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Music

My Favorite Music of 2020

Albums:
Phoebe Bridgers, PUNISHER
Bob Dylan, ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS
Tyler Keith, THE LAST DRAG
Fiona Apple, FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS
Waxahatchee, SAINT CLOUD
Bruce Springsteen, LETTER TO YOU
Lydia Loveless, DAUGHTER
Adrianne Lenker, SONGS AND INSTRUMENTALS
Waylon Payne, BLUE EYES, THE HARLOT, THE QUEER, THE PUSHER & ME
Soccer Mommy, COLOR THEORY
Lucinda Williams, GOOD SOULS BETTER ANGELS
Andrew Bryant, SENTIMENTAL NOISES
The Microphones, MICROPHONES IN 2020
Drive-By Truckers, THE UNRAVELING
Frances Quinlan, LIKEWISE

Songs:
“Garden Song,” Phoebe Bridgers
“anything,” Adrianne Lenker
“Can’t Do Much,” Waxahatchee
“Space and Time,” S.G. Goodman
“Shameika,” Fiona Apple
“My Own Version of You,” Bob Dylan
“If I Was the Priest,” Bruce Springsteen
“baby jesus is nobody’s baby now,” Julia Jacklin
“How Do You Survive,” Kath Bloom
“circle the drain,” Soccer Mommy
“Shadows and Doubts,” Lucinda Williams
“Beat Temptation,” Tyler Keith
“The Roving,” Bonny Light Horseman
“Everybody Loves You,” The Chicks
“September,” Lydia Loveless
Here’s a playlist with many of my favorite songs of the year: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7agZ1XYdgsb7GK1UPgnkgr?si=GA82PQAsTl-lcm7p1Rie2A

Reissues/live/lost albums:
Joni Mitchell, ARCHIVES VOLUME 1: THE EARLY YEARS (1963-1967); Nick Cave, IDIOT PRAYER (NICK CAVE ALONE AT ALEXANDRA PALACE); The Catholic Girls, ROCK N’ ROLL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS; Jason Molina, EIGHT GATES; The Pogues, THE BBC SESSIONS, 1994-1996; Water Liars, ROLL ON; The Replacements, PLEASED TO MEET ME (Deluxe Edition); The Mendoza Line, WE’RE ALL IN THIS ALONE; Gillian Welch, BOOTS NO. 2; Joan Shelley, LIVE AT THE BOMHARD; Bobbie Gentry, THE DELTA SWEETE (Deluxe Edition); Elliott Smith, S/T (25th Anniversary Edition); Lou Reed, NEW YORK (Deluxe Edition); Tom Petty, WILDFLOWERS & ALL THE REST; Roland S. Howard, TEENAGE SNUFF FILM; Neil Young, RETURN TO GREENDALE and HOMEGROWN; Bessie Jones & the Georgia Sea Island Singers, GET IN UNION; Mirah, YOU THINK IT’S LIKE THIS BUT IT’S REALLY LIKE THIS; Sade, THIS FAR; Thelonious Monk, PALO ALTO; Lee Fields & the Expressions, BIG CROWN VAULTS VOL. 1; Dave Alvin, FROM AN OLD GUITAR: RARE AND UNRELEASED RECORDINGS; Vic Chesnutt, MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC (LIVE, SANTA MONICA, 1995); Okkervil River, A DREAM IN THE DARK: TWO DECADES OF OKKERVIL RIVER

Other albums I loved:
Bonny Light Horseman, S/T; Kath Bloom, BYE BYE THESE ARE THE DAYS; Pillow Cry, THE UNDYING LOYALTY OF DOGS; Moses Sumney, GRÆ; The Chicks, GASLIGHTER; Chuck Prophet, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT; Tim Heidecker, FEAR OF DEATH; Bill Fay, COUNTLESS BRANCHES; S.G. Goodman, OLD TIME FEELING; Mark Lanegan, STRAIGHT SONGS OF SORROW; Swamp Dogg, SORRY YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT; Kathleen Edwards, TOTAL FREEDOM; Will Johnson, EL CAPITAN; Lonnie Holley, NATIONAL FREEDOM; Rev. John Wilkins, TROUBLE; Bonus, IIII; Dent May, LATE CHECKOUT; Andy Shauf, THE NEON SKYLINE; Damien Jurado, WHAT’S NEW, TOMBOY?; William Tyler, NEW VANITAS and MUSIC FROM FIRST COW; Courtney Marie Andrews, OLD FLOWERS

