#this EP is the best thing to ever happen to RAS's discography

[hongjoongpresent]

BANGER AFTER BANGER AFTER BANGER

[kashilascorner]

2022 favorites - final part

previous parts

Music

1. Multitude (2022) - Stromae

Stromae just never loses his touch. After many years of waiting, he brought up an album with a unique sound, sharp lyrics and influences from all over the world.

Favorite songs: Santé, Mauvaise journée, L'enfer, Mon amour, La solassitude, Fils de joie.

2. Purple rain (1984) - Prince & the Revolution

A true classic, and for a reason! I'd been pulling off listening to this for years, finally did it and can say it's one of the best albums ever.

Favorite songs: When doves cry, Purple Rain, Baby I'm a Star, Darling Nikki, I would die 4 U.

3. Violent things (2009) - The Brobecks

This one surprised me for good. I really liked very much every song in the album. I also know 16 year old me would have loved this shit.

Favorite songs: If you like it or not, Le vélo pour deux, Visitations of the ghost, Bike Ride.

4. Coyote stories (2015) - The Crane Wives

My favorite album from what has become one of my favorite bands. The Crane Wives create a lyrical world firmly based on the conventions of Americana, but always with their own twist. Will leave your heart bleeding, probably.

Favorite songs: Metaphor, The moon will sing, Keep you safe, Never love an anchor, Allies or enemies.

5. Cosmicandy (2006) - The Orion Experience

This album is just fun. Sounds somehow newer than it actually is and presents a nice combination of sounds, as well as cheeky lyrics.

Favorite songs: Cult of Dionysus, Obsessed with you, There's no love in february, Queen of white lies.

6. Cosmos (1996) - Buck-Tick

I listened to a lot of Buck Tick albums in 2022 (and still have more of their discography to go). They really have become one of my favorite bands. Cosmos is, in a lot of ways, the culmination of their Industrial rock years, though it is also a transitional album? And somehow, this one that I was very skeptical about ended up becoming y favorite of theirs from the ones I listened this year (I think Aku no Hana will continue to hold the title of being my one favorite BT album).

Favorite songs: Ash-ra, Sane, Idol, Maria, In, Foolish.

7. Oddinary (2022) - Stray Kids

This is the only EP in this album. I think all of the songs in it are at least ok, and most of them range from good to great. It's noisy, it's hip, it's charming and it's fun --and occasionally heartfelt. I also like the Maniac music video a lot.

Favorite songs: Venom, Muddy water, Maniac, Charmer.

8. Impera (2022) - Ghost

Can you believe I was kind of underwhelmed at first listen... Only to kind of become obsessed with a handful of songs after that? Yeah. This is possibly their least innovative (or perhaps just their most pop), and their most old-school, but oh boy did I enjoy that old school rock!

Favorite songs: Hunter's Moon, Darness at the heart of my love, Spillways, Call me little sunshine.

9. Kid krow (2021) - Conan Gray

This album caught me by surprise at 2am in a sleepless night and it broke me over and over again --but left a good taste in my mouth.

Favorite songs: Checkmate, Fight or flight, Afluenza, Maniac, Comfort Crowd, Little league, The story.

10. Monster (2022) - Arlequin

This is a visual kei band that happens to be the favorite vkei band of one of my friends. I wasn't very fond of their previous material, but decided to give them another chance becasue I really liked their leading single. And oh boy. This album is pretty much perfect, with high speed heavier tunes, melodious songs and even ballads. Everything is very well balanced and it's just so, so catchy.

Favorite songs: Taranatula, Akashi, Monster, Sekai no owari to yokae mae, Bash nou down, Blue candy.

11. Sympa (2019) - King Gnu

Discovering this band was one of my 2022 musical highlights. This album is my favorite of their so far, a wonderful show of their versatiliry and energy that bends genres into their unique sound.

Favorite songs: Slumberland, Flash, The hole, Sorrows, Bedtown.

12. First impressions of Earth (2006) - The Strokes

Garage rock and posh NYC boys can actually be so nice sometimes.

Favorite songs: Heart in a cage, Evening sun, You only live once, Juicebox, Razorblade.

13. 333 Deluxe (2022) - Tinashe

Smooth, silky, sultry, and catchy as hell.

Favorite songs: Naturally, I can see the future, let me down slowly, Bouncin', X, Undo (Back to my heart), Angels.

