Favorite Music of 2012

To begin, a few disclaimers:  1)  It's called "favorite" because, as objective as any listener may strive to be, (s)he still has genres and bands (s)he just doesn't like.  2)  While I've listened to a lot of music released in 2012, I have still only listened to a small fraction of music-new-to-2012.  3)  I firmly believe that great artists will release great albums, not just singles.  For those that prefer singles, I have listed notable songs with each album. 4)  A lot of excellent music was made this year that I spun regularly, but doesn't make the list.  Runner-ups for this list include Mumford & Sons, Café Tacvba, and Sharon Van Etten.  And now, feast your eyes and ears:

10. Grimes - Visions

Claire Boucher--the one-woman show that is Grimes--uniquely blurs her gorgeous falsetto with layers upon layers of electronic beats and hooks that make her songs fresh for fans of electronic music.  While lyrically simple, the songs Genesis and Oblivion take on powerful meaning in her music videos, which challenge female stereotypes and the influence of male sports on violence in society. Notable songs:  Genesis, Oblivion, Symphonia IX (My Wait is U).

9. Beach House - Bloom

Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally master the genre that is 'Dream Pop.' Legrand's ethereal, gutteral, resonant, and incredible vocals are backed by a more diverse and lush array of synthesizers, bass lines, and drum beats than on Teen Dream.  On Bloom, the duo takes its listeners on a cryptic, reflective journey through the fear and false-self image that are common to our generation.  Notable songs:  Myth, Wild, The Hours

8. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
Bruce's voice fighting for the lower-class bleeds through the album: romanticized in Easy Money, desperate in Jack of All Trades, down-and-out in This Depression, and hopeful in Land of Hopes and Dreams.  While a 100-piece band and anthemic ballads are still central to Bruce's music, this album uniquely includes gospel influences, guitar solos by Tom Morello and rapping by Michelle Morris.  Notable songs:  Shackled and Drawn, Wrecking Ball, Rocky Ground

7. Bob Dylan - Tempest
Bob Dylan's voice has changed with age, but so has his band--developing a bluesy, folksy rock-n-roll sound that has never been richer. Death runs rampant throughout Tempest, explored through unjust treatment by the government (Pay in Blood),  the murder of an unfaithful lover (Tin Angel), the emotions of fictional characters on the Titanic (Tempest),and an ode to John Lennon (Roll on John).  Notable songs:  Pay in Blood, Tempest, Roll on John

6. Gaby Moreno - Postales
Gaby Moreno has a smoky, bluesy, jazzy voice that will win over even the hardest of hearts.  Her musical style is heavily influenced by the jazz and blues NYC scenes, but also by her Latin American roots. Hesitant about the success of a mash-up between these genres, Gaby interspersed a few Spanish-language songs among mostly English numbers on 2011's Illustrated Songs. On 'Postales,' Gaby throws all reservations to the wind and laces solely-spanish lyrics over a wide array of musical arrangements influenced by Blues, Jazz, and Latin American music to produce an album richly rewarding on each listen.  Notable songs:  No Estoy Tan Mal, Blues del Mar, Quizas Quizas Quizas

5. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
Johanna and Klara Söderberg, two sisters from Sweden, "string" together absolutely gorgeous harmonies over wonderful folk melodies.  The songs of Lion's Roar deal with "the hectic coming-of-age pace by trying to bring life to a halt." The tone of the album is "optimistically languid," while the characters of the folk narratives face fears of "being young and having a lot of hopes and dreams" and of "not ending up alone" in the words of Klara.  Notable songs:  Lion's Roar, Emmylou, King of the World

