I Dreamed of a Blog

Today I received a notification that my blog had laid vacant for a very long time.  Thank you Google.   Knew that already.  So, on Chelsey's suggestion, I started to read some of these old blogs.  They were pretty great.

Except for that part when we had a photo challenge, and Kent showed up at the last minute an trolled his stupid face off. Anyways, I doubt I'll have the energy to do this again, but who knows?  I do feel like there is more to write about.  But I am so very lazy.  So we will see.

In the meantime, I'd like to let everyone know that I dumped an entire 20 ounce glass of water all over the front seat of my car when I got in it this morning.  But on the plus side, I didn't get anything on my pants. Also, I am wearing Air Jordans that I bought off PoshMark for 20 bucks today.  So I'm feeling a little weird about that.  But also awesome. 

And it's Edith's birthday.  And she's a wonderful damn kid.  So full of ridiculous energy and ego and creative energy.  I feel like we set out to create a kid who wouldn't take shit from this stupid world, and the experiment is working. She give zero fucks.  Which also can make her a monster at times too.  But she comes by that natural. 

On the flipside, I walked Bette to work today and we had the best conversation about her favorite things.  She enthusiastically answered all my questions.  I found out that her favorite animal is a zebra, and that her best friend is Edith.  I wasn't sure if she understood that, but she does, and that's pretty great.

Lastly, I have been listening to Neko Case a whole bunch.  The whole catalog.  Two things have surfaced.  I think if I ever met her I would feel completely intimidated.  This may be because I actually have met her once, and she didn't really give me the time of day.  The other thing is that her lyrics are just stupid good.  With very few exceptions.

There.  I blogged.  Eat it, Blogger. 

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Brent:

1. Only listen to albums.  No shuffles
2. No repeat restaurants per quarter (exception of Breakfast Club)
3. Finish the Harry Potter Series
4. No Tech Wednesday

Chelsey

1. Run 200 miles
2. Feel free, strong, alive, powerful, joyous and raw
3. Beat up Chuck
4. Love myself more
5. Acquire the following essential oils:
1. Lavender
2. Rosemary
3. Peppermint
6. Write a book for Edith/Bette
7. Unsubscribe from annoying emails
8. Cancel gym membership

Chuck

1. Establish a habit of creative writing on Saturday mornings
2. Get a new position/job
3. Make out with someone
4. Redo the bedroom

Alea

1. Become physically strong
2. Get into Creighton
3. Go on a date

BRENT'S FAVORITE SONGS OF 2014

All in all, I believe that last year was a weak one for music. It had its moments, but there was a lot of crap that I tried to listen to in 2014.  That said, I've finally made it through every song, and I think I've picked some real winners.  I don't have strong feelings about the rank of these, so we'll just present a group of recommended songs by Brent.

GOOD SONGS:

Hi Five - Angel Olson - I sing the beginning of this song a lot while I'm doing stuff.  I like the combination of Elvis and Roy Orbison delivery. But the whole thing is good.

Parade - The Antlers - Album is hard to get through.  But this song is wonderful.  Perfect drop of the F-bomb right off the bat.

Metallic Cloud - Damien Jurado made a really really long album.  Probably a double album if it was an album.  It has two versions of this song.  Very dramatic. 

So Blonde - EMA - For those of you who like to scream "So blonde" really loud.   

The Body Electric  - Hurray for the Riff Raff - This was my first favorite song of the year, and probably my ultimate favorite.

Just One of the Guys - Jenny Lewis - What a great song about being a woman.  I'm not a woman, but I'm married to one, and I feel like this song captures what it's like to grow older as a female.

West Coast - Lana Del Rey - I just really like the line in it about how if you're not drinking, you're not playing.  Nice twist on the cheating/trying line.

Easter Morning - Papercuts - It's always satisfying when you find an album that no one likes as much as you.  I didn't read anything about Papercuts in the various Best of Music lists, but I thought this song was terrific.  I also thought the album was good.  I should have added that to my post about albums. Shoot.

Queen - Perfume Genius - Perfume Genius got a lot more sexy from it's last album to this one.

Every Time the Sun Comes Up - Sharon Van Etten - This album is just really depressing.  Like the kind of depressing that only hits me when I have a lot of heartache.  I don't really have a lot of heartache, but I will keep this song in mind should things with Chelsey and I go south.

Suffering You, Suffering Me - Slow Club - The Slow Club is one of the few bands that can regularly reinvent themselves without my getting annoyed.  They started out all chamber poppy, and then they changed their sound for the last album to something more raw and stompy.  This album is more polished sounding but with lots of energy.  Slow Club fits in the category of bands I feel like I probably like better than most everyone else.

Inside Out - Spoon - Spoon made another Spoon album.  Meaning that it's easy to bop your head with it, and there are a few good songs, but you won't be taking it to any deserted islands.  This song is really great though.

The Promise - Sturgill Simpson - Yes, it's that The Promise.  As a lover of the original, I give my full seal of approval on this version.  Understated.  Not trying to compete with the original. I'm glad is was able to include a cover on here.

I Love my DAD  - Sun Kil Moon - I didn't get this album until the end.  I never paid Sun Kil Moon much mind, but this album kept coming up on the Best of 2014 lists.  I took to this immediately because I like songs about people loving their dads.  Or apparently I do.  I don't know.

Run From Me - Timber Timbre - Creepy creepy creepy.  Timber Timbre does creepy really well.  Also like the tip of the hat to Tom Dooley in this song.



Okay.  That's all.  So long 2014.  You could have been better.

BRENT'S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2014

Hey!  I still have a blog! 

