My nephew is off to college in California! I’m totally jealous. I’ve revisited my California mix and put it on Spotify. What would you include? Mine features Best Coast, Sugarcult, Missing Persons, and more!
Category: Music
April Bandcamp Friday Picks
You know the drill. On Bandcamp Friday, all the proceeds go directly to the artists! April 5 is the next Bandcamp Friday. Here are some picks! (My write-ups are fewer this week because I’ve been sick.)
- Discothèque – “It’s Not a Sin” maxi-single Dark synth pop from Andy Kubiszewski (Stabbing Westward, The The, etc.) and Andrea Becker.
- Ride – Interplay
- Trailer Swift – Variant Find Trailer Swift competing tonight in this year’s Boston’s Rock & Roll Rumble. Prepare yourself by purchasing their 2023 release. Note: I’ve known the singer since kindergarten, so I’m biased.
- Water Is the Sun – Water Is the Sun EP
- Ministry – HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
- Mannequin Pussy – Mannequin Pussy The eponymous debut from the Philadelphia band.
- The Fashion Weak featuring Miki Berenyi – “Fly Fishing” A must for any Lush fan.
- Launder – “Half-Life”
- Hard Skin – Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear Another must for Lush fans, this compilation also includes a track with Miki Berenyi. Plus: Manda Rin from Bis!
- Blushing – Possessions The third Lush must. Miki Berenyi also appears on this album! (Yes, I searched for her on Bandcamp and this is the result.)
- Elisapie – Ballad of the Runaway Girl
- The Jesus and Mary Chain – Glasgow Eyes “Our creative approach is remarkably the same as it was in 1984, just hit the studio and see what happens. We went in with a bunch of songs and let it take its course.” – Jim Reid via Bandcamp.
March Bandcamp Friday Picks
It’s another Bandcamp Friday on March 1! That means Bandcamp waives their revenue share and more money goes to musicians. Here are some picks.
Hinds – “Coffee” The Spanish garage rock band Hinds is back with a fantastic new single.
The Smile – Wall of Eyes The haunting and cinematic new album from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood along with drummer Tom Skinner.
Rykarda Parasol – Tuesday Morning Parasol’s fifth album is a delight. Imagine Siouxsie Sioux fronting a lounge act.
Ian Sweet – Sucker Ian Sweet is L.A.-based Jilian Medford who has created an album of glorious sad girl synth pop.
Elisapie – Inuktitut Canadian Inuk musician Elisapie’s Inuktitut is a unique and gorgeous album of covers. She’s translated songs by Pink Floyd, Blondie, Metallica, and others into the Inuktitut language. I can’t get enough of this one.
Ekko Astral – Quartz This EP by D.C. punkers Ekko Astral is a fun romp.
Favorite Albums of 2023
Here they are! The albums that got me through 2023. As someone with an incurable degenerative illness, music is a lifeline for me. In another lifetime, I worked in the music industry. Once a year, I still work at the merch table for Letters to Cleo at their Boston “Homecoming” shows. The rest of the time, you can find me listening to these records with a cat on my lap.
If you find yourself liking anything you find on this list, please consider supporting the artists by purchasing merch, music, catching a show, etc. My playlist of favorite tracks of 2023 can be found on Spotify.
Top Albums
30. Drop Nineteens – Hard Light Boston’s very own shoegazers reformed for their first album in over 30 years. It’s textured, evocative of the ‘90s, yet mature. On “Tarantula,” they dip into power pop with sparkling results.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
29. Sufjan Stevens – Javelin I never thought I’d be into lo-fi, indie folk music, but Sufjan Stevens’s connection to The National was too strong for me. Javelin is like a sumptuous lullaby.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
28. Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance If you’re a fan of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” meet the person who inspired its sound: Gracie Abrams. And if you’re a fan of Sidney Bristow, thank Gracie’s dad. Produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, Good Riddance is wistful and delicate.
27. Parannoul (파란노을) – After the Magic Luscious dream pop from South Korea, After the Magic sounds a lot like British shoegaze, but with dynamic (emo?) keyboards and strings.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
26. Alison Goldfrapp – The Love Invention Alison Goldfrapp, who is one half of the duo Goldfrapp, goes solo on this sublime synth-pop dance record.
25. Spoon Benders – How Things Repeat Portland, Oregon’s Spoon Benders are an old-fashioned, garage, psych-rockin’ good time. Best listened to loud.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
24. Travels With Brindle – Notes from Undergrad I was hooked from the haunting first track “Something’s Wrong.” Notes from Undergrad is filled with twee-pop, ukulele-based bops. Recommended for fans of Magnetic Fields.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
23. boygenius – the record What a treat it is to have a full-length album from singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. The vocals of the three combine to produce soaring harmonies. If you get Simon and Garfunkel vibes from “Cool About It,” you’ll find that Paul Simon is credited as one of the songwriters as a tip of the hat for borrowing a bit from “The Boxer.”
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
22. Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We Mitski’s seventh album is filled with frank and heart-wrenching songs. The Land Is Inhospitable was my companion for many bouts of insomnia.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
21. SQÜRL – Silver Haze The art/drone rock project from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, Carter Logan, and Shane Stoneback unsurprisingly evokes a cinematic world, most notably on “The End of the World.”
20. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS The dream of the nineties is alive in Olivia Rodrigo. Some artists struggle with their sophomore effort, but not Rodrigo. GUTS is a juggernaut of pop confection. It makes no sense that I connect with her lovelorn lyrics, but I do.
19. Kristin Hersh – Clear Pond Road Raw and intimate, Kristin Hersh unfurls another potent album with Clear Pond Road.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
18. Lovina Falls – Calculating the Angle of Our Descent Valerie Forgione of Mistle Thrush returns to the Boston music scene with her new project Lovina Falls. Calculating the Angle of Our Descent is a shimmering, eclectic, alternative-pop debut.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
17. Sparks – The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte The Mael brothers’ unconventional pop has been delighting devoted fans since the early seventies and Latte is no exception. Check out their minimalist video for “The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte” starring Cate Blanchett.
16. Screaming Females – Desire Pathway It’s a bummer that this kick-ass New Jersey band called it quits in late 2023. Desire Pathway is a triumphant, rocking farewell.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
15. Madder Rose – No One Gets Hurt Ever The nineties indie rock band is back! It is so good to hear Mary Lorson’s voice on new material. The album, tinged with alt-country, is simply flawless.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
14. Slowdive – everything is alive The shoegaze outfit does not disappoint with their lush, ethereal album.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
13. The Hives – The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons What a banger from one of Sweden’s top exports! I’m sad that I missed their Boston show that was replete with glow-in-the-dark suits.
12. Ladytron – Time’s Arrow Ladytron’s seventh album is a solid, gorgeous addition to the synth-pop band’s catalog. The Liverpudlians also released the charming, surprise Christmas song “All Over by Xmas.”
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
11. Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman … Another top-notch rock release from Josh Homme and co. This record was one of my most played of the year. Homme has been through a lot since the last QOTSA album (divorce, death of his close friend Mark Lanegan) and you can feel the catharsis.
10. Billy Nomates – Cacti Billy Nomates AKA Tor Maries got a lot of flack for her no-frills Glastonbury performance. She performed live vocals to backing tracks and had no band. I’ve seen several solo performers take the same lo-budget approach (Poe, Peaches, various electronic musicians like Aphex Twin and Sonoio) but they weren’t under Glasto’s magnifying glass. I’ve even seen full bands “play” to backing tracks and no one’s cared/noticed. It’s a misogynistic shame because Marie’s suffered great abuse and her second album, Cacti is excellent. “Spite” was my summer anthem while “Roundabout Sadness” captured my sullen mood whenever I had a medical flare.
Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify
9. Emma Anderson – Pearlies Emma Anderson of Lush and Sing-Sing goes solo with brilliant results. Of the post-Lush projects (including Miki Berenyi’s Piroshka), Pearlies is most likely to scratch that shoegaze/ethereal/dream pop Lush itch. It also has hints of early Goldfrapp.
8. Blur – The Ballad of Darren Blur’s latest release is filled with somber ballads and pop rock earworms. I find myself humming various songs from The Ballad of Darren all the time. It’s Britpop all grown up and it sounds brilliant. Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon are two great tastes that taste great together.
7. The National – Laugh Track Fans of The National were shocked to learn during a September concert that the band would be releasing a second album in 2023. And that they’d be releasing it digitally THAT WEEKEND! (Yes, I was a shocked fan even though I wasn’t at said concert. I caught it via Instagram Live.) Laugh Track is a fitting companion to First Two Pages of Frankenstein and includes guest vocalists Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Phoebe Bridgers, and Rosanne Cash. Standout tracks include “Space Invader” and opening track “Alphabet City.”
6. Depeche Mode – Memento Mori Depeche Mode’s first album since the death of Andy Fletcher is a rich, textured contemplation on mortality. Surviving members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore have created another sonically gorgeous gem.
5. ††† (Crosses) – Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete Chino Moreno of Deftones and Shaun Lopez of Far get their darkwave on in their goth love letter that even includes a track with *the* Robert Smith. Recommended if you like Songs of Faith and Devotion-era Depeche Mode.
4. Daughter – Stereo Mind Game Six years was a long time between Daughter albums. Thankfully, there was vocalist Elena Tonra’s soul-crushing solo debut Ex:Re to bridge the gap. Like The National, Daughter seems to have a deep connection to my brain. Stereo Mind Game is atmospheric and glistening.
Side note: my four-year-old cat, Ada, loves them. She also likes Nick Cave and Harry Styles. Ada will get right up against the speakers when those artists are on.
3. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Australian Carnage: Live at the Sydney Opera House My first post-Covid show was Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston. It was a transcendent, tear-filled experience for me. At that show, and on this album, Cave and Ellis perform(ed) gentle, soulful versions of songs from the Bad Seeds’ catalog along with many of the songs from the duo’s album Carnage.
Side note: This year, I got to meet Nick Cave at a book signing for Faith, Hope and Carnage at the Harvard Bookstore and he was so very kind and empathetic.
2. Ash – Race the Night This album from the Northern Irish lads is such a perfect, power-pop album! Now they just need to come back to the States so that I can hear the new tracks live. Meanwhile, you can find me watching the hilarious video for the epic “Crashed Out Wasted” on YouTube.
1. The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein I’m a little obsessed with The National. If you follow my Instagram, you know this. Their first (!) album of 2023 made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my depression. First Two Pages feels like a return to the eras of High Violet (2010) and Trouble Will Find Me (2013). The “Sad Dads” frontman/lyricist Matt Berninger came through a traumatic bout of writer’s block to pen this album, which features guest appearances from Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift.
Concert Highlights of 2022
Is it too late to still be looking back on 2022 on January 12? I rung in the new year with my second case of Shingles, so I’m going to just go ahead with this listing of my favorite concerts of 2022!
5. Metric and Secret Machines at the House of Blues in Boston on October 25. I know my ears and soul were deprived most egregiously during Covid, but I’ve seen Metric several times since 2005 and I think they’ve never sounded better. Opener Secret Machines were a shoegaze/space rock treat! I hadn’t seen them in ages.
4. Pet Shop Boys, New Order, and Paul Oakenfold at the Leader Bank Pavilion on September 19. This show was originally scheduled for 2020, then 2021, then (third time’s the charm!) 2022. This was an outrageously good performance by the always amazing Pet Shop Boys. We did get a little wet while we sheltered in place under the tent during a strong thunderstorm after the legendary New Order. And when I say “we,” I mean my husband and … my brother! My brother rarely goes to shows anymore, but he’s the best big brother ever because he took me to see New Order in 1993. That was when Peter Hook was still on bass, and quite honestly, best part of New Order live. Don’t get me wrong: I looooove New Order, but they’ve never been the best live band and they end up paling in comparison to the theatrical PSB.
3. The National at Roadrunner on September 22. I have a huge crush on The National. Singer Matt Berninger’s melancholy and wit suits me perfectly. My first time seeing The National was at Mass MoCA with my bookseller dream girl Lisa (AKA Tigger Girl). I’m guessing that show will always hold a special place in my heart. But this was my first show at the new Roadrunner and I was impressed. The venue is pretty decent from a disabled person’s point of view. I did have issues getting into the bathroom after the show because the line went down the stairs and I needed to use the ramp. Miracle of Boston/The National fans/gender neutral bathrooms: people at the top of the stairs let me in line! Of course I still had to wait for someone without visible impairments use the handicapped stall while I braced myself with my rollator (Hey! Maybe they have invisible disabilities. I do!). The ADA section is down front, stage right. I couldn’t see the excellent brass section from our angle, but the view of the rest of the band was incomparable. Heads up: email Roadrunner to request ADA seating in advance.
2. Itzy at MGM Music Hall in Boston on November 10. This was so close to being my number one show of 2022! See that “YouTube Story” above that I made? It has over 120K views and 19.2K likes on Instagram. Itzy is so fun and popular! Right, Midzi? (That’s what Itzy fans are called). I loved this night of K-Pop confection because it was my nephew’s first concert! I’m such a cool aunt. We even went to El Jefe’s for tacos after.
1. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at the Wang Theatre at the Boch Center on March 22. This was my return show. I hadn’t been to a concert since Local H and Soul Asylum in February of 2020. Nick Cave is one of my top five favorite artists and possibly my most beloved lyricist (I do still have a soft spot for that Morrissey fella, plus Jarvis Cocker, Stephin Merritt, Emma Anderson/Miki Berenyi of Lush, Robert Smith, … wait this is getting too long!) Anyhow, I wept and tried to not steam up my glasses with my N95 mask while Cave and Ellis broke my heart wide open. Here’s the thing: being disabled can suck, but music is transcendant.
I only went to eleven shows total last year. I missed Blood Red Shoes, The Darkness, and Suede/Manic Street Preachers because I was too sick to leave the house. I won’t be going to another show until after flu season because I’m immunocompromised. At every show I attended, I wore an N95 mask. I use various mobility aides because of the degenerative illness that I have (Ehlers Danlos syndrome. I’ve been vaccinated five times against Covid. I got my flu shot as I do every year. I’m due for my pneumonia vaccine in the fall. Because my immune system is so crappy, I have to really measure how important a concert is. When I recently got bronchial RSV with asthma flare, I was out of work for four weeks. I love to live vicariously through others’ concert photos (I’m looking at you jtourtellot, djangiec, eep_97, and Matt Lambert! Keep up the good work!)
Pop Culture Omnivore 