Sold Out Funeral

03/05/2024

I'm, like, seven weeks behind on this. But eh, better late than and all that. I can't let the irony pass without any comment. achampagnesocialist's 2020 Album of the Year Runner-Up AND Bronze Medalist will both drop an album on 22MAR and both dropped singles in Jan.

Adrianne Lenker has built a body of work as one of our best songwriters, both as the frontperson of Big Thief and in solo work. The single is hardly a sign that'll end anytime soon. Though what is usually an undercurrent of country has been made explicit here and it works.

The video is a lyric video, but I'm okay with it as I found myself not wanting distraction from the song. Guitar, fiddle and piano blend into an egoless delight except for a tasteful fiddle solo in the bridge. I felt moved and reflective and imagery would've only disrupted a vibe.

Maybe her upcoming album 'Bright Future' will see her recast herself as a country artist. If eleven of these are in the arsenal, then it's a terrific move forward for her.

‘sadness as a gift’ by adrianne lenker, out now on 4ad. new album 'bright future' out march 22nd, available to pre-order now: https://adriannelenker.ffm.to/b...

03/03/2024

Upcoming Albums update!!

Any albums y'all excited about? Or albums you hope to be delayed?

March 8

HOMESHAKE: CD Wallet

Norah Jones: Visions

Slow Hollows: Bullhead

Tomato Flower: No

Torrey: Torrey

March 15

bob junior: friends vol. 1

Four Tet: Three

Justin Timberlake: Everything I Thought It Was

Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well

The Dandy Warhols: Rockmaker

Tierra Whack: World Wide Whack

Tim Burgess: Tim’s Listening Party

March 22

Barely Civil: I’d Say I’m Not Fine

Carpool: My Life in Subtitles

elbow: Audio Vertigo

Empress Of: For Your Consideration

FLETCHER: In Search of the Antidote

Gary Clark Jr.: JPEG Raw

Good Morning: Good Morning Seven

Sam Evian: Plunge

villagerrr: Tear Your Heart Out

Wye Oak: Shriek: Variations

March 29

Beyoncé: Act II

Blue DeTiger: All I Ever Want Is Everything

Chicano Batman: Notebook Fantasy

gglum: The Garden Dream

j-hope: HOPE ON THE STREET VOL. 1

Peel: Acid Star

Reyna Tropical: Malegría

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers: Revelations

Yot Club: Rufus

02/16/2024

Whew! My apologies, dear readers. I have, quite simply, been largely unable to feel inspiration for posts. It has arguably been even harder to motivate myself through the process of creating one even when inspired. I really need to get other voices in this project, share the mic.

So, it's been some weeks since achampagnesocialist's first ever Reissues of the Year list dropped. I thought I may talk a bit about reissues for everyone who is into the previous subject, both of you. There's more where some of the titles on that list came from, literally so.

Marking inventory of our society, it seems to be a light understatement to record we are seemingly infatuated with nostalgia. Maybe that isn't a shocking report. Our present and our future hold more horrifying concepts compared to what we already lived through, naturally.

Nostalgia has the potential to be lethal as it enters into art and entertainment, but there's nothing preventing a person reaping some truly enriching benefit from it if it is used carefully as a tool, not solely for its own sake. Here are some record labels that I believe do just that.

Ace Records - '60s Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly, R&B, Cajun, '50s and '60s Pop, '70s Soul/Funk, World Music and Motown.