Before we delve into this, I should mention that one of my resolutions for 2015 is to not listen to music on shuffle anymore.  I've abused the shuffle to such a large extent that I'm not sure that I can say I've listened to any album front-to-back.  So this probably isn't the fairest assessment.  But I do these every year, so I'm doing it again this year.

1. Hurray for the Riff Raff - Small Town Heroes - Okay, I've listened to this one beginning to end on multiple occasions. I just think it's great.  Folk music with some New Orleans influences and other genres mixed in there too.  Nothing new here.  Just great songs all the way through.  Perfect music for sitting outside and drinking.  Or pretty much everything else.
2. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence - I like what Lana Del Rey is selling.  I know that many people don't.  For those of us who like her, this was more of the same.  For those who don't like her, I'm sure this didn't change any minds. 
3. Conner Oberst - Upside Down Mountain - at this point I'm just listing albums I actually listened to more than once.  I liked this.  It was his best album since like 2005.  It made me happy to no longer sing about spiritual stuff.
4. First Aid Kit - thus endeth the list of albums that I spent any amount of time with last year.  This was good.  Not great, but a few high points.

I can't pretend to recommend anything else.  I liked a lot of songs off a few other albums, but I can't sit here an recommend anything else with any authority.  Looking at this list, I'm not sure there's much point to it.  But then I guess some people are aware of the Hurray for the Riff Raff album.  So there you go. 

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS 2014

CHUCK:

1. Spit out gum when it's lost its flavor
2. Volunteer at Film Streams
3. Figure out amount to save each month (and save it)

CHELSEY:

1. Lose baby weight
2. Be less angry
3. Figure out my life
4. Beat the shit out of Chuck (early goal)
5. Survive

BRENT:

1. Schedule as much of my life as possible
2. Strive for excellence/reject complacency (check in with this monthly)
3. Finish the kitchen (paint cabinets and ceiling)
4. Go on two dates per month

BEST SONGS OF 2013 - NOW WITH LESS EFFORT!

Again - taking a very lazy approach to this process this year.  If I didn't hear it, or it didn't catch my attention, it's not on this list.  Usually I systematically try to give one listen to everything I have from 2013.  I have no interest in doing so this year.

So...here's the list of Brent's favorite songs from last year - without repeating any by the same artist:

 Enjoy!

1) Song For Zula - Phosphoescent

2) Step - Vampire Weekend

3) The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES

4) Say Something - A Great Big World (Featuring Christina Aguilar) - I saw this on VH1 at the end of they year, and I was obsessed with it.  I mostly like the straightforward performance by Christina Aguilar here, but I also just really like the song.

5) San Francisco - Foxygen - Number one for most of the year!

6) Bitter Rivals - Sleigh Bells

7) Cover Me Up - Jason Isbell

8) Demons - The National

9) New Year's Resolution - Camera Obscura

10 Joan Of Arc - Arcade Fire

11 Black Skinhead - Kanye West
12) Alien Days - MGMT
13) Miracle Mile - Cold War Kids
14) Keep Your Head Up - Cults
15) Outside Blues - Wooden Wand
16) Royals - Lorde
17) Night Still Comes - Neko Case
18) Gig Life - The World Is  A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die
19) On My Way - Valarie June
20) Swan Dive - Waxahatchee
21) Happiness Comes in a Box - Yellow Red Sparks
22) It Was My Season - Okkervil River
23) I Remember You - Rilo Kiley
24) I Couldn't Be Your Friend - Tegan & Sara
25) I Tell Myself Everything - The Blow
26) Ohm - Yo La Tengo
27) Pulaski at Night - Andrew Bird
28) I Don't Know How - Best Coast
29) Victory - Dear Reader
30) Peace Sword - Flaming Lips
31) Dumb Head - I Monster


And then here's my list if I get to repeat artists!

1) Song For Zula - Phosphoescent
2) Step - Vampire Weekend
3) The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES
4) Say Something - A Great Big World (Featuring Christina Aguilar)
5 San Francisco - Foxygen
6) Bitter Rivals - Sleigh Bells
7) Cover Me Up - Jason Isbell
8) Demons - The National
9) New Year's Resolution - Camera Obscura
10) Hannah Hunt - Vampire Weekend
11) Joan Of Arc - Arcade Fire
12) Black Skinhead - Kanye West
13) Alien Days - MGMT
14) Ya Hey - Vampire Weekend
15) Pink Rabbits - The National
16) Miracle Mile - Cold War Kids
17) Keep Your Head Up - Cults
18) Outside Blues - Wooden Wand
19) I Missed Your Party - Camera Obscura
20) Royals - Lorde
21) Night Still Comes - Neko Case
22) Gig Life - The World Is  A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die
23) Reflector - Arcade Fire
24) Obvious Bicycle - Vampire Weekend
25) On My Way - Valarie June
26) Swan Dive - Waxahatchee
27) Happiness Comes in a Box - Yellow Red Sparks
28) It Was My Season - Okkervil River
29) Were Before - Cults
30) To Love and Loathe - Yellow Red Sparks
31) Obvious Bicycle - Vampire Weekend
32) Low Light Assembly - The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
33) I Remember You - Rilo Kiley
34) I Couldn't Be Your Friend - Tegan & Sara
35) I Tell Myself Everything - The Blow
36) Ohm - Yo La Tengo
37) Pulaski at Night - Andrew Bird
39) Your Life Is A Lie - MGMT
40) Don't Swallow The Cap - The National
41) Diane Young - Vampire Weekend
42) Local Girl - Neko Case
43) Dixie Cups and Jars - Waxahatchee
44) I Don't Know How - Best Coast
45) Introspection - MGMT
46) Victory - Dear Reader
47) To Love and Loathe - Yellow Red Sparks
48) Peace Sword - Flaming Lips
49) Dumb Head - I Monster

And in case you are wondering what songs were added there, here tey are:

Reflector - Arcade Fire
I Missed Your Party - Camera Obscura
Were Before - Cults
Your Life Is A Lie - MGMT
Introspection - MGMT
Don't Swallow The Cap - The National
Pink Rabbits - The National
Local Girl - Neko Case
Diane Young - Vampire Weekend
Hannah Hunt - Vampire Weekend
Ya Hey - Vampire Weekend
Obvious Bicycle - Vampire Weekend
Dixie Cups and Jars - Waxahatchee
To Love and Loathe - Yellow Red Sparks
Low Light Assembly - The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

BEST ALBUMS OF 2013

Hey!  I have a blog! I'm doing the same thing I do every year.  I'm making a list of my favorite music, and realizing I'm maybe not qualified to make my list of favorite music, because I haven't listened to everything I want to listen to this year.  Except this year, I just don't feel like I'm going to be able to cram like I ordinarily do.  Or maybe I just don't feel like it.  At any rate, here's the blog:

BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City. 

I liked this album the first time I listened to it.  I like it now that it's the end of the year.  I want to listen to it right now, instead of this Moonface album that I am trying to get through (I actually really like this Moonface album).  MNotC is good for a lot of reasons, but my favorite parts are all the little moments.  Like where all the music drops out in  "Finger Back" and there's that little spoken word part about the girl at the falafel shop.  And the part in Hannah Hannah hunt - well pretty much the whole Hannah Hunt song is this way - but the part at the end where he just kind of screams out the refrain of the song again for good measure.  It's a careful nerdy album from a band that I always kind of only halfway liked because I thought they were too cool for that kind of thing.

ALBUM THAT WAS TOO LONG FOR ME TO EVALUATE PROPERLY:

Arcade Fire - Reflektor

There are too many songs here.  And I think they knew it when they made it.  This seems like it should have been a 10 song album, with "Reflektor" and "Joan of Arc" anchoring both sides.  The extra songs aren't bad; they're just indiscernible.

ALBUM THAT HELPED ME EFFECTIVELY CLOSE THE BOOK ON A PARTICULAR ARTIST:

Bill Callahan - Dream River

Of all the things I don't understand about indie rock, Bill Callahan may be the most frustrating.  I used to enjoy Smog records.  Then he switched to mopey mumble music.  I have tried and tried.  I'm saying goodbye now.

ALBUM THAT MADE ME REOPEN MY BOOK ON A PARTICULAR ARTIST

Cold War Kids - Dear Miss Lonelyhearts

This is mostly on the strength of the first track.  I put this album on, figuring I'd listen to it once or twice and put it away, but "Miracle Mile" is a really good song.  Not breaking any ground, but it's good.  The drawback here is that my favorite line in that song was "Little cold lie, where does it lead to?"  I really liked that phrasing.  However I just looked it up and it's actually "Miracle Mile, what does it lead to?"  So not only have I misinterpreted my favorite part of the song, but I somehow failed to recognize the name of the song within the song's lyrics.  Which probably makes me look a little dumb.

ALBUMS THAT SOUNDED JUST LIKE OTHER BANDS:

Virgins - Strike Gently - Sounded like Elvis Costello at one point - although listening to this again, I have no idea how I got that idea.  Hmmm.

Savages - Silence Yourself - Sounds like Geddy Lee, if Geddy Lee sang New Order songs

White Denim - Corsica Lemonade - Sounds like Black Keys

Brass Bed - The Secret Will Keep You - Sounds like summerteerth-era Wilco

I Monster - People Soup - Sounds like The Pipettes

ALBUM THAT GREW ON ME THE MOST: 

Camera Obscura - Desire Lines

I went from thinking this was a boner of an album, to putting it in my top ten - I think, I haven't made my top ten yet.  The songs came on kind of slow, but once I could take in the lyrics, I came around to what was going on here.  I like the way that her songs hit on that "I like you, but I'd rather stay home and watch reruns" motif.

SOLID EFFORT ALBUMS FOR BANDS WHO DIDN'T TRY ANYTHING NEW IN 2013:

The National - Trouble Will Find Me

I love The National.  One of my favorite things about The National is that I can put their last three albums on shuffle, and the songs all go together effortlessly.  But there's also a progression if you listen close.  Growing old, to having kids, to losing your sense of worth.  Happy stuff.  I bet this was my second favorite album of the year, but there's nothing new going on.

Cults - Static 

I like it when bands don't try new things.  You have to be careful about that.  You don't want to end up like Belle and Sebastian. The Cults just made a record just like their last one, without the hit single.  Unless you count "Keep Your Head Up", which maybe you should.  I don't know.  It's certainly no "Go Outside". Good for you Cults.  I'm okay with that.


Dr. Dog - B-Room

I haven't actually listened to this.  I'm just assuming.

Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals

I like how Sleigh Bells just keeps making the same album, but louder.  Keep doing that Sleigh Bells.  The title track of this album was stuck in my head for like two weeks after it came out.

Yo La Tengo - Fade

What a perfect Yo La Tengo album.  Their best since "I'm Not Afraid of You, and I Will Beat Your Ass." This seems to pick up right where something like "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One" left off.  Great music to have on while you are doing something else.  Like making cookies.  Or doing a crossword puzzle. Which is what they do best in my opinion.