Other albums I liked (but haven’t spent enough time with):
Stephen Malkmus, TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES; HAIM, WOMEN IN MUSIC, PT. III; Kevin Morby, SUNDOWNER; Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou, MAY OUR CHAMBERS BE FULL; Chris Cornell, NO ONE SINGS LIKE YOU ANYMORE; M. Ward, THINK OF SPRING; Shelby Lynne, S/T; Greg Dulli, RANDOM DESIRE; Destroyer, HAVE WE MET; Indigo Girls, LOOK LONG; Lily Hiatt, WALKING PROOF; Margo Price, THAT’S HOW RUMORS GET STARTED; Jason Isbell, REUNIONS; Guided by Voices, MIRRORED AZTEC and SURRENDER YOUR POPPY FIELD; Pearl Jam, GIGATON; Nadia Reid, OUT OF MY PROVINCE; Bright Eyes, DOWN IN THE WEEDS, WHERE THE WORLD ONCE WAS; X, ALPHABETLAND; Tomo Nakayama, MELONDAY; Miley Cyrus, PLASTIC HEARTS; Taylor Swift, FOLKLORE and EVERMORE; Shemekia Copeland, UNCIVIL WAR; Elvis Perkins, CREATION MYTHS; Steve Earle, GHOSTS OF WEST VIRGINIA; Bill Callahan, GOLD RECORD; Sarah Peacock, BURN THE WITCH; Samantha Crain, A SMALL DEATH; Lori McKenna, THE BALLADEER; Old 97’s, TWELFTH; Bettye LaVette, BLACKBIRDS; Eddie Chacon, PLEASURE, JOY, AND HAPPINESS; Angel Olsen, WHOLE NEW MESS; Don Bryant, YOU MAKE ME FEEL; Kelly Lee Owens, INNER SONG; Matt Berninger, SERPENTINE PRISON; Sturgill Simpson, CUTTIN’ GRASS, VOL. 1 and VOL. 2; Danzig, SINGS ELVIS; Aesop Rock, SPIRIT WORLD FIELD GUIDE; Willis Earl Beal, MORNINGSTAR; The Mountain Goats, GETTING INTO KNIVES; Songhoy Blues, OPTIMISME; Alasdair Roberts, FRETTED AND INDEBTED; Run the Jewels, RTJ4; John Moreland, LP5; Katie Pruitt, EXPECTATIONS; Isobel Campbell, THERE IS NO OTHER; Paul McCartney, MCCARTNEY III

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Film

Dark Brink of Love

nwr

I guest edited the noir volume of Nicolas Winding Refn’s byNWR.com. The title of the volume is DARK BRINK OF LOVE.

The first of three chapters is now live. Usually you need to create an account to see content on the site (it’s free and easy), but they’ve made this volume available to everyone, no log-in required.

Here are the contents:

First off, there’s the film: STARK FEAR from 1962. Made by two University of Oklahoma professors, Ned Hockman and Dwight V. Swain, it’s a psychological horror noir set and filmed in and around Oklahoma City and Norman. It stars Beverly Garland and Skip Homeier. The first time I saw it was on a very rough public domain copy–it’s been beautifully restored by Peter Conheim. It’s a weird, unsettling, dangerous-feeling picture. Watch it here.

In “Derrick Noir: Okies Go Hollywood,” Philippe Garnier introduces STARK FEAR, showing how the pieces came together on this singularly twisted curiosity. Read his intro to the film here.

In “The Planet Murderer,” Chris Offutt considers how his father Andrew Offutt, a prolific writer of porn novels, crossed paths with STARK FEAR scribe Dwight V. Swain, in the process meditating on literary heritage and the blood that runs from fathers to sons. Chris has allowed us to use some incredible photos of his dad, and there are also many book covers from John Cleve (Andrew Offutt’s alias). Read it here.

“‘Why’d You Go, Daddy? Was I Bad?'” is a stunning story from the author of BUCKSKIN COCAINE, Erika T. Wurth​. Wurth imagines what it might have been like for Cortez Ewing, the Native American actor who plays “The Chief” in STARK FEAR. Accompanying the piece are James Mooney’s Ghost Dance Recordings and a selection of noir-infused public domain photos. Read it here.

