No Summer for Old Men

"Heatwave" by Martha and the Vandellas is a real snappy number, but the word itself no longer has the same attraction. It's just too damn oppressive to be very sexy.

The message of "Summer in the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful - maybe the greatest summer song ever - is that despite the heat, it'll be all right.

And "Summer Breeze"? No! Seriously, f*ck its overplayed ass.

It would be nice to still, as we did as youngsters, think of summer as a three-month preview of heaven.  Most of us not living in temperate (meaning, not yet impacted by climate change) areas don't see it as a time to relax, have fun and get a tan. It's a ninety-three-day ordeal of humidity, sirens, explosions we hope are fireworks, and PEOPLE WHO TALK TOO LOUD. (No, not "loudly". LOUD.) And, worst of all, pale old white men in cargo shorts.

So I can't wait for autumn. That dry, cooler (but still sunny) calm idyll, when you have to wear a light jacket, which just happens to hide your gut.

This is all to explain why - aside from hearing these records during the summer, I am hearing these records as being "summer music" in both the best and worst senses. 

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Burnin' (1973)

Why summer music? As I learned on my honeymoon - when I finally got it - reggae goes well with hot weather. It's slow because it's too friggin hot to play (or dance) any faster. 

Lucky for me (if not the planet) I've had more than enough hot sticky summers to catch up.

This one didn't immediately grab me the way Catch a Fire did. This one does have its share of classics but is more laid back. And the production is not as clean or immediate. But once I gave it half a chance the songs rose up to meet my ears. And each one sticks.

I play it a lot in the mornings before the A/C kicks in.

A-

"Get Up, Stand Up"

St. Etienne: Smash the System: Singles and More (2001)

A sort of greatest hits collection by this British trio is largely  - but not exclusively - dance music. It's light, quick, and playful, so, on the surface, it's "fun". Like what summer is supposed to be. But it's also a little sad, like what summer too often is. 

It starts with heresy - a dance version of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" - which turns out to be pretty damn good. And then it goes on balancing dance arrangements with good tunes.

It may be too much of a good thing, though. Two filled-to-the-brim CDs add up to two and a half hours of music. It can't help but get a bit repetitive. In other words, a perfect fit for those looooooonng summer afternoons.

B+

"Kiss and Make Up"

Yo La Tengo: Fade (2013)

YLT can rival reggae in its languor. Despite their potential for the guitar freakout so beloved by the younger set, it's downright admirable how often YLT just chills, which as time goes by is more and more beloved by me. 

Their ability to pull off either is reminiscent of the Velvet Underground. And their pinnacle - I Can Hear the Heart Beat as One -  is the perfect balance of both styles.

On this one, they favor the chill. Out of ten songs, there are only two outright rockers. The rest are either folkish or light pop bordering-on-Easy Listening, often sung in a whisper a la "Girl From Impanema".  

Thank god husband and wife team Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley write such simple beautiful songs, and apply the most subtle harmonies to bring out the best of them, that you sometimes can't believe it's an original and not a cover.

So what may at first seem like a deliberate dare for you to dismiss them turns out to be evidence of YLT's great faith in their listeners to stick around. I definitely will. From the midtempo rockish opener to the wistful horns fade out at the very end. 

It's the sound of the end of a good day when the temperature drops a wee bit and there's a hint of a breeze.

A-

"Before We Run"

Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee (2021)

Just a young woman singing her songs, with nary a guitar, bass, or drums in sight (although the pictures indicate otherwise). And not dance music either. Just sweet mid-tempo pop music.

Mrs. Jaybee always guesses this one correctly when I put it on. And sometimes actually requests it! Now that is saying something. 

Short, sweet, and wistful, you fear it might just waft away. In fact, it's so single-mindedly tuneful (if not exactly hooky) that it never does. One after another the songs unfurl, each one as good as the last.

A guitar does poke its head out at the end, in just the right place.

The sound of a now rare great summer day. 

Maybe the young people can save us after all.

A-

"Posing for Cars"

It's Young to Feel Great Again

Around this time of year, I get a little tired of reaching into the past and decide to dip into current music. It's my version of actually going out and interacting with other humans.

