An Extreme Blog of Timely Persuasion
Really good in the future…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — actually posted on the last day of the year! ALBUMS: REISSUES: SONGS: SHOWS: Lighter than usual as we ease out of pandemic life. I’m trying to better pick my spots vs. go to every show that catches my interest — and often seemingly end up being…
…and it’s nobody’s fault but my own. After 2 years of doing all the right careful things as a good citizen, the allure of a solo acoustic Beck show during SXSW was too good to pass up. I’m vaxxed and boosted. I’ve worn a mask indoors and generally avoided indoor venues/dining for the whole pandemic….
Say what you will about life in the last couple years, but musically it’s been a creative delight. (Maybe that’s just more time to listen?) For the second year in a row I have a full top 10: ALBUMS 1975 — No-No Boy Melodic and memorable with a great story and purpose behind it (the…
—In a strange and challenging year, we needed music to keep us sane more than ever. Somehow it came through in spades with a slew of stellar new releases and live(stream) shows in the new normal. ALBUMS 1. Nobody Lives Here Anymore — Cut WormsCut Worms wasn’t on my radar until Spencer Tweedy covered “Last…
Pat Smear’s striped guitar Baby faced Dave Grohl All the cover songs The secret electric guitar on Man Who Sold the World Pennyroyal Tea (“Am I gonna do this…by myself?” and the disastrous duet with Pat during rehearsal in the extras that explains the exchange) The guy who looks like a burly Cliff Clavin in…
Albums Between the Country — Ian Noe Discovered this album via NPR First Listen on a whim (ala 2016’s top album) and never looked back. A perfect mix of folky songs spanning a number of emotions and influences while still holding together as part of their own refreshingly new voice. On the Line — Jenny…
Albums 1.Glorietta — GloriettaOh my! Another year, another supergroup on the top list. This one’s a little different with it being a supergroup where I wasn’t very familiar with any of the members beforehand outside of Wild Child — but their end results absolutely blew my mind. 2. Loner — Caroline RoseGreat record, great live show….
Commentary coming sooner or later… ALBUMS Resistance Radio: The Man in the High Castle Album — Various Life Will See You Now — Jens Lekman Colors — Beck Like a Drunk in a Midnight Choir: RSD Celebrates the Music of Leonard Cohen — Various St. Mojo — Sweet Spirit Salutations* — Conor Oberst SONGS Pamela…
ALBUMS 1. I Had a Dream That You Were Mine — Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam I love when my favorite album of the year comes out of nowhere. I listened to this on NPR first listen because I liked the title and Hamilton’s last name. And I pretty much haven’t stopped listening to it since….
3 Days + 1 Night. 19 Shows. 33 sets. 25 bands. So much fun. So glad it’s over until next year… Playlist below. One song per set in the order we saw the shows. (Multiple songs by the same band means I saw them multiple times. Smooth Hound Smith wins with 4 incredible sets — including…