J David Osborne​, author of BLACK GUM, A MINOR STORM, and BLOOD AND WATER, gives us “Oklahoma: Heartland, U.S.A.,” inspired by the title of a tourism ad by Swain and Hockman. It’s head trip noir story about his Oklahoma fifty years after STARK FEAR, populated by a new variety of desperate people on the ropes: juggalos, small-time crooks, and searchers. Also accompanied by some weird, noir public domain photos. Read it here.

Gabino Iglesias​, author of ZERO SAINTS and COYOTE SONGS, in a story and photo series, delivers a motel noir infused with paranoia and destruction and inspired by the shadowy locations of STARK FEAR. Read/view “Stark Raving Mad” here.

There’s a bunch of stuff from me and Tyler Keith​:
1. I wrote a speculative memoir from the point of view of former child star Skip Homeier, “The Bad Husband.” Read it here.
2. I wrote a long story, “Cruising the El Nora,” inspired by the El Nora Motel, a key location in STARK FEAR. It includes original photos from Tyler Keith. Read/view here.
3. I read “Cruising the El Nora” with an original score from Tyler Keith. Listen here.
4. I interview Tyler Keith about writing noir songs, growing up in the Christ-haunted south, and touring in punk bands, and he plays a handful of songs live in the studio. Listen here.
5. I read a sci-fi story by Dwight V. Swain. It features a nudist camp, x-ray glasses, Nazi secret agents, and goatees that “jerk with contempt.” Listen here.

Also, a couple of byNWR mainstays:
Charlie Beesley helps us discover his Discarded America.
Peter Conheim brings us more tales from the Restoration benches.

If you missed my volume intro, here it is.

And I made a playlist on Spotify for the volume.

That’s a lot. Sorry. This is a project I’ve been working on for about a year, and I’m glad it’s finally out there. Thanks to the amazing contributors. Thanks to James Banks, Jules Holland, and everyone at Bureau in the UK. Thanks especially to the minds behind byNWR: Jimmy McDonough and Nicolas Winding Refn. If you want to get a peek behind the curtains of byNWR, check out this piece in The Quietus.

One more quick note:
-Chapter 2 of DARK BRINK OF LOVE will go live on April 1st. It features contributions from Ace Atkins, Laura Lee Bahr, Violet LeVoit, and Theresa Starkey.
-Chapter 3 will go live on May 1st. It features contributions from Sarah Weinman, Scott Adlerberg​, Marya E. Gates, and Jack Pendarvis.

Thanks for reading.
You are now entering the Dark Brink of Love…
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Music

My Favorite Albums and Songs of the 2010s

My favorite albums of the decade:

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, SKELETON TREE

2. Mount Eerie, NOW ONLY

3. Purple Mountains, S/T

4. Joanna Newsom, HAVE ONE ON ME

5. Sharon Van Etten, TRAMP

6. Julien Baker, SPRAINED ANKLE

7. Leonard Cohen, YOU WANT IT DARKER

8. Kanye West, MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY

9. Tom Waits, BAD AS ME

10. Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.

11. Lucinda Williams, DOWN WHERE THE SPIRIT MEETS THE BONE

12. Jason Isbell, SOUTHEASTERN

13. Bob Dylan, TEMPEST

14. Angel Olsen, MY WOMAN

15. Richmond Fontaine, YOU CAN’T GO BACK IF THERE’S NOTHING TO GO BACK TO

16. Fiona Apple, THE IDLER WHEEL…

17. Charles Bradley, CHANGES

18. Bill Callahan, APOCALYPSE

19. John Prine, THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS

20. Damien Jurado, MARAQOPA

21. Courtney Marie Andrews, MAY YOUR KINDNESS REMAIN

22. Phoebe Bridgers, STRANGER IN THE ALPS

23. Water Liars, WYOMING

24. Titus Andronicus, THE MONITOR

25. Sun Kil Moon, BENJI

****

My favorite songs of the decade:

1. “Working Titles,” Damien Jurado

2. “Riding for the Feeling,” Bill Callahan

3. “Serpents,” Sharon Van Etten

4. “Margaritas at the Mall,” Purple Mountains

5. “Higgs Boson Blues,” Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

6. “Rejoice,” Julien Baker

7. “Scott Street,” Phoebe Bridgers

8. “Shut Up Kiss Me,” Angel Olsen

9. “Emmylou,” First Aid Kit

10. “You Want it Darker,” Leonard Cohen

11. “Table for One,” Courtney Marie Andrews

12. “On a Good Day,” Joanna Newsom

13. “Ways of This World,” Kelly Hogan (written by Vic Chesnutt)

14. “Relatively Easy,” Jason Isbell

15. “Hell Broke Luce,” Tom Waits

16. “Depreston,” Courtney Barnett

17. “When I Get to Heaven,” John Prine

18. “Head,” Lydia Loveless

19. “Foolishness,” Lucinda Williams

20. “Change for the World,”’Charles Bradley

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Uncategorized

My Favorite Music of 2019

My favorite music of the year. Interested to see what I missed or just don’t know about, what endures and what changes, and to spend more time with some records I haven’t gotten very deep into yet.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen

Purple Mountains – s/t

Leonard Cohen – Thanks for the Dance

Lana Del Rey – NFR!

Hallelujah the Hills – I’m You

Heather Valley – Desert Message 

Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster – Take Heart, Take Care

Karen and the Sorrows – Guaranteed Broken Heart

Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow

Molly Sarlé – Karaoke Angel  

Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron – Lost Wisdom, Part Two

Buddy & Julie Miller – Breakdown on 20th Avenue South

The Delines – The Imperial

The Paranoid Style – A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life

Joan Shelley – Like the River Loves the Sea

Other stuff I loved: 

(Sandy) Alex G – House of Sugar; Alexa Rose – Medicine for Living; Bonnie Prince Billy – I Made a Place; Kate Teague – s/t EP; Ian Noe – Between the Country; Bill Callahan – Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest; Jake Xerxes Fussell – Out of Sight; Tom Russell – October in the Railroad Earth; Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars; Spencer Thomas – Hangin’ Tough; Craig Finn – I Need a New War; Heather Woods Broderick – Invitation; Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising; Rod Melancon – Pinkville; Jenny Lewis – On the Line; Bark – Terminal Everything; Damien Jurado – In the Shape of a Storm; Mark Lanegan – Somebody’s Knocking; Kevin Morby – Oh My God; Will Johnson – Wire Mountain; Neil Young – Colorado; Jack Oblivion and the Dream Killers – Lost Weekend; Simon Joyner – Pocket Moon

 

Here’s a playlist with some of my favorite songs of the year: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3hCkzHw0WFMBGlalSRoAgi?si=_g-f-72oROOsqoJ5DcLSQw

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My Favorite Music of 2018

 

My Favorite Records of 2018:
Teardrop City – IT’S LATER THAN YOU THINK
Alejandro Escovedo w/ Don Antonio – THE CROSSING
Courtney Marie Andrews – MAY YOUR KINDNESS REMAIN
John Prine – THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS
Mount Eerie – NOW ONLY
Cat Power – WANDERER
Emma Ruth Rundle – ON DARK HORSES
Andrew Bryant – AIN’T IT LIKE THE COSMOS
Charles Bradley – BLACK VELVET
Courtney Barnett – TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL

Other records I really liked:
Erin Rae – PUTTING ON AIRS; Eric Bachmann – NO RECOVER; Phosphorescent – C’EST LA VIE; Damien Jurado – THE HORIZON JUST LAUGHED; Hop Along – BARK YOUR HEAD OFF, DOG; Lucy Dacus – HISTORIAN; Low – DOUBLE NEGATIVE; J Mascis – ELASTIC DAYS; Advance Base – ANIMAL COMPANIONSHIP; Soccer Mommy – CLEAN; Mitski – BE THE COWBOY; Kell Kellum – ADDING TO THE ASHES; Swamp Dogg – LOVE, LOSS, & AUTO-TUNE; Lonnie Holley – MITH; The Gunshy – UNDEFEATED; Neko Case – HELL-ON; Okkervil River – IN THE RAINBOW RAIN; Janelle Monáe – DIRTY COMPUTER; Haley Heynderickx – I NEED TO START A GARDEN; Rhett Miller – THE MESSENGER; H.C. McEntire – LIONHEART; The Rock*A*Teens – SIXTH HOUSE; Wussy – WHAT HEAVEN IS LIKE; Marie/Lepanto – TENKILLER; First Aid Kit – RUINS; Lindi Ortega – LIBERTY; The Great Dying – BLOODY NOSES & ROSES; Anne Freeman – DAYS GO BY; Molly Burch – FIRST FLOWER; Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams, VANISHED GARDENS; The Breeders, ALL NERVE; Ruby Boots – DON’T TALK ABOUT IT; Swearin’ – FALL INTO THE SUN; Marianne Faithfull – NEGATIVE CAPABILITY; Cody Rogers – MY HEART IS THE MOST LONESOME RODEO; Richard Swift – THE HEX; Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers – BOUGHT TO ROT; Jeff Tweedy – WARM; Nathan Salsburg – THIRD; Kamasi Washington – HEAVEN & EARTH; Elephant Micah – Genericana

