#my southern bell blood-singer | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lavenderhazelover · 5 years

Text

my lovely ladies @satans-helper and @gretavanyeeeeet tagged me in this & I'm stoked about it. Let’s do this.

1. What is your middle name?

Nicole..... basic

2. How old are you?

3. When is your birthday?

June 12th

4. What is your zodiac sign?

Gemini

5. What is your favourite colour?

purple and silver

6. What’s your lucky number?

22 or 00:00

7. Do you have any pets?

my cat winter who is a lil diva

8. Where are you from?

Georgia

9. How tall are you?

5'9.5″ I refuse to claim 5′10″ lol

10. What shoe size are you?

8.5 or 9

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

maybe like 20

12. What was your last dream about?

walking into the preschool for my field experience and forgetting everything I know about kids

13. What talents do you have?

my friend told me today making my boobs dance (like Terry Crews) is one lol and I would say my gif/meme reactions to people’s posts, photos, texts, etc. They are pretty spot on

14. Are you psychic in any way?

My women’s intuition has never let me down.

15. Favourite song?

Flower Power - GVF or Fancy by Reba McEntire

16. Favourite movie?

Forrest Gump

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

The male version of my best friend lmao. or sam kiszka, who is probably the male version of her if I had to guess. really just someone who is goofy and thinks I'm the funniest person they know.

18. Do you want children?

I want a whole slew of them

19. Do you want a church wedding?

Nah. More of a “let’s elope” kind of gal.

20. Are you religious?

Yes. Jesus is my homie.

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

Yes, I was on the verge of kidney failure. But look at me now, surviving not thriving.

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

Just speeding tickets.

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

Troy from Swamp People LOL

24. Baths or showers?

Showers unless its winter and I need to warm my bones up then its baths.

25. What color socks are you wearing?

Barefoot

26. Have you ever been famous?

In the reality show in my mind, yes yes I have.

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

No. Just famous enough to hangout with celebrities I want to hangout with but not cool enough to have my privacy invaded.

28. What type of music do you like?

There’s not much music I don’t listen to.

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Many times.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

like 5

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

all of them. I am a wild sleeper.

32. How big is your house?

Small

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

pop tarts or toaster strudels lmao. I am a child.

34. Have you ever fired a gun?

heck no

35. Have you ever tried archery?

No, but I'm into it

36. Favourite clean word?

fart and heifer

37. Favorite swear word?

biiiiiitch. (if I ever call you bitch, just know I’ve used the most enduring pet name I can offer)

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?

around 36 hours. not by choice, but because people wouldn't stop dying.

39. Do you have any scars?

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

In 6th grade.

41. Are you a good liar?

oh heck yeah. this is why I would totally win Survivor or Big Brother.

42. Are you a good judge of character?

hundred percent.

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

not well, but I still try

44. Do you have a strong accent?

maybe. I did not realize how southern my accent was until I left the south.

45. What is your favourite accent?

all of them. I love hearing each person’s unique accent.

46. What is your personality type?

goofy as hellllll

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

I don’t purchase much over $30 because ballin on a budget

48. Can you curl your tongue?

yes

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

are we talking belly buttons? mine is both

50. Left or right-handed?

Right

51. Are you scared of spiders?

of all bugs

52. Favourite food?

hot wangs or Taco Bell

53. Favourite foreign food?

pasta

54. Are you a clean or messy person?

Clean, housekeeping ruined me.

55. Most used phrase?

....litty titty or that's what she said or I wish a heifer would (I h8 myself)

56. Most used word?

heifer

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

20 minutes usually

58. Do you have much of an ego?

kind of... especially is someone says I'm not funny. I crumble.

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

both. I am trying to get to the middle of that blow pop

60. Do you talk to yourself?

all the time

61. Do you sing to yourself?

all the time

62. Are you a good singer?

not even close

63. Biggest Fear?

my mom dying and snakes

64. Are you a gossip?

no, but I do tell my best friend EVERYTHING. so just to her?

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

Um, Forrest Gump (does that count lmao)

66. Do you like long or short hair?

All hair

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

I work at an elementary school..... so in other words, “fifty nifty United States from thirteen original colonies. Shout em, scout em, tell all about em, one by one till we’ve given a day to every state in the USA.... Allllabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas....” you get it lol.

68. Favourite school subject?

History

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

Both

70. Have you ever been scuba diving?

71. What makes you nervous?

Human Interaction

72. Are you scared of the dark?

Dark outside, but not dark inside... if that makes sense.

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

no. I hate conflict.

74. Are you ticklish?

Yes

75. Have you ever started a rumour?

I hope not

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?

as a teacher, yes.

77. Have you ever drank underage?

Yes

78. Have you ever done drugs?

yes, no regerts

79. Who was your first real crush?

His name was Brett. He was also my first kiss.

80. How many piercings do you have?

just my first hole in my ears. I use to have my nipples pierced and I miss them.

81. Can you roll your R’s?

oh heck yeah. It’s that Spanish blood.

82. How fast can you type?

decently fast.

83. How fast can you run?

I do not run

84. What colour is your hair?

dark brown

85. What color is your eyes?

dark brown......boring

86. What are you allergic to?

nothing

87. Do you keep a journal?

yes

88. What do your parents do?

my dad is a mortician and not sure what my mom does lmao oops

89. Do you like your age?

my 20s have been the best years so far

90. What makes you angry?

ignorant people, people who say the R word, people who treat children as if they’re not human beings (aka other TEACHERS I work with)

91. Do you like your own name?

its chill

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

yes

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

I'm not picky

94. What are you strengths?

my loyalty and honesty

95. What are your weaknesses?

my struggle to say no when people ask things of me

96. How did you get your name?

My parents choose it for my brother had he been a girl and then just used it when they had me.

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

Probably, I mean I'm too cool to not come from royalty.

98. Do you have any scars?

99. Colour of your bedspread?

grey

100. Colour of your room?

idk honestly. the girl who lived in it before me painted it. its some random color.

I’m tagging: @safarimama @saywecanart @flowrxchild @gretavanshellie @camomillacatalina @moonchildwildheart @shesouttasight @lantern-inthenight @myownparadise96 @dreams-madeof-strawberrylemonade @bigthighsandstupidguys

8 notes · View notes

ubernoxa · 5 years

Text

AFTER DUSK - CHAPTER 1: THE RISK

Mykayla - Los Angeles 1979

"Anything else?" Mykayla asked as she finished talking to some customers.

It had been five days since her and her band moved from a small town in Louisiana to Los Angles California. She cursed at herself under her breath. She had been with this band, what a little over a month? Was she insane? The band might had been together for at least two years, but she was new blood.

You're an idiot, she told herself over and over again as she turned in the order to the kitchen.

To say that she regretting moving across the country from Louisiana to California with a band she had only been apart of for a month was an understatement.

She left her life behind for what? A silly dream of becoming famous. She was a country singer playing electric guitar. She was, as her brother called her, a certified idiot.

"So do you have any plans for tonight?" Mykayla flashed a smile towards Stacy, the other server, who had quickly become one of my closer friends in the five days I had been here.

"Yeah, my band is playing tonight, you should come and see us," Mykayla replied as Stacy placed some pancakes onto a large plate.

"What time?"

" Eight, we are the opener. Or opener to the opener...I guess," Mykayla joked before heading towards a group of guys who just sat down at one of the tables.

"Hi, Welcome to the Bourbon Street dinner," Mykayla said with a bright smile at the rag tag look of guys that sat in front of her.

They order alcohol which didn't entirely surprise Mykayla. They wore heavy leather and had hair bigger than she could ever make hers. They were a prime example of the people who filled the Sunset Strip.