ALBUMS I DIDN'T GET TO LISTEN TO PROPERLY:

Yuck - Glow & Behold - the fact that they lost their lead singer made me not want to listen.
Widowspeak - The Swamps - Got it too late
Volcano Choir - Repave - I thought I would like this.  I did not like it.
Summer Aviation - Elevator - Got it too late
Surfer Blood - Pythons - I just couldn't bring myself to the idea that this band had more than one album in them.
Mutual Benefit - Love's Crushing Diamond - kept forgetting that I had it.
Mount Moriah - Miracle Temple - just saw this for the first time today.  No idea what it is.
Moonface - Julia with Blue Jeans - You just have to kind of set aside some time to listen to Moonface, and I haven't set that time aside yet.
Mikal Cronin - MCII - never grabbed my attention
Lucius - Wildewoman - got it too late
Local Natives - Hummingbird - See: Surfer Blood
Jackson Scott - Melbourne - got it too late
Houndtooth - The Hills Below the City - I like Houndtooth for the name of a band.  But I think I listened to this once.
Front Bottoms - Talon of the Hawk - Listened to it once, and probably won't listen to it again.  It's cute.
Fidlar - Fidlar - I'm probably not going to listen to this.  Why do I have this?
Eleanor Friedburger - Personal Record - I like her albums, but I got this with a bunch of other stuff.

ALBUMS LOVED BY OTHERS AND NOT LOVED BY ME:

Bill Callahan - Dream River - (See Above)

Daft Punk  - Random Access Memories 

The way I could tell if songs from this album were coming up on my ipod was whenever I would hear a song and walk over to see what the hell it was - and then skip it.  Daft Punk is not for me.  I know that.

Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe

I own this, but I've yet to see or read anything about it that makes me want to put it on.  Tried listening to it once, and front-to-back is certainly not the correct entry point for me.  I need a back door or something.

Haim - Days Are Gone

Days Are Gone - Chuck said something about the Vampire Weekend being an average album that is elevated by a crappy year in music.  I think feel that way about Haim, except I think the world wants there to be an indie rock act that has more mass appeal than something like Best Coast.  So they like the fact that Haim kind of fills that role. I think Haim is lousy.  Sorry Haim.

Kanye West - Yeezus 

I actually like this album, but it's too raunchy for me.  Which may mean I'm getting too old.  Or lame.  Or all of the above.  But I think I've always been prudish about that kind of stuff.

Neko Case - The Worse Things Get....

Again, not that I don't like it, but those people saying this is her finest album are out of their minds.  Fox Confessor is the best Neko Case album, and that is final.  This album is a little on the boring side at times, and the a capella moments just don't seem as inspired as they are supposed to be.

Rhye - Woman

I just don't like this kind of music.

ALBUM THAT I AM EMBARRASSED TO LIKE:

Yellow Red Sparks - Yellow Red Sparks 

This is lame-o Of Monsters and Men style music.  But I like it.  And there's nothing I can do about it.

ALBUMS THAT I LIKED BECAUSE SOMETIMES I LIKE TO ACT LIKE I'M 21:

Joanna Gruesome - Weird Sister & The World is  Beautiful Place, and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Whenever, If Ever

These are two lo-fi albums that won me over on enthusiasm and curse words.  I liked them both about the same.  I haven't looked this up, but it seems like each of these bands have like 10 people in them.  So I like to imagine that they are a big group of friends who like to make music together.  Like a more talented version of my friends from college.

  

ALBUMS FROM BANDS THAT I USED TO LIKE:

Flaming Lips - The Terror / Peace Sword EP

Peace Sword provided some hope that the Flaming Lips will eventually emerge from their newest acid rock phase.  That's good.  I'm so sick of the acid rock stuff. I wish I would have known about the acid rock phase in advance, so that I could have those minutes and hours back.

Iron & Wine - Ghost on Ghost 

I haven't really liked this band since he decided to fill out his sound.  So there's no surprise here.  I barely listened to it.  He did do a nice "Fairytale of New York" cover this year though. It's not on this album.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito / Strokes - Comedown Machine

I am still prepared to like these bands, but not until they get some new ideas. Yeah Yeah Yeahs seem the less lost of the two, both of them seem like they are going through the motions until some inspiration surfaces. I don't think The Strokes will ever find it again.  They seem to have one gear that they can make really good music in, and they refuse to use that gear anymore.

ALBUM THAT WAS ONLY GOOD FOR HALF THE TIME IT WAS ON:

MGMT - MGMT

The first 4-5 songs of this were actually pretty great!  Then they go off the rails.  MGMT seem like they are going out of their way to not make a solid album. Like they would view that as a form of selling out, now that they are on a major label.  I can't help them with that.  All I can say is that songs like "Alien Days" show that they could easily make another  Oracle Spectacular anytime they wanted - if they wanted.

ALBUMS THAT I LIKED PRETTY GOOD:

Phosphorescent - Muchacho

For those of you who are actually reading this whole thing, you will note that Brent sometimes needs a different entry to an album than the front door.  Such was the case with this album and its slow, chanty opener. Ugh.  But once I started skipping that one, I found a really terrific album about hurt and loss and what fills in when your heard breaks.  My favorite song of the year is Song for Zula.

Jason Isbell - Southeastern

I think this is the guy from the Drive By Truckers.  I'm not sure.  But I liked most of the songs on this album. Alt-country winners!  Good, not great!

Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium

This is one of my favorite bands, and a concept album about growing up in the early 80's seemed like something I would like more than I did.  But it was still pretty good.  The production seemed to be referencing the pop of the early 80's, and I don't care how well you do that, Brent Koster is not going to love it.  And I really loved their last album, so this didn't quite measure up.

Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic

I think I just realized for the first time what the name of this album was, and I'm rethinking everything about it.  I just really liked the effortless way this album sounds.  It seems like they have a million good ideas, and they don't really care about getting them right.

CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe

Electronic pop.  Really good hooks.  Haven't really taken in the lyrics, but "The Mother We Share" is one of the few songs I think I could play for just about anyone, and they'd like it.

The Blow - The Blow 

This could maybe fit into the "Bands who didn't try anything new" category, but it's been so long since their last album, and the personnel seems to have changed so there you go .  I've always liked the way The Blow never quite made catchy poppy songs.  And they kept that going on this album.  Good work.  They always have such herky jerky beats.

Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt 

I listened to this nonstop when it first came out, then I decided it was good, and moved on.  Haven't listened to it in months, but from what I remember, she's made an album that Brent likes.  Dense, weird lyrics.  Straightforward production. Sad songs.

Best Coast - Fade Away EP

I just seem to get more out of Best Coast than I used to.  There's not much going on here.  But whatever it is, it seems like it's better than it was about three years ago.  I think seeing them live this year helped me appreciate their whole thing.

LIST:
1) Vampire Weekend
2) The National
3) Camera Obscura
4) Phosphorescent
5) Yellow Red Sparks
6) Foxygen
7) Waxahatchee
8) The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am Not Afraid to Die
9) Cults
10) MGMT 

Reflections on a Shower

I don't want to be Mr. Down with Society or anything, but I attended my first baby showers yesterday for two of my coworkers. I was surprised by how much I was kind of creeped by a lot of the gender stuff. So much pink and blue. It seems like as a society we've kind of move beyond some of those antiquated notions and then you attend something like this, and it's all about reinforcing traditional roles and values. It's like the place where the women of two generations ago can still hold sway.Well I decided I'd write a blog piece about it so I'm doing my part.

Resolutions! 2013

Here are this year's resolutions.  This is how the process went.  We all kind of stared at each other and no one had any huge epiphanies in the process.  Which may be how a resolution like "play it cool"  ended up on here instead of something more meaningful.  Also, in reviewing last year's, Chuck and Chelsey did pretty well, I did horrible. 

Chuck:

• Finish angelique story
• Run three miles in 30 minutes
• Do due diligence on looking into staying at grandmas house

Chelsey:

• Go to gym three times a week if FT, and two times a week if PT
• Have an adventure
• Don't get pregnant.

Brent:

• Save a bunch of money
• Play it cool
• Decide on a hairstyle
• Eat more vegetables

30 Best Songs of 2012

Let me start by saying that I had aspirations of ranking 25 songs, with no repeated artists.  And then doing a list of 50 with repeated artists.  But Kent was going to do this with me, and he's in the hospital getting his sinuses and blood pressure worked on.  So my compromise is a Top 30 with repeated artists. 

I know, I know.  

No one cares. 

Here's the mix:





And here's my brief rundown of the Top 10!

1) Andrew Bird - Something Biblical - This is my favorite of 2012 for two reasons.  Number one, we heard it live, and it was a highlight of the year.  Two, it's about a drought, and as a household that struggled to get through a very dry summer, it struck a chord.  Not in a "we need rain to make a living way," but in a "The Lord Giveth, and the Lord Taketh Away" way.

2) Beth Jeans Houghton - This song has been on my best-of list all year.  It has two distinct sections on in one three minute song.  I love it when songs do that.

3) Stay Useless - Cloud Nothings - 1990's revivial.  The Nirvana kind.

4) Dear Believer - Edward Sharp and the Magnetic.... - I could have picked like four songs by this band that I liked all the same.  I picked this one. Interesting side note, in the last couple of weeks, I've tried to find this album on anyone's list of best albums - including individual DJ's on indie rock stations.  I believe I am the only person the rank them at all - let along #1.

5) End of the Line - Sleigh Bells - This band is underrated because they make simple catchy music.  History will be kind to them

6) Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas) - Regina Spektor - Cutest song of the year.  If you are ok with the affectations.

7) Hood - Perfume Genius - I put this on a mix for Chelsey at the beginning of the year.  Now she loves it.  And I'm the hero.

8) The House that Heaven Built - Japandroids - Liked this song the first time I put the album on.  Finally Chuck and Brent have a song to rock out to.  Ended two sentences with a preposition there.

9) Radiator Sister - The Mynabirds - If I would make any changes from my album rankings, I would put The Mynabirds higher.  This is a good album.

10) Off To the Races - Lana Del Ray's album is full of songs just like this.  And I love almost all of them.

Best and Worst TV

BEST

1) Parks & Recreation - This is my favorite show.  Of the Thursday NBC lineup shows, it's the only one that hasn't dropped in quality this year.  (Not counting Community - which didn't make it back this year).  I think Amy Poehler is a national treasure, and while the characters are not based anywhere in reality, the writers understand how to make them relatable and funny consistently.

2)  Boardwalk Empire - This was my favorite season yet.  There were scenes this year that gave me goosebumps the way The Wire did.  Watching these very-well-developed characters square off makes for a compelling plot consistently. Chelsey misses how it used to be more sexy.  She loves sexy things.

3) Ben & Kate - I think this show is charming.  It's not carefully crafted at all.  It's just a dopey story about a set of siblings, but the jokes are consistently corny in a good way. It's got Melanie Griffith's daughter in it, and she and her costar are both charmers.

4) Children's Hospital - If this was a full 30 minute show, it would probably be my favorite of the year.  But it also might ruin it. I've never liked Rob Coddry in anything.  But he created this, and it's consistently randomly funny in a way that It's Always Sunny used to be. 