Plus, we live in such a positive time, why not immerse myself in it?

But it's really due to my vanity. I would like to feel young at least for a few minutes, and there's nothing like turning on the radio and hearing a great new song to do that. Clearly, that has not happened in some time. The closest I can come to it is putting on a new album that sounds great.

I would thus play it safe and get some pop music. So why I chose this moment to get a punk album I'll never know. Perhaps I thought "punk" no longer meant what it used to? 

Amyl and the Sniffers: Comfort to Me (2022)

Wrong.

In terms of sheer energy, this beats out Dry Cleaning. Amy Taylor's high-pitched-but-not-quite-a-shriek vocals are a perfect complement to the low roar of the guitar. And her Australian accent just adds to the fun. 

Rage is the default emotion in punk, so what's odd here is the repeated use of the word "love". A welcome development! Of course, Amy is demanding that you love her. Still, it proves you can be angry and in love at the same time.

And I found out later Jaybee Son Mike loves it!

As with some other genres (reggae, blues, country, etc.) I only play it when I'm in the mood, like when I'm alone or when we've somehow invited someone over who I hate.

So in the long run I'll probably play Dry Cleaning a little more often.

But then again, I could go through my old address book and look up some old frienemies...

A-

"Hertz"

Wet Leg: Wet Leg (2022)

"Dad, I think you would like this band," sez Jaybee Son Mike, making his second appearance here. 

Whenever I hear this phrase - and I hear it a lot - I think of it as a statement about me rather than the music.  I chafe at the suggestion I'm "predictable". Am I not the "independent spirit marching to the beat of my own drum"? Not with those cargo shorts ads popping up on my Facebook timeline, I'm not.  

So I look them up and the buzz is quite strong. So I gave them a try.

Turns out, Mike was right! It's EXACTLY what I would like. Even Mrs. Jaybee likes it, and she's pretty tough on the young ladies (Editor's note: Don't tell her I said that.)

(Editor's Note: Mrs. Jaybee would like to address the whole "girly voice" question. It is not that they sing that way per se. It is that they don't project. If they've got a good voice, they should use it.)

However, we both agree that the vocals here are less "girly" than quirky, and - critically - the band rocks, adding just the right touch a given song needs, moving several from good to memorable. So it's fun from beginning to end.

Warning: Slight Digression Ahead:

And it edges out Haim, simply because I don't feel obligated to put it on. The Haim record is "excellent" overall, and it deserves its due, but that adjective has never been a good compliment for a rock record. "Excellent" is not "great!", (and, of course, "great!" is not "Great!" which is not "GREAT". You get the idea.)

But in case you don't:

• Not Bad: (B to B+) Weyes Blood or the first Grateful Dead album
• Pretty Good: (B+ to A-) Sharon Van Etten or Her Satanic Majesties Request
• Excellent (A-): Haim or the first Allmans album 
• great! (A- to A) A real pleasure at the moment, but who knows if it will last? Wet Leg or the second live Grateful Dead record. 
• Great! (A) Joy from beginning to end. Township Jazz and Jive, Marshall Crenshaw's first album, and most Beatles, Stones, and Neil Young albums.
• GREAT (A+) The Pantheon, still bringing joy decades later: Abbey Road, Tonight's the Night, Another Green Word, The Who Sell Out, Katy Lied.

End of Digression:

And with (Spoiler Alert!) the final line: I just need a bubble bath to set me on a higher path, this record's "great!". Now let's see if it makes its way to "Great!"

A

"Too Late Now"

World History Project: Two Scoops of Schubert

A Lack of Perspective:

After having tackled Ludwig van Beethoven (hey, that sounds funny, but he did get into a street fight with his brother over money, so...) last year, I figure it's time for another edition of WHP.

I wasn't sure who to dig into next so I started reading about some of the composers who followed after LVB. It turns out there was this guy who actually served as one of his pallbearers. Last name Schubert... 

And it caused a reaction usually reserved for the Susquehanna Hat Company. Why you might ask? Well, after months of intensive therapy, a memory was unearthed.

