Favorite Songs Of 2012: #8
“Wrist Rocket” – Wussy One of the great, under appreciated bands in American rock music. Like so many of their songs, this is a highly literate, wonderfully crafted song about the angst that appears when your lover loves someone else.
Favorite Songs Of 2012: #9
“Sixteen Saltines” – Jack White It’s been three years since Jack White appeared on my year-end list. Which is significant because he appeared on my favorites list, one way or another, every year from 2003 to 2009.1 His first solo album, Blunderbuss, is excellent, and it was difficult to pick a track to represent it. In the end I went…
Pause
The Favorite Songs countdown will continue over the weekend. I admit it’s hard to write after today’s events in Connecticut. I’ve never been so happy to be annoyed by my kindergartener as I am right now.
“This Beat Is My Recital…”
December is a big music month. There is the putting together and sharing of my favorite songs and albums of the year lists. There’s the flood of Christmas music. Combined I spend even more time than normal thinking about tunes. A few notes from the first few weeks of December. I was driving C. home from a birthday party a…
Favorite Songs Of 2012: #10
“Watch The Corners” – Dinosaur Jr The guitar solo is a lost art, rendered less meaningful as music split into a million sub-genres. Sure, you’ll hear the occasional solo, but often it’s some heavily produced, saccharine regurgitation of Eddie Van Halen’s solo for “Beat It.” So when you hear a real guitar solo, one that gets into your skull and…
Favorite Songs Of 2012: #11
“State Hospital” – Frightened Rabbit Frightened Rabbit have released full-length albums in 2008 and 2010. Each year they nabbed the top spot on my favorite songs list, with “The Modern Leper” doubling as my favorite song of the last decade. So this is a bit of a disappointment for them, I’m sure. In their defense, this was the title track…
Favorite Songs Of 2012: #12
“Broken Arrows” – Francisco The Man Plenty of artists brought the rock in 2012. We’ve already heard from Bob Mould and Corin Tucker. We will still hear from other artists who made sure that the spirit of rock was present. This track, though, takes a slightly different approach to rocking. It begins as a fairly standard alt-rock piece. Jangly electric…
The Trade
I knew it was coming. For two weeks, as rumors swirled, I expected that one night, probably late int the evening, word would come that the Royals had traded their top prospect, outfielder Wil Myers. Likely for a starting pitcher. Almost certainly for one that had value, but still was too flawed to be an ace for the Royals. So…
Favorite Songs Of 2012: #13
“Capricornia” – Allo, Darlin’ Speaking of songs that are perfect for summer… Here is an impossibly gorgeous song about the bittersweetness of leaving things you love behind in order to chase your dreams.
Favorite Songs Of 2012: #14
“You Kill” – Eternal Summers Some bands name themselves after their sound, the Clash being the most famous example. That is the case for the Eternal Summers, who make shiny, happy music to be played endlessly over summer weekends. Take this song, for example, which tells the story of the beginnings, and endings, of a romance. Doesn’t it sound like…