Arcade Fire: Reflecktor
Sorry. I tried. Sometimes albums creep up on me a few years
after I first hear them. Maybe that will be the case with this one. Songs I didn’t
skip immediately include Talking Heads-infused Normal Person and You Already Know.
The Black Angles: Indigo Meadow
The Austin scene, the fuzzy guitar, and the unapologetic nod
to the Doors make me love a little shot of the Black Angles from time to time. The Day and Broken Soldier are my top two picks from the album.
The Blind Boys of Alabama: I’ll Find A Way
I raise my southern roots to the heavens and say “amen” to I Shall Not Be Moved. As
an aside, did they steal Bon Iver’s back up band for I Am Not Waiting Anymore?
Bombino: Nomad
Whatever Auerbach. You’re killing it. The fusion of sounds
from the Middle East, Africa, and the American Delta is amazing, but not
entirely unique (Ali Farke Toure, Tinariwen). Anyway, I have no idea what he’s
saying, but it makes me happy. Here’s the hit song, Amidine.
The Bryan Ferry Orchestra: The Jazz Age
Listen to this and, voilà, you get to go back in time. Love Is The Drug … so
damn good. Other favorites include Do The Strand and This Island Earth.
Daft Punk: Random Access Memories
Proof positive that disco’s not dead. See previous post.
David Bowie: The Next Day
I need more time with The Next Day. I don’t love it yet, but
I probably will one day. No songs
selected, but I felt obligated to mention this album.
Depeche Mode: Delta Machine
What is there to say? They're legends. Many of the
songs sound out of touch and dated, but others such as Heaven and Angel deliver
the classic, gliding vocals and heavy hitting beats that transcend time and
genre.
Devendra Banhart: Mala
Time to let the freak folk flag fligh. Best song on Mala? I
can’t really tell you because they’re all a bit odd. Try Never Seen Such Good Things.
Should he ever decide to start a cult, I’d look into it.
Foxygen: We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
If a bunch of great bands from the 60s and 70s got together
in a pot and made a stew and simmered for like half a century and then emerged
as a group of young people in a band, they would make the album We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic. It’s just like that. I recommend Shuggie for starters.
Franz Ferdinand: Right Thoughts, Right Words,Right Action
I could nerd out all day dancing to the title track. You
never saw such moves! But with 23 songs on the album, I didn’t get around to
all of them.
Iggy & The Stooges: Ready to Die
It’s a long way from 1969’s I Wanna Be Your Dog to
2013’s Unfriendly World.
There’s a good dose of humor on the new album starting with the cover. Gotta
love his eternal punk rock spirit.
Junip: Junip
I’m a big Jose Gonzalez and Junip fan, so it’s easy to give
this album my seal of approval. However, I don’t like it as much as the last
one. Line of Fire is
a clear favorite.
The National: Trouble Will Find Me
Demons.
Holy shit this is one of those songs made me stop breathing for a minute when I
first heard it. And I only caught a few seconds of it playing on NPR. Don’t Swallow the Cap is
getting the glory on most lists, but not mine.
Paul McCartney: New
Are you kidding me? Sir Paul McCartney is 71 and making
songs like Alligator?!
Awesome.
Valerie June: Pushin’ Against a Stone
Totally original. The entire album is solid, but these stay
with me: Pushin’ Againsta Stone, Workin’Womans Blues, and Shotgun.
Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City
Likable at first listen and interesting enough to come back to. Step and Hudson standout.Listen to the list on Spotify:
