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[andrewberkowitz]

The February Top 5

February Album of the Month: Jessica Pratt – Quiet Signs

It’s been a hard month. I’m in the busiest part of my work season, I’m starting a new business, volunteering for two organizations, trying to maintain a music blog, and traveling all the time. I’m tired and burnt out, and sometimes the only thing I want at the end of a long day is curl up in a ball and listen to nice music. And while I didn’t get to listen to as much music as I’d like to in February (read the first three sentences as to why), I did get to enjoy Jessica Pratt’s Quiet Signs, an album that offers the sonic therapy we all seek from time to time. 

Quiet Signs is simple but captivating, with soothing vintage-folk carrying each song beneath Pratt’s nasally, yet magical voice. Clocking in at only 30 minutes in a tight 9 tracks, the aptly named Quiet Signs is the perfect album to sink on the floor, close your eyes, and unwind to. With her vocals drenched in reverb, and the repetitive fingerpicking guiding the songs forward, it’s easy to get lost in the ambience and forget what track you’re on. And with this record, I think that’s kind of the point. 

But on the 4th or 5th listen, you will start to pick up on some stand-out tracks that stain in your mind a little deeper than others. “Poly Blue” is a breathtakingly sunny track, with “la-da-la-la-la-la-la” and “ba-la-la-la-la-la-las” souring the song to gorgeous heights while “Crossing” uses two pianos to create a dark, eerie ditty that would fit neatly into the score of Black Swan. Wherever you find yourself in this album, either actively dissecting every subtle melody or using it as an album to doze off it, it’s an album worth engaging with and an album sure to provide you with solace. In crazy times like these, we all deserve a break. And Jessica Pratt’s Quiet Signs is offering just that. 

Top 5 Songs of the Month

1. “What Can I Tell You About The World” – Bellows

When I first heard this track, I was immidetely taken aback by how similar it sounded to the soft, whispery, fingerpicked tracks from Sufjan Steven’s Carrie and Lowell. And while the influence is there, it really speaks to Bellows’ ability to craft a staggeringly brilliant song on their own, one that may remind us of a familiar sound, but while still bringing its own unique elements to it. After the hushed acoustic first verse on “What Can I Tell You About the World” Bellows brings in array of noise --- piano, grand piano, synth, and drums --- building to a climax before ripping it right out from under us again to end right where we started: quiet, alone, and contemplative.

2. “Sisyphus” – Andrew Bird 

The ageless wonder, Andrew Bird has been creating blissful, whistle-forward (I just created that term) music since he was four-year old. Beyond his insane whistling talent, “Sisyphus” contains the normal elements of a traditional Bird track: an acoustic guitar, looped string instruments, jangling piano, and complex, intellectual lyrics. “Sisyhpus” is the first single to Bird’s 10th release, My Finest Work Yet, and it’s an exciting teaser for what’s to come. With lyrics like, “history forgets the moderates,” how could you not want to hear more?

 3. “Absentee” – Cass McCombs

Cass McCombs is a 42-year old singer songwriter from California. He writes pretty songs. Similar to our friend Andrew Bird above, he’s in the same class of multi-talented, multi-instrumentalists who seem to never run out of talent regardless of age. And while the entire new album Tip of the Sphere is enchanting and wonderful, “Absentee” is a standout track that feels as lonely and melancholy as its title. An incredibly slow jazzy-piano marries McCombs wobbly vocal melody until a saxophone carries the song to its end. This song takes a few listens to appreciate but once you do you’ll be hanging on to every last word.

 4. “imagine” – Ariana Grande

Besides “thank u, next” I didn’t pay much attention to the single roll-out of Ariana Grande’s blockbuster album thank u, next. But what I did do is listen to the entire album for about a week straight. And within all the great, bubblegum pop bangers, the album’s opening track “imagine” is what stood out the most to me. In its chorus, Ariana Grande’s incredible voice is on full display as the instrumentation drops out completely for Grande voice to fill the void. “Imaaaaaagine a world like that” Grande sings twice, truly forcing introspection of its listener. It’s a deeply affecting moment from an artist who has been a victim of so much ugliness in the past few years. Despite Grande being world’s way in terms of her stardom, “imagine” is an important reminder that we all can dream of a better future for ourselves.

 5. “UFOF” – Big Thief 

The opening guitar riff of “UFOF” sounds almost identical to “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” by Radiohead, and that’s a really great thing. Adrianne Lanker has had a packed few years with Capacity in 2017, abysskiss in 2018, and now the new U.F.O.F due out in March of 2019, and each releases feels more enchanting then the next. Rather than the bare bones nature of her previous output, “UFOF” sounds like the most fully realized Big Thief we’ve heard to date. While the fingerpicked acoustic guitars carry the song like most Lanker tracks, “UFOF” stands out with it’s electronic swells, drum loop, tricky vocal tempo shifts, and incorporated samples of obscure sounds that add layers of complexity previous songs have not had.

Top 5 Albums of the Month

5. Cass McCombs - Tip of the Sphere

4. Ariana Grade - thank u, next

3. Girlpool - What Chaos is Imaginary

2. Bellows - The Rose Gardener

1. Jessica Pratt - Quiet Signs

[andrewberkowitz]

The January Top 5

January Album of the Month: Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow

In the natural ebb and flow of life, we are periodically greeted with earth-shattering news that will forever alter our trajectories. In music, this manifests in many ways. The death of a wife may lead someone to throw away all their instruments save for a single nylon-stringed guitar, a mushroom trip on a remote island may lead someone to throw away the rustic folk-rock sounds in replace of a glitchy, experimental sound, and the birth of a child may lead to someone kissing away the morose songs of a destructive past in replace of some optimistic love songs from another dimension. The former is the case of Sharon Van Etten’s latest release Remind Me Tomorrow. 

Despite taking time off music in 2015 and moving back to New York, Sharon’s life unexpectedly changed when she got cast in the hit Netflix special The OA, scored the film Strange Weather, entered into a healthy and fulfilling relationship, and became pregnant with her first child. With chaos came creativity and after a few months in the studio in 2017, Van Etten created a record miles away from the indie folk records from her yesteryear. 

Unlike Van Etten’s previous records that employ a heavy use of acoustic guitar, piano, and strings, Remind Me Tomorrow is all keys. Heavy synthesizers, piano, organ, drum and bass define this record through and through, giving the album an overall darker sound. “Jupiter 4,” for example, serves as the centerpiece for Van Etten’s new arrangement, as an alien synth reverberates over computerized drums. In what would be a perfect soundtrack to Stranger Things or Arrival, “Jupiter 4” is haunting, lugubrious, and apocalyptic. It’s the sound of Sharon Van Etten shedding the destructive relationships of her past and teleporting into a new mysterious world, a world with optimism and love, but plenty of unanswered questions. 

Beyond the slow and droning “Jupiter 4,” Remind Me has some upbeat bangers as well. “Seventeen,” which will surely end up on most music publications best songs of the year list, kicks along with a steady drum and bass riff that picks up energy as it goes along. After a chunky guitar solo, Sharon lets it all out, absolutely belting a bridge before the chorus comes back and cathartically brings the song home. “Comeback Kid” and “You Shadow” similarly impress, employing the same warbly synths, distorted guitar riffs and glitch-y drum machines with repetitive choruses that repeat and stick in your brain. 

At the risk of sounding trite, Sharon Van Etten at 37, has released her most fully realized and mature record. On the first few spins, it took serious adjusting, particularly after hearing what sounds like a discarded Ok Computer B-side that is “Memorial Day.” But even without the barebones piano or guitar driven ballads of “Give Out” or “Your Love is Killing Me,” Van Etten, with time, reminds us of her brilliance. Remind Me Tomorrow is instrumentally dark yet thematically optimistic. It’s esoteric, but maddeningly catchy. It’s alien, but somehow so relatable. And in in January of 2019, it’s the best album of the month. 

Top 5 Songs of the Month 

5. “Kids” – PUP

In Father John Misty’s 2014 hit, “Chateau Lobby,” J. Tillman sings, “I haven’t hated all the same things as somebody else since I remember.” While I doubt Stefan Babcock, the crust-punk frontman of the Toronto rocker PUP, knows Tillman, something tells me they would connect over the “mind-numbing reality of a godless existence” that they both love to sing about. “Kids” is classic PUP. Boundless energy, squealing guitars, sing-speak-scream lyrics, anthemic refrains, and plenty of self-loathing bottle this song into one fun, yet exhausting track, due off the upcoming Morbid Stuff in April. 

4. “Dylan Thomas” – Better Oblivion Community Center 

The biggest January surprise came in the form of the dream superduo Better Oblivion Community Center, or less confusingly named, Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, the 24 and 38 year-old emotional singer-songwriters. While coming from different eras, Bridgers and Oberst find chemistry in their nickel-plated steel guitars as their folksier roots join together for an American classic that brings out the best of both artists. Harmonizing on some and simply trading verses on others, Better Oblivion Community Centers offers 37 minutes of both contemplative, beautiful soliloquys (“Chesapeake” and “Dominos”) and plugged-in rockers (“Big Black Heart,” “Exception To The Rule”). “Dylan Thomas” is somewhat a combination of the two, a straightforward folk-rock song that locks into a hook and never lets go of it. Easily the albums catchiest vocal melody, Oberst and Bridgers sing together on this one throughout, as they pay homage to the late Welsh poet, who famously wrote “Do not go gentle into that good night.” The simple verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure works perfectly here as these new friends create a folk-rock track for the ages. 

3. “Fallingwater” – Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers’s best songs are the ones where she lets her voice do most of the work. Her gorgeous, natural vocals can sound as thunderous as a battle cry or as tender a lamb. “Fallingwater,” which was technically written in 2016, does a little bit of both, as it finally gets an official 2019 release off the #1 Billboard-charting album Heard It In A Past Life. “I never loved you fully in the way I could” Maggie sings over a steady drum machine and a few major piano chords. The minimalism of the instrumentation allows Maggie’s airy vocals to take space and demand attention from us, threatening to never loosen her grip. 

2. “Harmony Hall” – Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is back. Over five years since the near-perfect Modern Vampires of the City, the New York indie-pop outfit reemerges with a true return to form, headed by the blissful, and multi-layered “Harmony Hall.” Ostensibly about the surge of anti-Semitism on Ivy League campuses (Harmony Hall is a building at the band’s alma-mater of Columbia), the track is ironically as flowery and optimistic-sounding as they come, as cleanly plucked dueling guitars gracefully lay atop a bed of bongos and psychedelic bass grooves. As frontman Ezra Koenig recycles the 2013 “Fingerback” lyric “I don’t wanna live like this / but I don’t wanna die,” we’re teleported back to the college days when Vampire Weekend defined our summers, laying in the grass, looking up at the sky, and philosophizing about nothing until the sun comes up.

1. “Comeback Kid” – Sharon Van Etten

On Remind Me Tomorrow, Sharon Van Etten tried something new. She tried writing hits. On “Seventeen” a propulsive drum and bass carry the song until it intensifies to the point of Van Etten screaming the song wide open with her cathartic yowl. Critics are already calling it a masterpiece. Elsewhere though, “Comeback Kid” employs a similar strategy and I find it even more compelling. An almost identical drum and bass backbeat is used from the beginning (in fact if you play the first ten seconds of each song side by side they are very similar), until an Arcade Fire-esque synthesizer warbles the song into a new dimension. When the vocals come in, it’s absolutely electric. Sharon sounds like a pissed-off bully here, stampeding around her neighborhood blowing off steam. “I’m the runaway / I’m the stay out late” Van Etten’s sings, dreading her inevitable return back to home base. This dark, anthemic song epitomizes the new musical direction on Remind Me Tomorrow, a brooding, masterfully composed album that will stick around for many years to come.

Top 5 Albums of the Month

5. Deerhunter - Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?

4. Maggie Rogers - Heard It In A Past Life

3. William Tyler - Goes West

2. Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center

1. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow

[andrewberkowitz]

2018 - A Year in Review

If 2017 was the year of reflection and anger, 2018 was the year of optimism and action (also, more anger, justifyiably). It’s a year I saw a lot of people get fed up with the status quo, get off their feet, and do something about it. We see this evidenced in our music, with many female artists bravely sharing out about the experience of being a woman in a toxic male-dominant society. We see men of color speaking about their ‘taboo’ relationship with mental health. We see different artists coming together and creating something collaborative. In today’s fast-paced environment where everyone is fighting to get their voice heard, music remains a leading force in starting the dialogue. 