"I like your boots!" One of them said when she returned back with their drinks. Mykayla's grin grew from ear to ear at his comment. Her grandmother gave them to her back when she was in high school and she would wear them to any gig she could get. They were good luck, so when she finished unpacking this morning she decided to wear them because she needed all of the luck she could get.

"Thanks! They remind me of home," Mykayla looked at her boots with the red sequins shinning amongst her hazel colored cowboy boots.

"And they match your hair," the guy added making Mykayla laugh. Partially because it was funny, but she also wanted a good tip.

"Where's home?" The guy with the green eyes asked pulling her conversation from his friend.

"Louisiana," Mykayla proudly replied as she took a second to look at the leather covered rocker. He wore more leather than the bull riders from the rodeos back home.

"And what is a southern bell like you doing in a town like this?" He cockily asked back. He hadn't seen a girl like her in this town in a while. From her accent to her red hair, it was clear that she was out of place.

"Well, my band mates and I moved here in hopes of making it big," she replied in an I'll have you know' kind of tone. Mykayla couldn't pin point why, but he was making her blood boil.

The second she mentioned a band their faces lighted up.

"Oh really?" The green eyed guy replied while eyeing Mykayla up and down. He wondered if she knew that the Sunset Strip was for rockers, not country singing hill billies. If she didn't know, she would quickly find out.

"Broken Voodoo," Mykayla pointed at the poster that her band mate had made and she had hung earlier in the week. They were desperate for people to come. The last thing they wanted was an empty audience.

Mykayla then left them with their drinks and went to go take care of the other tables. Time quickly flew by as she served tables left and right. With every minute that passed, her heart rate went faster and faster.

"Can we have a check?" One of the other guys asked while waving her over. Mykayla didn't mind, the sooner they were out the better. They were getting rather rowdy.

She then quickly left and returned with the check.

"Have a wonderful day," Mykayla responded before she left them and clocked out.

"See ya red," she turned to see the green eyed guy yelling across the street at her.

Authors Note:

Thanks for reading ❤️

This has been a story that has been on my mind for sometime now. Please let me know what you think!

Myk after realizing that she made a huge mistake moving from Louisiana to LA:

#duff mckagan #guns and roses #guns n roses #gunsandroses #axl rose #gunsnrosesfan #motley crue #nikki sixx #vince neil #mick mars #tommy lee

1 note · View note

pkmnsdarkqueen · 2 years

Text

Playlist: Song 3

Hit and Run

By: Lolo

Synopsis:

Karen's villian arc is like this fun sexy girl boss energy, and this song ticks all the boxes. It's got that fun beat, the sexy of dressing up for such an occasion, and the energy just screams girl sashaying her way past with bloody heels. It's just perfect cause you know the singer is grinning and laughing the whole time while blowing a kiss.

I also love how she sings about a second person being involved. I like to think it's Will, though in dead!dragon verse that'd be Archer.

Lyrics:

They never saw us coming

Til they hit the floor

They just kept beggin for

More, more

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

I was brought up as a southern belle

I grew into the queen of hell

You were just a little stowaway

That stabbed her way to save herself

You always liked the taste of blood

And I get off when I point the gun

It's so good to have someone to be so bad with

First one up was a preachers son

Last one down was an Englishman

I'm in bed with his bow tie on

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

Sunday in notting hill

He was sneaking a cigarette

His God protects him but

I know we'll get him yet

Ran my fingers threw his hair

So he thinks it's fun and games

He don't know our faces but

He'll never forget our names

First one up was a preachers son

Last one down was an Englishman

I'm in bed with his bow tie on

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

I was waiting in the getaway car

You were stuck in the hotel bar

He was a proper Englishman

You had one last pint before the cops broke in

You poured the gasoline and

I drove into the flames

History will hate us

But they'll never forget our names

They never saw us coming

Til they hit the floor

They just kept beggin for

More, more

They never saw us coming

Til they hit the floor

They just kept beggin for

More, more

First one up was a preachers son

Last one down was an Englishman

I'm in bed with his bow tie on

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

Na na na na na na na

All dressed up for a hit and run

#karen playlist

0 notes

ashyfur-524 · 7 years

Photo

An old oc of mine, the daughter of Applejack and Coluratura.

(From her description on Deviantart.)

“Time for the spectacle, time for the show..”

After AJ and Rara got back into contact, they began to write more frequently, Coloratura making sure that her modified tour schedule wouldn’t interfere with her pen-palling. Years passed, and the Countess left behind her old image, instead marketing herself as Equestria’s premiere “Soft-Pop fusion” act. Her outfits, designed by Rarity herself and hoof-shipped from Ponyville, were much more modest than the flashy garb that Rara had indulged Svengallop in wearing. Her songs continued to climb the charts, but after years of being in the spotlight, the former Pop pony decided to stay true to her heart, and retired, buying a portion of property from her dear friend Applejack, making herself a modest home. That was, until Applejack offered that Rara could stay with the Apples, and that she could use the loft in the barn, AJ even saying that she would renovate the barn’s loft into a nice living space for both summer and winter. Rara couldn’t deny it any longer; She’d known ever since they had reunited as friends that she had been harboring more than platonic feelings for the farm pony.

“The lights are bright and the colors glow..”

It was during the cold winter’s months, Hearth’s Warming Eve, to be precise, that Coloratura professed her feelings to an astonished Applejack, who then bashfully confessed her own feelings to the blushing blue pony. The two grew even closer, though a slight tension built between them when the two found out that through some.. More than friendly experimenting.. Rarity was expecting an adorable AppleGem fluffball. In order to mend the hurt between the two, Applejack agreed to bearing Rara’s foal, Rarity being more than willing to help in any way possible. (Magic happens, and Applejack became pregnant with Rara’s baby.)

“I’m not just anypony, I think you know..”

During the late summer, Applejack gave birth to a healthy filly, who’s pale raspberry eyes shown with a curious flame. Due to the young foal’s eye color, AJ began to affectionately call her daughter “her little razzle-berry..” This eventually stuck, the two happy parents deciding to name her Razzle Dazzle. Of course, Razzle was more of a “spotlight seeker” from the beginning, raiding Rara’s old dressers and trying on anything she could lay her hooves on. Applejack was of course very accepting of this; her mother had been such an icon, it would be silly if the filly wasn’t drawn in by the shiny costumes that hid themselves in Coloratura’s closets. After years of bouncing between farm-handing and taking immersive vocal lessons, ranging from one on one sessions with Sweetie Belle, to singing harmonies with her parents, Razzle decided that she wanted to become a singer, trading her cowgirl hat for a studded headband. This was a shock to Coloratura, who had been secretly hoping that her daughter wouldn’t get sucked down the wormhole that was the Pop Charts. But, Razzle had made up her mind. She somehow managed to sweet-talk her parents into escorting her to Manehattan, arriving in the city with starry eyes. She had found the place, the big-time.. And it was all within a hoof’s step.

“The time is now, it’s about to blow!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As one could assume, Razz made it big, finding her stage manager was closer to home than she’d anticipated. Her half-sister, 24 Carat (Nicknames ranging from Carrot to Cara to Two-Four.. Rarity calls her “her sweet little Diamond”) was more than happy to help with the artistic measures. However, her stage name of Duchess Dazzling was constructed by a young stallion by the name of Argyle. This title, alongside her blood relations to Countess Coluratura, helped her skyrocket up the charts. There was a small skirmish between Carat and Argyle (my Suri x Svengallop baby) in who should manage the entire show and everything that went into it, but they settled their differences and compromised on Carat designing the visual effects and the costumes, and that Argyle would do stage designs and help with lyrics.

(More to come later.. Including an official Cutie Mark.)