Special Mentions

Let's dance (David Bowie), The fool in her wedding gown & Foxlore (The Crane Wives), The Velvet Rope (Janet Jackson), Starboy (The Weeknd), The experience (Lila Iké), Sexy Stream Liner (Buck-Tick), Tidal (Fiona Apple), Tiara (Tia Ray), Kyokutou I love you (Buck-Tick), In life (Stray Kids), Pomegranate seeds (Julian Moon), Moodswings into order (DPR Ian), If i can't have love I want power (Halsey), El pintor (Interpol), Love synonym 1&2 (Wonho).

[brooklyndrinksandgoeshome]

It’s embarrassing, the last three written entries on here have mostly been about people passing away as if I’m surrounded by the all-encompassing grim reaper everyday at every turn. I mean, this is what happens when you write about the past and naturally the people who are no longer with us will get a bit of extra space because all we have from them now are memories, but for fuck sake, I’m not mister doom and gloom all the time. If anything, it seems as if I’m surrounded by a self-contained bubble of early 90s Japanese wrestling, 70′s power-pop, Radio Garden, this Oliver Sacks book that I’m hoping to finish before the end of the week and curling. No really, curling. Seriously, curling rules.

I haven’t written that much about music in the last several years mostly because of burnout and if I’m not careful, it’ll start to feel like a job and I’ll want to put it off until my non-existent deadline creeps up on me which I can push back to infinity without any consequence (hell, it’s taken me a week and a half to finish this pointless exercise anyway). Besides, critiquing music as a serious profession, I’ve come to realize as the years have past is, well, kind of stupid; like if you don’t have anything nice to say, just ignore it and all the bad music will all hopefully vanish, right?  

That being said, I do wonder why a lot of bands from yonder past never never got the credit or recognition they deserved. Usually from a DIY perspective, I’m quick to blame poor distribution deals from a company run out of their mom’s basement, or a local band who never played beyond the same 20 people at the same club for their entire existence, (this plagued almost every Detroit band from the early-80s until the late-90s) or just plain old self-destruction that still bites people back, whether if it’s drug addiction or a fear of failure/success. My personal favorite --and I can’t find it on the internet to save my life right now, was when a jilted ex destroyed all but a hundred copies of her boyfriend’s first and only EP of his band, thus making it an instant collector’s item with their tracks being discovered fairly recently on a Killed By Death bootleg.

I also think my own opinions on music have always a been a bit left of center as I get bored way too easily and I quickly turn into a crotchety old man whenever Pitchfork creams their jeans over another Garageband produced dance track that sounds as boring and milk toast as any song put together from laptop bloops and bleeps.* Feeling this old out of touch makes one resort to the jazz or country section of any used record store, or when anyone asks me what I listen to these days, I usually say “podcasts.” But something about the aforementioned 70s power-pop obsession has arrived after a brief yet expensive summer of Northern Soul collecting that got put on hold as I have a hard time paying more than $20 for a 45; yeah, this phase didn’t last very long. Before that, it was Sun Ra who has literally hundreds of releases under his always spotty discography and after awhile, it became overwhelming search through scores of, I’m sorry, no disrespect, bin fillers, to eventually find a reissued gem like Sleeping Beauty or Lanquidity. Before that, it was electronic, sci-fi synth soundtrack sounding 70s prog made by the guy who use to drum for The Shadows. Did I mention that I get bored way too easily?

Even by record nerd standards, I know I have some unpopular opinions on popular unpopular music: Big Star weren’t going to be next Beatles ever and they probably have five good songs top. As much as I love The Jam, Style Council have a handful of tracks that blow away anything else Paul Weller’s ever done (oh snap, fighting words). With a few exceptions, The Yellow Pills comps are wildly overrated with a lot of tracks sound more like a second rate Rick Springfield --even if it was the point for a band to be the next Rick Springfield. Also, it still bothers me that The Fastbacks, mostly ignored for their entire 22 year career, got more recognition when they opened for The Presidents of The United States of America when “Peaches” was in heavy rotation. Seriously, I’ll take Answer The Phone Dummy over any 90s Sub Pop release any day.

The Keys: I Don’t Wanna Cry

Produced by Joe Jackson and still managed to have only found a recent audience from the depths of obscurity thanks to a Youtube hero. Not bad, but probably too nice and squeaky clean as The Buzzcocks and Undertones already did this way better and louder. Still, the singer hits those high notes with ease and could have easily been a hit if it was written for, I don’t know, Elvis Costello or someone else a bit more angsier. 

