...according to Esquire Magazine, are suprisingly not the usual brand of horrible. Most are actually musical. Two are over 50 years old! Yet still, all but four failed to keep me interested and focused for more than an intro, verse and chorus, and two of those four are over 50 years old.
Bruce Springsteen's live version of "Chimes Of Freedom" from his European tour is on the list, as is "Crying In The Night" from Buckingham/Nicks, the 1973 cult classic that is finally getting an official reissue this summer.
Wet Leg and Nine Inch nails appear. But then it's a whole lotta "been there, done thats."
I enjoy the music of both Alison Russell and Annie Lennox. But the collab "Superlover" made me shout out loud to my coffee cup, "GET ON WITH IT!" And seven time Grammy winner Giveon, a name I first heard six minutes ago, failed to nail it on his Al Green inspired "Rather Be." It sounds like he tried too hard. I'm not buying it.
The best thing I could say about this list is that it feels as if it's geared toward adults...for a change. Nothing here gave me the twitch, the way reading Brooklyn Vegan and Stereogum give me the twitch.
Some of today's headlines on Brooklyn Vegan:
"Avalon Emerson will be playing Nowadays on August 17th."
"Kaytranada dropped a new single."
"Sorry announce a new tour."
"Hall & Oates have settled their legal dispute."
WHAT? REALLY?
Daryl's recent solo flop with Dave Stewart must have moved that along.
But I digress.
Here are the 22 Best Songs on Esquire's list. Please tell me what I am missing.
King Princess- Cry, Cry, Cry
Tyler Childers- Eatin' Big Time
Buckingham Nicks- Crying In The Night
Nine Inch Nails- As Alive As You Need Me To Be
Blake Mills/Pino Palladino- Taka
The Beths- Metal
Giveon- Rather Be
Olivia Dean- Nice To Each Other
Wet Leg- CPR
Bruce Springsteen- Chimes Of Freedom
The Waterboys w/Fiona Apple- Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend
Haim- Relationships
Allison Russell w/Annie Lennox- Superlover
Eric Church- Hands Of Time
I'm With Her- Ancient Light
Matt Berninger- Bonnet Of Pins (what an awful title)
My Morning Jacket- Time Waited
Sault- I Look For You
Jason Isbell- Bury Me
Horsegirl- Switch Over (the worst song on this list)
Bartees Strange- Night Visions II
Sam Fender- Arm's Length
And here are 16 of my favorite songs of the year...so far.
OK Go- A Stone Only Rolls Downhill
Galactic & Irma Thomas- Puppet On Your String
The Tubs- Embarrassing
Paul Weller- Daltry Street
Suzanne Vega-Witch
Lucy Dacus- Ankles
Gyasi- Baby Blue
Bob Mould- When Your Heart Is Broken
Sparks- In Daylight
Wet Leg- Mangetout
Ricky Byrd- Transistor Radio Childhood
The Peppermint Kicks- Out Of The Trash Can & Into Your Heart
Van Morrison- Memories & Visions
Wyldlife- M.I.A.
Brian D'Addario- Only To Ease My Mind
And just released yesterday, this gorgeous piece of pop music from Elvis Eno.
5 comments:
I like the Haim album, and that Waterboys/Fiona Apple is intense and good. But that's a pretty weak list overall, at least the ones I've heard. Why do you torture yourself?
"Why do you torture yourself?"
Because I despise the phrase "Get off my lawn." It's a weak go-to defense of crap music, and so I try. I'll be okay. I've got the Rapsberries on!
Because I despise the phrase "Get off my lawn." Amen.
That Elvis Eno song is fantastic.
Elvis Eno is the best name for a pop star since Elvis Costello.
Post a Comment