Sometime after The White Album came out, I read a critic's quote, stating that Lennon and McCartney were the greatest composers since Schubert. Now, a normal person would have appreciated this affirmation of the value of pop music in general and the Beatles in particular.

But, my eleven-year-old brain's reactions were:

1. Okay, he's in the ballpark, but... 
2. No, they are the greatest composers OF ALL TIME.
3. And who the f*ck is this guy Schubert, anyway??

At that age, we all had our lists of greatest whatever of all time. Here's mine (sorry, Kanye!):

• Band: Beatles
• Guitar: Eric Clapton
• Bass: Jack Bruce
• Drums: Ginger Baker (Hey, those guys should form a band!)
• Keyboards: Nobody cares.

Some Perspective:

It all sprang from a defensiveness about rock music built up over a childhood full of adults telling me how bad it was.  My reaction - borne of my "how can I be more of an asshole?" adolescence was to strike back with the brilliant riposte: Oh yeah? MY music is not only GOOD. It's THE ALL- TIME GREATEST and YOUR music (with everyone wearing suits in black and white movies and not a guitar in sight) SUCKS, and so forth.

It hadn't yet occurred to me that my time on Earth made up an exceedingly small part of "all-time", so some stuff actually happened before I was, you know, born.

So how the hell would I know?  Plus, that Schubert guy did write "Ave Maria"...

And legend had it there were other songwriters, too. Names like Ellington, Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, and a few others kept popping up.

I knew the time would come when I'd have to, uh, face the music. (Sorry.) Which I did for a lot of those names. 

Now it was time to give Franz a chance.

Piano Guy: 

Schubert played and wrote for the piano. If you went to a party with him and there was a piano in the room, god help you. He'd sit down and just start making things up as he went.

Advice: Always sit near the door.

Schubert: Piano Sonata in B Flat and Fantasia in C, Alfred Brendel, Piano

But his stuff was Pretty, Pretty Good.

Fantasia is quite nice with a lot of flourishes of melody and movement, but the real find here is the Sonata. 

Now, concertos and symphonies are great, but they also have lots of other instruments and it all can get rather busy. I'm a small combo guy, so I prefer sonatas, which are typically just one instrument. How do I remember which is which, you ask? With the following mnemonic device: S'not a lotta that extra bullshit.

And this one doesn't disappoint. While it's got the usual fussy parts, it also stretches out into some quiet, soulful territory, which is my sweet spot. Highly recommended.

A-

"Piano Sonata in B Flat"

Lieder of the Pack

But since this whole thing started as a comparison of songwriters, I knew I'd have to listen to, you know, actual songs. Or as Schubert insisted on calling them, lieder.

And given the way he cranked them about - about 600 - I didn't know where to start. And then the good old internet came through with an article on where to start.

But even that was too much, so I put on my consumer cap and looked for how to get the biggest bang for the buck. 

Schubert: Three Song Cycles: Die Schone Mullerin, Winterreise, Scshwanengesang - Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, Gerald Moore

And it's quite the bang. Fifty-eight songs and nearly three hours worth. I really could have only gotten one but by getting all three I'm actually saving money.  What was I supposed to do, not get it?

While I waited for it to arrive, I tried to not keep a picture of sound in my head regarding what to expect. The main thing I wanted was some sweet melody and relaxed singing. Not some stuffed shirt huffing and puffing like he was ordering panzers into Poland.

And for the most part, that's what I got. Sure, it takes a bit of getting used to and there are moments when things get awfully...formal - I feel I have to change out of my pajamas before putting it on - but overall it's about the beauty. And there's a lot of it. There are parts that aren't great but at least I can hear what Franz is going for.

Of the three, I give Winterreise the edge.

A-

"Gute Nacht"

More Perspective:

And through the wonders of the internet - which has done so much to bring us all together by spreading accurate information - I found the following in a Wikipedia article about the White Album:

In The Observer, Tony Palmer wrote that "if there is still any doubt that Lennon and McCartney are the greatest songwriters since Schubert", the album "should surely see the last vestiges of cultural snobbery and bourgeois prejudice swept away in a deluge of joyful music-making".

