Musicwhore.org Music and memory

I’m old enough now that I can no longer be mistaken for someone remotely connected to the zeitgeist. A phrase I would often employ was, “I know of them, but I’ve not heard from them.” These days, the first part of that phrase is a stretch.

That said, I’m surprised by the number of R&B titles that have crept into my playlist rotation. I’m still a rockist at heart, but rock is loosening its grip on my attention.

1. Sturgill Simpson, Sound & Fury: How was Sturgill Simpson ever going to top A Sailor’s Guide to Earth? He didn’t. He veered so drastically in a different direction that the albums can’t be compared. None of his albums can be compared to each other.
2. Torche, Admission: Torche can be found under the metal section of most music stores, but when I play their albums, I hear post-rock.
3. Weezer, Weezer (Teal Album): It’s a karaoke album, but a painstakingly created one.
4. Jeremy Denk, c.1300-c.2000: It’s a tall order to compile eight centuries of music into a single program.
5. John Luther Adams, Become Desert: It was also stirring to hear this piece live.
6. Cocco, Star Shank: We hear hints of clouds covering the sunniness of Cocco’s later work.
7. BBMAK, Powerstation: I will not lie — I’ve anticipating this album for most of the year, and I do not care who knows.
8. Shiina Ringo, Sandokushi: This album is a glorious mess.
9. Solange, When I Get Home: Similar to Sound and Fury, this album is confounding and fascinating at the same time. There’s nothing on here that matches the tunefulness of A Seat at the Table, and it would be too disruptive to the album’s flow if there were.
10. Jamila Woods, Legacy! Legacy!: “Basquiat” was playing on the in-store system at Sonic Boom, and it pretty much clinched my decision to get this album.

Other favorites of the year:

• Kim Gordon, No Home Record
• Michael Kiwanuka, KIWANUKA
• James Blake, Assume Form
• Sassyblack, Ancient Mahogany Gold
• Anderson .Paak, Ventura
• NUMBER GIRL, Kaiden no Kioku
• The Drums, Brutalism
• Ty Herndon, Got It Covered

Tags: anderson.paak, bbmak, cocco, favorite edition, james blake, jamila woods, jeremy denk, john luther adams, kim gordon, michael kiwanuka, number girl, sassyblack, shiina ringo, solange, sturgill simpson, the drums, torche, ty herndon, weezer