4.  Carla Morrison - Déjenme Llorar 

 Carla Morrison posseses a sweet as honey, gorgeous, every (wo)man voice, a mastery of stringed instruments, the ability to write heart-breaking lyrics as poetry, and a fearlessness in expressing the deepest of emotions. Applied to the 14 songs on Déjenme Llorar, Carla will win your heart and tears, whether with the 50s slow dance/burner Eres Tú, the guitarrón-heavy swing song Hasta la Piel, the classic take-me-back tune featuring an explosion of keys and strings Maleza, or the tragic tale of unrequited love Me Puede/Falta de Respeto.  Notable songs:  Maleza, Déjenme Llorar, Me Puede/Falta de Respeto

3.  Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
23-year-old Brittney Howard has some of the most powerful pipes in the music scene that steal the show throughout this incredible debut album.  Excellent drum beats and bluesy guitar give this band a fresh, gritty sound, while the songwriting drips of wisdom beyond the years of this insanely talented young band. Notable songs:  Hold On, Be Mine, I Ain't the Same

2.  Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do 

The vocal and instrumental range Fiona accomplishes on this album make the best efforts of Norah Jones and Regina Spektor look like children playing kazoos on the jungle jim.  Easily the most diverse of the year, this album represents a "listening journey" well-worth taking.  Lyrically, this journey includes Fiona's neurosis (Every Single Night), destroying relationships (Daredevil), mutual mistreatment (Werewolf), and relational playfulness (Anything We Want).  Notable songs:  Werewolf, Anything we Want, Hot Knife

1.  The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

Read this.  The Gaslight Anthem write unironic love songs in an ironic age.  I'm convinced that if more dudes listened to them they would tap into their romantic side, gather more courage to ask girls out, and better deal with the heartbreak of failed relationships. Never has Gaslight's sound been tighter than on Handwritten, which includes punk rock, grunge rock, power ballads, and slow-burners along with the usual heavy Springsteen influence.  Notable songs:  Handwritten, Mulholland Drive, Biloxi Parish, Mae

With this pen, I thee wed, from my heart to your distress

Every review of the Gaslight Anthem's newest album, Handwritten, begins with a nod to the band's magnum opus, The '59 Sound.  You know the one; it begins with the scratchy sound of a record player before a simple, gritty guitar riff gives way to Brian Fallon's raw vocals singing "Mary, this station is playing every sad song.  I remember like we were alive...."  It's the album that, for better or worse, placed the Gaslight Album in a 'musical box,' labeled on every side with 'Tom Petty' and 'Bruce Springsteen.'  "Hey, Brian Fallon's telling stories that sound like those of Springsteen; stories of characters finding the will to carry on and make the most of the awful hand life has dealt them.  Heck, the Mary of Great Expectations must be the same as Springsteen's Thunder Road Mary."  Gaslight's gritty guitar rifts, song tempos, and growling vocals captured the essence of Springsteen-esque rock 'n' roll for our generation.  The '59 Sound was perfect; a career-defining record for this young band.

To follow up such a record, the Gaslight Anthem released American Slang.  A fantastic album in its own right, the album found the Gaslight Anthem striving to evolve as a band, changing their sound ever so subtly.  Despite it's brevity, American Slang boasted the 'punchy' rock anthem, Boxer, the feisty power ballad, Bring it on, and the slower, U2-esque We Did it When We Were Young.  Ever striving to grow as a musician, lead singer Brian Fallon took a break from Gaslight to record a solo album, Elsie.  Slowing down the tempo and stripping the musical layers to a minimalistic core, Fallon alternately developed his U2-esque croon and early Tom Waits-esque growl as he poured out his heart, singing about the three significant relationships in his life.  The result was magnificent; Elsie boasted the tragic anthem Behold the Hurricane, the slow burner that built to a spiteful growl in Ladykiller, and tearful, bittersweet closer, I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together.