Traits from Applejack:

Freckles “Southern Flare” vocals/riffs Yellow streak in mane Hardworking spirit Truthful demeanor True to herself; no one pushes her Raspberry eyes (from Apple Rose’s subsection of the Apple family) Enjoys getting dirty (as in dirt. Get your mind out of the gutter.)

Traits from Coloratura:

Coat color Base color of Mane and secondary streak (that dark blue color and her other blue) Natural flamboyance Sense of fashion Charitable nature (i.e., doing charity work, School-pony meet+greets, etc.) True to herself; no one pushes her.

#mlp #oc #my little pony #my art #mlp oc

1 note · View note

blackkudos · 7 years

Text

Andraé Crouch

Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music professionals, Crouch was known for his compositions "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", "My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)" and "Soon and Very Soon". In secular music, he was known for his collaborative work during the 1980s and 1990s with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Quincy Jones as well as conducting choirs that sang on the Michael Jackson hit "Man in the Mirror" and Madonna's "Like a Prayer". Crouch was noted for his talent of incorporating contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with. His efforts in this area helped pave the way for early American contemporary Christian music during the 1960s and 1970s.

Crouch's original music arrangements were heard in the films The Color Purple and Disney's The Lion King, as well as the NBC television series Amen. Awards and honors received by him include seven Grammy Awards, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early years

Andraé Edward Crouch was born, along with his twin sister, Sandra, on July 1, 1942 in San Francisco, California to parents Benjamin and Catherine (née Hodnett) Crouch. When he was young, Crouch's parents owned and operated Crouch Cleaners, a dry-cleaning business, as well as a restaurant business in Los Angeles, California. In addition to running the family's businesses, Crouch's parents had a Christian street-preaching ministry and a hospital and prison ministry. When Crouch was 11, his father was invited to speak for several weeks at a small church as a guest preacher. Crouch's father and the church's congregation encouraged the young boy to play during the services. At the piano, Crouch found the key in which the congregation was singing and started to play. After this, Crouch honed his piano-playing skills and, in time, wanted to write his own music. When he was 14 years old, he wrote his first Gospel song.

Career

Groups

Crouch's first group musical effort was formed in 1960 as the Church of God in Christ Singers. The group included future recording artist and session musician Billy Preston on keyboards and was the first to record the Crouch's song "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power". The song's popularity grew following the initial 1969 recording, becoming a standard in churches and hymnals worldwide. While attending Valley Junior College in the San Fernando Valley to become a teacher, he formed gospel music group "The Disciples" in 1965 with fellow musicians Perry Morgan, Reuben Fernandez, and Bili Thedford. The group became a frequent attraction at "Monday Night Sing" concerts in southern California put on by Audrey Mieir, a Christian minister and music composer who frequently sponsored new Christian music groups. Following Mieir's introduction of Crouch to Manna Music Publishing's founders Tim and Hal Spencer, Manna published Crouch's song "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", written when he was 15 years old. The Spencers helped launch Crouch's recording career by introducing them to Light Records founder and prolific Christian songwriter Ralph Carmichael. After the addition of Sherman Andrus to The Disciples, Light Records recorded and released the group's first album, Take the Message Everywhere, in 1968. Following the group's first album release, Crouch's twin sister, Sandra, joined The Disciples in 1970 after Fernandez' departure. Two more albums would follow, Keep On Singin' and Soulfully, before a major change in the group's lineup in 1972.

When Andrus left The Disciples to join The Imperials he was replaced by singer Danniebelle Hall. More musicians were being added and the group's membership by the early 70s included Fletch Wiley on trumpet, Harlan Rogers on keyboards, Hadley Hockensmith on guitar, and Bill Maxwell on drums. The group appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1972 and to sold out crowds at Carnegie Hall in 1975 and 1979. By 1985 they had also performed at the Hollywood Bowl and toured 68 countries. Crouch's most popular songs from this period include "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", "Through It All", "Bless His Holy Name", "Soon and Very Soon", "Jesus is the Answer", and "My Tribute".

Solo career

After The Disciples disbanded in 1979, Crouch continued on with a solo career. His backing ensemble included Howard Smith, Linda McCrary, Táta Vega, and Kristle Murden, along with The Andraé Crouch Singers. Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Dean Parks, David Paich, Phillip Bailey, Stevie Wonder, El Debarge, and other secular artists were included in Crouch's recording sessions. With former Disciples drummer-turned-producer Bill Maxwell, Crouch co-produced projects for The Winans, Danniebelle Hall, and Kristle Murden. Many musical acts and solo performers covered his more popular works, including Elvis Presley with I've Got Confidence. In 1986, Crouch composed the theme music for the Sherman Hemsley sitcom Amen , sung by Vanessa Bell Armstrong.

In 2006 Crouch released Mighty Wind, a 40th anniversary album featuring guest performances by Lauren Evans, Crystal Lewis, Karen Clark Sheard, Táta Vega, and Marvin Winans.

Influence

Crouch has been credited as a key figure in Jesus music of the 1960s and 1970s and, as a result, helping to bring about contemporary Christian music into the church. As well, he is also credited with helping to bridge the gap between black and white Christian music and revolutionizing the sound of urban Gospel music. Though sometimes criticized for diluting the Christian message by using contemporary music styles, his songs have become staples in churches and hymnals around the world and have been recorded by mainstream artists such as Elvis Presley and Paul Simon.

His affiliation with Light Records was instrumental in bringing Walter and Tramaine Hawkins, Jessy Dixon and The Winans to the label, from where they all enjoyed successful gospel music careers.

In 1996, Crouch and his music were honored on the Grammy Award-winning CD, Tribute: The Songs of Andraé Crouch, released by Warner Bros. Records. The album featured a wide range of artists performing Crouch's classic songs and featured the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Take 6, Twila Paris, and Michael W. Smith.

Crouch and his sister Sandra had a friendship and music relationship with Michael Jackson. In 1987, the Andraé Crouch Choir sang background vocals along with Siedah Garrett, Glen Ballard, and The Winans on Jackson's hit single "Man in the Mirror" from the Bad album. The Andraé Crouch Singers were also featured on the songs "Keep the Faith" and "Will You Be There" from Jackson's 1991 Dangerous album. On Jackson's HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I project in 1995, the Andraé Crouch Choir is heard on "Earth Song." Crouch's composition, "Soon and Very Soon" was performed by the Andraé Crouch Choir at the public memorial service for Jackson held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009.

Personal life

On November 12, 1982, Crouch was arrested in Los Angeles for possession of cocaine after being stopped for erratic driving. Sheriff's deputies discovered a substance in the vehicle which Crouch said was instant chicken soup powder. After consenting to a search, he was found to be carrying a vial of cocaine in his pocket. Crouch was arrested and released several hours later on $2,500 bail, maintaining the drugs belonged to a friend who had been staying in his apartment. Police declined to press charges.

Between 1993 and 1994, Crouch suffered the loss of his father, mother, and older brother. After his father's death, Crouch and his sister took over the shared duty of senior pastor at the church his parents founded, Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in Pacoima, California.

Failing health and death

In early December 2014, Crouch was hospitalized for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. As a result, his December 2014 tour was postponed. He was hospitalized again on January 3, 2015, in Los Angeles, as the result of a heart attack.

On January 8, 2015, Crouch died at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. He was 72. On the same day, his sister, Sandra, released the following statement: "Today my twin brother, womb-mate and best friend went home to be with the Lord. Please keep me, my family and our church family in your prayers. I tried to keep him here but God loved him best."