Favorite EPs:
Tony Molina – KILL THE LIGHTS
boygenius – S/T
Waxahatchee – GREAT THUNDER
Grouper – GRID OF POINTS
Sera Cahoone – THE FLORA STRING SESSIONS
Liz Brasher – OUTCAST

Favorite Reissues/Live Albums, etc:
Bob Dylan – MORE BLOOD, MORE TRACKS
Songs: Ohia – LOVE & WORK: THE LIONESS SESSIONS
Various – BASEMENT BEEHIVE: THE GIRL GROUP UNDERGROUND
Various – BURIED COUNTRY
Various – ALL OF THIS GOES TOO/LOVE YOU SAVE/THE TRUTH IS A LIE: AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC 1955-1972
Neil Young – ROXY: TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT LIVE and SONGS FOR JUDY
James Booker – THE LOST PARAMOUNT TAPES
Prince – PIANO & A MICROPHONE
The Paranoid Style – ROCK & ROLL JUST CAN’T RECALL + 3
Lee Bains III and Glory Fires – LIVE AT THE NICK
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – LIVE FROM THE RYMAN
Bobbie Gentry – THE GIRL FROM CHICKASAW COUNTY and LIVE AT THE BBC
Mount Eerie – (AFTER)

Here’s a playlist I made with some of my favorite songs of the year. (Teardrop City isn’t on Spotify, but you can find their album here.)

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It’s Coming Up Lavender: My Favorite Music of 2017

My Favorite Records of 2017:
Phoebe Bridgers, STRANGER IN THE ALPS
Julien Baker, TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
John Moreland, BIG BAD LUV
Mount Eerie, A CROW LOOKED AT ME
Shilpa Ray, DOOR GIRL
Jake Xerxes Fussell, WHAT IN THE NATURAL WORLD
The Weather Station, S/T
Moses Sumney, AROMANTICISM
Margo Price, ALL AMERICAN MADE
Big Thief, CAPACITY
Hurray for the Riff Raff, THE NAVIGATOR
Big K.R.I.T., 4EVA IS A MIGHTY LONG TIME
(Sandy) Alex G, ROCKET
Songhoy Blues, RESISTANCE
Mark Lanegan Band, GARGOYLE

Favorite Reissues, Box Sets, Live, Best Ofs, Soundtracks, B-Sides/Rarities:
Bob Dylan, TROUBLE NO MORE
Neil Young, HITCHHIKER
Chris Bell, I AM THE COSMOS
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, LOVELY CREATURES
Townes Van Zandt, REAR VIEW MIRROR
The Replacements, FOR SALE: LIVE AT MAXWELL’S, 1986
TWIN PEAKS: MUSIC FROM… & SERIES SOUNDTRACK
Angel Olsen, PHASES
Y Kant Tori Read, S/T
Hüsker Dü, SAVAGE YOUNG DÜ
Sharon Van Etten, (IT WAS) BECAUSE I WAS IN LOVE
John Carpenter, ANTHOLOGY
Wilco, BEING THERE (DELUXE)
Elliott Smith, EITHER/OR (EXPANDED)
Lucinda Williams, THIS SWEET OLD WORLD