Personally, 2018 was a good and busy year for me, and because of that, I didn’t get around to listening to the scale of music that I typically am known for. I went to my fair share of concerts sure, but I can hardly name any new bands I learned about that I didn’t know last year. An okay compromise I guess for picking up some new healthy habits (I can cook now!) along the way. Either way, I want to get back to writing again, so I complied a short list of my favorite albums and songs of the year. They are not diverse in musical style at all, and are very much your classic White Dude Indie Rock, for the most part. For that I apologize, but if you’re still interested in reading, read along, and feel free to send me some hip hop I definitely missed out on listening to this year.  

 20. “By The Daylight” – Devon Welsh 

Devon Welsh has long separated from his Majical Cloudz project with Matthew Otto, but that hasn’t stopped him from writing minimalist, heart-wrenching chamber pop music. The first and best song on Dream Songs, Welsh implores us to “control the actions in our lives” overtop a gorgeous string arrangement, piano, and simple staccato-plucked guitar.

19. “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande 

This song did not find its way here by mistake, as I truly believe this to be one of the best songs of the year. From a terror attack at one of her shows, to her ex-bf Mac Miller dying by suicide, to having a sudden engagement fall apart in the public spotlight, Ariana has had a seriously tough year. And yet, she has kept her head up through it all, and there’s no better proof for that than her breakup banger of the century, “thank u, next.” Literally name checking her ex’s, Ariana shares how “fucking grateful” she is for the lessons she has been able to learn over the years from her relationships. It’s a deeply moving song wrapped in heavily produced glossy bubblegum pop. thank u, Ariana.

18. “Not Abel” – Hop Along

“Not Abel” starts with what sounds like a Joanna Newsom song. Shifting vocal phrasing, irregular acoustic guitar fingerpicking, confounding lyrics (“think, today of all the alien shots in the dark”), before quickly moving into a new movement with ringing strings, eerie piano repetition, and more overlapping acoustic guitars. It’s a truly disorienting experience, and one that takes a few listens to catch the pattern of. The song labyrinths in and out of this structure until Francis and Co. bring back the electric axes and hit us with some earwarming guitar riffs and vocal melodies we’ve grown to know and love for so many years. After listening to this complex and layered arrangement, one thing should be clear: Hop Along are not the one-trick ponies we thought they were.

17. “Bodys” – Car Seat Headrest

Technically this song is 7 years old, with the original coming out in 2011 with the release of Twin Fantasy on bandcamp. However, in 2018, Will Toledo recycled his entire new album and with it came very new versions of very old songs. “Bodys” is one of them, and this variety delivers. This is your jump up and down indie rock song that you can get away playing at a party where PBR comes at a surplus to Bud Light. Toledo toys a bit with the listener, delaying the chorus “so it’ll be more rewarding,” before the drums come crashing down with him screaming the nonsensical but enjoyable “those are you (sic) got some nice shoulders.” The song ropes back and forth from quiet to loud for the rest of the song, climaxing with interlocking vocals, crunchy guitars, and exploding drums that will make you smile wider than a Cheshire cat.

16. “Girl of the Year” – Beach House

7, this years's Beach House release is such a consistently strong album that it was very difficult to pick just one song to add to this list. Most people would pick “Drunk In LA” or “Lemon Glow” which are fantastic, but I for whatever reason really connect with “Girl of the Year” as my favorite of the lot. The entire essence of Beach House is magic. Their songs are like a cascading waterfall, a serene catharsis, a texture that glissandos and crescendos in seamless fashion. “Girl of the Year” is no different, with mesmerizing synths, hauntingly beautiful lyrics (“get dressed to undress / depress to impress”), and thunderous drums that melt into your brain. Girl of the Year? More like Song of the Year. Well, almost.

15. “Storm Cellar Heart” – Mutual Benefit

Jordan Lee writes tender, warm, and sad music under the moniker of Mutual Benefit. “Storm Cellar Heart” is a beautiful lullaby with a simple verse and melody tethered together by a sultry saxophone and plaintive piano. Singing “at my window / sipping coffee / watching the birds go,” overtop the distant sounds of the outdoors, it’s almost as if you’re there with Lee as he drowsily sings from his bed.

14. “Unmade” – Thom Yorke 

Written for the rerelease of the 1977 Dario Argento film Suspira, Thom Yorke delivers “Unmade,” a contribution to the soundtrack that could easily have existed on the melancholy and orchestral A Moon Shaped Pool. Atop an instantly classic piano arrangement, Thom Yorke croons alongside a choir that ultimately transcends into a synth that transcends into a brass sound that transcends into some modular trickery at the end. It’s a truly complex, yet subtle composition and one that should go down as one of the finest Yorke tracks of the decade.

13. “What The Sermon Said” – Fred Thomas

The first three minutes of “What The Sermon Said” are boring. At least, they are if you’re expecting something big, huge, and exciting to happen. But when you aren’t, it’s the perfect ambient build-up to an absolutely stunning track by the prolific Michigan-man, Fred Thomas. Accompanied by Elliott Bergman from Wild Belle, “What The Sermon Said” tells the story of growing up depressed and looking to a church to have the answers. Fred summarizes his story neatly with his concluding line on the song: “we went to an Arby’s, my parents drank coffee, silently, and we never went back to that church.”

12. “Reborn” – KIDS SEE GHOSTS

The first time I heard this song I swore I had heard it before. That’s just how classic this Cudi contribution is, almost like a more matured version of last decade's “Soundtrack 2 My Life.” Cudi’s vocals are relaxed here, singing “aint no stress on me, lord, I’m moving forward” over a laid-back drum beat with a faint piano chime carrying the tune. Kanye contributes a verse here as well, speeding the pace up but flowing perfectly as he speaks on his controversial past rapping “I was off the meds, I was called insane / what an awesome thing, engulfed in shame.” It’s a vulnerable track for both of our antiheros, both incredibly talented, yet deeply flawed men who beg for a new start on “Reborn.”

11. “Now Only” – Mount Eerie

Two years after his wife died from pancreatic cancer, Phil Elverum released Now Only, a companion album to 2017s beautiful and affecting A Crow Looked at Me. While the album revisited all of the same themes, Now Only reflects a slightly peppier Phil, one that can somehow find dark humor in his horrible tragedy. “Now Only,” the title track of the record strikes this balance beautifully. While the first verse carries only a sullen acoustic guitar over a heartbreaking verse about sulking in a hospital waiting room, it soon makes an unexpected turn for the catchy, with the attention of drums and major guitar chords. “People get cancer and die / people get hit by trucks and die” Phil sings over the cheery and optimistic instrumentation. It’s the sort of juxtaposition that messes with your head and makes you question whether you should be laughing or crying. The answer is both. I think.

10. “Last Girl” – Soccer Mommy

Sophie Allison of Soccer Mommy sings songs from a place of vulnerability and raw emotion. She’s not interested in sounding ‘cool’; she’s interested in the truth, and the truth is relatable for all of us. Jealously is the theme of “Last Girl,” a song that centers completely around the insecurities we’ve all felt about our significant others ex-partners. “She’s so pretty/ even more than me,” Allison courageously sings over a fuzzy indie-pop lo-fi aesthetic, making us feel validated in our sometimes backwards thinking.

9. “Salt In The Wound” – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus 

The three most talented women in indie rock came together and made art together in 2018 and it is possibly the best musical output of the entire year. Nestled toward the end of the short, but sweet Boygenius, “Salt In The Wound” serves as the opus of the Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus mini-record, with its explosive power and soaring harmonies. “I’m mashing my teeth!” all three women roar over a heavily driven force of electric guitars, all as the tension rises to our climatic finale. In the last minute, propulsive drums, scorching guitars, and modulated vocals create a temporary moment of frisson that makes you want to live in this noise forever.

8. “Ghost Town” – Kanye West

I think people forgot that Kanye West released an album this year, not because they truly forgot, but because they didn’t want to remember. Regardless of our opinion on him (cliffnotes: he’s an artistic genius and a political idiot), he still put out an incredible album this year with one of the best tracks of the year, “Ghost Town.” Like many great Ye songs, “Ghost Town” works best when Kanye is not even on the track, as he employs PartyNextDoor, Kid Cudi, and the then-unknown 070 Shake to carry the song. A lot happens in this song: A gospel sample is used alongside a prominent classic rock sounding guitar lick, Cudi sings off-pitch, Kanye mumbles his way through a verse about doing drugs, and a 20 year-old no name rapper screams about putting her hand on a burning stove, all in a way that is magically beautiful and un-replicable. By the end, you are on your feet, rising in tension with the songs rocky instrumentation feeling a sense of euphoria and release you haven’t felt since that last time you took too much Adderall in college.

7. “Rings” – Pinegrove

“I draw a line in my life / singing this is the new way I behave now / and actually live by the shape of that sound” could not be a better line to internalize as we all start the New Year. Do what you say. Say what you do. No one feels that more than Evan Stephens-Hall, frontman of Pinegrove who took an entire year off of touring amidst allegation of sexual coercion of which he “has never felt remorse like this before.” With new beginnings brings new albums, and Pinegrove’s Skylight is a heartfelt, earnest, and sneakily quick record that begs for constant repeat plays. “Rings,” though, is the first and perhaps finest song on the records thanks to Zach Levine’s slightly restrained drums, Adan Carlo’s twang-y, walking bass, and Stephen’s-Hall opportune yelping of choice lyrics such as “AM I FORGETTING HOW IT FELT!?” “Rings” layered complexity makes it a song that can be played on repeat, ad infinitum, its lyrics tattooed on your skin, giving ‘inchoate meaning.’

6. “Hymnostic” – Big Red Machine

2018 was the year for the rare successful Supergroup. In this case, it’s in the form of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and the National’s Aaron Dessner, whose Big Red Machine is about as equal of a hybrid of the two bands as you could imagine. “Hymnostic" though, skews more on the Bon Iver, Bon Iver side as the duo create a gorgeous digital gospel track that would go over extremely well at one of those hipster nondenominational churches that host indie rock shows on the weekends. There’s a warmth and optimism to “Hymnostic” that is a far cry from the cold and raw sounds we’re used to hearing more recently from Vernon on 22, A Million. And that’s what’s precisely so refreshing and great about this track; Vernon sounds like he’s truly having a blast here, as he playfully screams “light a smoke up in the sun room / and pretend I’m my tree.” Poetry.

5. “God’s Favorite Customer” – Father John Misty

Josh Tillman, aka Father John Misty has absolutely mastered the piano-driven power ballad, especially as a title track. From “I Love You Honeybear” to “Pure Comedy,” Tillman has consistently made us laugh and cry from his gorgeous instrumentation over a bed of satire and sarcasm. On “God’s Favorite Customer,” not much is different, but something is just better. As Tillman takes us through the lovely ditty, we get lost in the near-perfect arrangement of acoustic guitar, piano, electronic fuzz, harmonica, and toward the end, accompanying female vocals from Weyes Blood. The duet between the two is harmonious and ethereal making for the cherry on what was already an all-time FJM tune.

4. “Nobody” – Mitski

“Nobody,” the heartbreaking disco summer jam that serves as the centerpiece of Mitski remarkable Be The Cowboy is unlike anything she’s ever released. Long gone are the lo-fi piano-based tracks she recorded while she was a college student in New York City, or even the raw, impulsive guitar sounds from Bury Me at Makeout Creek and Puberty 2. Instead, “Nobody” stands alone, as a brave and vulnerable Mitski laments about being alone and feeling unwanted over a 70s dancefloor beat with clean funk guitar riffs guiding the way. Toward the end, Mitski cranks up the energy up to 10, inciting a satisfying pitch change as her repetition of “nobody, nobody, nobody…” drifts off into the ether.

3. “Night Shift” – Lucy Dacus

Lucy Dacus exudes power in subtlety. She creates meaning out of simplicity. Watch any live video of her. She remains calm and unworried, hardly even opening her mouth to sing, appearing languid and poised. Still, a gorgeous, emotional voice pours out of her like a geyser, flowing directly into icy veins. “Am I masochist, resisting urges to punch you in the teeth?” she asks, ever so sweetly over a lone electric guitar. Lucy keeps her gloves on as she takes us through her reflections of a bad break up for a few minutes before the song makes a clear shift. The guitar riff changes, and a repetitive and catchy refrain is introduced: “you’ve got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift / and I’ll never see you again if I can help it / in five years I hope the songs feel like covers / dedicated to new lovers.” This genius couplet, with decades of wisdom beneath them, is sung so thoughtfully before a fuzzy guitar line rings out and explosive drums take over. The refrain repeats again at the end this time with Lucy finally losing her cool, belting the lyrics at full force, guitars turned to ten, making for an incredibly euphoric and cathartic sensation.