Following Crouch's death, Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith told Billboard Magazine, "...I'll never forget hearing Andraé for the first time. It was like someone had opened a whole new world of possibilities for me musically. I don't think there is anyone who inspired me more, growing up, than Andraé Crouch. The depth of his influence on Christian music is incalculable. We all owe him so much and I'll forever be grateful for the times we got to work together."

Discography

Andraé Crouch and The Disciples

1969: Take the Message Everywhere (Light)

1971: Keep on Singin' (Light)

1972: Soulfully (Light)

1973: Live at Carnegie Hall (Light)

1975: Take Me Back (Light)

1976: This Is Another Day (Light)

1978: Live in London (Light)

Solo recordings

1973: Just Andrae (Light)

1979: I'll Be Thinking of You (Light)

1981: Don't Give Up (Warner Bros.)

1982: Finally (Light)

1984: No Time to Lose (Light)

1986: Autograph (Light)

1994: Mercy (Qwest)

1997: Pray (Qwest)

1998: Gift of Christmas (Qwest)

2006: Mighty Wind (Verity)

2011: The Journey (Riverphlo Entertainment)

2013: Live in Los Angeles

Other credits

Crouch later worked as a producer or arranger with Michael Jackson, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Mika (We Are Golden), Diana Ross, Elton John, Rick Astley ("Cry for Help") and Prefab Sprout. Crouch also had a long relationship with the Oslo Gospel Choir, which he occasionally produced, arranged for and performed with.

Awards

Crouch won numerous awards throughout his career that included seven Grammy Awards and four GMA Dove Awards. He was also the recipient of ASCAP, Billboard, and NAACP Awards. In 2004, he became the only living Gospel artist – and just the third in history – to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On November 11, 2011, Sandra and Andrae Crouch were granted an honorary "Artist-in-Residence" Award by the International Center of Worship for Global Day of Worship Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA.

Grammy Awards

Crouch has won seven Grammys:

1975: Best Soul Gospel Performance – Take Me Back

1978: Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album – Live in London

1979: Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album – I'll Be Thinking of You

1980: Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational – "The Lord's Prayer" (collaborative)

1981: Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album – Don't Give Up

1984: Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male – "Always Remember"

1994: Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album – Mercy

GMA Dove Awards

Soul/Black gospel album

Contemporary gospel album of the year

Traditional gospel album of the year

Contemporary gospel recorded song of the year

Inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998

1977 – This is another day(Light)

1978 – Live in London (Light)

1985 – No Time to Lose (Light)

1998 – Pray (Qwest/Warner Bros.)

1993 – With all of my heart; Sandra Crouch and Friends (Sparrow)

1997 – "Take me back"; Tribute – The Songs of Andrae Crouch (songwriter) (Warner Alliance)

Other honors

1985: Oscar nomination for music compositions featured in The Color Purple

2005: NARAS' Inaugural Salute to Gospel Music Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

2007: Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum inductee

2012: How Sweet the Sound Living Legend Award

FilmographyFilm

1985: The Color Purple songwriter: "Maybe God's Trying to Tell You Something"

1993: Once Upon a Forest songwriter: "He's Gone/He's Back"

1994: The Lion King arranger and choral conductor

Television

1980: Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrell Sisters special guest

1982: The Jeffersons "Men of the Cloth" episode

1982: SCTV Network 90 Christmas special

1986: Amen theme writer, arranger

1994: In Search of Dr. Seuss as Yertle the Turtle

1998: Nickelodeon's Cousin Skeeter

Wikipedia

#Andraé Crouch

2 notes · View notes

drjacquescoulardeau · 7 years

Photo

LIONEL & STÉPHANE BELMONDO –YUSEF LATEEF – INFLUENCE - 2005

This double album is probably essential for the career of Lionel Belmondo, performing here with his brother Stéphane and an ad hoc group of musicians that associates the regular musicians Lionel Belmondo uses, plus his brother and some coming along with and for Yusef Lateef, a jazzman from the USA recently deceased, whose life and career span from Tennessee where he was born to Massachusetts where he died. He represents a jazz of his own that has impacted Lionel Belmondo’s work tremendously, and yet. . .

As soon as the first notes of this recording we have a tone we had not found yet in Belmondo’s music so far in our discovery. A light, florid, rich, deep, joyous and even blissfully ecstatic music that sweats and radiates some happiness, joy and not the morbid mortiferous contemplation we found so often in Lionel Belmondo’s music. But due to the dates, is this mortiferous and morbid style a later style, a style due to something Lionel Belmondo has lost? For sure this here recording is full of light and sunny rays of pleasure.

Without entering all the tracks one after the other, I would prefer giving you some impressions rather than a scholastic manual. The presentation booklet that comes along with the CDs is good enough for that and signed by Vincent Bessières who is a journalist at Jazzman, a French magazine on the subject of jazz and jazz performance. Founded in October 1992, it was merged with Jazz Magazine in September 2009 in response to the worldwide economic downturn and the general loss of revenue among music magazines. It was advertised as "the magazine for all jazz." Jazzman began as a free supplement in Le monde de la musique. It published its first independent number in March 1995. It is not clear whether the separation was a divorce or a way to expand the jazz publication by making it autonomous. The booklet is in both French and English. I have chosen to favor English.

Bessières says somewhere the musicians have chosen the blues as their style. I am not sure because for me the blues requires a voice, a singer, words to express the blues itself and the music is generally not jazzy and it is certainly most of the time particularly sad, suffering, crying and weeping, howling at times with despair. Here the music is at most hesitating between having a continuous melodic line or just impressionistic touches like in the second track: “Si tout ceci n’est qu’un pauvre rêve” (If all this is nothing but a pitiful dream). The title by Lili Boulanger originally here arranged by Lionel Belmondo has been made luminous in its hesitation, the search of some elevation but no doubt ever, it will come from contemplating the inside dimension of this music that is never erratic but only curiously stumbling and touching around to look for a door, an uplifting golden path in the forest of some urban maddening crowd that does not madden you at all.

This recording owes a lot to Christophe Dal Sasso who gave two tracks on the first CD. He could be qualified as sad but it does not succeed and I will then consider that his half smile of half happiness is in fact the detachment of a contemplative man in front of this world. What could make his music sad makes it in fact restful and peaceful. We just let ourselves slip slowly into this music and we enjoy the rest we find there, the abandon and nonchalance that are seeping from the notes and the instruments. Are we lying on a deckchair or chaise lounge on some beach or gently rolling ship on an oily sea without any wind, apart from a light breeze that cannot even fill our sails? Just let’s look at the gulls, at the sun, at the dust dancing in the sunlight, let’s draw the curtains of our mental bedroom and let us recline in the velvety featherbed. Is there any regret at times not to be part of the game, part of that outside world of pure excellence and enjoyment without any exhilaration?

There might be a desire behind this music by Christophe Dal Sasso and his use of percussions to make rolling balls dance from right to left and then open some window to some plaintive but aerial and sky like azure flute that could be some Indian musician in the morning challenging the percussions, the drums, the whole of nature and summoning the deepest and most secret animal spirits of our world, those we never listen to and we always want to meet but without the courage to say, OK yes, let the wolves come dancing with me, let the frogs croak with me, let some other deer or bears come celebrate life with me. That’s when a more metallic sound and a humming voice appear, if it is a voice, and deeper, more somber sounds come up, rise, swell in the sky on a canapé of metal percussion, cymbals and their metallic sweeping, bells, we are confronted to the birth a world, of a mythology, of a future because any birth means a future that will drop on the side what is not important for that future like the shouts and yells of crowds. The piano brings in the responsibility of life and government. And a saxophone or clarinet or whatever brass instrument comes and amplifies that social forest of responsible enjoyment of what is to come and we call for. The bass can then temporize with that future. And something lurks out of the wings and inflates itself into some existence You are, new-born god, the master of this world and we are your servants, your believers, your powerful intercessors to life and we become the echo of your peace of divine mind and that makes us divine too. Oh! Friend of mine that moved away, that is trekking along some new territory, your voice is still reverberating in my mind and that voice is like a divine message telling me what to think. It is the few isolated notes of a bird’s call and song. And then it can become the recollection of the pleasure of loving you and the pleasure of still loving you though you are blazing some trails in some new forest and a trumpet tells me you are strong, manly, powerful and sure of yourself like some calamus growing in Walt Whitman’s pond in his contemplation of the masculine heart of the conquerors of wild territories. That music is an ode to joy and bliss and orgasmic climax, all contemplative in the mind of the beholder. To contemplate is to have. Just enjoy that contemplation that is your possession, that rich possession that makes you another person and yet the same. That’s how a friend and his love can transform your mind even in his absence because he is always there in your brain. Can’t you feel him squirming when you speak of him?