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Bear Family Records - Specializes in massive doorstep box sets of almost comically eclectic themes. (i.e., a 10-CD political protest song set, an 11-CD set of Jewish and Yiddish performers of the mid-30s, a 7-CD box featuring 195 different versions of the song "Lili Marleen," compilations of music based on and from the TV series Bonanza, a 4-CD collection of British music hall songs, a 10-CD set of late-30s calypso music and a 26-CD compilation detailing country hits from 1945 to 1970.

https://www.bear-family.de/

Craft Recordings - A label that has eaten several other labels. Their reissues vary wildly to include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Vince Guaraldi, John Lee Ho**er, Little Richard, John Coltrane, R.E.M., Evanescence, The Offspring, Nine Inch Nails, countless lost Stax records, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, and Willie Colón.

https://craftrecordings.com/

Grapefruit Archives - Not to be confused with a label in Brooklyn, this England label reissues psych and garage stuff. I can already hear how much of an ass I'll sound to say this, but most of this stuff I haven't even heard of. This is where I discovered Crabby Appleton, a band that came and went in the early '70s with little notice but created some pretty delightful material.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product-category/grapefruit/

Light in the Attic Records - Specializes in compilations of regional music like: Native American folk, rock, and country, Seattle funk and soul and Japanese City Pop. They even have a record charmingly aimed at children.

https://lightintheattic.net/

Luaka Bop - David Byrne's record label. Reissues about what you expect after hearing it is David Byrne's label. Cool contemporary music that just so happens to be made by people who are not from the US or UK and compilations of classics of a similar variety like: Brazil Classics, Cuba Classics, Asia Classics, Adventures in Afropea, Afro-Peruvian Classics, World Psychedelic Classics and World Spirituality Classics.

https://www.luakabop.com/

Alright, get digging and get dancing!

Ace is the leading reissue record company in the UK, specialising in rock'n'roll, soul, funk, blues, jazz, R&B, garage rock and punk.

02/07/2024

I haven't watched the Grammys since '14. Even then, it was by request of my landlady who wanted company. I last saw it by choice in '04. It, like most major awards shows, has to die. No organization can evaluate and give awards to itself without being rife with problems.

But, we have this music page now, so we thought: "Do we need to watch this thing and talk about it? Maybe we bear a solemn duty and owe our 31 followers some sort of response." So, with neither of us excited about it, we sat down Sun night and watched. All. 3½. Hours.

God, it was more ba**l than I remembered. And that's the kind thing I can say about it. In my pursuit to break the cycle and not become bitter or hateful like many in my age group, I won't even talk the s**t that it has fully earned. But I was straight up not having a good time.

Someone who managed to look at it with positive eyes and have fun takes on it was my wife. She and a friend texted through the entire event and basically the whole conversation with identities protected would make far better reading than this or anything I can write about it.

In short, y'all should encourage her to do one or more write-ups about it instead of me. I don't want to revisit the night unless you folks insist. If any of you saw this thing and want to begin a dialogue, I'd welcome that. I can sum up the entire evening more or less like this.

A beautiful, devastating and haunting performance of one of the all-time greatest songs. Six pretty cool ones (two marred by poor pacing and product placement). Two very uninspired ones. A pretty good speech. Non- stop at the very least bad ads for what may also turn out to be a very bad Bob Marley film.

Everything else was just...fine. The word 'mid' made flesh. And they managed to give nine out of ninety-four awards on camera in 3½ hours. I'm sure a coincidence only is why none of them were the hip hop categories. And I only guessed one right. F**k this unholy relic.

We all just want one. Doing what we can with what we're given. Married couple likes music a whole lot

02/03/2024

There's a part of me that feels a bit cliche listening to indie rock. A song will get put in a particularly emotional moment of the latest hit drama television series, or it'll become the backdrop to teenagers on TikTok expressing their latest nonproblems, and it'll blow up, and the soft guitars and vocals perfectly encapsulate the vibe they're trying to convey.

But every once in a while, an indie rock band will pop onto my radar and I simply can't get enough. Slow Pulp became that for me this past year, and their latest album entitled "yard" ended up 14th on my personal AOTY. I even found myself relistening to it today, on this random 70 degree day in February, and it was the perfect backdrop to driving around town with my windows down.

They're definitely worth checking out, and they're going on tour, opening for indie rock darlings Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. We love a good band, and a good female vocalist.

https://youtu.be/yDPdX9eNEro?si=h51_3mt7MARvULLZ

a post by scaroline!

http://KEXP.ORG presents Slow Pulp performing "Cramps" live in the KEXP studio. Recorded October 12, 2023Emily Massey - Vocals, GuitarHenry Stoehr - Guitar, ...