2. “Mushroom Cloud” – Hundred Waters

If you read my list last year, you’d notice that my favorite song of the year was “Blanket Me” by Hundred Waters, an immersive, visceral, and comforting sonic dream of electronic goodness. Well, in 2018, despite not releasing an album, Hundred Waters has somehow found a way to do it again, releasing “Mushroom Cloud” earlier in the year. Much like their best songs, “Cloud” starts hushed, with just a precious piano driving the song as Nicole Migli’s whispered vocals ease us gently ahead. Eventually the song starts to tatter and fray, as a wave of sound sends the song crashing down, Migli’s voice echoing into the unknown, before being taken over completely by billowing electronic static noise. It’s a gorgeous song for the digital age and one that epitomizes Hundred Water’s ability to build beauty out of patience.

1. “The Last Great Washington State” – Damien Jurado

I have two types of favorite songs. The first is the song of the restrained beginning, rising action, and climatic ending. A song of complex movements that pays off with a grand finale. A song that tries really hard to be special and delivers on that attempt. My second type of favorite song is sort of the opposite. A song where nothing spectacular seems to happen at all. A song that appears so simple on the surface but it soaks in your head like a happy memory you can’t stop thinking about. A song that drifts and meanders, that follows no interesting pattern, no pitch changes, no crazy solos, no jawdropping lyrics, even. It sounds boring but every once in a while a song like this comes around and just like a gear, it clicks right into place and I never want it to stop spinning.

“The Last Great Washington State,” by the prolific Damien Jurado is one of those songs. At over six minutes, it’s one of the longest tracks on this list, but it could easily be twenty minutes and I’d still be pressing repeat when it’s over. For six identical verses, Jurado pours out his heart to his home state of Washington, a place he’s called home for 30 years. Just like the shorelines he sings about, the song drifts beautifully along, with very little variation in tempo, cadence, or instrumentation. There’s no chorus, no bridge, no reprise, no outro. Jurado finds an absolute perfect vocal structure, puts a simple piano chord underneath, and repeats it for six minutes. This song doesn’t feel happy or sad. It’s therapy for whatever you’re going through; a gift for all of us who need just a few minutes a day unwind and kick our feet up and stare out the window. Jurado ends the song with the sobering “what good is living if you can’t write your ending?” before a gorgeous violin and twinkling keys carry the song away for good.

Top Songs of 2018 

1. “The Last Great Washington State” – Damien Jurado  2. “Mushroom Cloud” – Hundred Waters 3. “Night Shift” – Lucy Dacus 4. “Nobody” - Mitski 5. “God’s Favorite Customer” – Father John Misty 6. “Hymnostic” – Big Red Machine 7. “Rings” – Pinegrove 8. “Ghost Town” – Kanye West 9. “Salt In The Wound” – boygenius 10. “Last Girl” – Soccer Mommy 11. “Now Only – Mount Eerie 12. “Reborn” – KIDS SEE GHOSTS 13. “What The Sermon Said” – Fred Thomas 14. “Unmade” – Thom Yorke 15. “Storm Cellar Heart” – Mutual Benefit 16. “Girl Of The Year” – Beach House 17. “Bodys” – Car Seat Headrest 18. “Not Abel – Hop Along 19. “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande 20. “By The Daylight” – Devon Welsh 

Top Albums of 2018 1. Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog 2. Pinegrove – Skylight 3. Beach House – 7 4. Boygenius – Boygenius 5. Mitski – Be The Cowboy 6. Big Red Machine – Big Red Machine 7. Kanye West – ye 8. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer 9. Mutual Benefit – Thunder Follows The Light 10. Mount Eerie – Now Only

[andrewberkowitz]

March Album Of The Month: Mount Eerie - Now Only

On July 9, 2016, Phil Elverum’s wife died from pancreatic cancer. On March 24, 2017, A Crow Looked At Me was released, an album that pretty much chronicles in real time the aftermath, mourning and pain that Phil went through and continues to go through following her death. And now, less than one year after Crow, on March 16, 2018, Phil Elverum aka Mount Eerie released Now Only, a companion album to Crow that is as equally affecting and beautiful as its predecessor. 

While Crow is a necessary prerequisite for this album (listen to “Real Death” if you want the sparknotes), Now Only stands on its own as a fully competent album, stuffed to the brim with long songs, stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and quixotic instrumentation. Unlike the completely sparse and desolate Crow which included just an eerie electric guitar and vocals recorded in the same bedroom where Phil’s wife died, Now Only marks the return of Mount Eerie’s more experimental side. “Earth” brings comically amateurish garage-rock drums and screeching electric guitars, while “Distortion” utilizes twinkling pianos and synth reverberations, all sounds absent from his previous record. These more playful sounds, overtop lyrics that recount the graphic experience of Phil finding “actual chunks of your bones” because he “didn’t bury you deep enough,” brings about a sense of self-awareness that makes the songs seem darkly humorous rather than disturbing. Similarly, title-track “Now Only,” attempts to soften the heaviness of dealing with grief with an upbeat, genuinely catchy and sing-a-long-able chorus of: “people get cancer and die / people get hit by trucks and die / people just living their lives get erased with no reason with the rest of us watching from the side.” Herein lies the horror and beauty of Mount Eerie. Reading his lyrics without the music, you’d get the impression this is as brooding, depressive, and unlistenable as Crow was. But on Now Only, while the lyrics and subject matter are the same, there’s a subtle humor and optimism also at work that make the album ultimately rewarding and replayable. Also on “Now Only,” Phil jokes about being paid to play “death songs to a bunch of young people on drugs,” whereas on “Earth” Phil sings, “you’re sleeping out in the yard” now. It’s hard to laugh because it’s so real, but it’s also hard not to laugh at the sheer rawness of it all. 

Our opus on the album though is without a doubt “Distortion.” A ten-minute, 814-word, non-linear, autobiographical narrative that recounts each of Phil’s encounters with death throughout his life from childhood to adulthood. He remembers being a kid and telling his mom about his fear of being forgotten after death (wishing to “echo beyond his actual end” instead). He remembers the first dead body he ever saw --- his great grandfather’s --- embalmed in a casket in Washington State. Mid-way through the song he pivots and shares with us a vulnerable story about a pregnancy scare when he was 23-years old (“it left me freaked out and wandering around / but she had her period eventually and I went back to being twenty-three”). After another non-sequitur to an anecdote about a documentary, we return to the second dead body he’s ever seen, his wife Genevieve, and just like that, we’re back to where we started. With breath, distortion, and silence. “Distortion” is both heartbreaking and spellbinding at once. It’s like listening to an audiobook of someone narrating a train crash. You know it’s going to end poorly, but you can’t stop listening. 

I’m very grateful Now Only exists. It’s a reminder that while Death is real and mourning can feel endless, that hope also exists in the glimmers of light that life can offer. A year later, Phil may still be writing songs about his dead wife, but at least now he can sing it to audiences of 5000 with a sad smile on his face. Recovery is a process and on Now Only, Mount Eerie shows us that it’s possible.

If you want to follow my Best Albums of 2018 playlist on Spotify, clink this link here. 

If you want to follow my Best Songs of 2018 playlist on Spotify, click this link here.

[andrewberkowitz]

February Album of the Month: Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy

 At 19 years old in 2011, Will Toledo wrote what his diehard cult fanbase will contend is his ultimate masterpiece, Twin Fantasy. 9 albums later with a ton of fame amounted under the moniker of Car Seat Headrest, Toledo decided to take his newly amassed support and money and completely revise, recreate, and record the legendary record. Unlike the lo-fi bedroom recording of its predecessor, the 2018 version of Twin Fantasy is updated, upgraded, and eleven minutes longer. Despite recycling old material, it’s clear that Toledo went into careful consideration into how to make this his greatest work of all. It paid off. 

To start, this is a dense album. With each song average over seven-minutes, this is an album that you really need to spend some time with. While some tracks like “Stop Smoking (We Love You)” are short acoustic ditties, the majority are massive power-pop anthems, full of crunchy guitar hooks that twist and turn with every passing second. “Beach Life In-Death,” a song of the year contender, is a 13-min song split into three parts that has enough legendary lyrics and catchy melodies to inspire its own tumblr page. Elsewhere, “Bodys” get an electronic upgrade from its original copy, as a meta Will sings “is it the chorus yet?” while “Cute Thing” name-checks Frank Ocean atop a gorgeous slot-machine sounding synth. 

But the song that requires the most patience, yet contains the largest reward is the massive 16+ min “Famous Prophets (Stars).” The song starts with just a simple bass groove as Will uses a tape metaphor to describe a relationship slowly coming apart. Soon though the song picks up speed, as a ripping guitar line slashes through the song with a propulsive drum kick. “I’m not gonna end up a nervous wreck / like the people I know who are nervous wrecks,” Will sings, recalling earlier lyrics from “Nervous Young Men.” The middle section of the song offers a nice reprieve of layered vocals and crackling guitar interpolation before all but a piano cuts out at the ten-minute mark. Here we find Toledo at his most lonely and beautiful, a true singer-songwriter meditating on pain, anxiety, and surrealism until the inevitable happens. After minutes of building tension and rising action --- strings, random audio clips, assorted drum machine samples --- we get a climax that is as predictable as it is powerful. A tremendous symbol crash. A screaming Toledo. Bible quotes. Layered guitars. Processed vocals. High quality mixing. I hate to use this word, but it’s absolutely epic, and it’s the finale to possibly the best Car Seat Headrest song in his entire catalog. Crazy to think there’s another song after this. 

If you can get through the frequent spoken word, dragged-out instrumental breakdowns and overly cynical lyricism, you will find yourself at the crosshairs of an incredibly memorable power-pop, indie-rock album. An album that already proved its worth in 2011 but has now solidified itself as an album that could compete with some of the greats of the early lo-fi crunch-rock greats of the early 90s. With Twin Fantasy, Will Toledo has turned greatness into excellence and turned pain into catharsis.

[andrewberkowitz]

January Album of the Month: Typhoon - The Offering

ln an effort to keep this blog lively and relevant, I’m going to write monthly Album of the Month posts as well as (hopefully) weekly Song of the Week posts. Since January has concluded and we are taking off into February ahead of Superbowl Weekend, I wanted to drop in my clear favorite album of the Month before we got too deep into the coming days. 

The Offering, the latest by the 11-piece Portland, Oregon post-rock band Typhoon is your winner for album of the month and it’s not even close. Five years removed from their breakout album White Lighter, Kyle Morton returns with his darkest and most fully realized album yet. Gone are horns and triumphant baroque-pop instrumentation. In are crunchy guitars, electronic swells, gentle strings, and pinpoint percussion. This is hardly an album of songs, but a movement of sonic beauty, lush and pronounced at every moment. 

Standout “Algernon”  shows Morton at his most delicate as he sings “The part of you that I love is still in there even if it doesn’t know my name" over a hushed acoustic guitar and an echoing piano. Elsewhere on the record, “Remember” packs just about as much action as you could ever want onto a four-minute rock song. The song pushes along from twinkling electric guitars, to shimmering pianos until its final minute which provides perhaps the most earwarming sounds of the entire album thanks to the pitched-up chipmunkish vocals from Shannon Steele overtop a massive guitar chug that ends the song in dramatic fashion. 

After the gorgeous and eerie “Sleep,” it’s safe to say that this is Typhoon’s magnum-opus. WIth its 11+ minute tracks and over-the-top song titles (I had to google half the track names to know what they meant), it’s clear that this band is a name to be reckoned with. Expect this band to blow up very shortly. 