If you find Christophe Dal Sasso slightly liquorish and satiating, maybe too much, too hypnotic, just take a rest with Lionel Belmondo and his saxophone. No problem; you can go drunk on that heady music that titillates in you the dark humors that have to come out to become sunny and happy. He is the pleasure bringer, the hawker in the street that tries to hawkishly sell you the shiny trinkets you do not need and yet that will be so useful for you to dance all night as if you were happily in some luxurious and lustful reception in some palace imagined by Lestat de Lioncourt somewhere in Auvergne. Don’t let your fingers be taken up by these strings. Resist the envy and the desire to be nice with the hawker who is a predator like his name says and he will draw all he can out of you to let you go on your wooly legs totally empty of all your blood. You will sit on a public bench and you will admire your new acquisition of empty air.

And that’s when across the street on the second CD Yusef Lateef comes and transform our urban stroll into a rainforest chase for unknown species. Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the destination. Is it Chattanooga today or the Chattanooga of the times of slavery? Is it the past or the future? To ask the question is sure to never get an answer. Just enjoy the trip.

I guess Southern Comfort is next on that road to the south but definitely with an urban background from the north.

But it is a day to wake some vast ideal from morning to dusk. Iqbal dominates the whole suite and it brings together so many things, in 2005 and even more today. The great and mythic by now Sir Muhammad Iqbal, widely known as Allama Iqbal, was a poet, philosopher, and politician, as well as an academic, barrister and scholar in British India who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement. Born: November 9, 1877, Sialkot, Pakistan. Died: April 21, 1938, Lahore, Pakistan. There is in this music something that goes beyond the slowness and nonchalance of the south. There is something that enters the Muslim mind of Yusef Lateef, a Muslim mind that comes from his reference to Pakistan, an aspiration to develop, an aspiration to thrive but also a tremendous fear that behind the green canopy of the trees there may be a very aggressive and violent sky and yet let the canopy of leaves and birds in their nest lock itself up onto the shady happiness of here inside this temple and let our words open our hearts to the divine beyond this closed up cell of nature. That divine grandeur is not outside this cell; it is not outside our own minds. It is inside our minds and we have to cultivate that call, that language, our prayers, our demands, our request from God who does not have any obligation and would even consider this request as some kind of undue begging. Do we have the right to beg from God for small little advantages and presents;

We should be the ones offering and not the ones being granted any offering. And by the ones offering I feel in that music how we are supposed to let ourselves be taken and we are becoming the offering itself this music makes to the giant monsters of life. We are the offering on the altar, on the pyre assembled for the sacrifice, we are the ones open, entirely open and receptive to the blade of the knife that makes us the redeeming sacrifice music brings up to the world to salvage this humanity. This jazz is an expiating sacrifice to save the world from its evilness, its monstrosity, its hawkish carrion eating raptors that are soaring and circling high in the sky over us, their preys. But strangely enough Yusef Lateef tries to convince us there is nothing to be afraid of and we can just sit back and lie low and enjoy the orgasmic communion with nature and with the duration of things and the cosmos, of the whole universe. That music is so pacifying, so smoothly caressing that we may forget the world outside is not that nice after all. And Allama Iqbal becomes an Iqbal sports champion, or an Iqmal child overworked and exploited by some wild capitalism in underdeveloped countries like Pakistan. There are so many Iqbal in this world.

But if we come down from this vision we come to some may fest on the village green, with pipes and some dancing elves. The world is so beautiful when we look at it with the eyes of someone who has satisfied his divine duties and has thus rebuilt his ability to just take the world the way it comes and enjoy it in pleasure and bliss along the dancing crowds. Don’t wonder who this Brother John is. He certainly is not Saint John and his Apocalypse; there is nothing apocalyptic in this music, nothing menacing, just multifarious and multi-voice hymns and canticles dedicated to the peace of mind you reach when you concentrate your mind on the divine. This music is so Muslim in all possible ways. There is no contradiction that is not reduced like a broken bone that heals all by itself with the bandage of belief, faith and submission to the truth of on-high, of beyond all the dangers that are not of life but of some other world that has to be forgotten and nullified.

There is nothing bluesy in this music, nothing sad, mortiferous and morbid. Why on earth has Lionel Belmondo later on developed his morbid and death-loving style? There probably is no answer to that question. But his productions of 2011 and 2012 are in complete contradiction with this radiating bright luminous maybe slightly unempathetic style. Happiness is at the bottom of the flowery meadow like in The Sound of Music. It is well known, provided the world is the microcosm of Switzerland untouched and unconcerned by the violence outside its borders. I must say I miss the drama and the tragedy of so much jazz that pushes its roots and branches into the compost of centuries of inhumane and barbaric history of slavery and exploitation. That’s maybe this contemplation of monstrosities from under the crystal dome of protected relaxation that is so common in Bordeaux and its region, in the Landes forest and on the lakes there that explains the coming together of two jazzmen who are so different.

The world is beautiful and life is marvelous. Let’s enjoy them both till we are drunk with an overdose of sugar and alcohol.

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU

#Jazz #urban jazz #contemplative jazz #muslim jazz

0 notes

sonicawareness · 14 years

Text

Phil Herring’s Best Albums of 2016

Phil Herring is a close friend of Sonic Awareness and a concert aficionado, regularly attending 100+ concerts per year. He has listened to a large number of albums throughout the 2016, and we’re happy to have him provide a guest column: his personal picks for the 40 Best Albums of 2016!

Browse the full list below and check out the key tracks on Spotify!

40) BRIAN FALLON – Painkillers

After relentless touring and five records with his main act (The Gaslight Anthem), Brian Fallon steps out on his own with a collection of lovely mid-tempo roots-rock that establishes him as the singer-songwriter we always knew he was. While not quite as personal as the previous Gaslight Anthem record, Fallon allows himself to expand his sound. Fans of The Gaslight Anthem will still find plenty to enjoy but Painkillers is able to retain its own identity.

KEY TRACK: “Steve McQueen”

39) THE NAKED AND FAMOUS – Simple Forms

These Aussie electro-poppers always tend to have a few banging singles and then a bunch of so-so album tracks so it was nice to hear them to put together their first all killer no filler collection. The hook on “Laid Low” alone will ring in your head for days while elsewhere they strip their sound down to focus on vocal interplay between the two leads

KEY TRACK: “Laid Low”

38) CHAIRLIFT – Moth

Sadly this Brooklyn art-pop duo will be coming to an end next year but they really went out with a bang on this one. Their previous records tended to collapse under the weight of their own pretension so it’s nice to hear Chairlift (formerly most well known for their track “Bruises” featured in an iPod commercial) lightening up a bit and indulging in their pop fetishes that were only hinted at before.