02/01/2024

The first Sleater-Kinney album I heard was 'The Woods' in '05. I read near unanimous praise for it in a few rock mags. I wanted to ensure I listened to it for my third AotY list. I agreed with the consensus. I'd felt it was a great rock record and ranked it...17?...28?...on that list. In the middle. (Records dated before '10 are about completely lost)

When I listen to albums for more than enjoyment, I often add in the one made prior to get a sense of the journey the body of work is on. I didn't work like that in '05. So it was ten years until I heard another SK album, the reunion 'No Cities to Love', which I enjoyed more. Far more punk. (Little did I know what their discography held in store)

I guess I didn't listen to their albums in '05 because it was the year I found Stevie Wonder's '70s albums, then the entirety of Soul music. A "Classic" Rock & Country childhood and Christian Contemporary adolescence here. In '16, I finally listened to them and loved five of their eight albums at the time. (Is 'The Hot Rock' their best album?)

Then 'The Center Won't Hold' came out, which didn't. I didn't really like it. Then 'Path of Wellness' came out, which wasn't. I really didn't like it. Now 'Little Rope' is out. I'm nervous. Most don't come back from three bad albums. Plus, I'm just now over being burned out on new music. Am I ready to start here reviewing this album? I dunno.

But this song kicks ASS. It hits me exactly where I live. I've listened to it a looooot. So it makes my choice harder. Can anyone just tell me if the album's good? Or just talk at length of how killer this band is? I'd be happy either way. (CW: The vid can be seen as a self harm attempt. If your head can't do that today, hit play, then minimize it)

New album Little Rope, out now: https://i.sleater-kinney.com/LittleRopeDirected by Nick PolletStarring freediver Amber Bourke https://www.instagram.com/amber...

02/01/2024

After lasting for six months, January is finally over tonight. As usual, it coincides with the end of post-AotY listening fatigue. I have gone through my online music locker to delete my placeholder playlists. I removed all the albums I think I won't want to listen to again. More or less, taking my last looks at '23 before I cut the light and lock up.

When folks do lists titled “Best Songs or Albums of the Year”, we all madly avoid adding: “…That I Heard.” The lists aren't American Idol or Dancing with the Stars, with a set roster of options on ballot and one picks from within it. We instead pick from tens of thousands of albums, more than a person can ever hear. We all don't hear A LOT.

So to honor the albums I did hear, am not removing from my library because they're cool and did not make my list, I'm listing them here. One last chance to maybe get them heard and loved by you lovely readers before we shuffle disconsolately onward into what 2024 is. After #42, this list is NOT firm. I made this in like an hour and a half.

This isn't milking a final drop of AotY interest for lack of ideas. I put three on the backburner today once this concept gripped me fully. It isn't cheating the 4(1) album line. Those are the Albums of the Year. The numbers just make it easier and a little more fun to read what's really 'Honorable Mentions'. 'Contendahs'. 'The Overlooked Hotel'.

Yep, that's it. achampagnesocialist's The Overlooked Hotel of 2023!