The Letters: Nobody Loves Me

Again, way too wussy and self-hating even by pop-punk standards, but I still love this track as it’s bouncy pogo energy and raw production more than make up for the shitty lyrics. One and done, never heard from again until a 2002 CD reissue of their mostly unreleased discography, or is it a reunion record? I don’t know.

The Tours: Language School

Another one and done from the UK who got plenty of hype from John Peel, signed to Virgin and imploded within a year never to be heard from until Cherry Red reissued their unreleased album a few years ago which is now also going for a steep price on Discogs. Nice short, poppy number here that if anything, makes you realize how much (again) the Buzzcocks influenced a generation of UK bands in the late 70s-early 80s.

20/20: Remember The Lightning

I first remember hearing about these guys from the well meaning Radio Heartbeat Records who reissued a single that quickly went out print along with the rest of the labels discography --some moved on to form Captured Tracks who eventually went on to re-release all of Milk ‘n Cookies output on a (sorry) completely unnecessary 2xLP box set, huge picture book included. 20/20’s first album got lost in the shuffle of another busted label (notice a trend here) that got swallowed up by Epic Records, which is a shame because we could have had a punkier younger brother of the Knack.

De Cylinders: I Wanna Get Married

Spontaneously heard a live set of these guys on the always fantastic, very missed Cherry Blossom Clinic on WFMU and rushed to see their record release/only American show ever in front of a dozen others at a random Brooklyn bar. The wonderful Sing Sing Records reissued this single and naturally, there’s a way out of print CD discography compilation  that’s only available in Japan for like $40 bucks on Discogs. Uh, I have to find a job first.

Nasty Facts: Drive My Car

God, I love the internet. This gem would have never been discovered if it wasn’t for some Youtube hero who posted a vinyl rip of a bootleg as the original pressing is long gone --cheapest one I found on Discogs going for $70 and it’s tough being a cheapskate and a record collector at the same time. Anyway, punky rocky from New York with a singer who sounds like less gruff but equally badass Joan Jett; America’s answer to the Rezillo’s! Get on it, weirdo!

Ail Symudiad: Garej Paradwys

Probably never made it farther out than Cardiff because everything’s in Welsh, but they put out a surprising number of singles that were all pretty consistent throughout the 80s --I’m pretty sure this is their third one. Full of energy despite the weird guitar effect pedals used throughout the song and if you’re curious, they’re called Second Movement and according to Google Translate, this songs about partying in their garage. I don’t know, I didn’t go farther than their “Paradise Garage” song title.

The Elevators: Your I’s Are Too Close Together

The least punky song on here, but it did make me laugh out loud the first time I heard it. I mean, of all the reasons why he won’t go out with her, and he lists everyone one on here, her facial structure was the final straw. Probably a wee mean spirited, but the lyrics go perfect with the chorus, high notes on the lead guitar and all.

The Records: Starry Eyes

Saving the best for last. There’s no excuse, this should have been a huge hit. I mean, it’s great that we have our own song to share with our closest friends --for example, a heartbreaker of an ex or whatever it was you want to call it when we had an on and off again thing in 2012 introduced me to this and well, all it did was prolong some coulda-woulda-shoulda feelings that lasted a bit longer than it should have. Anyway, this song’s a power-pop masterpiece that, unintentionally or not, sounds like an unreleased Big Star track and it makes me angry that these guys got swept under the rug for whatever reason.

I’m tired and I’ve run out of adjectives, just like how I use to back when I (barely) made a living writing about music, no benefits, no thesaurus. Will try to write more about something like Atsushi Onita or how much I love The Great British Bake Off or something. 

*Nothing made me feel more out of touch with underground/contemporary music when I had a hard time understanding what the big deal was with The Fiery Furnaces, but when I couldn’t get away from Animal Collective, that’s when I get up and settled into a WFMU k-hole. I can tell you the exact moment sometime around the end of 2007, on the 7 train heading into Long Island City for work, reading The Metro --I’m a sucker for free daily newspapers no matter how badly written, and came across their best album of the year list with Strawberry Jam being number four or something. “This album rules” the brief review started and once again, I just didn’t get it. I don’t always take part in any schadenfreude, but I’m glad significantly less people give a shit about them these days.