[andrewberkowitz]

Best Atlanta Restaurants of 2017

Ever since I moved to Atlanta from Pennsylvania in 2013, the city has continued to grow on me as my favorite city in the country. It’s not too big, not too small, accessible to all major cities, wildly diverse, highly livable, picturesque, and of course, home to some of the most delicious food in the US. Most recently, Atlanta’s food scene has blown up thanks to massive culinary names from Gillespie to Satterfield showing up and preforming extremely well, as well as restaurant groups The Fifth Group and Ford Fry continuing to deliver on their promise of delicious cuisine. Beyond fine-dining, Atlanta also has its fair share of hole-in-the-wall shacks from the now-deceased Ann’s Snack Bar to the cash-only Nick’s Food To Go gyro joint. Whether you’re looking to impress a first date or pig-out on your couch with your roommate, Atlanta has close to 100 fantastic options for you to satisfy your appetite. Unlike massive cities like LA and NYC, you actually can scratch the surface of all the great places in Atlanta, you just need to know where to go. Here’s my favorite restaurants of 2017 to give you a head start.

1. Rathbun’s Steak House – Inman Park (American Steakhouse) 

What To Get: The Cowboy Rib Eye. It is without a doubt, the best steak in the country (besides, maybe, Peter Lugar’s in NYC). It will run your wallet very thin, so save this meal for a very special occasion, like an anniversary, a job promotion, or maybe even a breakup. Just don’t cry into the black truffle butter. If you go, try to get Antoinette as your server - she’s the best. 

2. 246 - Decatur (Italian) 

What To Get: Bring 8-12 people and do the “Black Sheep Table.” It’s $50 per person and it’s pretty much an all you can eat tasting menu where the restaurant takes care of the ordering for you and you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Make sure you get the meatballs though - they are to die for.

3. Boccalupo – Old Fourth Ward (Italian) 

What To Get: The Tasting Menu or the Black Squid Ink Spaghetti. If you have the coin to spend, the tasting menu will give you the best of all worlds, an incredible antipasti, a few pastas to try, a nice meat-dish and lovely dessert, however, if you want to jump straight to the point, the black spaghetti is a must-have. Mixed with shrimp, chorizo, and jalapeño pesto, this pasta has a light spice but heavy flavor. You will not be disappointed. 

4. Staplehouse – Old Fourth Ward (New American) 

What To Get: Whatever is on the menu. Yes, this place lives up to the hype. I’ve been 4 times now and every time I’ve gone I’ve experienced a new food epiphany. Chef Ryan Smith is an artist with his creations, whether it’s with his succulent bay scallops or his savory chicken liver tart. Having trouble getting a reservation? Just show up 15 minutes before they open on a weeknight and grab a bar seat. Easy. 

5. Miller Union – West Midtown (New American) 

What To Get: Farm egg baked in celery cream. This James Beard award-winning farm-to-table restaurant on the Westside is an absolute treat of a meal, that even Anthony Bourdain has given the seal-of-approval to. Georgia-boy Steven Satterfield cooks delectable Southern classics from quail to okra in a style that will make you “weak in the knees,” according to the New York Times. 

6. Nick’s Food To Go – Downtown (Greek) 

What To Get: The Lamb Gyro, of course. This is the best gyro in the world, hands down. Run by Nick, his wife, and his daughter, every trip to Nick’s is an authentic, fun, and delicious experience. I would take a bath in his tzatziki sauce. 

 7. The General Muir – Dectaur (New American / Jewish Deli) 

What To Get: The Double Stack Burger.  While TGM is a great place to get some New York Jewish Deli foods like latkes, matzo ball soup, or corned beef, I’d actually recommend coming here for the burger, which is the only burger in Atlanta that gives Holeman & Finch a run for its money. With basic ingredients of American cheese and shaved onions, this juicy, succulent burger will leave you stuffed, but coming back very soon for more. 

8. Bread and Butterfly – Inman Park (French) 

What To Get: Avocado Toast. This tiny, unassuming Parisian-style bistro packs one of the most flavorful menus in all of Atlanta. From incredible coffee to savory pancakes, everything on the menu is going to wet your appetite. My favorite item though is the avocado toast, topped with poached egg, lime, sea salt, and chile. 

9. Community Q BBQ – Decatur (BBQ) 

What To Get: The Mac and Cheese. Seriously, you can even skip the BBQ here and go to Sweet Auburn, Daddy D’s or Fox, but do not pass up on the Mac and Cheese here which is the best I’ve ever had. Get an entire quart of it and don’t share with anyone!

10. Home Grown – Memorial (Brunch) 

What To Get: The Comfy Chicken Biscuit. Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Clinton, John Hamm, and just about every other celebrity has eaten as this loud and local brunch favorite in Atlanta. You really do have to get the Comfy Chicken Biscuit - it’s a staple - but maybe split it with someone else, because you won’t finish it and you’ll end up in a food coma by 11am. The fried green tomatoes are also amazing. Like most well-known brunch spots in Atlanta, be prepared to wait in line. 

Happy eating and sorry vegans!

[andrewberkowitz]

2017 - A Year In Review

I’m not a pessimist, but it sure is hard to find the positives in 2017.  We’ve lived through almost a full year of a sexual predator as our President, seen thousands lose their lives to senseless gun violence, and have had our racial tensions soar to impossibly new heights. Changes are happening every day and sometimes it’s hard to tell if we’re even heading in the right direction. The world is scary for everyone right now, and while it’s important to stay vigilant, everyone also deserves a distraction every now and again. Some people sweat out their stress by running marathons, others through hot-yoga, and others through leaving our country all together and traveling the world. My decompression, as it always has been, is through totally immersing myself in the endless abundance that is New Music and dissecting it until the late hours of the night. This year, I was slightly disappointed by the lack of consistency from bands and songwriters. There was no Lemonade to inspire us, no Blonde to lullaby us, and no Life of Pablo to wake us the fuck up. In fact, 2017 feels like the year mainstream rap and pop just took a year off. DAMN. was alright, but overall, I wasn’t compelled by anything that made its way to the Top 50 Charts. So, where does that leave us? With an obscure collection of mostly sad, but beautiful songs that I don’t recommend playing at parties. Grab some tissues, and enjoy. Best Songs of 2017 25. “In Chains” – The War on Drugs Truly almost any song from The War on Drug’s fourth and best album A Deeper Understanding could’ve made the Top 25 list of the year, and I chose “In Chains,” sort of arbitrarily. “Chains” is classic The War on Drugs. A repetitive piano line, grazing synth, and straight-forward percussion chugs the song along until screeching guitars whip us into an incredible chorus that would make Bruce Springsteen diehards sprint down the nearest turnpike at blistering speed. Also, on the topic of The Boss, if the piano solo at the very end is not a blatant ode to “Jungleland,” than I don’t know what is.

24. “The Grocery” – Manchester Orchestra

It’s really hard to include this song by itself because it really belongs as a companion piece to the two-minute “The Sunshine” that proceeds it. In fact, the entire album of A Black Mile To the Surface is such a cohesive album from front to back that it’s hard to appreciate the parts of its sum and not just the whole itself. Alas, if Black Mile is a cohesive narrative, than the “The Grocery” is its epic chapter. After a near death (“you squeeze on the trigger / but all it does is click”), the song builds into an impossibly gorgeous wall of sound, a mix of multiple layers of pitched up vocals, guitars, pianos, and drums. It’s everything, all at once, and it’s freaking awesome.

23. “Through The Roses” – Future Islands Arguably the hardest working person in the business, Sam Herring, frontman of Future Island brings all the emotions to the front on “Through The Roses,” a deep-cut off the AOTY contender The Far Field. Somehow Future Islands always finds a way to make singing about pain so danceable and this is no different. “Through The Roses,” is one of the most emotionally affecting (“it’s not easy being human”) and lyrically vivid (“the cut is waiting / the cut is waxing and it’s cold) songs in his entire catalog, but it will also the one that will get stuck in your head the longest.

22. “Tonite” – LCD Soundsytem

When I first heard this song, I really wanted to hate it. From the jump, we are greeted with a cheesy 80s house beat, SNL-inspired cowbell, and the hyper-processed vocals we're used to hearing in Daft Punk songs. "Tonite" chugs along for four minutes, gradually adding tension with the help of a gorgeous synth line, anxious guitar plucking, and a choir of echo-ing vocal harmonies. In the song's final two minutes, Murphy substitutes his talking for singing and the pay-off is incredible. With lines like “you hate the idea that you’re wasting your youth" and "terrible people know better than you / the use and abuse of the wants of dear listener," you'll be mad at yourself for questioning this incredible song in the first place.

21. “Losing All Sense” – Grizzly Bear

A standout single of the new record, Painted Ruins, “Losing All Sense,” is one of Grizzly Bear’s most accessible songs ever recorded. A bouncy guitar riff pushes along the up-tempo song until a kaleidoscopic chorus takes over, slowing the song down to a crawl as Ed Droste anchors the moment with the thoughtful lyric, “could I ask of you / not to cut into me?” It’s such a great juxtaposition of jingling, upbeat instrumentation and dark lyricism. Not since “Two Weeks” have we seen a Grizzly Bear song this replayable, which is such a nice reprieve from the dense tracks that cover the rest of the album.

20. “Proud” - (Sandy) Alex G

Alex Giannascoli, the prolific Philadelphia singer-songwriter refuses to put himself in a box. In the past half decade, Alex has shown us a multitude of different sides to him, from straightforward lo-fi bedroom folk-rock (Tricks, DSU), to dark, weird indie-rock (Beach Music). On his latest though, Rocket, Alex takes all of his influences, and then some, and throws them into an album that has as many abrasive, screaming experimental-rock songs as it does simple, cozy, alt-country songs. It’s a terrifically weird juxtaposition to hear, but one song that really stands out on the latter side of that spectrum is “Proud,” an incredibly warm, Americana-style song that has Alex strumming cleanly on an acoustic guitar overtop a dancing piano line and a tambourine. It’s such a simple and classic tune you’re going to swear you’ve heard it before. It’s definitely not even close to the most interesting song on Rocket (Check out “Horse” or “Brick” for that), but it’s definitely the most beautiful and replayable, and those are the ones that tend to find their way into my year-end lists.

19. “Supermodel” – SZA

SZA, who absolutely deserves the award for Breakout Artist of the Year, is a co-writer for Rihanna, and on first listen to “Supermodel,” not to mention the rest of the stellar Ctrl, it’s easy to see why. “Supermodel” kicks the album off with a bang, as her vocals carry the song throughout the entire track, twisting and turning in gorgeous fashion, not unlike the cadence one comes to expect with the flows of Young Thug or Frank Ocean. SZA’s lyrics are at the forefront as she sings, clear as day, “I’ve been secretly banging your homeboy,” atop nothing but a few pillow-y guitar chords. Well, shit.

18. “May I Have This Dance” (Remix) – Francis and the Lights ft. Chance The Rapper

Before Chance added a verse to Francis Starlight's, “May I Have This Dance,” it just sounded liked a 80s cheese-pop ode to Peter Gabriel. On the remix, it still sounds like that, but with a much-needed upgrade to freshen it up. Easily one of the most (and only) danceable songs on this list, Francis’s lyrics of “can I say something crazy? / I love you” actually feel authentic and not overly saccharine, which make this song cut deep, if you let it. Chance ends the song with a characteristically fun (ex: “I love you more than you mother”) verse as we’ve come to expect, before the explosive final chorus brings the song to the end. Make sure you check this song out live – Chance and Francis have an adorable dance that goes with it.

17. “Waving Through A Window” - Ben Platt

I’m just gonna say it. If you are not a fan of corny musicals, then go ahead and skip this song. Now that we have the haters gone, I can swoon over the standout hit from 2017’s biggest Broadway musical Dear, Evan Hanson, an incredibly powerful coming-of-age show about bullying, anxiety, suicide, and unrequited love. “Waving Through A Window,” is an immediate hit that may sound like a Top-20 Christian-Pop song (I know) on first listen, but when you really let go of your judgements you can enjoy the song for what is is - one of the catchiest songs of 2017. Just wait until the major-key change at the end – so amazing.

16. “Follow My Voice” – Julie Byrne

There were a lot of solemn, introspective albums released by fearless women this year (Vagabon, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Big Thief, Palehound), and Not Even Happiness by singer-songwriter Julie Byrne is one of the best of the year. “Follow My Voice” is the opening track on the album and also the strongest. An absolutely gorgeous acoustic guitar flutters along as Julie shares what seems to be a moment of tension for her in a relationship (“to me this city is hell / but I know you call it home”). Around halfway through the song, strings are introduced and that’s when the waterworks begin. It’s an absolutely real song about personal sacrifice, insecurity, and love, and you can feel every emotion thanks to Julie’s soaring vocal range.