42) Black Country, New Road - Live at Bush Hall
43) Parannoul - After the Magic
44) Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance (Revisited)
45) Fever Ray - Radical Romantics
46) Lil Yachty - Let's Start Here
47) Paul Simon - Seven Psalms
48) Boys Like Girls - Sunday at Foxwoods
49) CMAT - Crazymad, for Me
50) Wilco - Cousin
51) John Cale - Mercy
52) Spanish Love Songs - No Joy
53) Amaarae - Fountain Baby
54) Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows
55) Margo Cilker - Valley of Heart's Delight
56) Crime in Stereo - House & Trance
57) Noname - Sundial
58) The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
59) Lisa O'Neill - All of This Is Chance
60) Ruston Kelly - The Weakness
61) Yaeji - With a Hammer
62) The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds
63) The Coral - Sea of Mirrors
64) Chris Farren - Doom Singer
65) Sofia Kourtesis - Madres
66) Hiss Golden Messenger - Jump for Joy
67) The Necks - Travel
68) City & Colour - The Love Still Held Me Near
69) L'Rain - I Killed Your Dog
70) Shirley Collins - Archangel Hill
71) Sam Burton - Dear Departed
72) Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Tilt at the Wind No More
73) SZA - SOS (A loooot of a**l people who are far too self-satisfied in an ability to read calendars talk s**t on lists with this 09DEC2022 album in it. The singles that brought it to most people's attention released in '23 and it deserves attention. If people get that hard over bending rules sometimes, they likely need therapy, not music lists)
74) Robert Forster - The Candle and the Flame
75) Kassi Valazza - Knows Nothing
76) Origami Angel - The Brightest Days
77) Mandy, Indiana - I've Seen a Way
78) Matthew Halsall - An Ever Changing View
79) SBT - Joan of All
80) Zulu - A New Tomorrow
81) Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure
82) Depeche Mode - Memento Mori

Reissues

32) Joni Mitchell - Archives Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975)
33) The Velvet Underground - Loaded (Fully Re-Loaded Edition)
34) ABC - The Lexicon of Love (40th Anniversary Edition)
35) Charles Mingus - Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings
36) Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom
37) Neil Young - Official Release Series #5
38) Rick Springfield - Springfield
39) The Dream Syndicate - History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned
40) Bob Marley and the Wailers - Catch a Fire (50th Anniversary Edition)
41) Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Live
42) Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - The Songs of Bacharach & Costello
43) Nina Simone - You've Got to Learn
44) John Lee Ho**er - Ho**er Alone: Live at Hunter College 1976
45) Grateful Dead - Wake of the Flood [50th Anniversary]
46) Crabby Appleton - Go Back: The Anthology
47) The Breeders - Last Splash: 30th Anniversary Original Analog Edition
48) Devo - 50 Years of De-Evolution
49) a-ha - Hunting High and Low
50) Various Artists - In the Light of Time: UK Post-Rock and Leftfield Pop 1992-1998
51) Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
52) Acetone - I'm Still Waiting
53) Laraaji - Segue to Infinity
54) Nanci Griffith - Working in Corners
55) John Lee Ho**er - Burnin'
56) The White Stripes - Elephant XX
57) New Order - Substance
58) Hawkwind - Space Ritual: 50th Anniversary Edition
59) The Beatles - 1962-1966/1967-1970 [Expanded]
60) Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon: Live at Wembley 1974
61) PJ Harvey - B-Sides, Demos & Rarities
62) Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

Photo Design: The Unparalleled Technical Prowess of Caroline LeRoy-Peck

01/26/2024

It's Friday, y'all!! If you have to leave the house 'one more time', then take some House with you! Your car isn't a disco, but it is no reason not to be aerodynamic from the waist up on your commute. While it is likely necessary to wear that people pleasing face today, you can give yourself some digital love and hold a dance party in your ears!

After a documented earlier failed effort to make myself a Massive Attack mix, I think I got there with beloved French electronic robot duo Daft Punk. No entire album in the playlist. No two hour runtime. Granted, 103 minutes is close, but c'mon it's a party. The best ones go long. Idk maybe the 80 min length goal is a relic of a bygone era.

I hope this kicks your weekend off right. Give me notes. Too long? Should I have tried harder to add "Derezzed" from Tron? At least a gif of living treasure Michael Sheen's wondrous performance from that barely watchable film? Is it a hipster ass move not just making Get Lucky the opener? Too many Discovery tracks? I have to know!

Enjoy!!

Mixcovery - SOF's Daft Punk Mix · Playlist · 20 songs

01/25/2024

On three different occasions between '15 and '20, I had an album by TORRES in an AotY draft, but removed it. These aren't bad records, more than 40-ish good ones come out yearly, but that's just how the cuts work out. I do keep an eye out for her name on a calendar, though.

