In spite of ourselves we’ll end up sittin’ on a rainbow
Some new tracks, some old, and some rediscovered deeeeeep cuts this month – with a big crunchy opener from some kiwi legends who gave awesome live shows back in the day – and a chaotic closer.
I had to include a John Prine classic, rest in peace.
A recent conversation started me thinking about my favourite albums, or at the very least, the albums that shaped me and my personality (or possibly spoke to the personality I already had). It’s impossible to rank such a list, but some items that make the shortlist are obvious.
The first album I ever bought with my own money was Hello Nasty by Beastie Boys. At that time I was familiar with their previous work, but not intimately. My knowledge was largely drawn from their clever and often amusing music videos.
So in a similar vein, Hello Nasty was introduced by way of the video for Intergalactic. It was hilarious, fresh, and experimental. And I can’t pass a robot voice nor a thumping beat. That song was, and still is, a JAM. I wanted to see more, hear more and learn more.
In 1998 I was 15. I had a job at the local pharmacy delivering medication to little old ladies on my bike. I made $6 for my 90 minute shift after school, two days a week. On a good shift, I’d get to deliver to Gladys Day – who, despite living only a block away from the pharmacy would give a whopping $2 tip. There’s a reason I remember her name 22 years later.
So in a good week, I’d make $15. An album was over twice that, and in those days all you had to go off was what you’d heard on the radio or seen on TV. I took the plunge and bought it, and got far more value than I had paid. I listened to that album on loop. I was a regular on the (very active for 1998) Beastie Boys message board and made friends from all over the world.
Last year I read Beastie Boys Book, which I thoroughly recommend to general music fans. One thing that delighted me was a chapter by Adam Horovitz titled “Hello Nasty Is Our Best Record”. Horovitz goes on to outline his reasoning, and what grabbed me was that I agreed with all of it. Hello Nasty is weird, genre hopping, lyrically both deep and goofy, and yet all works. And the cover artwork encapsulates all of this. Horovitz says it best:
Most of those who only casually know Beastie Boys seem to draw their conclusions from Fight for your Right (To Party). In my case, I wasn’t even aware of their first album until years later and was surprised how different that was from the band I’d come to know from listening to (in this order) Hello Nasty, Check Your Head, Paul’s Boutique, Ill Communication, and To The Five Boroughs. To this day I still surprise friends when I play tracks such as I Don’t Know or Song For Junior and tell them it’s Beastie Boys.
I was fortunate enough to see these guys play three times, the highlight being their 2005 “dress to impress” tour at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney – right up front in the January heat. When Adam Yauch died of cancer in 2012, it was the first time that a celebrity death had ever affected me. These guys were always true to themselves, did things the way they wanted, and pushed boundaries. They were never afraid to speak up for injustice, be it Tibetan freedom, endless war, or sexism (“Like you got the right / to look her up and down“). And all the while they were happy to goof around and have a laugh (“Dogs love me cause I’m crazy sniffable“) or drop cultural references in French or Spanish. When I visited New York City for the first time in 2011 I felt I already knew my way around based off Beastie lyrics.
They were never in it for money or fame – they just did what they loved and said what they felt. Ad Rock, Mike D and MCA had an overwhelmingly positive impact on that 15-year-old-me and the life that followed.
Play or fold, love is bold What is the future that will unfold? Some like it hot, others like it cold But we all want to hold the remote control
I’ve thrown in a few more oldies this month. Being stuck at home has led me to dig through some old favourites seeking comfort during my slow descent into solitary madness.
The Strokes dropped The New Abnormal which really only made it clear to me that JC should just focus on The Voidz instead, and so I ended up listening to Tyranny and Virtue again instead.
And given it was the 15th anniversary of Guero last month I had to revisit it, and since I couldn’t decide on a favourite I threw one of the 8-bit remixes that came out at the time. Yes, the original is better, but chiptunes warm my soul and I get to feel like I’m collecting coins or rings as I listen.
Lyrically, Girl is a great example of what I love about Beck’s stream-of-consciousness style. The official lyrics for the hook are “My … girl” where the ellipsis is mumbled and interpretation is left up to the listener. Is it sun-eyed or cyanide? The rest of the lyrics can be read differently depending on perspective, but overall it’s a very dark song cast to an upbeat tune.
“I know I’m gonna steal her eye” isn’t quite as charming when taken literally.
I think you’re beautiful, well, isn’t it strange? Stay here with me, and never change We could be suitable, like one in the same A light in the world, ever dark and mundane
One thing I’ve come to realise lately is that I’m not a fan of the increasing trend of drip-feeding 6 singles leading up to an album’s release. By the time the album drops, you’ve already played through half of it and it changes your relationship to the album as a whole. You can’t evaluate every song evenly since you already have favourite children. Just a thought. I’m looking at you Tame Impala.
Aside from that, what a great month of music. Here’s twelve songs keeping my ears warm this month. As usual, a couple of old classics thrown in for good measure.
Now I worry our horizon’s been nothing new ‘Cause I get this feeling and maybe you get it too We’re on a rollercoaster stuck on its loop-de-loop ‘Cause what we did, one day, on a whim Has slowly become all we do
A few tracks I’ve had on rotation in the last couple of months. Some old favourites and some freshies.
Will I be known and loved? Little closer, close enough I’m a loser, loosen up Set it free, must be tough
Well, I’m a month later than most with their best of 2019 list, but given the Hottest 100 was coming this weekend, it crossed my mind that I should revisit this.
Songs
Borderline – Tame Impala By far my most played song. I still can’t get enough and am super hyped for The Slow Rush and the 2020 tour.
UFOF – Big Thief Both of their 2019 albums got a good workout, but this track most of all.
Andromeda – Weyes Blood
RICKY – Denzel Curry
Nobody – Mac DeMarco
Georgia – Kevin Abstract
Heavy Hearted – The Jungle Giants
Skinshape – I Didn’t Know
Real Thing – Middle Kids
Doin’ Time – Lana Del Rey
Albums
Igor – Tyler, The Creator The best albums have a consistent sound, theme, and exist best as a whole, in the specific order prescribed by the album. Plenty of tracks from this album can be listened to individually, but I rarely felt like listening to one song – I wanted to listen to the album. The album follows the journey of a relationship from the initial excitement, onto the desperation to make it work, right through to it’s tragic end and the bitterness that comes along for the ride. I wouldn’t have imagined this in Tyler’s future when I saw OFWGKTA ten years ago at the Sydney Opera House playhouse – but it makes a lot of sense in hindsight. He’s always been a terrific storyteller.
Other notable albums:
Omoiyari – Kishi Bashi (Also an incredible live show)