Some things old, some things new, some things borrowed, but nothing blue. Not sure how many items; I gave up math for the year.
As required (and as discussed here), I present my annual list:
BEST UNEXPECTED MUSICAL GUEST ON AN OLD TV SHOW: Pandemic times were apparently built for bingeing television. I was working my way through “The Larry Sanders Show” (which I had previously seen bits of, but not the entire series) and enjoyed seeing musicians I like (Paul Westerberg, Warren Zevon, et. al.). Like the Spanish Inquisition, I was not expecting Butthole Surfers, but suddenly there they were. Their performance started off pretty straightforward but, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” (literally), things became wildly unhinged and fun. Behold:
BEST USE OF COMTEMPORARY MUSIC ON A MORE RECENT TV SERIES: Speaking of watching TV, I also got hooked this year on the post-WW1 drama “Peaky Blinders.” If you can stomach the frequently occurring and graphic violence, I cannot recommend this show enough; even the rough scenes are things of exceptional beauty. And then, of course, there’s the musical element. Despite the time period of the show, mostly more current artists are featured. “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave is essentially the theme song, and you’ll hear it interpreted by others throughout. Not to mention interludes from Jack White/White Stripes, PJ Harvey, Johnny Cash, and many more.
BEST “BOOKS ARE MUSIC TOO”: Last Christmas I received “Copendium” by Julian Cope as a gift. The book gathers years of music reviews off Julian’s Head Heritage website. Julian goes deep on albums he loves from across the decades and, if you know Julian, you know he often has a unique perspective. It’s a huge book, and I’ve been happily working through it along with album listens. You’ll undoubtedly learn about some artists you may have missed, and may even reconsider some things you know (1970’s Miles Davis, anyone?).
BEST “BOOKS ARE MUSIC TOO TWO”: I also really enjoyed reading the biography “Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure” by Maria Golia. It’s an excellent overview of Ornette’s life and music. Mostly chronological (although it does dip in and out of different times occasionally, as it should) without getting too bogged down in unnecessary details. It also discusses his musical philosophy in a way that you don’t necessarily need to be an advanced musician to understand. You’ll have a good feel for his career arc and (hopefully!) be inspired to turn on Coleman’s music, and let it turn you on.
BEST “(COOK)BOOKS ARE MUSIC TOO THREE”: My sister-in-law heard what she described as a really interesting interview on the radio with “some musician” who was promoting a vegan cookbook. She kindly sent us a copy of “The Little Pine Cookbook.” I like to Play in the kitchen sometimes; it’s My Weakness, so I spent several days admiring and trying delicious recipes before I noticed the book was created by none other than Moby. If you ever wonder “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” you should check out this vegan comfort food; it will make your Bodyrock.
Too much with the song titles?
BEST PODCAST: This year I found myself repeatedly going back to “Turned Out A Punk” hosted by Damian Abraham. Known, among other things, as the lead singer from the band F**ked Up (as they listed the band name on a recent episode title – think of the children!), Damian is obviously a flag bearer for punk and a student of (often obscure) punk history. He has a good natured and relaxed interview style, and all his guests have some sort of punk rock connection. The variety of interviewees ranges from more obscure musicians to people from well-known groups like Buzzcocks and The Go-Go’s. If you’re a music nerd with a punk or punk-adjacent bent, get on it for sure. But even if you’re a more casual fan that’s OK; you don’t have to be a punk musicologist, and there won’t be a quiz.
BEST DOCUMENTARY: OK, I actually have two. The one I think everyone would like is “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).” It shows lots of amazing performances from the summer-long 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. It also felt to me like it documented a changing of the guard in the music world: seeing old-school acts like Gladys Knight and The Pips, but also acts like Sly and the Family stone, who look and sound like they flew in from the future. (And, in a way, I guess they did.) It’s also interesting from a historical perspective (and does an excellent job mixing personal and societal stories throughout).
I also loved “The Sparks Brothers” chronicling the Mael brothers and their band Sparks over the decades. While it’s really well-done, I suspect someone who goes in not familiar with the band might not necessarily be inspired to dig into their catalogue. Hopefully I’m wrong about that, but fans will definitely enjoy the ride. And if you need a place to start with their music, try my favorite “Angst in My Pants.”
BEST OF THE RETURN OF SHAMELESS FAMILY SELF-PROMOTION: Well, my son Rhombus has done it again this year. “It” being create another wonderful album with his latest ”As Oil Floats on Water” by Kilian Flowers. It is, by turns, beautiful, playful, mysterious, melancholy, and complex. And it’s all about birds. Or it’s not at all about birds despite the song titles. Well, birds somehow figure into the thing, so give it a listen and see if you can figure it out.
BEST MUSICS FROM BEST COMBOS: It’s always fun when one of your favorite bands releases new music; lucky me, it happened twice in 2021. From across the Pacific Ocean “A Banishment of Bloodshed and Superstition!” by Anatomy of the Heads sailed in, offering their usual heady brew of sounds. Meanwhile, from across the Atlantic, “Music For Addicts” by Dismembered Sound Booth provided another big collection of great songs. Nothing yet from across the Arctic Ocean; maybe in 2022?
On to 2022. Excelsior!