Other stuff I really liked: Courtney Marie Andrews, HONEST LIFE; Neil Young and Promise of the Real, THE VISITOR; Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, SOUL OF A WOMAN; Bob Dylan, TRIPLICATE; Lee Ann Womack, THE LONELY, THE LONESOME, AND THE GONE; Craig Finn, WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS; Bell Witch, MIRROR REAPING; Mavis Staples, IF ALL I WAS WAS BLACK; Jessica Lea Mayfield, SORRY IS GONE; Joan Shelley, S/T; Waxahatchee, OUT IN THE STORM; Lily Hiatt, TRINITY LANE; Dent May, ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE; Hiss Golden Messenger, HALLELUJAH ANYHOW; Angaleena Presley, WRANGLED; Kendrick Lamar, DAMN; Electric Wizard, WIZARD BLOODY WIZARD; Johnny Jewel, WINDSWEPT; The Como Mamas, MOVE UPSTAIRS; Don Bryant, DON’T GIVE UP ON LOVE; Marvin Pontiac, THE ASYLUM TAPES; Randy Newman, DARK MATTER; Will Johnson, HATTERAS NIGHT, A GOOD LUCK CHARM; The War on Drugs, A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING; Sean Rowe, NEW LORE; Lana Del Rey, LUST FOR LIFE; Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, SIDELONG; Garland Jeffreys, 14 STEPS TO HARLEM; Sun Kil Moon, COMMON AS LIGHT AND LOVE ARE RED VALLEYS OF BLOOD; Bobby Bare, THINGS CHANGE; Colter Wall, S/T; Destroyer, KEN; Big Sean, I DECIDED; Bonnie Prince Billy, WOLF OF THE COSMOS; William Eggleston, MUSIK; Kurt Vile & Courtney Barnett, LOTTA SEA LICE; Mark Kozelek with Ben Boye & Jim White, S/T; Godspeed You! Black Emperor, LUCIFERIAN TOWERS; Björk, UTOPIA; Kamasi Washington, HARMONY OF DIFFERENCE EP; Jon Langford, FOUR LOST SOULS; Ryan Adams, PRISONER; David Rawlings, POOR DAVID’S ALMANACK;  Lo Tom, S/T; Soccer Mommy, COLLECTION; Japandroids, NEAR TO THE WILD HEART OF LIFE; The Afghan Whigs, IN SPADES; Allison Crutchfield, TOURIST IN THIS TOWN; Molly Burch, PLEASE BE MINE; Bash & Pop, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN; Matt Arbogast, DADDY WAS A SICK-HEARTED SINGER; Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, THE NASHVILLE SOUND; Cigarettes After Sex, S/T.

Here are some of my favorite songs of 2017.

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We Kill the Flame: My Favorite Music of 2016

A hell of a lot of great music this year. A true masterpiece from Nick Cave. An indispensable album from Leonard Cohen—amazing that this last is one of his absolute best. Bowie went out with an incredible record too. Lots of my others favorites came through in big ways: Koz probably pissed a lot of people off with his journal-like ramblings on the Jesu/SKM LP, but that album hit me hard from the get-go and I’ve listened to it pretty non-stop (I don’t even skip the parts where he reads fan letters); Tyler Keith, JPKS, and Angel Olsen put out records I’ll never stop spinning (damn excited that I got to write the liner notes for the Tyler Keith LP); Richmond Fontaine’s last ever is also one of their greatest; the new Bon Iver was pretty divisive, I think, but I loved it; Margo Price is my favorite new artist of the year, and I keep finding new things to love about her and her debut; Drive-By Truckers made a really fucking important record, one that needed to be made, and it’s brilliant; A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul both made terrific records, making me feel like it’s the ‘90s again in the best way possible. I could keep going. The top records I’ve listed here are the ones I’ve returned to the most, the ones I’ll keep returning to. A really horrible year too. So many heroes gone. Bowie, Prince, Merle Haggard, Guy Clark, Phife Dawg, Leon Russell, Lemmy, Sharon Jones, Mose Allison. The loss of Leonard Cohen hit hardest for me. I heard “Everybody Knows” at twelve-years-old, and it changed my life. On top of that, we have this other Darkness-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named currently burying us. Scares the hell out of me. Feels good to be able to get lost in music, to sense in music a cure.

My Favorite Records of 2016:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, SKELETON TREE
Leonard Cohen, YOU WANT IT DARKER
Richmond Fontaine, YOU CAN’T GO BACK IF THERE’S NOTHING TO GO BACK  TO
Tyler Keith and the Apostles, DO IT FOR JOHNNY
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, CONSTANT STRANGER
Jesu/Sun Kil Moon, S/T
David Bowie, BLACKSTAR
Angel Olsen, MY WOMAN
Margo Price, MIDWEST FARMER’S DAUGHTER
Bon Iver, 22, A MILLION
A Tribe Called Quest, WE GOT IT FROM HERE… THANK YOU 4 YOUR SERVICE
Drive-By Truckers, AMERICAN BAND
Hiss Golden Messenger, HEART LIKE A LEVEE
Beach Slang, A LOUD BASH OF TEENAGE FEELINGS
William Tyler, MODERN COUNTRY
Charles Bradley, CHANGES
De La Soul, (AND THE ANONYMOUS NOBODY)
Okkervil River, AWAY
Lambchop, FLOTUS
Adam Torres, PEARLS TO SWINE
The Gunshy, PORTERHOUSE
Robbie Fulks, UPLAND STORIES
John Doe, THE WESTERNER
Lucinda Williams, THE GHOSTS OF HIGHWAY 20
David Bazan, BLANCO
Sturgill Simpson, A SAILOR’S GUIDE TO EARTH
Tindersticks, THE WAITING ROOM
Eric Bachmann, S/T
The Handsome Family, UNSEEN
Freakwater, SCHEHERAZADE
Lydia Loveless, REAL

My Favorite Reissues of 2016:
Washington Phillips, WASHINGTON PHILLIPS AND HIS MANZARENE DREAMS
Jessie Mae Hemphill, S/T
Gillian Welch, BOOTS NO. 1: THE OFFICIAL REVIVAL BOOTLEG
Terry Allen, JUAREZ and LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING)
Stevie Nicks, BELLA DONNA and THE WILD HEART
Lift to Experience, THE TEXAS-JERUSALEM CROSSROADS
Marah, ANGELS OF DESTRUCTION
Jim Dickinson, DIXIE FRIED
Lee Moses, TIME AND PLACE
MUSIC OF MOROCCO, RECORDED BY PAUL BOWLES, 1959
Big Star, COMPLETE THIRD
Bob Dylan, THE 1966 LIVE RECORDINGS
Various Artists, THIS IS FAME 1964-1968
Angelo Badalamenti, TWIN PEAKS SOUNDTRACK
The White Stripes, PEEL SESSIONS
Crooked Fingers, BRING ON THE SNAKES and S/T
The Replacements, THE SIRE YEARS
Hayden, EVERYTHING I LONG FOR
Ryan Adams HEARTBREAKER
Tori Amos, BOYS FOR PELE
My Morning Jacket, IT STILL MOVES
Little Wings, LIGHT GREEN LEAVES
Grifters, CRAPPIN’ YOU NEGATIVE
Jay Reatard, BLOOD VISIONS

My Favorite Tracks of 2016 (A Mix, in no particular order):
“You Want it Darker,” Leonard Cohen
“Hey Lucinda,” Tindersticks
“I Should Have Volunteered,” The Gunshy
“For You Always,” Minor Victories w/ Mark Kozelek
“A Night in the City,” Richmond Fontaine
“Half Broke,” Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster
“Ramon Casiano,” Drive-By Truckers
“Keep It Between the Lines,” Sturgill Simpson
“Okkervil River R.I.P.,” Okkervil River
“Shut Up Kiss Me,” Angel Olsen
“Mercy,” Eric Bachmann
“The End of the Things,” Bob Mould
“Rings of Saturn,” Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
“33 ‘GOD,’” Bon Iver
“QACHINA,” Damien Jurado
“Destroyer,” Kevin Morby
“Future Mixtape for the Art Kids,” Beach Slang
“Trouble with Boys,” David Bazan
“Ultralight Beam,” Kanye West
“Drone Bomb Me,” ANOHNI
“Giving Up Early (On Tomorrow),” The Paranoid Style
“Dorks,” Aesop Rock
“European,” Lydia Loveless
“Whateva Will Be,” A Tribe Called Quest
“Destroyed by Hippie Powers,” Car Seat Headrest
“Juniper Arms,” Adam Torres
“Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out,” Connor Oberst
“Cracked Windshield,” Hiss Golden Messenger
“St. Anne’s Parade,” Shovels & Rope
“Change for the World,” Charles Bradley
“The Gospel,” Alicia Keys
“333,” Against Me!
“Expensive Proposition,” Tim Lee 3
“Number One With a Bullet,” Freakwater
“Lazarus,” David Bowie
“A Song of Shadows,” Jesu/Sun Kil Moon
“Back in My Day,” The Handsome Family
“Where Do You Roam?,” Dex Romweber
“I Need You,” Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
“Needed,” Robbie Fulks
“The Great Pretender,” Sean Rowe
“Since You Put Me Down,” Margo Price
“I Don’t Want to Be Funny Anymore,” Lucy Dacus
“Down I-5,” case/lang/viers
“Opposite House,” Cass McCombs
“NIV,” Lambchop
“We Aren’t the World (Safety Girl),” Wilco
“Sister,” Angel Olsen
“Age Don’t Mean a Thing,” Robert Finley
“Here in After,” De La Soul
“8 (circle),” Bon Iver
“Paraguay,” Iggy Pop
“New York is My Home,” Dion & Paul Simon
“Sunlight,” John Doe
“Kristi Rae,” Austin Lucas w/ Kelly Smith
“The Dirt, the Bells, & I,” Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster
“Let’s Hit One More Place,” Richmond Fontaine