With three incredible albums released in a four year span, the Gaslight Anthem had every excuse to take one of those oh so common 'introspective breaks' from songwriting.  Instead, they released the masterpiece that is Handwritten two short weeks ago.  As one review phrases it, "Handwritten is roller coaster ride you never want to get off, with a seemingly endless string of catchy tunes, hard rock edge, and a familiar grizzled voice fans have come to love."  Sonically, the band returns to its punk-rock roots in the opening lightening-paced "45".  Fast guitars and Fallon's gloriously gravelly voice keeps up the rapid pace on Handwritten.  While clinging to Tom Petty and Springsteen overtones, the Gaslight Anthem reach into the realm of classic rock on power ballads Here Comes My Man and Too Much Blood.  The band explores grunge rock in the rapid, anthemic, and wonderfully wordy Mullholldand Drive and Keepsake.  After delving into one of the freshest guitar riffs on Biloxi Parish, Gaslight ends the album with the slow-burning ballads Mae and National Anthem.  The sadness in Fallon's voice, simple acoustic guitar, and orchestral backing of  National Anthem echo Springsteen's finest acoustic songs.

With the exception of Mae, Gaslight Anthem strays lyrically from the character-driven songs of The '59 Sound.  Rather, Fallon draws on the personal themes of Elsie to bleed his heart out to the listening world.  Using the analogy of flipping a record over, "45" encourages the singer to move past love lost and let his love "lay at someone else's feet."  The themes of Handwritten echo the Crowes' I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together, where Fallon yearns to love his girl despite the battle scars each carries.  "Let it out, let me in, take my hand.  There's nothing like another soul that's been cut up the same.  And did you want to drive without a word in between?  I can understand, you need a minute to breathe.  And to sew up the seems, after all of this defeat" eventually gives way to the closing lines "With this pen, I thee wed, from my heart to your distress."  Biloxi Parish puts a positive spin to the dark haunting of the Crowes' Blood Loss, as this haunting comes from a Bring it On-esque type of unparalleled love and acts of affection.  Desire reflects on the different manners by which men try to win the hearts of women, with a chorus reminiscent of Springsteen's I'm on Fire.  In true Gaslight form, the album ends with a tragic reflection on love lost and the ghost of a man that has emerged.  Fallon sings, "I will never forget you, my American love.  And I'll always remember you, wild as they come.  And though if I saw you I'd pretend not to know, the place where you were in my heart is now closed.  I already live with too many ghosts."

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or freshly discovering the glorious sounds of the Gaslight Anthem,  Handwritten must belong in your musical collection.  It is one of the best albums of the year and just may be Gaslight's best.  But that's for you to decide.

Rockin' out with the Swedes

Every once in a while there's a musical album that grabs you by the ears and won't let go.  Whether it's a slow build, first listening to the CD at a lackluster pace, or a dizzying whirlwind of listening from the get-go, there are simply some albums you can't. stop. listening. to.  I'll choose one word to sum up this effect on the listener: resonance.  Such mind-gripping albums resonate with the listener.  Whether it's the sleek musicianship or incredible and timely lyrics, something about such albums grasp you.  Often the songs on such albums take you on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring feelings you haven't been able to articulate or feelings too raw to articulate outside a medium such as music.  On the flipside, songs can find you at your mountaintop peak, contributing to the swirl of joyous emotions welling up inside you.

For me, I discovered such an album this past week in "The Lion's Roar" by First Aid Kit. First Aid Kit represents the stage name of two sisters, Johanna and Klara Söderberg, from Sweden.  Their musicianship is unparalleled.  Drawing inspiration from bands such as Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom, the sisters "string" together absolutely gorgeous harmonies over wonderful folk melodies.  Their instrumentation features prominent use of the pedal steel, the most gorgeous instrument known to mankind.  And, of utmost importance to my definition of a great album, "Lion's Roar" starts off with a bang with the title track and Emmylou yet finishes with even stronger songs, including "I Found a Way," "Dance to Another Tune" featuring a psychedlic folk music breakdown, and "King of the World," a triumphant song featuring brass and the guest vocals of Conor Oberst.