KEY TRACK: ”Cha-Ching”

37) GROUPLOVE – Big Mess

Parenthood hasn’t softened indie-poppers Grouplove. They still are able to bring the ruckus to your local festival’s 4pm time slot. Grouplove is one of the last bands standing which can still readily be played on alternative radio and keep a straight face when referring to themselves as “alternative”. The vocal connection between husband and wife duo Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper continues to be leading anchor to this band’s sound. Big Mess also plays well because it avoids getting slowed down by too many mid-tempo anonymous numbers, a trend that many bands in this category fall into. As we go into a very uncertain 2017, Big Mess is a nice joyful break.

KEY TRACK: “Cannonball”

36) BEAR HANDS – You’ll Pay For This

Not totally indie, not totally retro, not totally electro-pop, not totally rock, Bear Hands refuses to sit into any sort of comfort zone. Led by unique instrumentation and singer Dylan Rau’s slacker-influencer vocals, every record these guys do sounds fairly different. Sure, you could probably draw some sort of comparisons to the likes of Passion Pit, Foster The People, etc. but that wouldn’t be telling the whole story. These guys have made their own brand of Brooklyn indie rock that thankfully isn’t indebted to all the passing trends the genre (and city) sees every few years. 2016 gave them their biggest single to date (“2AM”) but the whole record shows each of the band members bringing their biggest strengths to the table which results in their best record yet.

KEY TRACK: “Winner’s Circle”

35) DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – American Band

There are still American rock and roll lifers in this world and Drive-By Truckers are one of the few who continue to, er, truck on year after year logging endless miles on the road and putting together and incredibly consistent catalog. No Drive-By Truckers record has ever been light subject-matter wise but American Band is likely their most somber and reflective album to date. No doubt inspired by the political landscape and racial tensions in America over the past few years, American Band contemplates exactly what it means to be a southern rock band during this unstable time. Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley have always been excellent story tellers and this record continues to see them evolving in their craft while pleasing their core.

KEY TRACK: “Ever South”

34) SLEIGH BELLS – Jessica Rabbit

Nothing about Sleigh Bells is ever subtle. Like Beach House in their approach (not sound), they continue to tweak and make small changes while still sonically assaulting the listener with gritty guitars and hard dance beats. This time around, the “rock” in their formula is less pronounced which leaves room for more pronounced melodies, beats and overall rhythmic pleasures. It makes for an overall lighter affair but since the songs still stick with you, Jessica Rabbit now makes them 4 for 4.

KEY TRACK: “Rule Number One”

33) DAUGHTER – Not To Disappear

British mope-rock has provided us with plenty of gloomy soundtracks for rainy days. Daughter proved to be one of the stronger candidates with their successful release, If You Leave in 2003. Touring the world a few times over hasn’t softened lead singer/first class mope Elena Tonra. She even wonders if she should “get a dog or something” at one point. If anything, Daughter’s second full length release sounds even more brooding and morose than the first! Years of playing live will beef up anyone’s sound and Daughter doesn’t resist adding a bit more bombast and weight to their post-punk bitter neon-folk. There are still plenty of dark tones and delay pedals present to please fans of the first while giving this young band a whole new sheen. It might sound sad but there’s plenty of joy to be found when listening.

KEY TRACK: “Alone/With You”

32) THRICE – To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere

After going on hiatus back in 2012, Thrice were never actually gone for that long. They bounced back in 2015 playing a slew of festivals while putting together ideas for their 9th proper studio album. The band members, now in their mid-30’s, have put together a fine collection of post-post-hardcore. No longer infatuated will fast tempos and rifts, To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere is one of their most straightforward collection of songs. There’s a new sense of comfort in the music which, to some, might indicate the band is on auto-pilot but Thrice sounds perfectly comfortable streamlining their ambitions in an effort to make a record that pleases both them and their dedicated fan base.

KEY TRACK: “Wake Up”

31) THE HUNNA – 100

Rock and Roll’s true death happened about five years ago at this point but leave it to the UK to still export some excellent guitar-based pop year after year. The Hunna may never get to play a venue bigger than Irving Plaza but their adolescent charm still gets me every time. Here’s hoping that bands like this still continue to exist even after the idea of rock stardom is completely impossible

KEY TRACK: “You and Me”

30) WET – Don’t You

I have no idea why I was so turned off to R&B in the mid-90’s yet when there’s a bunch of pasty white folks from Brooklyn who make it I’m all ears in 2016. There’s a bigger discussion to be had about that topic but in the meantime, Wet’s debut record is a totally competent and fulfilling update to the indie/r&b fusion we’ve been hearing in the past few years. Somber, reflective yet also not excessively melancholy, this was one of my favorite new acts of the year.

KEY TRACK: “Don’t Want To Be Your Girl”

29) THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS – Everything You’ve Come To Expect

On the previous Lash Shadow Puppets record it was really all about Alex Turner. Most people, myself included, forgot that Miles Kane was also a force to be reckoned with. The most likely reason for this, if you’re American, is that Miles Kane’s previous accomplishments were usually only recognized within England and nowhere else. On their second album, eight years after the first, Turner and Kane make it a more democratic practice while taking the R&B-infused rock blueprints from their day jobs. The end result is a sexy, smoky, hazy trip full of late nights out, late-night burnout accompanied by swelling strings in the right places. Both personality’s shine through and all the songs are keepers.

KEY TRACK: “Bad Habits”

28) BASTILLE – “Wild World”

Bastille is a band that is constantly working. In today’s age, you have to be creating constantly to not only get attention but remind your hardcore fans you’re still around. After the success of 2013’s Bad Blood, the band kept busy touring, releasing mix tapes, and more touring. During this time they tightened up their modern approach to pop music and crafted an ambitious 20-song (if you have the deluxe edition) collection of arena-level pop/rock. Their sonic approach remains consistently modern as front man Dan Smith demonstrates the level of influences one would expect from someone who likely grew up with all music available at the click of a button. Lead single “Good Grief” might not have captured the public’s conscious like “Pompeii” did a few years back but Bastille remains one of the most interesting and dynamic pop/rock acts out there.

KEY TRACK: “Good Grief”

27) TOVE LO – Lady Wood

Tove Lo tightens up on her second album of dark pop. This is the sort of thing that can easily sit alongside Katy Perry and Rihanna but there’s a certain darkness that Tove Lo brings to the mix. Added to the fact that the girl has songwriting chops writing hits for the likes of Icona Pop and Amelia Lily. Lady Wood is an overall darker affair than her previous release and a lot more concise. The beats are colder but that suits the bummed-out songs, even if you can still easily sing along to them.

KEY TRACK: “True Disaster”

26) AGAINST ME! – Shape Shift With Me

Laura Jane Grace (formerly known as Tom Gabel) coming out as transgender in 2012 gave Against Me a much needed publicity bump along with, at least somewhat, making the world a bit more tolerant place. What we didn’t know was, perhaps not surprisingly, her marriage was falling apart during this time period due to the recent transitioning. As such, Shape Shift with Me isn’t a traditional break-up record but explores love in broader terms. What is it we all look for and what is it we all need? The band’s snarling punk approach now coupled with a higher level of pop-punk hooks provides a relentless attack and proves this band is still a force to be reckoned with.

KEY TRACK: “Crash”

25) SANTIGOLD – 99 Cents

The usual M.O. after the “difficult follow-up” is to bounce bank with a brighter, more nimble and user-friendly record. Santigold started her career out as an A&R rep for a major label so she has first-hand experience of what artists should deliver in order to maximize return. As such, 99 Cents sounds exactly as its cover art implies. Bright, snappy, sharp and a blend of many genres. This is pop music by any means but its executed extremely well and with a nodding wink that lets the listener know the artist is well aware that it might seem like pandering, but this is pop music constructed by a master.