Link to Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/williamboyle4444/playlist/0jTerSRx8KfY4kI4zGmxER

Other records I really liked:
Austin Lucas, BETWEEN THE MOON AND THE MIDWEST; Beyoncé, LEMONADE; Wilco, SCHMILCO; Tim Lee 3, TIN, MAN; Lucy Dacus, NO BURDEN; Velo Sun, HANGS UPON NOTHING (ORIGINAL SCORE); Shovels & Rope, LITTLE SEEDS; Kevin Morby, SINGING SAW; Minor Victories, S/T; Alicia Keys, HERE; case lang veirs, S/T; Bonus, II; Car Seat Headrest, TEENS OF DENIAL; Iggy Pop, POST POP DEPRESSION; Damien Jurado, VISIONS OF US ON THE LAND; Mothers, WHEN YOU WALK A LONG DISTANCE YOU ARE TIRED; Anohni, HOPELESSNESS; Dinosaur Jr., GIVE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT YER NOT; Robert Finley, AGE DON’T MEAN A THING; Sean Rowe, ALL WE CAN DO (EP); Danny Brown, ATROCITY EXHIBITION; Jim James, ETERNALLY EVEN; Wussy, FOREVER SOUNDS; Cass McCombs, MANGY LOVE; Blood Orange, FREETOWN SOUND; Connor Oberst, RUMINATIONS; Solange, A SEAT AT THE TABLE; The Paranoid Style, ROLLING DISCLOSURE; Kanye West, THE LIFE OF PABLO; Nots, COSMETIC; Daniel Lanois, GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE; Steve Gunn, EYES ON THE LINES; Bob Dylan, FALLEN ANGELS; Bob Mould, PATCH THE SKY; Aesop Rock, THE IMPOSSIBLE KID; Tim Hecker, LOVE STREAMS; John Carpenter, LOST THEMES II; M. Ward, MORE RAIN; Daughter, NOT TO DISAPPEAR; I-Don’t-Cares, WILD STAB; Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, THE RARITY OF EXPERIENCE; Dex Romweber, CARRBORO; Prince, HITNRUN, PHASE ONE; Talbot Adams, COMMUNITY/RECESSION ERA; Tim Heidecker, IN GLENDALE; Mark Kozelek, SINGS FAVORITES; Greater Pyrenees, S/T; William Bell, THIS IS WHERE I LIVE; The Jayhawks, PAGING MR. PROUST; Bonnie Prince Billy & Bitchin’ Bajas, EPIC JAMMERS; Brian Harnetty, RAWHEAD & BLOODYBONES; Hallelujah the Hills, A BAND IS SOMETHING TO FIGURE OUT; Dead Gaze, EASY TRAVELS; Swear Tapes, CHERISH THE CABIN; Against Me!, SHAPE SHIFT WITH ME; Mekons, EXISTENTIALISM; Pixies, HEAD CARRIER; Paul Simon, STRANGER TO STRANGER; David Bazan, DARK SACRED NIGHT; The Rolling Stones, BLUE AND LONESOME; Childish Gambino, “AWAKEN, MY LOVE!”.

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