Lyrically, the album is equally unparalleled.  As one review phrased it, the songs of Lion's Roar deal with "the hectic coming-of-age pace by trying to bring life to a halt." The tone of the album is "optimistically languid," while the characters of the folk narratives face fears of "being young and having a lot of hopes and dreams" and of "not ending up alone" in the words of Klara.  Here are a few lyrical snippets:

"Every morning keeps returning at my window / and it brings me to you / and I won't just pass through / but I'm not asking for a storm / I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June / If you'll be my Gram and my Johnny too / No, I'm not asking much of you / Just sing little darling, sing with me." -Emmylou (a love song exploring the seasons of love through the temperate weather of Stockholm and allusions to past Americana music legends)

"There's a heavy load upon our backs / of things we carry from the past / my guilt-filled mind, it tried to run / but it traced us back to where we begun / so the morning came / and swept the night away / as I was looking for a way to disappear / amongst the quiet things / and all these empty streets / I found a way to reappear." -I found a way (my favorite)

"At ten in the morning / I was laughing at something / At the airport terminal / at nine in the evening / I was sitting crying to you over the phone / well passing the border from a state to another / filled with people whom I couldn't help to relate to / and we stopped a while at a roadside restaurant / where the waitress was sitting outside smoking in her car / she had that look of total fear in her eyes / and as we drove away from there she looked at me and smiled / I keep running around / trying to find the ground / but my head is in the stars / and my feet are in the sky / well I'm nobody's baby / and I'm everybody's girl / I'm the queen of nothing / I'm the king of the world." -King of the World

Spotify "Lion's Roar," watch their NPR tiny desk concert, and discover the greatness that is First Aid Kit.  Fun fact: they're chums with Karin Dreijer Anderson, one-half of the Swedish electronic band, The Knife.  As such, they cover "When I grow up" off Karin's solo project (Fever Ray).

 

5 Favorite Songs of 2012 (So far...)

5.  Carla Morrison - Maleza

"Regresate a mi,
Yo te cuidaré,
De todo lo malo.
Lo bueno pescaré.
En tu corazon depositaré
Todo ese amor que necesitas tener."

The movement in Carla Morrison songs is something few other artists capture.  Both with her voice and the backing instrumental medley, each verse slowly builds to a chorus that grasps your attention and makes you realize the complexity behind its simple words.

4.  Alabama Shakes - Be Mine

23 year old Brittany Howard has some of the most powerful pipes in the music scene.  The way the bluesy guitar and bass move her voice along in this song is incredible.  Getting you up out of your seat and grooving from the get-go, when Brittany goes into succinct, rapid-fire repetition of the simple words "be mine" at the end of the song, you're not sure you've heard a better song.

3.  M. Ward - Crawl After You

"And when I came of age,
I sailed away,
A pine cone on the Rio Grande.
Now I gotta crawl after you,
Tell you who I am."

Simple lyrics put to a simple piano melody makes for the most simplistically gorgeous song I've heard this year.  Not to mention entry of the violin halfway through the song adding to its beauty.


2.  Delta Spirit - Money Saves

"I alone, yes, I alone with you."

If you haven't heard of 'em, you best get on it, Delta Spirit is one of the most lively rock 'n' roll bands around.  While lead singer Matt Vasquez puts sufficient stress on his vocal chords to make you wonder if the band will be around in a few years, it works wonderfully with the incredible guitar tones behind it.  Their song structure allows for emphasis of simple one-liners that stick to your brain like gum.


1.  Bruce Springsteen - Rocky Ground

"Forty days and nights of rain have washed this land
Jesus said the money changers in this temple will not stand
Find your flock, get them to higher ground
Flood waters rising and we're Canaan bound."

What can't the boss do?  Here, Bruce writes an incredibly poignant modern gospel number.  To assist him in singing it, he recruits the talented Michelle Moore.  Who raps for one of the verses.  Awesome.