15. “Cold Apartment” – Vagabon

There’s really no silver lining to this song. “Cold Apartment” is a song about the painful end of relationships and how nothing ever goes as planned. I love how vulnerable Laetitia Tamko is on this track, as she starts the song off with “I know it’s my fault. I gave up on everything.” From there, you are in for a ride of dark and brooding instrumentation and lyrics. While this song elicits the same emotions as Julie Byrne’s “Follow By Voice,” the roaring percussion of “Cold Apartment” at least allows you to take out your anger by punching a wall rather than crying softly into your pillow.

14. “Haley” - Big Thief

“Haley,��� a standout track from the Brooklyn quartet Big Thief, is a beautifully, intricate folk-rock song with enough tension and resolution to please the average classical music listener. Overlapping twinkling guitars carry the song as the song’s tempo swells and contracts back and forth, reminiscent of a 1970s Joni Mitchell.

13. “Hunters Gun” – Palehound

“Hunters Gun,” the opening track from Ellen Palehound’s newest album, A Place I’ll Always Go stuck with me the second I heard it. While under two-minutes, “Gun,” packs quite the punch, as a lo-fi crunchy drum mix and simple electric guitar accompany Ellen Kempner’s desperate and painful vocals. As Kempner breath-sings “Don’t come near me, I don’t wanna see your face,” you can literally feel the goosebumps from the horrid scene she’s describing.

12. “Ballad Of A Dying Man” - Father John Misty

Enough has been written on Father John Misty that I don’t feel like I need to give this man more credit than he already gets, but I’d be remiss to leave off a cut from Pure Comedy, the latest output from J. Tillman’s impressive catalog. Like many songs on Pure Comedy, “Ballad Of A Dying Man,” is a sardonic social commentary on modern-day culture, but this time from the perspective of someone who is about to die. “Eventually the dying man takes his final breath / but first checks his news feed to see what he’s about to miss” is classic Tillman, as he sings over a track that is brought together by acoustic guitar, piano and some background gospel singers. It may be easy to roll your eyes at this song but it’s even easier to admire its beauty and genius.

11. “Chanel” - Frank Ocean

“My guy pretty like a girl / and he got fight stories to tell” may be my favorite lyric of the year, and it’s the opening line to Frank Ocean’s stand-alone single “Chanel,” released in March. One of the more braggadocious Frank tracks in recent memory, Ocean’s boasts about sex, money, and fame with a vocal performance that constantly shifts and turns with each new line, from tenor singing to a lower-register rap flow, sometimes even within the same bar. This is Frank at his best, flexing both his singing and rapping muscles while somehow still finding a way to make us to shed a tear while he sings about maxing out his Amex.

10. “Mallwalkers - Fred Thomas

Fred Thomas writes stories and then creates music around them. The Michigan native has written over 20 albums under several different alias’s and all of them are just as raw and impressive as the next. “Mallwakers” is the final song of his latest record Closer and it’s vintage Fred Thomas. A distorted guitar riff and crashing drum beat carry us through a mostly spoken-word narrative that builds and builds as the instrumentation intensifies and progresses. Listening to this song, it appears Fred is not singing for anyone but himself, as he reflects on the boredom and torture of a younger, past life, questing and criticizing something new in every line. Almost every line is simultaneously genius, funny, and heartbreaking all at once, particularly when he calls his high-school peers “horrid hushed hall talkers” and “judge-gabled gawkers.” Fred’s art has always been just as enjoyable to read as it is to listen to it, and “Mallwalkers” is no different.

9. “City of Roses” - Sufjan Stevens

In 2015, Sufjan released Carrie & Lowell, arguably my favorite album of all time. Since then, Sufjan has catapulted himself into a rare space of artists I believe can literally do no wrong (joining Justin Vernon and that’s about it). In 2017, he released the Planetarium LP, a Carrie & Lowell live album, contributed two songs to the fantastic Call Me By Your Name movie, and most recently, released The Greatest Gift, a Carrie & Lowell B-Side alum. Within the latest releases, we have been blessed with dozens of new Sufjan tracks that belong on this list, but the one I’m choosing to include is “City of Roses,” a short, addictive ode to one of Sufjan’s favorite cities, Portland. Unlike most of the sad, autobiographical tunes from Carrie, “City of Roses” is a refreshing reprieves of positivity, yet one that doesn’t sacrifice any beauty along the way. Reminiscent of Illinois-style folk rock, Sufjan admits, “I’ve had it enough with the east coast,” as he begins his trek to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. This song is short and sweet enough it will quickly reach it’s way to your most-played list before you know it.

8. “Real Death” - Mount Eerie

On July 9, 2016, Phil Elvirum’s wife died from pancreatic cancer. On March 24, 2017, A Crow Looked At Me was released, an album that pretty much chronicles in real time the aftermath, mourning and pain that Phil went through and continues to go through following her death. There has truly never been an album quite like this. It’s a rare, rare inside look to the unspeakable truth of what it feels like to lose the one you love and be left alone to raise your two-year old daughter on your own. “Real Death” is the first song off Mount Eerie’s arguably unlistenable, yet Album of the Year A Crow Looked At Me. All metaphor is stripped away, as Phil leads the song with the immortal words, “Death is real / Someone’s there and then they’re not / And it’s not for singing about / It’s not for making into art. When real death enters the house all poetry is dumb.” The language alone to describe his loss (“crusted with tears / catatonic and raw”) is enough to make you cringe and threaten to press the skip button. There really is no reward to listening to this song. But it’s real and it makes me feel things. And it’s the 8th best song of the year.

7. “Hey K” - Passion Pit

If you didn’t know, Passion Pit secretly self-released an album this year in March called Tremendous Sea of Love and it’s actually one of my favorite albums of the year. Despite my enjoyment of being in the minority of people who have been exposed to this album, I think it’s worth sharing a piece of the magic from the album in the form of “Hey K,” the most beautiful arrangement Michael Angelakos has composed to date. Warm, dreamy ambient synthscapes that we’re used to hearing from Passion Pit glisten and swell with twinkly pianos as Angelako’s familiar, yet slightly processed tenor glides us through the track.  While the track is directly aimed toward Michael’s ex Kristina Mucci, it is actually an exquisite love-song; a song of appreciation for what they had and will always have.

6. “Pageant” - PWR BTTM

I know I shouldn’t be writing about PWR BTTM because of the allegations against frontman Ben Hopkins, but I can’t help myself and include “Pageant,” --- the centerpiece of the same-titled 2017 record that never even saw the light of the day --- on my list. This is one of those songs that just stuck with me the second I heard it. The way in which Ben’s voice awkwardly bends along with the off-tempo melody of the acoustic guitar, the way in which their voice feels like it’s on the verge of breaking apart at any moment, and the way in which it does break apart at the end, all before an electric guitar takes the song to its natural conclusion. To me, it’s a perfect song and it’s a shame the song never actually got to see the light of day. In fact, good luck even finding this song on the internet.

5. “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness” – The National

How long have National fans been waiting for a song like this? After just about two decades of subtle, textured, mellow, down-tempo rock songs, the National reward its fans with “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness,” an urgent, thunderous, accessible stand-alone single that fucking rips. “I can’t explain it any other way,” says Berninger, and I have to agree. This song --- along with Aaron Dessner’s gross guitar solo in the middle of the song --- is simply one of the most fun, aggressive, cathartic National songs ever recorded. It’s up there with “Mr. November” as one of the all-time best too, and that’s saying a lot.

4. “Intrepid” – Pinegrove

Pinegrove know how to tangle your heart into a ball, play with it, and then give it back at the exact moment you’re about to curl over and die. “Intrepid,” the single off the supposedly titled Skylight supposedly out in March, is a call-back to the lo-fi days from Everything So Far. On the first couple listens to this song, it’s actually quite unassuming. Evan’s vocals are tucked neatly into the back of the mix, as clean guitars ring out over a tense percussive back. At times, Evan’s voice becomes more pronounced as he screams, “well the way I spent my winter / I wonder” but then almost immediately, he and the music pulls back, and leaves us wanting so much more. What feels like a frustrating tug and pull of tension with no real resolution during the lengthy and repetitive middle section soon makes sense when it transitions to its fateful conclusion. The tempo slows, then quickens, then slows, and then quickens again. Finally, the intensifying vocals and guitars swelter until they can’t take it anymore and we are greeted with a climatic, harmonious resolution all packed within a single chord. It’s a song that really takes a while to sink in, but once it does, you will not be able to stop hitting repeat.

3. “Orange Colored Queen” - Ty Segall

Ty Segall is a legend. If you don’t know him, he’s a singer-songwriter who has released 10 albums in the past 10 years, and that’s just counting the ones under his own name. He is a naturally gifted songsmith, who, at his best, has a really classic sound whose influences range across The Beatles, The Kinks, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, to Queen. At his most interesting though, you can find Ty Segall crossdressing, wearing a mask and screaming nonsense into a microphone for five-minutes. “Orange Colored Queen” though, of literally the 200+ Ty Segall songs is probably the most straightforward and down-to-earth he has ever sounded. Starting with a beautiful and lazy guitar line, Ty eases us into the song before soon enough at the :50 second mark the track doubles in time, the drums kick in, and we are in paradise. I have a hard time describing this song because it’s such a simple and basic pop song that it really just needs to be heard, similar to any Beatles song you’d find on One. When a song is this good and this simple, you don’t ask questions – you just listen.

2. Appointments” - Julien Baker

Ok, so first, if you know me, I tend to be attracted to certain songs that have a specific formula to them. One of my favorite formulas is this: Quiet, atmospheric piano-driven ballad with introspective lyrics slowly builds to an anthemic, explosive, and deeply cathartic (key word) climax and that leaves you stuck in your chair for a bit after it’s over. Some of my favorite songs of all time employ this formula of slow start → rising action → climax. “Exit Music (For A Film)” does this well, “Ultralight Beam” does this well,” “I Dreamed A Dream” does this well. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” does this well. Well, Julien Baker, welcome to the club.

“Appointments” is that formula perfectly executed, with a twinkling guitar repeating throughout the song atop a timid piano line. As Julien reflects on a destructive relationship, the song slowly but surely starts to pick up pace, until eventually the music drops out altogether. After echoing and overlapping vocals fill up the instrumental void, the piano and guitar suddenly come back, this time with Julien belting the final refrain like it’s her final moments on earth, screaming, “maybe it’s all gonna turn out all right / oh, I know that it’s not, but I have to believe that it is.” It’s a powerful ending to a song that seems to bring as much healing to the listener as it does for Julien herself.

1. “Blanket Me” – Hundred Waters

Like I said in the Julie Byrne review, this year was rich in providing deeply powerful introspective indie-ballads from extremely talented frontwomen. “Blanket Me” was a song I discovered this year at a time when I really needed comfort and it really provided me the warmth I longed for. Just like its name, “Blanket Me,” is the feeling of locking yourself in a room, lying on the floor, wrapping yourself like a burrito in blankets, and blasting your favorite song until you sink deep into the floor. And if you think I’m being dramatic, go ahead and press play. The lyrics literally read “gone under, capsized and sinking” before she screams, “blanket me” literally 81 times (I counted). On top of the repeating lyrics, you get absolutely smothered by noise, as you are met with waves of vibrating synths, explosive drum fills, and a choir of pitched-up electronic vocals. There is so much going on at once that it’s hard to separate one sound from the other. It’s totally immersive, visceral, and above all, comforting. “Blanket Me” is the best song of two thousand and seventeen.

