THE AESTHETICS AT THE ROCK CRITIC’S FUNERAL
My self-identified role as a curator of popular music is one
that I’ve gradually been shedding, part from changed perspective, part from
failure to sustain a meaningful audience. That’s a fancy way of saying that
when so many people don’t give a shit, they start to seem convincing after a
spell.
I ran out of gas. I felt tapped for maintaining blogs and
that kind of shit. For years I had some tangible connection to the ‘industry’
that made me feel, I dunno – active? relevant? I ran a really good record
store. I wrote for a major metropolitan newspaper. I wrote for various
reasonably high circulation periodicals. I appeared frequently on public radio
stations. But when my record store died after 52 years (I was there for 39 of
them) and the newspaper gave the axe to freelancers, I lost my base, if you
will.
Sure, people tell me they miss the store. Or my reviews. And
it’s nice. But these ripples of awareness are drowned in waves of apathy. I don’t think anyone’s picking on me. I
had a good run. No rock writer really amounts to a shit now, anyway. There are
no Christgaus or Marcuses. Pitchfork is good to have around, but it’s all end
games and hipster poses. Everyone’s a playlist master. Spotify knights your
tastes. Apple music too. Gatekeepers are passé.
I’m not going to
write fifty fucking reviews and rattle off my awesome picks for 2018. Honestly,
for whatever reasons, I find my relationship to the music changing. I still
like to keep up, but no longer standing flatfooted in a record store listening
to music all damn day, and now
finding myself distracted or depressed half the time - I don’t listen to as
much shit as I once did. I still like to keep up, so here’s what happens: I
listen to music for signs and signifiers, to see what’s what, what’s ‘good,’
but good doesn’t mean anymore that I need to hear it ever again, necessarily. I
make mental notes of what I find worthwhile and not-so. The other thing is … I
still have sixty years-worth of music sensibility that hasn’t gone anywhere. In
other words, I still have to listen to Exile
on Main Street and In a Silent Way
as often, sometimes more than I ever did – less time for today’s ephemera (and
most of it is).
My right as editor and sole give-a-crap proprietor to amend this list from time to time will maintain. For now, I’m going to present a big list of records that I found entertainment,
joy, comfort or challenge in during 2018. Most of these titles are current,
maybe 10% are things I got caught up on or got fixated with, released before
2018 – but they’re 2018 to me, so I’m lumping them together. I also have a
breakout list from that master list that’s got a handful of records that I
found some special appreciation for, that I actually spun front to back 2, 3, 4,
or more times.
Here’s that list first:
Fatoumata Diawara –
Fenfo
Adrianne Lenker –
abysskiss
Boygenius – ep
Janelle Monae - Human Computer
Janelle Monae - Human Computer
Alejandro Escovedo –
The Crossing
Spiritualized – And
Nothing Hurt
Mitski – Be the
Cowboy
House of Love – Live
at the Lexington
Denzel Curry – TA1300
Molochs – Flowers in
the Spring
Let’s eat Grandma –
I’m all Ears
Culture Abuse – Bay
Dream
Kamasi Washington –
Heaven and Earth
Parquet Courts - Wide Awaaaake
Parquet Courts - Wide Awaaaake
Flasher – Constant
Image
Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog
Goat Girl – s/t
Marianne Faithfull – Negative Capability
Playboi Carti – Die Lit
Breeders – All Nerve
Beatles – s/t (White)
Goon Sax - We're Not Talking
Fantastic Negrito - Please, Don't be Dead
Goon Sax - We're Not Talking
Fantastic Negrito - Please, Don't be Dead
And these got my attention more than once:
Steve Kilbey – Sydney Rococo
Carbonas – Your Moral
Superiors
Lubomyr Melnyk –
Fallen Trees
Idles – Joy as an Act
of Resistance
Imarhan – Temet
Lorkin O’Reilly –
Heaven Depends
Justin Trouble- old
videos on YouTube
Earl Sweatshirt – Some
Rap Songs
Mary Halvorson – Code
Girl
Makaya McCraven –
Universal Beings
Makaya McCraven -
Music
Sons of Kemet – Your
Queen is a Reptile
Kurt Vile – Bottle it
In
Car Seat Headrest –
Twin Fantasy
Cat Power – Wanderer
Paul McCartney – Egypt
Station
Ultra-Orange &
Emmanuelle – s/t
Dream Wife – s/t
Bodega – Endless
Scroll
Laura Marling/LUMP
Snail Mail – Lush
Vince Staples – FM!
