2020’s MUZAK
My friend and former “boss”, Fritz, chimed in on a post about music the other day saying he enjoyed the forays into rock that play tangent and as background to the things I write. This morning as I was fumbling around I thought I thought about my tendency to almost yearly, latch onto an album and wear it out. Last week when referencing a song by The Hold Steady, I went down a memory lane of sorts from days as a shoe rep, and how, that band played as the soundtrack for the hundreds of thousands of miles driven from 08-14, a song from each album conjuring images of place and people and time, the way music does. This morning I thought I’d try and dive into a couple albums from this year. I think this could be a recurring theme and will look back further from time to time. Through the power of the world wide internets and Spotify, I’ve created a playlist with the two albums as well as the list Spotify made which has all the top songs I played for the year, so you can go back and judge me accordingly. If your reading on Instagram, click the bio link to go to the formal blog page and you’ll find them.
2020 - My daughter and I have bonded over music and 2020 was the year that she began introducing me to as much as I, her. This isn’t 100% accurate actually, as she has introduced me to tons of things before, but in the last year I saw her music identity deepen and mature and become her own, along with her playing. I live with this musical feeling of an almost giddy desperation to play songs for others, to introduce something great to them. It feels important. While I haven’t asked her, it feels like this is what she’s doing. That “you’ve got to hear this!” adrenaline pumping through her veins.
Somewhere in the fall she sent me a link to How do You Love? by The Regrettes. At first listen it’s an album of hooky power pop tunes that reminded me of The Go Gos, with more of an edge. Others I have played it for hear Gwen Stefani and early No Doubt, which I can see but have never been a fan of. Upon a further listen, this album grew and grew on me. Great songs, great lyrics. An album that my buddy Feb would call a “summer record”. He wouldn’t have been wrong. It practically tastes like the beach and LA, and salt water. What sealed the deal was realizing that the lead singer,writer, Lydia Night had written most of it when she was 17 tops. Thanks for the immediate inadequacy Lydia, I needs that. Favorite songs: The Game, California Friends, Has it Hit You.
2020 - One can’t be all sunshine and rainbows and Frightened Rabbit’s final album A Painting of a Panic Attack is for sure on the opposite side of How Do You Love. The 2018 final album of the Scottish band is pretty great. Most people have a melancholy record that they listen to to meet their mood and this one will do the trick. It’s the last album before their lead singer killed himself (uplifting I know) and when listened to with that knowledge, the lyrics take on a massive heaviness. There’s a few songs that I have in almost every playlist I make and Get Out will make a stab at belonging there for as far as I can see. I listen to it almost daily.
PF’S 2020 MOST PLAYED-THE JUDGE ME ZONE!
Go forth and enjoy. Let me know what you think!
#hugsandhi5s