5) Workaholics - Always Sunny ripoff that usually had one or two scenes that made me laugh out loud.  At least two of my favorite TV moments from this year happened on this show.

6) New Girl - Had a stumbly start, but got progressively better this season.  I like the way Zooey Deschanel's character has been pushed to the back and the other characters are more prominent.  Jake Johnson is a funny actor.  He and Charlie Day need to be in a movie playing brothers.

7) Veep - Very cynical and funny version of Washington culture.  Julie Louise Dreyfus was just great in it.  So mean.  Everyone in the show was just so mean.

8) Walking Dead - Surprisingly good this year.  Meaning there was way less opportunity of the characters to talk about what they were doing before they were doing.  It certainly struggled at times, but most of the plot swings were solid.

9) Modern Family - Some people don't like this show anymore.  I still think it's funny.  And unlike some of the other shows on this list, they really carefully plot out the stories like Arrested Development.

10)  Pawn Stars - I love this song and I'm not apologizing about it.  So there. 



SHOWS THAT I LOVE AS A RULE BUT DON'T REMEMBER IN 2012

• Community and Mad Men

SHOWS I WISH I WATCHED BUT I DON'T

• Breaking Bad, Homeland, and Dowton Abbey.

WORST SHOWS:

1) Two Broke Girls - I don't watch this show, but often catch the first few minutes after How I Met Your Mother (which also kind of sucked this year) and I assure you all, it's horrible.

2) Weeds - I don't care that it was the last season, it sucked dick this year.  Should have ended last year.  I stopped watching it - even though I knew it was all ending this year.  That's how bad it was.

3) SNL is still dumb everyone.  The new performers are talented, but not talented enough to save this dying show. 

4) Saints football - Painfully bad most of the season.  Even when they played well it hurt.

Best and Worst Things I Acquired This Year

Best:

• Sink wrench - I got this a few weeks ago when I was replacing our kitchen faucet.  I could not believe how well it worked.  It literally turned faucet replacement into a 20 minute job.  
• Our new back patio furniture.  Patio tables are for chumps.  And I was a chump until this year. Now that we have lounge-y furniture back there, my only regret is that we didn't have this setup while I was a smoker.  
• Oscillating saw - What do you want me to cut?  Because I can cut any fucking thing with this saw. I cut the shit out of all kinds of shit after I got it.  
• ipod nano - Anyone who works out should have one of these.  So light and small and has a little clip on it.  I can't believe they redesigned it this year.  That was dumb.
• Booze caddy - I actually got this from Dave back in 2005, but it was at my parents' house until this year.  I finally set it up, and now I don't know what I would do without it.  It measures out shots.  It rotates.  It keeps the bottles off the counter.  Genius!
• G.I. Joe Classic bound copies of the original G.I. Joe Marvel comic books.  I read damn near all of them. Childhood revisited.  Hooray.
• Faucet - the aforementioned kitchen faucet was a real lifesaver. Now we have way better water pressure, and the sprayer works like a champ. Voosh!
• Baby Bjorn - I could take Edith wherever the hell I wanted, and no one could say shit.
• Rain Barrel - Technically Chelsey picked this thing up, but Chuck and I installed it.  Having a rain barrel and using it to water your garden means you can be as smug as you want about things.  The Kosterpeldings are part of the solution.
• Stratus Pro Basketball Game from 1988 - I had this as a kid and overpaid to re-acquire it off of eBay  Childhood recaptured again.  
• Gas grill - This summer, Chelsey and I paid $15.00 for a nice gas grill at a garage sale. I have always been against these, but as expected, now that I own one I love it. Grill goes on. Grill goes off. Terrific.
• Blue glass figurines from my Grandma - When she moved into her apartment, I got the shadowbox that she used to hang on the wall in her house.  But she took the blue glass items it used to hold with her to the apartment.  When she passed away this year, I got most of the blue glass back into her shadowbox.  Now it's all hanging in our living room.  That's pretty great.

Worst:

• When I got the ipod nano, I decided to wear it like a watch with this dumb wristband.  It was a horrible decision.  For like two weeks I looked like a huge douchebag.  Huger than normal.
• New Balance 840's.  Purchased a week before the half-marathon for way more than I normally pay for shoes.  They didn't work out, and I felt like a moron.
• Tilly & the Wall - Heavy Mood and Cat Power - Sun.  I can't believe we paid for these crap-ass albums. 
• Maroon button down shirt. I got this from H&M, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to to wear it and not feel like a putz. Don't know why.  I just can't do it.  I think I'm a light colored shirt wearer.  That's just the way it is.   
• A bright blue sweater vest with a Goodwill logo sewn on.  I feel like I'mrepresenting a car dealership or a printing company at a trade show whenever I put this on.

Brent Ranks 65 Albums and then 8 More.

BRENT’S LIST OF 2012 ALBUMS

1)      Edward Sharpe & the Magentic Zeros – Here – No one wanted to dislike this album more than me. And I ended up loving it. Its hippy dippy sound won me over somehow.  I think maybe to humble me in 2014. Next year I’m goiong to have to tell everyone that my favorite album from last year was Edwad Sharpe and then get made fun of or rejected.

2)      Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself/Hands of Glory – I’m putting these together and subtracting points for editing.  Two really good albums that could have potentially been a single great one.  Saw him in concert this year, and he was better than I’d ever seen him – though that may have been due to the fact that it was sit-down event.