Wow, that Tony Palmer really knew his shit.

Too Soon?

March 27, 2022 (Reuters):  A conflict has broken out between the nations of Jaybee and Ms. Jaybee. The origins of the conflict are in dispute. One side has said it's about historical inequities and humiliation, while the other says it's just pure aggression. 

No matter who is right, it's now a war, and there can be no winners.

When historians look back their first question will, of course, be: Why doesn't Ms. Jaybee love every record Jaybee gets? If she did, none of this would have happened. But one can't go back.

The latest skirmish was just last week:

(Editor's Note: This is a dramatic reconstruction of events. Every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy.) 

(Editor's Wife's Note: Sez you.)

"Who's that you've got playing now?" she said.

"Guess," he said.

"Weyes Blood?" she replied. (Editors note: She always says Weyes Blood.)

"Nope. Big Thief," he responded. (Editor's Note: What he didn't say was Ahh ha! I heard you humming it! And to think when I first got it you HATED it!) 

(Editor's Wife's Note: Hate is a strong word, which I only use on our anniversary.)

Editor's Note: Perhaps a little background would be helpful:

She liked Weyes Blood and asked him to put it on many times. Although he's the one who actually got it, he liked it less than she did.

On the other hand, when he first got Big Thief she specifically asked that he not play it around her anymore.

And frankly, all the names blended together for her, while each was distinct and etched on his brain as with a chisel on a rock. (Editor's Wife's Note: Dense, thick, rock.)

If asked (Editor's Wife's Note: Don't) he would say it started when he found himself buying more and more rock records by bands led by women. And she - not being able to "accidentally" smash an mp3 like say, certain end table lamps - could only resort to pooh-pooh them, or damn them with faint praise. 

Neither Angel Olsen, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, or even the Sandy Denny-led Fairport Convention could escape her disdain.

She would counter with, oh yeah? What about Beach House? Alvvays? Best Coast? Mitski? St. Vincent? Fiona Apple? Waxahatchee? Sharon Van Etten? Courtney friggin' Barnett?

Somehow that didn't help him. He had to admit the numbers seemed to be in her favor. But it did seem that the ones he liked the most were the ones she hated the most. There was the rub.

But there was nothing admitted. No satisfaction to be had by either side.

It called for an experiment. Each would give input and a grade to the three records in question:

Dry Cleaning: New Long Leg (2021)

Jaybee: Monotone female vocals, with words that sometimes seem random, combined with a good rhythm section and a rather pointed, distortion-drenched guitar. Fuckin' awesome, in my book.

A-

Ms. Jaybee: Pretty good. 

(Editor's note: This is a far cry from her initial expression of disgust.) 

(Editor's Editor Note: Disgust is probably too strong a word. Maybe resignation.)

B+

"Strong Feelings"

Weather Station: Ignorance (2021)

Jaybee: Mrs. Jaybee would often guess Weyes Blood when he put this on. She was close, but the vocals are a bit more relaxed, the tunes are a bit jazzier, and there's an actual beat. She might consider raising her voice at some point, though. The singer, not the Mrs.

A-

MJB: I like it but don't love it. Good background music. 

A-

"Parking Lot"

Haim: Women in Music, Part III  (2021)

Jaybee: For some reason, I was expecting loud rock music but instead got pop music in the best sense. Melodic, thoughtful and well played. Not brilliant but talented and worthy. But I'm not sure it couldn't have been done by someone else. Perhaps buoyed by their appearance in Licorice Pizza.

A-

Mrs. Jaybee: Enough of the bullshit already! A 

(Editor's Note: I find your enthusiasm baffling. Your first reaction was a shrug) 

(Editor's Wife's Note: The shrug was for you.)

"Halleluja"

Reuter's - March 28, 2022: BREAKING: The warring parties have agreed to a tentative ceasefire.

Mrs. Jaybee reportedly threatened to initiate the equivalent of a nuclear strike: a retaliatory purchase of a music album of her choosing each time Jaybee purchased one, which she would play in his presence each time he did the same.

