>26. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5fJ7aCs7V78bU3FEnBSYWs?si=o8bIdAjcS1-5vJYHTukEMQ">Free At Last</a></i> - PUP</b>: Hailing Toronto, punk pop quartet PUP's third studio release <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/504XSXhUJlzztcMV4YMaDV?si=zfjaQl-GQMKTEABqqHOR_g">Morbid Stuff</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) was one of the most entertaining spiky, snotty expressions of youthful disaffection in 2019, and rarely were they spikier or snottier than on <i>Free At Last</i>, with it's should be classic put down refrain of "Just because you're sad again / doesn't mean you're special at all!" </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUnzL9oo3ZBphW3Oo9lg8VJGN2DN8-4Vu7VUyr22amnj4-sWHBP4H__c6sF3rSR63j2SHu6DO0wGGJa8HM3BL06SQLd-Xt0Hkz2GMr_djvWN-SDMAOvq69v-XDya10mL4ke09esK7At3D/s599/Lux+Prima.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUnzL9oo3ZBphW3Oo9lg8VJGN2DN8-4Vu7VUyr22amnj4-sWHBP4H__c6sF3rSR63j2SHu6DO0wGGJa8HM3BL06SQLd-Xt0Hkz2GMr_djvWN-SDMAOvq69v-XDya10mL4ke09esK7At3D/s320/Lux+Prima.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>27. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/570DNdCjckkG4MAQfO0Aab?si=at47S3AyTamoFwIa8hZnvw">Woman</a></i> - Lux Prima</b>: Cool little number here from eponymous retro-soul debut <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1kgurOfUl0Qu20MDK46xur?si=7gcHBtV4STeCAxod5g2jSQ" style="font-style: italic;">Lux Prima</a> (Mild Recommend), an intriguing, moody collaboration between superstar producer/Broken Bells-member Danger Mouse and Yeah Yeah Yeah's lead singer Karen O.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGM0h3UAiiqYbCvCL_RACOCF3DeOd6qfACKF64gqRxRzGI3Y59yFEzheL2iidKiHpsIDOkoBWWmo34byMlCWYY8w4KMer7Odyrf-AedYsMUHFR1b-5dESqYxCS8YT4rU_-QCkBw9rYp91/s600/Lukas+Nelson+-+Turn+Off+The+News.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGM0h3UAiiqYbCvCL_RACOCF3DeOd6qfACKF64gqRxRzGI3Y59yFEzheL2iidKiHpsIDOkoBWWmo34byMlCWYY8w4KMer7Odyrf-AedYsMUHFR1b-5dESqYxCS8YT4rU_-QCkBw9rYp91/s320/Lukas+Nelson+-+Turn+Off+The+News.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>28. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0dHodhXJPnhuHPIrF0i10b?si=elgyTrqGSya7aQTjekV5tg">Simple Life</a></i> - Lukas Nelson and Promise Of The Real</b>: Fresh off their supporting turn as Bradley Cooper's backing band 2018's <i>A Star Is Born</i>, Promise Of The Real got back to putting their voice and music center stage with 2019's politically feisty but musically low-key country-rocker <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4pq1gNWh38JQfazZqxjH5m?si=XETOrsZ9SOWZ_MgcFX4FZw">Turn Off The News (Build A Garden)</a></i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG70lmDF70F9zyv_MjyjWuvqE9expqwXx0-vE26RDpoN80WZCARx9K95hndma4sxzSE4n0wVz8ricMQRkqeeHcS3PibNnsUq7xO601F2U7W9ybckp5pYY2udWGFWjoqWIwldFzzpb0uH6/s225/That+Dog+-+Old+LP.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG70lmDF70F9zyv_MjyjWuvqE9expqwXx0-vE26RDpoN80WZCARx9K95hndma4sxzSE4n0wVz8ricMQRkqeeHcS3PibNnsUq7xO601F2U7W9ybckp5pYY2udWGFWjoqWIwldFzzpb0uH6/w320-h320/That+Dog+-+Old+LP.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>29. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/16LSpCpNslxif7Byet0YvB?si=nT0y6TBjR1ahQoTkxVVd6A">Just The Way</a></i> - that dog.</b>: Venturing between older, wiser, nostalgic indie-balladry and their original punkier roots, we will hit both sides of veteran LA girl group that dog's delightful first release in twenty-two years <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4QH1kja8r9JxTpXWmD3HCl?si=2k8XSkQaTnSo1bxUm8y4vg">Old LP</a> </i>(Solid Recommend) over the course of this mix collection, starting with their punkier side here with <i>Just The Way</i>. </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE0Y0Wh459uhgCeDv4s6Kvg8nX84gguofX26R3c7FzuYKNaoFYHLxmg7D7LZPn0Y-bHZVyi9zdpodBiY6mz7UrMVkOUlEFmVJB6OuCNaENCYNLy-qlTCRm8eDk_FD6t9N-ySoNyrgCYrn/s225/WIlco+-+Ode+To+Joy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE0Y0Wh459uhgCeDv4s6Kvg8nX84gguofX26R3c7FzuYKNaoFYHLxmg7D7LZPn0Y-bHZVyi9zdpodBiY6mz7UrMVkOUlEFmVJB6OuCNaENCYNLy-qlTCRm8eDk_FD6t9N-ySoNyrgCYrn/w320-h320/WIlco+-+Ode+To+Joy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>30. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1POJOJDF6kE1XrVPpewmX0?si=DA9bMHbqQ0aF23YAeE6ulg">An Empty Corner</a></i> - Wilco</b>: Odd, intriguing, barely there ballad from Wilco's latest, eleventh studio effort <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0RR7qfOCOOHXbPAO1P3G5b?si=ond3mF7cRwOF-x4Nwjwp8g">Ode To Joy</a> </i>(Mild Recommend). </font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1SrXpxJC_SvBrjHnIYYufCF-XyhA5AD4UpbDkxDw-TwRbHru-J-SLkCsI63La-sxhthVE1zfsedVRZC7iE2K6Ph23mlSrYElrkHUZDdDciGgUrTHO-qrklGRzpRN3cIiRFzgBjntQW4g/s600/Sleaford+Mods+-+Eton+Alive.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1SrXpxJC_SvBrjHnIYYufCF-XyhA5AD4UpbDkxDw-TwRbHru-J-SLkCsI63La-sxhthVE1zfsedVRZC7iE2K6Ph23mlSrYElrkHUZDdDciGgUrTHO-qrklGRzpRN3cIiRFzgBjntQW4g/s320/Sleaford+Mods+-+Eton+Alive.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>31. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/13WVEYllXu81ztPZfrSzLE?si=-iJgM6WmQ8SL2x9jcU0vmQ">Firewall</a></i> - Sleaford Mods</b>: England's greatest, most caustic punk-rappers were at again in 2019, firing their caustic, working-class invective at targets both large and small on tenth studio outing <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3QiU8JCc97mcqfJ3caEMzs?si=JYKKPOn3S4q7rGCmOhXa1A">Eton Alive</a> (Solid Recommend)</i>. Those trademark, ultra-cool minimalistic beats are as great as ever, but one subtle variation, lead agitator Jason Williamson sings as often as he raps this time out, a shift best exemplified by the album's most melodic track <i>Firewall</i> included here.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP9BodM7ytSzWdpo2-aBbZFsc6u4d2O-0fLTS_td_cz_2Ks7IQz0shHEvcwo6ecYu0IeINQ4GRFWez1jUH2j9O2eJdCQPBtGsldwechjyKA4a2JSGRUORnSTuGTU3kbIBi9AS_LNXe5r5/s600/TheRaconteurs_HelpUsStranger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP9BodM7ytSzWdpo2-aBbZFsc6u4d2O-0fLTS_td_cz_2Ks7IQz0shHEvcwo6ecYu0IeINQ4GRFWez1jUH2j9O2eJdCQPBtGsldwechjyKA4a2JSGRUORnSTuGTU3kbIBi9AS_LNXe5r5/s320/TheRaconteurs_HelpUsStranger.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>32. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5G8EOb1IVj7ivig1qzQfuj?si=j-joTJaQSJiUsSaxzAjg7Q">Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)</a></i> - The Raconteurs</b>: One more anthemic number from The Raconteurs engagingly hard-rocking latest <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5G8EOb1IVj7ivig1qzQfuj?si=ZCh0kbl2RhaVVldqi1xplg">Help Us Stranger</a> </i>to fittingly close out set two.<i> </i></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><font size="5">ENCORE</font></u></b></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMzbs-cXv8wlv9zSMcEqpZTs1eesny8UxJ3sY7WXfinUgay9koOqitgrF6mwoSB3VapHSfQYF1HxgBylLvuHLCDXowaI5cB1M4zqPGRtWV_dyBp4-xOaDIjphWoHdru-LsSm7C0H-KDKf/s600/facestabber_ohsees.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMzbs-cXv8wlv9zSMcEqpZTs1eesny8UxJ3sY7WXfinUgay9koOqitgrF6mwoSB3VapHSfQYF1HxgBylLvuHLCDXowaI5cB1M4zqPGRtWV_dyBp4-xOaDIjphWoHdru-LsSm7C0H-KDKf/s320/facestabber_ohsees.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>33. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6U9keLY7FaSfTj8LW3IUKI?si=9ZsLJrFRRa2ec8rjm_mjsg">Henchlock</a></i> - Thee Oh Sees</b>: One of the definitive songs of 2019, and the best song on this mix, never does <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6U9keLY7FaSfTj8LW3IUKI?si=Ue51ONTzTluSrSISLwG1LQ">Face Stabber</a>'s </i>psych-rock/jazz fusion gel more convincingly<i> </i>than on album closer</font><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Henchlock</i><span style="font-size: large;">, all glorious twenty-one minutes of it. That crazy length is the only reason we left of </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Henchlock</i><span style="font-size: large;"> off of our </span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.mcqsbestof.com/2020/06/mcqs-best-of-2019-vol-2-best-albums-left.html">Vol 2 - Best Albums Left</a></i><span style="font-size: large;"> mix, but rest assured, though ridiculously long, this Thee Oh Sees mega-jam is never boring. A modern-day rock classic.</span></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y5IZVa-be8WVnzGpCUiQh4o6LvYRrIG1OUf1LXMkOiZJrapQa6SyuXbn89Nxel_y5LNWzCjEIX362c7As62InqXofldIO_tmnP2oJa0LABx89W10whJI4g7sajQSHKk38IqUOvyacMl/s225/Fontaines+DC+-+Dogrel.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y5IZVa-be8WVnzGpCUiQh4o6LvYRrIG1OUf1LXMkOiZJrapQa6SyuXbn89Nxel_y5LNWzCjEIX362c7As62InqXofldIO_tmnP2oJa0LABx89W10whJI4g7sajQSHKk38IqUOvyacMl/w320-h319/Fontaines+DC+-+Dogrel.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>34. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5qZBvVFfd3rdfcSFOhLmLo?si=xWwfaj5NSha59yGj7WunUg">Hurricane Laughter</a></i> - Fontaines D.C.</b>: Here's one last number from Fontaine D.C.'s stellar debut <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7wMhg0YqDuqylEVnLQQ02R?si=SIKmTNoCTO-IYnHIxJHpKQ">Dogrel</a>, Hurricane Laughter, </i>a rhythm guitar highlight on an album loaded with inventive rhythm guitar highlights.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG6FCOuU8T9Wq3QMHeTp7K4bcscW2TwzaFSPDw-B1aq1sPAS1qWnNApy5pXm2FXqdc7RcZ9lVbNP3Iyj99MI3aXSVDix_EvxzOLsIDNzGoegWlk7kMuTPddwtG7f4S6Z2LhedFcWiAzix/s600/steve+mason_about+the+light.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG6FCOuU8T9Wq3QMHeTp7K4bcscW2TwzaFSPDw-B1aq1sPAS1qWnNApy5pXm2FXqdc7RcZ9lVbNP3Iyj99MI3aXSVDix_EvxzOLsIDNzGoegWlk7kMuTPddwtG7f4S6Z2LhedFcWiAzix/s320/steve+mason_about+the+light.jpg" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>35. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/05Ds8k6oE33zOifiCGOsGB?si=gajo1ErjQIGedMH8AQXbhQ">Rocket</a></i> - Steve Mason</b>: One of my favorite moody tracks of 2019, this slow burner from Mason's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1IOnfFfswEAQzFbfUI68XE?si=sC5bDgthRBGaCZm-wVYQsg" style="font-style: italic;">About The Light</a><i> </i>finds the former Beta Band leader adopting a compelling David Gilmourish-vibe.</font></div><div><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwM-T0-EUN6-Oalgkl1JpkrARIxSbuB2owxXWD4pQw4HZLxTvAkcQor4A5TyHp9CyUm7P2Q2nFcBAMhwCDXX_D_O0-geg9nKbINOsYyvhU9FAQS6zps0aIaOcJ9a0V6a63ICxuGOdEf3b/s300/Rival_Sons_Feral_Roots.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwM-T0-EUN6-Oalgkl1JpkrARIxSbuB2owxXWD4pQw4HZLxTvAkcQor4A5TyHp9CyUm7P2Q2nFcBAMhwCDXX_D_O0-geg9nKbINOsYyvhU9FAQS6zps0aIaOcJ9a0V6a63ICxuGOdEf3b/w320-h320/Rival_Sons_Feral_Roots.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><font size="5"><b>36. <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/00kbL0ei9bVKAp9I23vF1l?si=zpCaAPznS-eNKKXI_e7c9Q">Shooting Stars</a></i> - Rival Sons</b>: Yes, it comes close to bordering on cheese in its earnestness, but end of the day, I still seriously enjoyed this rousing, anthemic call to principled arms from Long Beach, California classic-rockers Rival Sons' sixth full-length <i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2OsED4DmBABqdP9NwGUpAu?si=BwuhhG7iRKu48dbmJMzTwQ">Feral Roots</a> </i>(Mild Recommend).</font></div></div>McQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994422724719242597noreply@blogger.com0