3)      Celebration Rock – Japandroids – I like this album as much as Cloud Nothings, but Japandroids were on my radar longer, so I’ll give them the slight nod. Chuck likes them a lot. I like Chuck.

4)      Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory – I can’t wait to hear what kind of crappy album this band is going to make next, but this one is excellent. Sounds like early grunge.  Pre-Pearl Jam grunge.

5)      Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror – Sleigh Bells should teach a class to all young bands on how to take what you do well on your first album, and then do it again on your second album.  It must be hard to do, because bands like XX and How to Dress Well couldn’t manage it this year.

6)      What We Saw From the Cheap Seats – Regina Spektor – Regina Spektor is never going to make the next Pet Sounds.  But she’s a gifted musician and she writes catchy little songs that usually move me in some way.  I like her. 

7)      I Like to Keep Myself in Pain – Kelly Hogan – I have loved Kelly Hogan for a long time. She is the touring backup singer for Neko Case, and she’s always been charming in that role.  She had some stuff out in the 90’s that wasn’t all that great, but this one is good.  Charming rockabilly/country/torchsong stuff.  Highly recommended.

8)      First Aid Kit –The Lion’s Roar - Out Jens Lekmaned Jens Lekman this year. Prescious little melodies and lyrics over and over again.

9)      The Only Place – Best Coast – God, these songs are so simplistic.  But I truly enjoyed them all year long.  I don’t know why.  Like a modern day version of 50’s pop.

10)   Sharon Van Etton – Tramp – Nice collection of tragic little songs.  When I listend to it at the end of the year, I was surprised that I didn’t like it better.

11)   Moonface – Heartbreaking Bravery – Anthemy songs that pound away at you.  Repetitive, but dense and enjoyable – which is a hard thing to do.

12)   Heartless Bastards – Arrow – I think this band is led by a woman, but I’m not sure. It reminds me of pop pusic from the 80’s. I don’t know why.  Like the Joan Jett variety. Tough girls hanging out in satin jackets.

13)   Perfume Genius – Put Your Back in 2 It – Slow sad songs.  Reminds me of Sufjan Stevens’ Michigan album, combined with a little Elliot Smith, or Antony and the Johnsons.

14)   Wild Nothing Nocturne – New wave music from the 80’s done well.  I don’t even like that brand of music, but I respect it when it’s done well.  Like Junior Boys.

15)   Waste Up, Kneez Down – Christeene – Skuzzy drag queen pop by my friend Paul.  Solid production.  Clever lyrics.  I liked it.  Probably not for everyone 

16)   Jens Lekman – I Know What Love Isn’t - Jens Lekman – I love Jens Lekman. This album wasn’t his best, but it was a pretty weak year. Some good songs. Not enough humor.

17)   Lana Del Ray – Born to Die – What I like about this album is that there are so many things about it that offend my sensibitlity, yet I keep going back to it.  I though that Video Games was one of the best songs I had heard in a long time.  But the rest of this thing is kind of a mess. Yet I contitnue to listen.

18)   Mountain Goats –Trascendental Youth – Every so often Mountain Goats make a good album.  This was one of those times.  Great lyrics.  Strong melodies.

19)   Justin Townes Earle – Nothings Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me – I like this guy, dammit.  All his albums sound the same, but I’m buying it.

20)   M Ward – A Wasteland Companion – M Ward makes albums that I like. This wasn’t the best one he ever made, but it was still better than most of the crap that got carted out this year.

21)   Allo Darlin – Europe – They’ve taken over the Camera Obscura mantle of Belle & Sebastian soundalike. I gues that’s just going to keep getting passed off. The lead singer is Australian though. So that’s an issue. 

22)   Chairlift – Something – Uplifting inide dance music. Not really edgy. But spirited and sincere.

23)   Liars – WIXIW – Liars seem to be trying really hard.  They make me want to like them, despite the fact that I’m not given to what they do.  This is my favorite album of theirs.

24)   Tennis – Young & Old – This album was better than their last one – which is saying something.  Since their last one was a breakthrough album.  It’s catchier, and I connected with it more consistently emotionally. I found the last one to be someone shallow. 

25)   Dr. Dog – Be the Void – I like Dr. Dog better than anyone I know.  But this was my least favorite of theirs.  Sounds like they could have used some helpful editing.  No more songs about futuristic characters called “Warrior Man.”  Okay, Dr Dog?

26)   Passion Pit – Gossamer – I like what this band does.  They aren’t that great, but they hit all the notes they’re suppsed to hit. Which is more than I can say about a lot of other bands that have met with some succcess.  

27)   Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny - Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose – Hit and miss effort, but the highs were some of my favorite highs of 2012

28)   Royal Baths – Better Luck Next Life – It’s the same creepy sound over and over again. They get it right once, and then they waste about 40 minutes trying to do it again.  

29)   Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits – This is the guy from Handsome Furs and the Guy from Spoon. I like both of those bands. This project wasn’t their best work. If each of them do B work on their own. They got together and did C+ work. Boo.

30)   Damien Jurado – Maraqopa – I wish I had listened to this more.  He seemed like he was trying to stetch out his sound on it.  Like there are some head-bobbing moments on here.  I don’t know.  I should probably include this on the albums I didn’t have enough time to judge list.

31)   Menomena – Moms – Good stuff here.  Menomena needs to quit with the dumb word-play on their song names, but I think they’ve picked up where Folk Implosion left off. Which isn’t a bad place to start.

32)   Stars – The North – Undervalued band makes an album that hits on all the things they do well.  Sad songs and dance tracks.  Hooray.

33)   Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…. – Super dense. Nothing to sink ones teeth into, but a big hunk of creative energy.  Basically her and a piano. Kind of makes me uncomfortable to listen to it.