When Jaybee asked what he could do to prevent this, Mrs. Jaybee replied "Just shutting the f*ck up would be nice".

He agreed, saying "Sure! I was gonna put on a new album anyway. It's by this all-female rock band that I just know you're gonna love..."

Reuter's - March 29, 2022: BREAKING: Jaybee has gone missing, and is believed to be in hiding.

The Winter of Jaybee

The picture above gives an idea of what I had in mind for 2022. Laugh if you will, but the most unrealistic thing about it is the guy doesn't have a bald spot. 

I had plans! I was gonna get records from Big Joe Turner, Sonny Boy Williamson, Skip James, Lefty Frizzel, Joe Tex, Merle Travis, Louis Jordan, Hound Dog Taylor, Tom T. Hall, Papa Wemba... 

I was SET. A deep dive, Jaybee style, biting off more than I could chew, eating something bigger than my head, my ears bigger than, well, my ears.  You get the idea.

Then I noticed my Amazon gift card balance was kinda low.

The second omen was Mrs. Jaybee telling me she didn't want to hear BB King and Billie Holiday  (Christmas gift box-sets!!) for the twelfth day in a row. (Who'd a thought?)

Then, yesterday, I put on a recent purchase. 

"Who's this?", says Mrs. Jaybee. A long time ago, this might have indicated a degree of interest. Not so much lately.

"Dry Cleaning", says I.

"And who did you put on before that?"

"Oh, that was Weather Station"

"And before that?"

"Haim."

"Okay, now you're just making up names."

This is the point where having mere facts on my side meant nothing whatsoever.

So I've learned - yet again - there are LIMITS. Time, energy, money, other people's patience...

Time especially. First, because I'm running out of it. (Don't laugh. You are, too.) But also, the very limited amount of it on any given day when I can play "questionable" music (i.e., when normal people aren't around.)

So my efforts have been somewhat muted (see what I did there?).

But here are all the records I did pick up so far this year. Well, except for....oh, never mind.

Sonny Sharrock Band: Highlife (1990)

A free jazz electric guitarist decides to rock. And does so quite gracefully, if that's possible. Lovely, bordering on slick,  noisy when he's lulled you. Sonny seems to know just when to rough things up. 

But that slick part leads me to suspect it doesn't have staying power. So I'm hedging my bets. Let's see how it sounds at the end of the year.

B+

"No More Tears"

Ben Webster: King of the Tenors (1956)

Perfect mellow morning jazz, and not that easy-listening stuff, either. You'd swear this was a best-of, but no, just another LP.  No pyrotechnics. No grand statements. Just playing for the song and nailing it every time. 

Again, I'm hedging. For all I know, it'll end up on my all-time greatest jazz list.

A-

"Danny Boy"

Spring Heel Jack: Busy, Thirsty, Curious  (1997)

British Electronic Dance (you read that right) music from the 90s risks being impersonal but somehow avoids it. Essentially by not giving you a moment's rest. Damn near relentless.

In other words, nothing at all like our quaint old picture of the Brits. These are the youngins, who more than make up for their mum's and dad's good manners and bad teeth. 

They also make up for all those awful 80s bands that covered old R&B songs. (I'm looking at you, Soft Cell.)

A-

"Bells"

Next time, I will attempt to prove the existence of Dry Cleaning, Weather Station, and Haim to Mrs. Jaybee, even if I have to create fake Facebook pages for them.

And then, I'll get to... never mind.

I Had A Feeling 21 Was Gonna Be A Good Year

I hate to admit it but 2021 was a pretty damn good year, as long as you don't count pandemics, global warming, violence, insurrection, and the end of democracy, of course. 

See? Not bad, right?? It's all a matter of expectations.

In other words, in Jaybee's little bubble, if he can turn off the radio and TV, and just listen to music, everything is almost, just about, not bad.

So why do I say that? Mainly because while praising the best music I heard in 2021 in my last post, I hadn't even gotten around to mentioning these records to you:

Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque (1997)

I wouldn't blame you if you thought I was nuts for not loving this. 

