Favorite Songs Of 2014, #2
“Transgender Dysphoria Blues” – Against Me! No song was a more forceful statement of self than this, the opening track of the first Against Me! album since lead singer Laura Jane Grace began her transformation from man to woman. It is packed with a righteous rage, the entire album a gigantic middle finger to everyone that questions the manner in…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #3
“Gimme Something Good” – Ryan Adams http://youtu.be/vmglUwgtHxs This was the soundtrack of my summer, something I heard every 90 minutes or so while we were lounging in the water at the lake. Which made perfect sense, because it has a timeless sound that would have let it fit perfectly into playlists from about any summer of the last 40 years.…
Hot Sports Takes
Back again to fill in a couple hot sports takes between favorite songs entries. Bill Self Issues a Fatwa Against Mock Drafts Last Saturday KU coach Bill Self, after responding to a question about how well Kelly Oubre had played against Utah, railed against the numerous mock NBA drafts that dot the Internet. He said they hurt more people than…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #4
“Lights Out” – Angel Olsen I’ll write more about my favorite albums of the year next week, but this comes from one of my absolute favorites. And it stands out on a disk full of fine songs. Most of Burn Your Fire For No Witness is focused on pain and loneliness and longing to heal. While this song certainly matches…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #5
“Run Forever” Emma Ruth Rundle I’m a sucker for a song like this. It is equal parts beautiful and haunting. It is as unsettling as it is comforting. Is it a plea or a warning? There’s a delicious tension to the music and vocals that prevents these differences from ever resolving. Come on my love take cover with me We…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #6
“Head Underwater” – Jenny Lewis You can’t write about Jenny Lewis without throwing out the obligatory mention of how her music sounds straight out of the 1970s. Her songs would have fit in nicely with all the stuff we heard from the backseat of our parents cars.[1] Sun-drenched, breath-taking, AM-radio pop that owes a huge debt to Fleetwood Mac. The…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #7
“Honey Do” – Beverly Sometimes the simplest songs have the biggest impact. Twenty words. Chugging guitars and pounding drums. Gorgeous harmonies. Combined, it turns into sheer beauty. Tell me your oldest memory Yes I will keep it Oh honey do Previously: 20 – “Black And White” – Parquet Courts 19 – “I Got Knocked Down (But I’ll Get Up)” –…
Holiday Cheer Notes
Nine days out, the holiday tension is getting thick at our house. Shortly after our tree went up, the girls began making presents for each other and putting them under the tree. They were mostly paintings and drawings, but everything was placed into a gift bag or wrapped in a box so they looked like any other gift. They decided…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #8
“Lazaretto” – Jack White White’s Lazaretto was perhaps the most disappointing album of the year. He seemed disinterested and unfocused. Thankfully, he was locked in on a few tracks, notably this absolute beast of a song that stands with the best things he’s ever done. When I say nothing, I say everything Previously: 20 – “Black And White” – Parquet…
Favorite Songs Of 2014, #9
“Goshen ’97” – Strand Of Oaks We’re getting closer to the music that defined my year, much of which harkened back to the music of my youth. While this song looks back to the ‘90s rather than ‘80s, I certainly appreciate the intent. Indiana native Timothy Showalter put together an amazing album, much of it focused on he and his…