34)   Laura Gibson – La Grande – Laura Gibson won me over in concert a while back. It doesn’t come across in her albums, but she has a really eery steel guitar sound that mixes well with her equally creepy voice.

35)   Fanfarlo – Rooms Filled with Light – I tried to get into this album, but we never got past the early fascination phase.  I thought it was good, but it never grabbed me.

36)   Strange Land – Yellow Ostrich – Their songs are catchy and difficult at the same time.  But also kind of grating because of how they are delivered. 

37)   Theresa Anderson – Street Parade – She writes nice songs and dresses them up with quirky production.  To varying degrees of success.

38)   Grizzly Bear – Shields – This band is so overrated.  They aren’t bad.  But their on par with a whole host of so-so bands that don’t seem to be as well-loved as they are. This album was some of their best work – which is to say it was ok.

39)   Lambchop – Mr M – I like Lambchop, but you need to spend a lot of time with it, and as you can see, I don’t really have that kind of time. 

40)   Cat Power – Sun – Starts off great!  Then there are about 10 straight songs about being yourself, or following your heart.  Chan Marshall writing 15-year-old level poetry.  Very disappointing

41)   Shins – Port of Morrow – This isn’t The Shins – I don’t care what anyone says.  Which is not to say it’s not ok.  It’s just not the Shins.  And it’s kind of boring.

42)   Dr. John – Locked Down – The guy from Black Keys produced this.  But at the end of the day it’s another Dr. John album.  Not that bad.  Just played out.

43)   Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls – I don’t like this band that much.  And the fact that others really like them makes me like them less.  Plus, Chelsey doesn’t like the way the lead singer didn’t doll herself up for their video. 

44)   The Walkmen – Heaven – The frustrating thing about The Walkmen – well, there’s two things. 1) They seem like they should play the type of music I like. 2) They made “The Rat” which is one of my faorite alltime songs several years ago. Yet they continue to make boring music that I can’t listen to more than once or twice.  I think I’m giving up on them.

45)   Frank Ocean – Channel Orange – Many people are saying that this album is the best of the year.  Which means that they think an album with numerous non-musical interludes is the album of the year. Which means I don’t agree.

46)   The XX – Belong – Oh, XX.  You completely lucked into your first album, didn’t you? All the ingredients of the first one, with none of the charm. Boring.

47)   Tilly & the Wall – Heavy Mood – Tilly & the Wall used to be a knock down, drag our assault on all things lame.  Now they are old, and they don’t know what to sing about, or how to sing about it.  It’s sad.  I don’t like it.

48)   Conduits – Conduits –Local shoegazer band. Sometimes I can get into this. Most times I can’t. 

49)   Beach House – Bloom – I have every Beach House album. I don’t know why. They play these meditative melodies that don’t have any hooks in them. I like hooks.  No more Beach House for Brent.

50)   Dan Deacon – Electronic music and I don’t get on all that well.  This was ok electronic music. Some of it I liked.  But only in that passing “this isn’t that bad” sort of way.

51)   Yeasayer – Fragrant World – Yeasayer isn’t for me. Which doesn’t mean that this album is no good. It’s just that it didn’t do anything to make me like them any more than I did before.    

52)   III – Crystal Castles – This band lost all of the magic of their first album, and don’t seem at all interested in getting it back.

53)   Kids These Days – Traphouse Rock – A bunch of Chicago youngsters who thought they could change the world with their little songs.  They were wrong.

54)   The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends – Don’t waste your time on this pile of mess unless you really like The Flaming Lips.  Ugh.

55)   The Big Pink – Future This – There’s no “Dominoes” on this album. Which is to say that there wasn’t much reason to listen to it.

56)   Imperial Teen – Feel the Sound – All I remember from this album is thinking “That doesn’t sound like a band called Imperial Teen.”  

57)   Jack White – Blunderbuss – Jack White is lost. This album is a waste of time.

58)   Benjamin Gibbard – Former Lives - Benjamin Gibbard is lost. This album is a waste of time.

59)   Islands – Asleep and Forgetting – I’ll be honest. I didn’t listen to this that much. I don’t really like Unicorns and Islands. I don’t know why I downloaded it.

60)   How To Dress Well – Total Loss - Yes.  It was a total loss.  Boring version of their last boring album.

61)   Animal Collective – Centipede Hz – I can’t listen to this fucking album.  Jesus.

62)   Yann Tierson – I don’t know why I downloaded this.  I had no intention of listening to it.  I have an older album of his and it’s largely background music. 

63)   Freelance Whales – Diluvia – Unsufferable for at least five reasons.  None of which I will go into here.

64)   Kiriyama Family – Kiriyama Family – Oh man. I didn’t like this.

65)   Maps & Atlases – worst of 2012.  Made me run to my computer to advance it when this album came on.

 

ALBUMS THAT I CANNOT RATE BECAUSE I GOT THEM TOO LATE IN THE GAME

1.       The Avett Brothers – It’s not looking good.

2.       Corin Tucker Band – Corin Tucker made a lame album last time around.  This one has more promise.

3.       Horse Feathers – I can’t tell if I haven’t been able to listen to this enough, or if they have failed to make an impression.  Time will tell.

4.       Lower Dens – no idea

5.       Mac Demarco – this guy makes me uncomfortable with his loosy goosy songs.  I’m inclined not to like him because he seems overly confident.

6.       The Mynabirds – This album has the most promise of any of these so far.

7.       Purity Rings – see:  Lower Dens.

8.       Titus Andronicus – I keep forgetting this album came out.