Her new album, 'What an Enormous Room', comes out tomorrow. Will this album fulfill her artistic promise? Will it be a step on the journey towards a masterpiece? Will it be a commendable failed experiment? Idk, but I believe that single is pretty darned encouraging stuff.

And she's touring, of course. In these trying times, all concerts have to be chosen carefully. Which really just means we don't go to most of them. But I'm gonna be kicking myself just a little if this turns out to be terrific and I missed her concert in Atlanta this past Monday.

JAN 25
The Foundry - Philadelphia, PA
w/ Aisha Burns

JAN 26
Elsewhere - Brooklyn, NY
w/ Aisha Burns

JAN 27
The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA

FEB 02
Le Hasard Ludique - Paris, France

FEB 03
Cactus Club - Bruges, Belgium

FEB 05
Upstairs at Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands

FEB 06
Bumann & SOHN - Cologne, NRW

FEB 07
Privatclub - Berlin, Berlin

FEB 08
Milla - Munich, BY

FEB 09
Villa Tacchini - Lancy, Switzerland

FEB 10
One of a Million Festival - Baden, Switzerland

FEB 12
YES - Manchester, United Kingdom

FEB 13
Strange Brew - Bristol, England

FEB 14
Oslo - London, England

MAR 20
Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
w/ Liza Anne

MAR 22
Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
w/ Liza Anne

MAR 23
Treefort Music Hall - Boise, ID

MAR 26
Neumos - Seattle, WA
w/ Liza Anne

MAR 27
Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
w/ Liza Anne

MAR 29
Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
w/ Liza Anne

MAR 30
Lodge Room - Los Angeles, CA
w/ Liza Anne

APR 01
The Casbah - San Diego, CA
w/ Liza Anne

APR 02
Valley Bar - Phoenix, AZ
w/ Liza Anne

APR 04
Club Dada - Dallas, TX
w/ Liza Anne

APR 05
Parish - Austin, TX
w/ Liza Anne

APR 06
White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) - Houston, TX
w/ Liza Anne

"What an enormous room" is out January 26 on Merge Records: https://lnk.to/enormousroomShot and edited by Dani Okon

01/24/2024

I do not see myself as a TV critic. Okay actually, I VERY much see myself as a TV critic. But I chose music 20+ years ago and stuck to it. If I did two fields of criticism at once, my compulsions would consume me so with neuroses I may never relate to another person again.

I can't get into The White Lotus. Its two great casts are filled with people I adore for various reasons. Not a bit of that production budget went to waste. It's beautiful. I can't get into it. It's clear what the show tries to be. Or, rather, what it thinks it already is. And I see its awards.

I hear valued opinions in my personal life. To many, It's that show. It is not to me. It tries to be condemning/satirizing carelessness of the wealthy. But it isn't doing that. Season 2 being 'Season 1 again, with way more fu***ng' did not fix it for me. I bailed at episode three.

How does this connect to a music blog? Because, for those three episodes of Season 2, I thought the theme was dope as hell! I occasionally pull it up online on its own. I love when shows do a great theme. It seems to not happen much now. So it's what we celebrate today.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TwdHA-nbemk

https://www.tiktok.com//video/7171169582848183558

Renaissance (Main Title Theme) by: Cristobal Tapia De VeerFrom The White Lotus Season 2Avail now: https://lnk.to/TheWhiteLotus_S2 Subscribe to WaterTower Mu...

01/20/2024

Upcoming Albums update!!

Any albums y'all excited about? Or albums you hope to be delayed?

March 1

Faye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony

March 8

Ariana Grande: Eternal Sunshine
Kim Gordon: The Collective
Moor Mother: The Great Bailout

March 15

The Black Crowes: Happiness Bastards

March 22

Adrianne Lenker: Bright Future
Jlin: Akoma
Rosali: Bite Down
Sierra Ferrell: Trail of Flowers

March 29

Ride: Interplay