KEY TRACK: “Banshee”

24) JAGWAR MA – Every Now and Then

Jagwar Ma are one of those groups that gets classified as “electronic” strictly because they don’t normally use traditional rock instrumentation. To be fair, is there is a fair amount of loops and electronic beats but the way they blend both psychedelic melodies and deep house makes for an intoxicating listen. Guitars chime in now and again to add a light human touch but this record is an absolute dance-fueled blast from start to finish.

KEY TRACK: “Give Me A Reason”

23) DEFTONES – Gore

Now all in their 40’s, these nu metal survivors are elder statesmen which usually means diminishing returns for the listener. However, Deftones have aged rather gracefully from their skate metal origins to fully embracing their love of melodic atmospheres, ambient sounds all pushing back other boundaries the metal genre usually does not forgive bands for going past. It’s rare to see a band getting better and better as the years pass which makes Gore even more of a treat.

KEY TRACK: “Hearts/Wires”

22) TEGAN AND SARA – Love You To Death

Playing it safe after a big blockbuster is a common move, particularly for a veteran act like Tegan and Sara who spent years and years building their audience with their polite and charming indie folk. After going full on electro-pop on 2013’s Heartthrob they stuck to the same formula this year and, while it didn’t exactly allow for lightening to strike twice, it still allowed for plenty of replay value with its shiny hooks.

KEY TRACK: “U-Turn”

21) KINGS OF LEON – Walls

I never imagined I’d ever be including any Kings of Leon album ever on my year-ends lists. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have much against the band. I found their early releases and “Southern Strokes” press-boasting was completely off base as they basically just sounded like any bar band you’d find down south. They started to wear me down by injecting more U2 arena pomposity in their music throughout the years (even if their big hit “Use Somebody” was EXTREMELY hokey). Since then, they’ve settled comfortably on being a hooky mainstream rock band without excessive posturing and/or forced Southern rock throwbacks. Walls is their most consistent set of songs to date and I’m glad the band made it through their rough patch struggling with success.

KEY TRACK: “Reverend”

20) TAKING BACK SUNDAY – Tidal Wave

Like Kings Of Leon this is a debut for Taking Back Sunday on my list and, again, like Kings of Leon it is their 7th full length release. After going through a number of ups and downs in the 00’s with a rotating cast of band members, Taking Back Sunday sound fully comfortable moving into middle age while playing tribute to the acts that inspired them. Lead single and title track sounds like a straight up Ramones-tribute amongst 12 other tracks that find the band coming full circle. It may not please the MySpace-core users of the previous decade but this is a great example of an emo band aging gracefully and not letting their sound become dated.

KEY TRACK: “Tidal Wave”

19) FITZ & THE TANTRUMS – Fitz And The Tantrums

After the breakthrough success of their second record, Fitz & The Tantrums tighten up and aim to please even more on their third full release. Their self-titled album is almost like a how-to guide for how you get a late afternoon festival audience up and jumping after hours of dull jangly guitar rock. There’s no omnipresent theme here, other than wanting to make the listener dance, the hopes of love and also the disappointments. Throughout the whole endeavor, the band keeps the beats sharp and the hooks sticky which ensures listener fatigue is not an option.

KEY TRACK: “Fadeback”

18) PANIC! AT THE DISCO – Death Of A Bachelor

Of the mid-00’s emo boom there are very few survivors. Panic! At The Disco (now down to just one member, Brendan Urie) can count themselves among the few. Urie has taken time to slowly reinvent the project to be a post-emo Jock Jam delivery service. Previous records didn’t have much in the way of one consistent theme but Death Of A Bachelor isn’t subtle in that all the tracks throwback to the “glory “days of Urie’s bachelorhood. There’s plenty of camp and sometimes unnecessary pomp but Urie makes it all work through his likeable personality, sharp assisted hooks from various songwriting teams along with a modern production scene that keeps him sounding contemporary. The record is a total blast and who would have thought, in 2006, that the group would be headlining Madison Square Garden a decade later.

KEY TRACK: “LA Devotee”

17) GREEN DAY - Revolution Radio

Don’t listen to anyone telling you this is a “return to from”. Green Day already attempted to do that with the ill-fated trilogy which was immensely enjoyable to some (including me!) but to most, was a bit too much and in all fairness, some of those tracks should have been delegated to a rarities compilation. Using this as a lesson, Green Day comes full circle and finally embraces simply being Green Day without anything to prove. There’s a few melodic pop-punk bangers but also a heavy amount of acoustic balladry and leftover rock-opera theatrics from the 00’s. The band still sounds as confident as ever and it’s nice to see them finally accept their status as elder statesmen while still crafting quality records.

KEY TRACK: “Still Breathing”

16) JAMES BLAKE – The Colour In Anything

James Blake is essentially what Justin Vernon (a.k.a Bon Iver) is working towards (more on that in a little). The Colour In Anything is Blake’s third record and his most sonically ambitious by far. Previously, he was delegated to the less-douchey part of “dub-step”. Here he devotes all resources available to his craft, constructing a full-on adventure in sonic wilderness. There’s no vocal effect or digital nuance he won’t touch during this sprawling 76-minute adventure. All digital glitches aside, his songwriting hasn’t missed a beat since he first was heard from back in 2010 and, at this point, The Colour In Anything stands at his crowning achievement.

KEY TRACK: “Modern Soul”

15) GARBAGE – Strange Little Birds

Unlike many of the 90’s holdovers, Garbage has little interest in relevancy. That’s not to say they haven’t built upon their sound but they no longer have an interest in sounding youthful which makes sense as all band members are now post-50. Strange Little Birds functions as an adult break-up record. There’s a lingering melancholy unlike the usual break-up records because singer Shirley Manson has been around the block a few times and knows, as she reflects in several songs, that sometimes she’s to blame for her transgressions. The band’s dark modern pop still sounds thrilling as they update their sound here and there with a few new tricks but with Manson still leading the way, the band never stumbles.

KEY TRACK: “Even Though Our Love Is Doomed”

14) BILLY TALENT – Afraid Of Heights

While Billy Talent continues to play arenas in their native land of Canada, as soon as they cross the U.S. border they’re reduced to a club band. That’s a shame because these punchy Buzzcocks-style rockers continue to put out great records with snarly melodies, vicious guitar attacks and plenty of pit-ready rhythms. Of course, the band members are easing into middle age so there’s a lot of reflecting and more sensitivity here than previously but that doesn’t take away from the band’s passion. I’m tempted to dock them points for the silly anti-EDM “Louder Than The DJ” but part of growing old is finally succumbing to the fact that you no longer fully understand youth culture. Also, the song still rips so no hard feelings. Here’s to aging as gracefully as Billy Talent.

KEY TRACK: “Leave Them All Behind”

13) BUTCH WALKER – Stay Gold

Butch has noted this is his last full length release so Stay Gold functions as a welcome send-off. Throughout the record, Walker finds himself looking back on his several past lives and reinventions. His love of guitar pop via Tom Petty style never completely disappears but, since this guy has been on pop radio via songwriting in one form or another for nearly two decades, the songs never fail to disappoint. Bonus points for the heartbreaking ballad at the end which is able to be perfectly nostalgic while also, begrudgingly, accepting the future at the same time.

KEY TRACK: “Record Store”

12) SIA – This Is Acting

Hard to believe that so many of these songs were presented to various pop tarts and turned down. Most alarmingly, how did Rihanna turn down “Cheap Thrills”? Their loss is our gain as Sia has a different type of personality and seasoned passion which only comes with years of experience and false-starts. Fully embracing the sounds of today, she crafts her own world (with help) to deliver a stunning set of pop gems. Next time around, something tells me Rihanna will be more open-minded.