Full List:

1. “Blanket Me” - Hundred Waters 2. “Appointments” - Julien Baker 3. “Orange Colored Queen” - Ty Segall 4. “Intrepid” - Pinegrove 5. “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness" - The National 6. “Pageant” - PWR BTTM 7. “Hey K” - Passion Pit 8. “Real Death” - Mount Eerie 9. “City of Roses” - Sufjan Stevens 10. “Mallwalkers - Fred Thomas 11. “Chanel” - Frank Ocean 12. “Ballad Of A Dying Man” - Father John Misty 13. “Hunters Gun” - Palehound 14. “Haley” - Big Thief 15. “Cold Apartment” - Vagabon 16. “Follow My Voice” - Julie Byrne 17. “Waving Through A Window” - Ben Platt 18. “May I Have This Dance” - Francis and the Lights ft. Chance The Rapper 19. “Supermodel” - SZA 20. “Proud” - (Sandy) Alex G 21. “Tonite” - LCD Soundsystem 22. “Losing All Sense” - Grizzly Bear 23. “Through The Roses” - Future Islands 24. “The Grocery” - Manchester Orchestra 25. “In Chains” - The War on Drugs 26. “Motion Sickness” - Phoebe Bridgers 27. “Man of War” - Radiohead 28. “Guilty Party” - The National 29. “You Have The Right” - Passion Pit 30. “LOL” - PWR BTTM 31. “DNA” - Kendrick Lamar 32. “Evening Prayer” - Jens Lekman 33. “Charlie” - Alison Crutchfield 34. “Half A Million” - The Shins 35. “Reactionary” - Fred Thomas 36. “A Slow, Slow Death” - Los Campesinos 37. “Ran in Soho” - The Mountain Goats 38. “George Washington” - Why? 39. “Over Everything” - Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile 40. “Mercury” - Sufjan Stevens, James Mcallister, Aaron Dessner, Nico Muhley 41. “The Greatest Gift” - Sufjan Stevens 42. “Blood On Me” - Sampha 43. “Darkened Rings” - Cloud Nothings 44. “Third of May / Odaigahara" - Fleet Foxes 45. “Total Entertainment Forever” - Father John Misty 46. “Kill Jill” - Big Boy, Killer Mike, Jeezy 47. “What I Want” - Cende 48. “Radio” - Sylvan Esso 49. “American Dream” - LCD Soundsystem 50. “Take Care (To Comb Your Hair)” - Ty Segall 51. “Keep Your Name” - The Dirty Projectors 52. “Dogs” - Pile 53. “Say Something Loving” - The XX 54. “Gone Beyond” - Peter Silberman 55. “Creature Comfort” - The Arcade Fire 56. “How Do You Sleep?” - LCD Soundsystem 57. “Look At Your Hands” - tUnE-yArDs 58. “Tonya Harding (in Eb major)” - Sufjan Stevens 59. “Taste” – Rhye 60. “Sugar For The Pill” – Slowdive Best Albums of 2017 1. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me 2. Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights 3. The National - Sleep Well Beast 4. The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding 5. Passion Pit - Tremendous Sea of Love 6. Future Islands - The Far Field 7. Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile To The Sun 8. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy 9. Sylvan Esso - What Now 10. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins 11. Los Campesinos - Sick Scenes 12. Fred Thomas - Changer 13. The Mountain Goats - Goths 14. James McAlister, Bryce Dessen, Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly - Planetarium 15. WHY? - Moh Lhean

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I hope you at least learned one new song or album that can bring deep emotion into your life. Below is a Spotify Playlist of every song except for PWR BTTM and Ty Segall. 2018, bring it on. Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/andrewberkowitz/playlist/1v9fNU9V2foTnGu7LOjspO

[andrewberkowitz]

[Fresh Review] LCD Soundsystem - American Dream

I like LCD Soundsystem. But I don’t love them. Since 2002, LCD Soundsystem has released 4 solid records, but I’ve never loved one of them from front to back. Don’t get me wrong, LCD Soundsystem are absolutely a legendary, “seminal” genre-defining electronic-dance-rock band, but for some reason, I’ve never been able to appreciate them for more than just the parts of their sum. And yes, you read that correctly. 

A quick history. In 2005, front-man and indie demi-god James Murphy gave us their self-titled debut, LCD Soundsystem, which to me, is a mostly unlistenable piece of synth-rock besides a few enjoyable, tongue-in-cheek numbers (“Losing My Edge,” “Tribulations”). Omg but the production is soooo good critics will say. Eh. If it doesn’t hit me, it doesn’t hit me. In 2007, we got arguably their strongest output in Sound of Silver, which gave us gems like “Someone Great,” “New York, You’re Bringing Me Down,” and arguably the greatest song of all time, “All My Friends.” Three years later, This Is Happening brought similar highs (“Dance Yrself Clean,” “Home), but also brought forgettable, unlistenable tracks (“Drunk Girls,” “One Touch”). Add in a few EPs and one-off singles, and that pretty much brings us to 2017 with American Dream.

For better or worse, not much has changed since 2002. Murphy and Co. are still writing sardonic, yet passionate turntable-rock music, but with the same sort of hit or miss flavor you can expect from an LCD record. So why is it so hard for them to write a flawless record when they clearly have so much potential? The thing is, LCD has a formula that everyone knows. They make a beat, put it on repeat for an incredibly long period of time (the average song length is 7 minutes), and progressively add layers of instrumentation to in until it inevitably builds into a ear-warming resolution. While it’s a smart formula, it’s incredibly hit or miss. They either risk boring the hell out of their audience for a good chunk of the record (cough cough “Black Screen”) or they create a magical moment that is able to hold your attention for a seemingly indefinite amount of time until you forget who you are. That to me, is not only American Dream in a nutshell, but every single LCD album in a nutshell. Half the tracks are holy-grail how the hell is this so good and half the tracks are actually quite hard to make it all the way through. On this record, you could literally eliminate 50% of the record and it’s be my album of the year. That’s how polarized this record is. So let’s dive in.

Oh, baby. Sorry, forgot the quotes. “Oh baby” kicks of the album with a gorgeous echo-ing piano line and a familiar synth groove. With lines as pained as “oh sugar / give in to me” and “please baby please / my love life plays for me,” it’s clear this saccharine, slowburner is a break-up song of things better left unsaid. It’s also a really awesome opening song.

After the mostly unlistenable Talking-Heads derivative that is “Other Voices,” we get the gorgeous “I Used To,” a song that’s beauty is subtle but powerful. Stuck together by a haunting bassline, repetitive bleep-bloops, crashing cymbals, and ultimately a searing guitar solo, this track has successfully buried itself into my head with the torturous resolution of “I’m still trying to wake up.” While the rest of the album is a series of hit or miss tracks (“Change Yr Mind” is does nothing for me), I’d be remiss to not call out the absolute 15 minutes of perfection that is “How Do You Sleep” into “Tonite,” two songs that belong on the 2025 LCD Soundsystem double-reunion Best-Of album. “How Do You Sleep,” is the “Blood On the Leaves” on American Dream. Led entirely by tribal-influenced drums and a frantic string arrangement, the first five minutes will literally make your skin crawl from anxiety and tension. Finally --- and I mean finally --- a massive synth line comes in that will explode your eardrums if you’re not ready for it. But wait! As an impossibly cool-sounding Murphy sings about a vindictive friendship (“I remember when we were friends / I remember calling you friend,” the instruments continue to build, until, like typical LCD fashion the song bursts wide open with the sweltering addition of Pat Mahoney’s crashing drums. The remaining 3-4 minutes seem to suspend in space; as if life would be okay if it existed in this moment forever. It’s potentially the apex of LCD’s career and something I am absolutely ecstatic to see preformed live.

“Tonite” similarly brings the heat, with the caustic flavor a-la “Losing My Edge” mixed with the techno flavor of a Daft Punk b-side. While the whole song is essential, there is something truly special about the way the song builds with anxiety toward the end, with a breathless Murphy screaming, “you hate the idea that you’re wasting your youth / that you stood in the background until you got older.” It’s potentially my favorite single verse in their entire catalog, and it’s single-handled due to Murphy’s vocal delivery and punchy lyrics. Absolute frisson.

When we zoom out on this 10-song record, it’s hard not to applaud their effort. We have a fairly cohesive album with a wide diversity of different song types that is sure to please everyone in some way. We have a choppy, punk-rocker (“Emotional Haircut,”) an epic slow-burner (“American Dream”), an 80s rock call back (“Other Voices,”), and even a dance-hall stunner in “Tonite.” But disappointingly, for me, I simply can’t get from minute one to minute 68 without the desire to press skip. I guess looking back at their previous output, I shouldn’t be surprised.

seven out of ten

[andrewberkowitz]

Frisson - What It Is And Why It Matters To Me

How many times do you set goals for yourself but never follow-through on them? Flossing every night? Working out every day? Posting in your blog weekly? We as humans have so many goals and aspirations, but due to the complexity and unpredictability in each of our unique lives, it’s very rare we do everything we set out to achieve. And while that isn’t inherently wrong, sometimes you wake up at 3pm with a horrible hangover, look at your life and say to yourself - it’s time. Without getting overly personal, this is the place I am in my life right now. It’s time to make positive, intentional shifts in my habits and behaviors, and tonight I start with my first blog post in two years about the thing I love more than anything else in the world: music. I’ll get to joining a gym, next week, I promise (-;

Music may seem like a silly thing to hold on such a high pedestal. In a country that is being torn apart more and more each day, it seems foolish to ease up on the pedal even a little bit to focus the attention on something else. Music is after all just sound. A combination of texture, pitch, melody, timbre, and dynamics; sonics that enable us to feel something for a temporary amount of time. So why is music so powerful to so many people? Like any medium of art, music allows the consumer to experience a host of emotional responses from fear to excitement, sadness to joy. Music can serve as an escape from the real-world or it can serve as a harsh reminder that we are as temporary and disjointed as the very songs we listen to. In my opinion, music is a powerful opportunity for us to practice introspection, healing, and empathy. If we listened to others like we listened to our favorite songs, invested in the words of our community members as carefully as we did to the lyrics of our esteemed pop stars, I think our world could look a lot differently. This is why I listen to music: to feel something powerful. To learn about myself from the experiences of others. To magnify and enhance a moment, and harness my inspiration into something productive.

When I think about the music that I’m naturally pulled too, it’s easy to get technical with it: I like music with warm, atmospheric sounds. I like music with calculated dissonance. I like slower-tempo’d music, with surprising key changes and off-beat phrasing choices. I like youthful, nostalgic music that offers deep cathartic reflexes. I like dramatic, epic music, with climaxes that swell like a wave and have overblown string instrumentation. I like quiet, somber music that hardly has any instrumentation at all. I like music with abstract, esoteric lyrics that can be shaped and interpreted into meaning anything you want. I like music with specific story-telling prose; lyrics that can only mean one thing and when it resonates, it cuts through you like a hot knife through butter. I could go through all the different types of music I like, but one thing must always remain true for the music that I like: do i feel anything when i listen to it?

This is always the question I return to when I’m listening and evaluating music. A song may be “good” because it uses a complex song structure or an irregular time signature, have incredible productions and great lyrics, but if I didn’t feel anything, is it good to me? Of course not. And the same goes for everyone. There is a music term I learned years ago that I always come back to. The word is frisson and while the word may be foreign to most, the feeling is universal. Frisson is a physical reaction, similar to goosebumps, that we all get when we experience an intense emotional reaction. It's not just about "that hit me right in the feels,” moment, but it’s an actual physical tingle/chills/goosebumps/shudder when a moment just shakes you to your core. Frisson is sort of rare, but when it happens, you know. This is ultimately what I look for in music. Frisson, catharsis, saudade: a deep emotional feeling. Some people don’t want to have such an extreme reaction to music, and I get that, but I’d push people to have these experiences more often. When we are at our mostly deeply vulnerable and unhinged, we are at our most genuine and real. These feelings can lead to someone totally losing themselves in a moment, which, if you’re around the right people, can be the most rewarding and positive experience there is. 

I truly can’t explain why a moment gives me frisson or doesn’t. That’s what makes it so special. It could be that moment when the artist screams an emotive lyric from the bottom of his heart, or the simple drum build-on to the greatest final verse of all time. It could be hearing literally the opening piano line of a song that never gets old no matter how many times you press repeat, or it could be one, beautiful, goose-tingling harmony in your favorite musical number. If you click on the links above, you may feel nothing, especially out of context. But I urge you to listen to the whole songs, prepared and teething with anticipation for the moment of frisson. More importantly, I urge you to find the frisson in your own lives. Not only in the songs you enjoy, but in the people you surround yourself with. In the work that you do every day. Let’s not hide behind our feelings, let’s seek out ways to have them more, and embrace them all. Otherwise, what are we doing here?

[andrewberkowitz]

SONG OF THE WEEK

“Downtown” by Majical Cloudz

In many ways, “Downtown” feels like the perfect sequel to Majical Cloudz’s fantastic, ode to friendship “What That Was” from Turns, Turns, Turns in 2012. On “What That Was,” Welsh recounts the best times he and his friend Neil spent going downtown, going to shows, and getting drunk -  back when things were simpler.