Razorlight – Olympus
Sleeping
Sloan – 12
Manic Street Preachers
– Resistance is Futile
Kacey Musgraves –
Golden Hour
Superchunk – 2018
Soccer Mommy – Clean
Lucy Dacus – Historian
Simone Felice - The Projector
Ry Cooder - Prodigal Son
Simone Felice - The Projector
Ry Cooder - Prodigal Son
And there were this lot, pretty good stuff:
Amy Rigby – the Old Guys
Jon Spencer – Sings the Hits
Richard Lloyd – the Countdown
Surgeon – Luminosity Device
Wave Pictures – Look Inside Your Heart
Tallawit Timbuoctou – Hali Diallo
Laura Jane Grace – Bought to Rot
Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore – Ghost
Vines – In Miracle Land
Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel
Bill Ryder-Jones – Yawn
Sun Kil Moon – This is my Dinner
JD McPherson – Socks
Hiss Golden Messenger – Virgo Pool
Andrew Cyrille – Lebrora
Skiffle Players – Skiff
Ar-Kaics – In This Time
Kinks – We are the Village Green Preservation Society
Ty Segall – Fudge Sandwich
Ty Segall - Freedom Goblin
Ty Segall - Freedom Goblin
Beths – Future Me Hates Me
Viagra Boys – Street Worms
Satan’s Satyrs – the Lucky Ones
Laura Jean Anderson – Lonesome No More
Bas Jan – Yes I Jan
Elvis Costello – Look Now
Marissa Nadler – For my Crimes
Sam Phillips – World on Sticks
Molly Burch – First Flower
Kristin Hersh – Possible Dust Clouds
Waldos – Wacka Lacka Loom Bop a Loom Bam Boo
Goggs – Pre Strike Sweep
Dave Hause – Bury Me in Philly
Beak – L.A. Playback
Cedric Burnside – Benton County Relic
Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
First Aid Kit – Tender Offerings
First Aid Kit - Ruins
Adam’s House Cat – Town Burned Down
Toby Hay – The Longest Day
Toby Hay – the Gathering
Low – Double Negative
Tequila Sunrise – Super American
6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter
Marc Ribot – Songs of Resistance
Honey Hahs – Dear Someone, Happy Something
Devil Makes Three – Chains are Broken
Blood Orange – Negro Swan
Glenn Jones – The Giant Who Ate Himself
Lemon Twigs – Go to School
Necks – The Body
Fleshtones – Budget Buster
Drakes Hotel – Let Our Hoax Eclipse
Chief Keef – Mansion Musick
Ron Gallo – Really Nice Guys
Laura Cannell – Quick Sparrows Over the Earth
Tony Molina – Kill the Lights
Erland Cooper – Solan Goose
Santigold – I Don’t Want
Jarekus Singleton – the Bridge
Pearl Charles – Sleepless Dreamer
Clientele – Music for the Age of Miracles
Baxter Ragland – Wide Awake
Jeff Parker – the New Breed
Mr. Airplane Man – Jacaranda Blue
Immersion – Sleepless
Protomartyr – Consolation
Arthur Buck – s/t
Ty Segall & White Fence – Joy
Jack Cades – Music for Children
Carters – Everything is Love
Lykke Li – So Sad
Stella Donnelly – Thrush Metal
Ryley Walker – Deafman Glance
Kississippi – Sunset Blush
Cowboys – 4
Bettye Lavette – things Have Changed
Joan Shelley – Rivers & Vessels
Pere Ubu – 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain
Guided by Voices – Space Gun
Camp Cope – How to Socialize
Mary Gauthier – Rifles and Rosary Beads
Haley Heynderickx – s/t
Cedric Burnside – Descendants of Hill Country
Public Access T.V. – Street Safari
Graham Coxon – The End of the Fucking World
If any of this amused you or illuminated anything in
the slightest, I’m happy. Merry Christmas, travelers!
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