KEY TRACK: “Cheap Thrills”

11) ST. LUCIA – Matter

There’s always a lot written in the press about acts being an “80’s or “90’s throwback these days. The real reason for this is those two decades were the last ones where distinct sounds could be tied to them. St. Lucia, the project of Brooklyn via South Africa Jean-Philip Grobler made no secret of their love of 80’s campy synth-pop with their 2013 full length debut. Matter takes that same template and kicks it into overdrive, fully allowing Grobler to embrace his love of huge hooks, cheesy synth lines and 80’s dance beats. They might still function as a “rock” band but this lovely record will delight anyone who has missed when synths ruled the world in the 1980’s.

KEY TRACK: “Help Me Run Away”

10) WEEZER – Weezer (White Album)

In terms of redemption stories, Weezer might not be at the top of the list but they’re coming close. Once they re-engaged with popular culture in the early-mid 00’s they spent the rest of the decade tragically undoing all the good will they built up with old and new fans alike. 2014’s Everything Will Be All Right In The End put them back on track and allowed them to deliver the “White Album” (actually their 4th self-titled) which is a record they’ve been destined to make since their debut in 1994. A classic California beach guitar-pop record with modern flourishes, Rivers Cuomo dreams up his version of Southern California complete with soaring hooks, Beach Boys harmonies and crunching guitars. This isn’t a nostalgia trip by any means as producer Jake Sinclair, a Weezer fan growing up, steers the group to still sound modern and sleek without losing the nerdy and awkward charm that made us all fall in love with Weezer in the first place. Similar to Green Day’s record this year, Weezer finally sounds comfortable simply being Weezer.

KEY TRACK: “L.A. Girls”

09) MIIKE SNOW – iii

Swedes and note-perfect pop music go together extremely well. Miike Snow, the band (not a guy), took some time off after their synth-pop had fully penetrated the U.S. in 2012. Since then, they’ve come back with 10 more bangers stripping their music of pretension and focusing on the important stuff: beats, hooks, melodies and charisma. Some reviews focus on “style over substance” but style is one of the most, if not the most, important characteristic in pop music. It doesn’t always matter what is being sung about so long as there is swagger and personality which Miike Snow offers in spades.

KEY TRACK: “Genghis Khan”

08) THE STRUTS – Everybody Wants’

As I’ve mentioned several times, I’m glad the Brits won’t fully give up on glam-infused rock and roll. The Struts pick up where previous British burnouts The Darkness and Jet left off. Their US full length updates their previous UK debut with a welcome 5 new tracks as well as all the keepers from their first release. If you’re cynical, this is the typical “save rock and roll” album a lot of people turn to when feeling bummed about the genre but there really are plenty of treats here for even the most jaded listeners. Big riffs married with big hooks and big crescendos will never stop being exciting to me.

KEY TRACK: “Kiss This”

07) PHANTOGRAM – Three

Phantogram has been building up to this moment for a while. What started as a lo-fi electronic atmospheric pop project has now turned full-blown arena atmospheric pop. The duo has always been dark but there’s an even darker lingering theme throughout Three as the band had a number of people close to them pass away in the past year, most notably lead singer Sarah Barthel’s younger sister which is reflected in the devastating “Destroyer”. They turn pain into some wicked pleasures, all culminating in the excellent “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” which will rattle around in your head for days.

KEY TRACK: “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”

06) KALEO – A/B

If you didn’t do any research, you’d likely think Kaleo was another gang of Southern boys re-purposing the blues for modern times. I had that same impression until I learned they were actually from Iceland, a place far removed from American blues rock. For cynics, it’s easy to scoff at these foreigners doing their best impression of southern rock but Kaleo pull it off with great success. There’s everything on here from straight-up Black Keys rockers to Bon Iver tributes all while maintain the band’s own identity. For rock and roll purists, Kaleo was as good as it gets in 2016.

KEY TRACK: “All The Pretty Girls”

05) RADIOHEAD – A Moon Shaped Pool

Many were afraid to admit it, but with 2011’s The King Of Limbs Radiohead had painted themselves a little too much into a corner. Bouncing back with A Moon Shaped Pool, they learned to embrace the beautiful non-glitch elements of their sound including instruments played by actual humans while Thom Yorke’s melodies take on prettier pastures. Don’t be fooled, there’s still plenty of “end of the world” type executions here but, being Radiohead, they make it all sound so effortlessly easy and beautiful. Bonus points for finally giving us a recorded version of “True Love Waits”!

KEY TRACK: “Burn The Witch”

04) JIMMY EAT WORLD – Integrity Blues

While the mainstream fell off a long time ago, Jimmy Eat World has been remarkably consistent in their career post breakthrough in 2001-02. I’m realizing there’s a reoccurring theme in this list of addressing getting older (NO idea why that might be, of course) and Integrity Blues continues that trend. While they’ll forever be pegged an “emo” band in the eyes of most, Jimmy Eat World toss off earnest sincerity with such ease its’ second nature to them at this point. After putting out a “grown up break-up record” in 2013, they’ve come full circle with the incredibly well-rounded Integrity Blues. There may not be as much bite in their sound these days but that’s due to continued maturity and also a wider range of influences. They still wear their hearts no their sleeves and Jim Adkins, now in his 40’s, can still easily soundtrack any high school.

KEY TRACK: “Sure And Certain”

03) BON IVER – 22, A million

Justin Vernon is still portrayed as the sad bastard strumming solemn acoustic songs in the woods by the media. Any listen to this record, as well as his previous Grammy-winning self-titled release in 2011, should dispel that notion. 22, A Million is a strange, jarring but still extremely fulfilling listen that finds Vernon adopting a kitchen sink type approach to his music-making. There are still sad moments, yes, but they are spliced up between random glitches, beats and strange vocoder effects. It’s almost as if Vernon is still trying to shake off his success with a healthy dose of sonic confrontation. Underneath it all, the songs are still extremely pleasant and deliver in way listeners want Bon Iver too, even if you can’t fully figure out the odd song naming convention.

KEY TRACK: “7:15 (Creeks)”

02) LUKAS GRAHAM – Lukas Graham

Turning pain into pop songwriting is nothing new. Lead singer/songwriter Lukas Forchhammer grew up a child actor but also lost his father at a young age. He turns his autobiography into a charming theatrical musical-like record bringing you up to speed from his early childhood (“7 Years”) to even imagining his death being a huge party (“Funeral”). Even with the grim subject matter, Forchhammer never totally sounds bummed out, always keeping hope alive in his darkest moments. Perhaps the most honest and charming pop record of the year, I’m excited for what this band has to offer next.

KEY TRACK: “What Happened To Perfect”

01) THE 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It

If this list were titled “the 40 most obnoxious album titles of 2016” this record will still be number one. The 1975 has a lot that can get on people’s nerves, most notably the pretentious presentation and unnecessary pomp that American audiences aren’t used to from acts that present themselves as “rock” bands. The 1975 may feature the usual combo of vocals, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards but they are a straight up pop band, through and throughout. Note pop band and not singer. It’s amazing that the band member, who were all born in the late 80’s and early 90’s, have such a fascination with all thing 80’s. If this were a collection of songs, it’d still be great, but their ability to balance the anthemic pop bangers with moody introspective instrumentals and sparse acoustic tracks makes them a fully competent album band. Judging by the band’s success of selling out Madison Square Garden this spring without a true HIT hit single (they’ve done well on the modern rock charts), they might be well on their way to becoming a stadium act in a few years. Plus, try getting “The Sound” out of your head once you’ve heard it.

KEY TRACK: “The Sound”

0 notes