Three years later, our protagonist is still walking the streets of the downtown he loves, but this time he’s not reflecting on the past. With a twirling synth line, droning organ, and a simple drum track, Welsh delivers the most unabashed eulogy of 2015: “If suddenly I die I hope they will say / that he was obsessed and it was OK.” The straightforwardness of it all makes it feel like Welsh is singing straight into your soul, as his vocals bellow and soar, displaying his restricted, yet impressive baritone range.

Majical Cloudz songs have always had a common tone of intensity and melancholy to them, but on “Downtown” Welsh sounds almost jubilant to a degree. You can hear the confidence in his words as he proclaims “I’m going crazy for you.” Welsh has come to terms with who he is, and there’s no going back.

[andrewberkowitz]

SONG OF THE WEEK

“Eventually” by Tame Impala

Take a quick second and look at the album art for Currents, the upcoming Tame Impala album due out July 17. Scroll up and down and watch the black and white lines turn into purple liquid, as the pixels move and glimmer right in front of your very eyes. Soon you become lost in it, stuck in a trance you can’t get out of it. Pair that experience with a first listen of Tame Impala’s new single, “Eventually,” and you’ll have one hell of a time.

Six seconds into “Eventually,” and it’s already apparent Tame Impala have tapped into something truly special. The heaviness of the bass, the glacier-sized reverb, and a high-frequency siren makes for such a gorgeous moment of temporary intensity, that it’ll make just about anybody stop what they’re doing and say: “my god.” Moments later, it’s gone, and the space is filled with nothing but Kevin Parker’s Lennon-esque airy vocals and a simple drum & synth backbeat. The track never quits though, as it goes back and forth from huge EDM-inspired histrionics, to minimal instrumentation, with Parker pushing the song forward with the optimistic message of “I know that I’ll be happier / and I know you will too” over a goosebump-inducing synth line that would make Son Lux proud. A two-minute carousel of twisting and turning electronic hypnotism later, and you’ll be clicking repeat eventually immediately. With each new release, Tame Impala continue to push themselves into a new dimension of complex layering and shiny atmospheric tracks. If “Eventually” and the previously released “Let it Happen” are any indication of what’s to come on Currents, I think it’s safe to say we are currently witnessing Tame Impala at their absolute finest.

[andrewberkowitz]

Shaky Knees 2k15 Live Review

Music festivals are a difficult thing to explain to someone who has never experienced one. From the outside, they seem too good to be true. Hundreds of bands in three days, a cheaper price then if you went to each show individually, an outdoor setting, beer, food, cool people, good vibes. But once inside, it can be completely overwhelming. Two of your favorite bands are probably playing at the same time, the length of the sets are shorter than if you saw them at a solo gig, the crowds are massive, there are always people talking over the music, the 90 degree heat is intolerable for one hour, let alone seven, the lines for the food trucks are hours long, staying with your group is impossible, the port-o-potties smell of death, and ultimately you end up wanting to lie in the grass while that band-you-sorta-like plays in the background. This is one of the reasons Shaky Knees is only the second festival I’ve ever been too – they are typical more tiresome and stressful than they are enjoyable. However, thanks to an above average music lineup, a location that was walking distance from my home, and a beautiful reunion of college friends, Shaky Knees 2k15 in Atlanta, GA proved to be the perfect festival experience. Let’s talk about the music, shall we?

Quietest Set – Mac Demarco

A very packed Mac Demarco set was unfortunately undermined due to sound issues, specifically an incredibly quiet lead guitar. Even with the crowd pointing their fingers upwards indicating for the sound people to raise the volume, the sound was never improved, which made for a pretty underwhelming set, at least sonically. Visually, it was typical Demarco entertainment, as he donned camouflage suspenders, and smoked Viceroy cigs on stage with his care-free attitude. We might not have heard new track “The Way You’d Love her,” but we did get a hilarious Coldplay cover from Pierce, and a brief ‘Californication’ tease that did not disappoint.

Most Overhyped Set – Built to Spill

Built to Spill is my favorite band that played at the festival, and when they announced they were playing a separate late-night show at a local music venue, I was ecstatic. I would be able to see my favorite band twice in one day; once in a huge festival setting with an abbreviated set, and another, inches away at a tiny dive bar for a full two hour set. With Built to Spill known for playing different set-lists every night, I was overflowing with excitement months prior, anticipating what songs I might be able to hear. To be honest, their festival set was pretty great. They ran through a few new ones from Untethered Moon, blew us away with Perfect From Now On opener “Randy Described Eternity,” played a super-oldie, “Joyride” and finished with a fun cover of “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” not to mention the classic “Carry the Zero” smack-dab in the middle of the set. However, everything went downhill when we arrived to their late-night set at the Earl.

Sold-out show; 150-capacity venue; cheap beer; my favorite band; what could possibly go wrong? A two-hour set of covers - that’s what. I guess since they had played earlier in the day, they figured they were justified to play 13 of other people’s songs. Yes, BTS play awesome covers --- Smiths’ “How Soon is Now?” is infectious, as is The Clash’ “Train in Vain,” --- but two-hours of covers is just too much. Almost every fan began yelling for Built to Spill songs after the third cover, and even though I usually hate when people shout out song requests, I was happy I wasn’t alone in my disappointment. This was a sold-out show we spent money on. If it was a free-show for friends & family, I could understand the all-cover set, but for an audience so dedicated that the show sold out in five minutes, it definitely didn’t feel right. Sigh.

Best Headlining Set – The Strokes

Wow, did I ever wish I were a bigger Strokes fan than Friday night. Despite only being familiar with Is This It, I was thoroughly blown away the entire performance from the five-piece New York rockers. The Stokes came out and immediately went into “Reptilla,” which absolutely erupted the crowd into madness. For a few minutes, it was impossible not to dance, as 15,000 people jumped up and down to the catchy guitar licks, and infectious vocal screams of Julian Casablancas. I was amazed at how well Casablanca’s vocal effect on all his songs translated well, as it juxtaposes beautifully with the gorgeous, clean tone of the guitars. By the time they played “Last Nite,” I was completely under their spell, amazed by how emotional I could get over such a catchy, upbeat commercial rock band.

Most Professional Set – Wilco

Having never seen Wilco preform, I was incredibly excited to see what the experimental-folk rockers had in store for Atlanta. Despite Wilco accustomed to playing upwards of three-hour sets, they were reserved to only 90 minutes on Saturday night. This actually proved to be perfect for fans like me, who are familiar with their discography but not obsessive over the deep cuts and b-sides. In fact, in the first five songs, Wilco played some of my all-time favorites, including “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” “Art of Almost,” “Hummingbird,” and “Handshake Drugs.” But what really impressed me with Wilco’s set, was not just the set-list which included career spanning hits such as “Jesus, Etc.,” “Heavy Metal Drummer,” and “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” but the absolute mind-blowing professionalism that goes into Jeff Tweedy and Co. performance. From a cursory listen to Wilco, they may sound like a straightforward folk-rock band, but when you see them live, you gain a much larger appreciation for the amount of experimentation that goes into their songwriting, and live performance. In “Via Chicago,” Tweedy’s ensemble of six musicians are able to effortlessly transition from gorgeous alt-country to rambunctious cacophony, all while Tweedy sings and plays guitar perfectly in rhythm with the songs original time signature. It’s truly an impossible moment to describe, and one that needs to be seen to believe. It might have only been 7:30 PM on Saturday night, but the climax of “Via Chicago” was easily the singular best moment of the entire weekend.

Set With the Best Fans - The Mountain Goats

I really wish I knew all 300+ Mountain Goats song, because that is literally the only way you will fit in with the dedicated, cult front-row fans that bow down to John Darnelle, aka The Mountain Goats. With a set spanning seven records, I stood their bobbing my head, hoping they would play a few of the ~50 songs I know (not bad, I know!). Unfortunately for me (fortunately for others), Darnielle dove deep into his catalog playing songs as early as 1995 (”Cubs in Five”), which still had hundreds singing to every word. While he didn’t play “Going to Georgia” (we were in Georgia, come on John!) or “Color In Your Cheeks,” he did play “This Year,” and “No Children” which had everyone singing like it was their last day on earth.

Set With The Worst Fans - Neutral Milk Hotel

Seeing Neutral Milk Hotel live is no longer as special as it used to be in the 90s. Since he returned to solo tour in 2013, he has toured nonstop for a year and a half, playing every city at least twice, and then some. In the last year alone, I saw him four times, this time definitely being my last. The problem is this: Most Neutral Milk Hotel fans are not Neutral Milk Hotel fans, but Aeroplane Over the Sea fans. Yes, it’s a perfect album and deserves the acclaim it receives, but it is also only one album of NMH’s two studio albums and five EPs. In fact, I believe some of NMH’s best material come from his rarest releases, such as “Little Birds,” “Engine,” “A Baby for Pree,” and “Snow Song Pt. 1.” Yet when these gorgeous songs are played live, the fans completely tune out and began to talk incessantly to their neighbor, drowning out the gorgeous crooning of Jeff Magnum. On the other hand, when he inevitably plays his Aeroplane Over the Sea highlights, the cameras come out, and the audience screams the lyrics so loud you can’t even hear Jeff’s vocals. I became incredulous when I saw a frat bro crowd-surfing to “Holland, 1945.” Seriously? It’s Neutral Milk Hotel, not Brand New, man. Unless you see NMH in a theater with a bunch of people who don’t know Jeff Magnum and therefore won’t sing along, hearing Neutral Milk Hotel in its purest form will forever be impossible.

Set With The Most Naked People – Spiritualized

Most Surprisingly Good Set - Mitski

For a band that is used to playing $5 shows in peoples basements, I was blown away by Mitski’s ability to rock the huge festival stage. A Double Double Whammy label mate (see also: Frankie Cosmos, Porches, LVL Up), Mitski wore her ‘riot grrrl’ spirit on her sleeve, as she screamed, “fuck you and your money” to the crowd and played grating open chords with her badass pink guitar. She may have skipped my favorite song (“Last Words of a Shooting Star”), but she made up for it with a perfect back-to-back rendition of “Townie” and “First Love-Late Spring.” This was also the first show of the weekend at 1:45 on Friday. Not a bad start at all.

Most Nostalgic Set – Brand New

Fully realizing I should have been going to James Blake or the Pixies, I went with my high-school gut, and attended my 10th Brand New concert. Oddly enough, it was probably my favorite Brand New concert to date. Less rough then a typical Brand New show, I was able to get to the front row and still enjoy the music. The perfect amount of pushing and singing added to career-spanning setlist that included the fantastic new “Meme.” By including tracks like “Sink,” “Gasoline,” and “You Don’t Know” and choosing to only include one Your Favorite Weapon track, Brand New truly catered to their more aggressive, mature side, which made for a much better experience then the typical set of sixteen-year-old girls screaming every word of “Seventy Times Seven” in my ear.

Most Hypnotic Set – Tame Impala

After hearing three songs off the upcoming Tame Impala record Currents, I am pretty sure it’s going to be one of the best releases of 2015. One listen to “Eventually” or “Let It Happen,” and it’s clear that Tame Impala are on the rise to be the biggest psychedelic rock band in the world. What’s truly amazing about Tame Impala is their ability to cross genres without selling out to either side. Listen to the ‘drop’ of “Eventually” and you could almost imagine Avichii remixing it; listen to “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” and it sounds like the ghost of John Lennon; listen to “Elephant” and it sound like a trippy “Seven Nation Army.” Tame Impala’s live performance is captivating to the highest degree. Despite playing only a few chords in a single song, they are able to find this gorgeous saturated tone that could literally go on forever. It’s hypnotic, entrancing, and entirely mesmerizing. Even more impressive is the many different ways one can experience Tame Impala: you can sing to it, dance to it, lie down to it, cry to it, even laugh to it. But however you choose to listen to Tame Impala, bring friends with you, because you might not come out alive without them.

Most Relaxing Set – Ride

With Ride playing before Tame Impala and at the same time as Minus the Bear, the 90s British rock band didn’t have quite the crowd they hoped for. However, the small crowd made for a very respectful and relaxing performance; one that was best enjoyed lying face down in the crowd and letting the wall of guitars and droning riffs lift us into the ether. We unfortunately left before “Vapour Trail,” but by then, we had already partaken in our fair share of shoegazing.