A fuller understanding of Jesus's Sabbath teachings

The way first century Jews viewed time was intricately connected with the way they understood the Sabbath:

"When God made the world, he "rested" on the seventh day...It means that in the previous six days God was making a world--heaven and earth together--for his own use. Like someone building a home, God finished the job and then went in to take up residence, to enjoy what he had built. Creation was itself a temple, the Temple, the heaven-and-earth structure build for God to live in. And the seventh-day "rest" was therefore a sign pointing forward into successive ages of time, a forward-looking signpost that said that one day, when God's purposes for creation were accomplished, there would be a moment of ultimate completion, a moment when the work would finally be done, and God, with his people, would take his rest, would enjoy what he had accomplished." -N. T. Wright, Simply Jesus

As this was the case, the sabbath was the natural day to celebrate, to worship, to pray, to study God's law. It was the moment in which the progression of history from its foundations to its ultimate resolution was fully sensed.

Now let's look at how Matthew structures the geneology of Jesus. Matthew arranges the geneology in 3 groups of 14 (six 7s), emphasizing Jesus appearing at the start of the sabbath-of-sabbaths, the seven-times-seventh year--the year of jubilee when slaves would be freed, debts cancelled, and life would get back on track (see Leviticus 25).

"Now, and only now, do we see what Jesus meant when he said the time is fulfilled. That was part of his announcement right at the start of his public career (Mark 1:15). Only this, I believe, will enable us to understand his extraordinary behavior immediately afterwards. He seems to have gone out of his way to flout the normal sabbath regulations. Most people in the modern church have imagined that this was because the sabbath had become "legalistic," a kind of observance designed to boost one's sense of moral achievement, and that Jesus had come to sweep all that away in a burst of libertarian, antilegalistic enthusiasm. That, though commonplace, is a trivial misunderstanding. It is too "modern" by half. Rather, the sabbath was the regular signpost pointing forward to God's promised future, and Jesus was announcing that the future to which the signpost had been pointing had now arrived in the present. In his own career...The time was fulfilled, and God's kingdom was arriving.

In particular, Jesus came to Nazareth and announced the jubilee. This was the time--and time!--when all the sevens, all the sabbaths, would rush together. This was the moment Israel and the world had been waiting for...You don't need the sabbath when the time is fulfilled. It was completely consistent with Jesus's vision of his own vocation that he would do things that said, again and again from one angle after another, that the time had arrived, that the future, the new creation, was already here, and that one no longer needed the sabbath. The sabbath law was not, then, a stupid rule that could now be abolished (though some of the detailed sabbath regulations, as Jesus pointed out, had led to absurd extremes, so that you were allowed to pull a donkey out of a well on the sabbath, but not to heal the sick). It was a signpost whose purpose had now been accomplished. It was a marker of time pointing forward to the time when time would be fulfilled; and that was now happening." -N. T. Wright, Simply Jesus

Kingdom Work and Common Grace

"For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." -Romans 14:23 (ESV)

"Non-Christians do not do "kingdom work." The phrase "kingdom work" is confusing and nonbiblical and probably should be jettisoned, but even if we grant its use, we should at least be agreed that it cannot be applied to good things that non-Christians do. When a non-Christian does a good deed, it is most certainly good (at a certain level), and it is an instance of God's common, evil-restraining grace on all mankind. It is a singular kindness of God that human beings are not as bad as we could be. But that those good works are "good" is all we can say about them. They are not "kingdom work" because they are not done in the name of the King (see Rom. 14:23b). C. S. Lewis was wrong. You simply can't spend a lifetime serving Tash (or even yourself!) and expect Aslan to be happy about it." -From the book I'm currently reading

What are y'allz thoughts on this? My leisurely Saturday morn gave me time to read, but reading has me puzzling over what the author says here. My gut reaction is to theologically agree, while going further. Even if all good works not proceeding from faith is sin, isn't the Bible full of instances of sinful actions being used for God's glory? Then I apply these thoughts to my department and all the work being done therein by non-Christians. Will not Christ use this for His glory? What are your thoughts on this topic, I'm still puzzling?

