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.

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

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.

Have we talked about this yet?

I can't remember. 

Edith Clapping for M. Ward

Number One:  Edith can clap now.

Number Two:  She is already supporting the arts.

A New Hope

Little follow up to my post on Sunday.  I think I have finally found a song to be happy about in 2012. 

This is Moonface.  Moonface was a side project of Spencer Krug from Wolf Parade.  Now Wolf Parade is dead, and this is all Spencer Krug does.  He recorded this album with a band Finnish band called Siinai.  This is the last song on the album.  I think it's pretty great. 

Fourth of July

Lest we forget...

Couch Commercials on 30 Rock

As someone who thought Clint Eastwood's Super Bowl Commercial was idiotic, I really enjoyed these three commercials for Couch Town Couches. Especially the Bazooka Joe one at the end.

I felt like last night I was laughing much more than Chelsey while watching our normal slate of NBC TV. I don't know what that means but I don't like it.

Also There's This.

This is a very nice Tom Waits cover. 




I thought this lady was dead.  But I think I was thinking of Broadcast.

This is Awesome

Everyone who knows me knows that I don't care about Tupac Shakur.  That said, this is a hologram of him performing at Coachella.  And it is awesome.  Especially when he and Snoop are side by side.

Edith Eating

While Kent and Leslie were at parades, Chelsey and Chuck and I were introducing Edith to the world of solid food.

Big News!

Hey All -

Really exciting news.  These two people are with child! 

Yes, they dress like this all the time.

That's right.  Kent and Leslie are expecting. I gave them the opportunity to spread the word themselves on here, but they are in the midst of Mardi Gras and visitors.  Kent's even riding in a parade tonight.  . 

When we told them we were pregnant with Edith, Kent had my favorite reaction.  It was basically a half-hearted "Great."  He was as freaked out as we were.  Now he can be freaked out for himself.  And I get to look back from kidworld, and know it's going to be ok.  It's going to be great.  

I'm very happy to have them join the cause of non-idiots having kids.  We are out-numbered.  We need your brains and taste to make it to another generation.  Well done.   I love you guys.  

New Design!

My glasses seem to get bigger and bigger.

Look everybody!  It's a new design for my blog! I'm very excited about it.

The new stuff is all pretty self explanatory.  I finally added an RSS follow thingy, and I was able to put a cute border around all my pictures like Chelsey. It turns out there's a lot of options in blogger.  I had no idea.  I made the new header in indesign/photoshop.  It took forever to get the size right.  Mostly because I am an idiot.

Also, today I am home sick from work.  It could be that the new blog design has left me ill.

December 14

This date is special.  The following things happened on December 14.

1) Chelsey and I met (2004)
2) I proposed to Chelsey (2005)
3) We got Deuce (2008)
4) Chelsey got her scooter (2009)
5) Edith was conceived (2010)

Which means something really badass will most likely happen today.  Maybe we will get rid of Deuce.

GLEE AWESOMENESS

So Chelsey and I still watch this television show.  Last night Finn sang Girls Just Want to Have Fun.  And it was awesome.