Best Stage Presence – Ryan Adams

For someone who really only knows Heartbreaker, I was very happy that half of the Ryan Adam’s set-list came from that very record. After witnessing his show, I have a newfound appreciation for Adam’s weirdness that I always misunderstood. Despite playing alt-country music, he is heavily inspired by punk rock music. Sporting a black Misfits t-shirt, the disheveled Adams played through a Danzig cover of “Mother” (for Mothers Day, of course) in front of two enormous guitar amps, a Dr. Pepper machine, and Arcade Games. He talked frequently on stage, and every time it was charming and added to the moment. “Every time I used to go to Star Bar, I’d black out,” a reminiscent Adams said about a local Atlanta staple to the cheers of thousands. Coming from the once-alcoholic songwriter, it was a moment that was as depressing as it was comforting, knowing his recent steps into recovery. After closing with “Come Pick Me Up,” his most heartbreaking song off Heartbreaker, Ryan told us he loved us and disappeared off stage, leaving us, well, heartbroken.

Sets I Regret Missing – Steve Gunn, Matthew E. White, Dr. Dog, Pixies, James Blake, TV On the Radio

Even with the inevitable frustrations of the festival life, Shaky Knees proved to be an unforgettable experience. The key is all in the mindset. It’s not necessarily about the music, or about getting the setlist, or even seeing as many bands as possible. It’s about the experience; spending time with your best friends, meeting new people, staying positive, and most importantly, being safe.

[andrewberkowitz]

Live Review - Sufjan Steven's @ Philadelphia’s Academy of Music - 4/10

I didn’t think it was possible. How could Sufjan Steven’s take Carrie & Lowell — the most intimate, fragile, and emotionally devastating album of the decade and translate it to an equally meaningful live setting? To put it bluntly, Carrie & Lowell is not a fun album. It’s quiet, subdued, lo-fi, depressing, and deeply personal; all qualities that could make for a dull 90 minutes seated concert. Consider also this: the best moments on Carrie & Lowell stem from the nuances; the air conditioner in the background of “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross,” the breath of exhalation after “John the Beloved,” or the Hospice-esque ambient outro to “Blue Bucket of Gold.” There’s no way he could possibly make up for the loss of these delicate, yet highly important aspects, right? Boy, was I wrong.

On Friday, April 10th, I attended one of the most powerful concerts of my entire life at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, PA. Joined by my family and friends (8 of us total), I bore witness to a rare brand of Sufjan Stevens. At this concert, there were no Christmas Unicorns, no wire-laser costumes, no angel wings, no dancing, no joking, and no smiling. It was just Sufjan, donned in a black t-shirt with a gorgeous stained-window displaying photographs of his childhood and pretty colors in the background. It was him, with the help of a few others, playing acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, light drums, and some other fancy pedals that made some overwhelmingly beautiful ambient noise. It was him, stripped of all irony, autotune, and festivity, singing about the life and death of his mother Carrie.

Without hesitation, Sufjan come out and immediately played through all of Carrie & Lowell, except for “Blue Bucket of Gold,” which he saved for the end. While the songs carried the same emotional force as the album versions, they were significantly updated for the live setting, with an added emphasis on post-rock ambiance. Real drums were added to most songs, as well as electric guitar and some warm, atmospheric sounds. “Should’ve Known Better” received the peppiest upgrade, as electronic beats and drums were added in the background, not too dissimilar of those heard on Age of Adz. Other songs however, were kept exactly the same, and these were perhaps the most affecting. “John My Beloved” paralyzed the audience with its singular piano note and heartfelt lyricism, such as: “I love you more than the world can contain it its lonely and ramshackle head.” “Fourth of July” had everybody contemplating their own mortality as Sufjan whispered “we’re all gonna die” at least fifteen times, while the song gently faded out with gorgeous ambient noise. The best Carrie & Lowell song of the evening though was “Blue Bucket of Gold,” the last song he played before the encore. After a gentle rendition of the song, Sufjan and friends created a wall of sound that was, for lack of a better word, profound. Intense drumming mixed with glimmering guitars, electronic niceties, and pedal boards all created a lengthy moment of complete devastation. For what seemed like five minutes of post-rock instrumentation, I sat motionless, paralyzed by the bellowing noise and gorgeous mixing of the sonic and visual landscape. When it was over, they left the stage and even when they returned a few minutes later, I still hadn’t recovered.

Besides Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan threw in some obvious crowd-pleasers that fit in perfectly with the somber tone of the evening. “The Dress Looks Nice on You,” and “To Be Alone with You” satisfied Seven Swans fans, whereas “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” and “Owl and the Tanager” had me overcome with so much catharsis that I nearly fell off the balcony (the Academy of Music is steep, omg). I was so happy they played “Gacy” that I hardly had time to process how sad I was supposed to feel. Two minutes later, it was over, and a joyous rendition of “Chicago” brought the evening to a close.

Whether he is dancing around with angel wings or throwing inflatable unicorns in the crowd, Sufjan Steven’s always seems to achieve his vision. With his warm presence and zen-like philosophies, he creates a very safe space for those around him. Together, in a sold-out theater of strangers, his music seemed to transform all of us, even just for a moment. Half-way through the show, Sufjan delivered a riveting sermon on life, death, and grief (edit: listen to the speech here!). In summary, death doesn’t need to be something we hide from, or avoid talking about. Instead, we must face it's inevitability, and come to terms with its many manifestations in our daily lives. For life is a gift, and we must cherish this gift while we have it. Like Sufjan has done for his late mother, let’s preserve the memories of those that have passed, and when it is our own turn to pass, let us die with dignity.

[andrewberkowitz]

[andrewberkowitz]

If the world was my oyster, and money was a non-issue, this would be my dream festival line-up in 2015. I tried to keep it somewhat realistic, meaning, The Beatles would obviously not being playing. I'm pretty sure every band on my line-up has played a show in the last few years. Without further ado... Berkchella 2015

[andrewberkowitz]

Top 15 Songs Under 2:00

Let's admit it. We as 21st Century humans have terrible attention spans. More than ever, we look for things that offer immediate gratification or seem to be the most trendy at the time: an Instagram like, an ALS Facebook Video, Angry Birds etc. They all get us talking until the next best thing comes around and we never talk about it again as if it never existed. So what better music list for our terrible attention spans than a 25 minute playlist of songs all two minutes or less? I really tried to make this only 10 songs but I couldn't skim it down.

Some bands are singularly known for writing shorts songs (Guided By Voices, The Microphones) and some not (Radiohead, Built to Spill), but regardless, almost every band has at least one short tune. Picking through my iTunes was not easy. I sorted all songs by time and slowly went through all of them. I had no idea there were so many great songs that barely broke the 90 second mark. To make it easier, I set a couple rules. I wanted to make sure I had no two songs from the same list (half this list would be Beatles songs if so), and I also wanted to make sure I took songs from different time periods. These list of 15 songs range from 1969 to 2014, making frequent stops in 90s Indie Rock (I guess short jams were the thing back then?). No other lists were consulted for this so I'm sure there are some glaring misses, but hey, this is my list right?

Listed from Oldest to Newest not Worst to Best.

15. The Beatles - "Golden Slumbers" (1969)

Part of the perfect medley at the end of Abbey Road, "Golden Slumbers" has McCartney at his most soulful, as he practically screams a lullaby atop a beautiful brass and string arrangement. 

14. Neil Young - "Cripple Creek Ferry" (1970)

Hard to choose between this and "Till the Morning Comes" but this song just seemed more iconic to me. Most of the songs on this list seem perfect at their brief length, but I actually believe this could've benefited from another verse; the hook is almost too good to be so short.

13. Cat Stevens - "Tea for the Tillerman" (1970)

While barely over 1:00 min, this song still manages to pack quite the punch. A gentle piano intro, delectable vocal melody, and a full choir to finish off the same-titled record? Woah.

12. Pavement - "Zurich is Stained" (1991)

Could've gone with a few Pavement tracks here but this song just seems to perfectly balance dissonance with desperation and harmony with cacophony. 

11. Built to Spill - "Twin Falls" (1994)

The song that inspired this list in the first place, "Twin Falls" is a masterpiece for a band that would go on to writing anything but 2 min pop songs. Atop a minimal guitar twinkle, Martsch reminisces on an elementary school love with the fan favorite lyrics of "7UP I touched her thumb / and she knew it was me / Although she couldn't see / Unless of course she peeked." Adorable.

10. Guided By Voices - "Game of Pricks" (1995)

Possibly the grand masters of the 90 second indie-rock song, Guided By Voices epitomizes their sound with "Game of Pricks," a melodious lo-fi rock song that, unlike most songs on this list, contains two full verses, a bridge and a chorus, not to mention 145 words!

9. Of Montreal - "Tim, I Wish You Were Born a Girl" (1997)

Long before Kevin Barnes reached total nirvana and become a psychedelic pop god he was actually making acoustic folk songs for Jeff Mangum's label Elephant 6. At first listen, "Tim" is a very funny, homosexual love song to his friend ("I wish we could lay around in bed / and stay there all day), but when considered deeper in the context of the multi-persona'd Barnes, is nothing more than a perfectly cute song he wrote for his best friend. It's cool to think that even in '97, Barnes was challenging heteronormativity, and subsequently paving the way for bromances to be more than just watching football together.

8. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Communist Daughter" (1998)

Admittedly, "The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1" should be here but it's 2:01 on YouTube and I didn't want to cheat. Next best thing though is "Communist Daughter," an underrated and underplayed live song on the immortal In The Aeroplane Over the Sea. With a few standard chords, a distant hiss of traffic, and a sweet trumpet, the lyrics "semen stains the mountaintop" have never sounded so pretty. 

7. Modest Mouse - "Wild Packs of Family Dogs" (2000)

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Pretty much a no-brainer for this list and any Modest Mouse fan, "Wild Packs of Family of Dogs" has MM at their most twisted as Brock illustrates a recurrence of wild dogs at his house until eventually they eat his sister, leading to his mom crying blood, and his dad losing his job. Weird? Sure. Awesome? Definitely.

6. The Microphones - "I Felt Your Shape" (2001)

This strong straight-up destroys me. In just under two-minutes, "I Felt Your Shape" will put you in a trance that might take another twenty to get out of. Phil Elvrum is the king of Show-Not-Tell as he describes a one-sided relationship ("with limb arms I can feel most of you") atop a gorgeous lo-fi guitar melody.

5. Radiohead - "I Will" (2002)

For a band known for songs that build and swell and climax and close like an Italian opera, Radiohead show off their more immediate side with "I Will," a morose track on the masterful Hail to the Thief. Self-described as the angriest song (lyrically, not musically) he's ever written, Thom Yorke croons about Gulf War frustrations atop a characteristically perfect Johnny Greenwood guitar waltz.

4. Benji Hughes - "The Mummy" (2008)

From a man as obscure and his music, "The Mummy" exists as one of many bizarre, hilarious stories offered by Benji Hughes, aka the Best Songwriter You've Never Heard Of. In this compact indie pop tune, Hughes references Frankenstein, Suicide Girls, The Eagles, and of course, getting wasted. It's catchy, it's funny, and you'll be singing it for weeks.

3. Perfume Genius - "Hood" (2012)

One of the more powerful songs in recent memory, "Hood" is an intimate, and ultimately optimistic homosexual love ballad about the things we hide from our own loved ones. For over a minute, "Hood" builds single-handedly by piano until it is met with climatic percussion, as Mike Hadreas soothes us with his pristine, warm voice.

2. Krill - "Steve Hears Pile in Malden and Bursts Into Tears" (2014)

With a little background, this song quickly goes from good to great, and confusing to hilarious. Krill, a small garage rock band from Mass dedicate this song (and entire EP) to their label-mates and mildly more successful friends Pile. Atop loud and anxiety-ridden guitar and drums, vocalist Jonah Furman shares his e-mail experience about an attempt to score a gig with Rick Maguire of Pile, and ultimately failing. Despite its seemingly shallow content matter, its contagious energy and passion will have you screaming "that's cool man, I'll catch you later!" like it's the most important line ever sung.

1. Alex G - "Harvey" (2014)

Alex G --- an English major at Temple University and prize possession of Orchid Tapes label in Philadelphia --- has exploded this year. His lo-fi guitar rock has grabbed the attention of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, and apparently the UK, as they are currently gearing up to play sell-out clubs abroad. "Harvey" is a perfect demonstration of his genius, as Giannascolli lazily sings tribute to his buddies in a jam that would make early 90s Built to Spill fans swoon.

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Thanks for reading, remember this is in order of year, not favorite. Here is the Spotify playlist. Only song not included is "Golden Slumbers": 

Top 15 2:00 Min Songs