On a light note, I can't stop listening to this song by Ana Tijoux. so good.

Pilot Me

Download this album. It's FREE 99!!!
Josh Garrels is rather talented and his gospel-soaked lyrics have been refreshing me all week! Here's a sampling from my three fav songs off the album:

"Skipping like a calf loosed from its stall
I'm free to love once and for all
And even when I fall I'll get back up
For the joy that overflows my cup
Heaven filled me with more than enough
Broke down my levee and my bluff
Let the flood wash me"
-Josh Garrels, Farther Along

"Holy, holy, is the one
Who was, and is, and is to come
In a robe as red as blood
He comes forth
Ride like lightning in the sky
On the war horse he draws nigh
The same one we crucified
Will return again"
-Josh Garrels, Revelator

"I will arise and follow you over
Savior please, pilot me
Over the waves and through every sorrow
Savior please, pilot me
When I have no more strength left to follow
Fall on my knees, pilot me
May your sun rise and lead me on
Over the seas, savior pilot me"
-Josh Garrels, Pilot Me

Late to the Party...

...but here are my top 10 albums of 2011. Some made it due to amazing musicianship, some due to how they impacted me in a given phase of my life, and the best due to both.

10. Lucinda Williams - Blessed
"We were blessed by the minister who practiced what he preached...we were blessed by the neglected child who knew how to forgive...we were blessed by the mystic who turned water into wine...we were blessed by the forlorn, forsaken, and abused." from 'Blessed'

9. The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
"As the blind walk the blind through the blackness of freedom, who writes the songs that we will all be singing?" from 'Golden Cattle'

8. Tom Waits - Bad as Me
I absolutely love Tom Waits and, both musically and lyrically, his new album further proves he can do nothing wrong.
"Time it don't mean nothing, money means even less. Don't bring nothin baby, you're better than all the rest. I wanna go get lost." from 'Get Lost'

7. Hello Seahorse! - Lejos, no tan Lejos
The perfect combination of electronic music and superb high-pitched vocals. I spun it for months; likely to resonate only with the musical tastes of select ears. Weird vid, but listen.

6. Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - Dirty Radio
Heavily influenced by Tom Waits and Cat Power, Sallie's songs are lyrically raw and pack the musical punches. The range of emotions from angst to sentimental reflections on love resonate with any listener. One of my highlights of the Newport Folk Festival (see photo).
"Just like they took away the polaroid picture, they're gonna take away everything that means something. Today I think I saw ten thousand cell phones but not one decent conversation." from 'Write me a Letter'

5. Dawes - Nothing is Wrong
Try to not learn 8 billion life lessons from Dawes. Amazing songwriting coupled with outstanding Americana rock 'n' roll.
"I think that love is so much easier than you realize. If you can give yourself to someone, then you should." from 'A Little Bit of Everything'

4. Gaby Moreno - Illustrated Songs
Blending her Guatemalan roots with her passion for blues, soul, and jazz, Gaby creates nothing short of a musical masterpiece. The opening track was my "go-to" song of the year when I needed a pick-me-up!
"Talvez disfrutas como nunca de tu nueva vida, Talvez no hay son ni canto que te pueda conmover." from 'Intento'

3. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
See my previous blog post. Yes, from October.

2. Sojourn - The Water & The Blood
The intentionality and fervor with which Sojourn rewrites music behind old school hymns creates a rich worship experience every time this album spins.
"The lying tempter would persuade my heart to doubt your aid. And all my swelling sins appear much greater than your grace. Arise, Oh Lord, fulfill your grace while I your glory sing. My God has broke the serpent's teeth and death has lost it's sting." from 'Death has lost its Sting' (please watch)

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
I will always associate this album with having a much-needed calming effect on me as I traversed the not-so-safe parts of Denver on random busses after midnight...
"And at once I knew I was not magnificent." from 'Holocene'