They play multiple electric guitars and sing harmony like the Wrens, so what could go wrong? My first listen bordered on the ecstatic. 

After a few listens, though, it started to wear. The main reason was the extremely poor sound. My copy sounds like it was pressed from a poor-quality cassette version. It muffles the punch of the guitars and any other feature that may have distinguished them from a dozen other talented bands.

This should be right up my alley but it ends up falling short, even though there are a couple of brilliant moments. 

B+

"Alcoholiday"

 

Elizabeth Cook: Welder (2010)

Knowing her vocal range makes Dolly Parton sound like Satchmo, I was expecting extreme country verging on bluegrass, and braced myself.

But Ms. Cook wants more than that. While the music is largely country, she never settles for a banjo when an electric guitar is handy. 

The ballads, like "Heroin Addict Sister", are sad but never overly sweet. The rockers rock in a fairly commercial but straightforward way. And while men sometimes let her down, she knows they can be a lot of fun, too. It makes her a hell of a lot more interesting.

It's quite lively. And if not quite compelling from beginning to end, I never feel like it's work.

A-

"All The Time"

Ya Ntesa Dalienst and Le Maquisard: Belalo (1992)

This is the lead singer and band for African legend Franco. I picked it up along with several other pop/rock records that I could actively enjoy while I absorbed this excursion into World Music. No need, as it turns out.

This one is as or more tuneful than any of those other records I got at the time. The guitars are a joy throughout, the horns are never overdone and the rest of the band moves swiftly and nimbly. 

Anyone who doesn't like it needs to get out more. (Okay, wait until the pandemic is over. But then head over to Africa.)

A-

"Dangara"

Teddybears: Devil's Music  (2011)

Positively Satanic in its catchiness. It's just your typical Swedish techno/pop/rock/rap/bubblegum record. And if you can either ignore or embrace the silliness, you'll notice how good it is at all of the above. The chord progressions are the best money can buy and it just never lets up.

And they don masks a la Daft Punk, except they're, uh.., teddy bear masks. Somewhat scary ones, so there's that.

Plus they have guest stars up the wazoo, including the B-52s (who I can't really hear) and the Flaming Lips (who I definitely can hear).

Even though my first listen helped me put a desk together, I still secretly wanted to hate it for its shameless commercialism (whatever the hell that is anymore). I expected to play it one or two more times tops. Now, after a couple of dozen listens - usually requested by Mrs. Jaybee - I feel it's a crime it wasn't a huge hit. 

Back in the day commercial crap stood for something.

A-

"Wolfman"

Various Artists: Township Jazz and Jive (2007)

This collection of South African jazz from the late fifties and early sixties - directly influenced by American jazz from prior decades - is something of a miracle. The band and song names are sprinkled with enough American references - Yanks, Manhattan, Hollywood - to make one fear blatant imitation. 

No worries though. The singing is great, the music sweet, and the joy utterly African. 

A

Here's hoping 2022 is on par. I'm willing to trade off a little musical quality for a little less insanity, though.

The Eleventh Annual Jaybee-bies: My 2021

Executive Summary:

Better than 2020. 

Abstract:

At first, I thought 2021's edge over 2020 was slim, and only because of not having a fascist in the White House. (Don't worry, there are still plenty in Congress.)

But in fact, it was a year of musical richness.

Yes, I did my usual "disappointment" post, but when I look back on how much enjoyable pop music I heard even while doing deep dives on LVB, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Bill Evans, I'm a bit stunned.

Best Humans:

Stephen Colbert

Bernie Sanders

And way too many others to mention.

Worst Humans:

Pretty Much Everyone at Fox News, although Rupert Murdoch, Tucker Carlson, and Jesse Watters all deserve special mention.

Kristen Manchin

Apologies for not bothering to mention all the new dictators who are actively making the world a worse place.

Best Books:

A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson.  Easily the best popular science book I've ever read.

Connections, by James Burke. A companion to the 1980s series, Jimmy actually knows of which he speaks.

Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. And yet another book about how we humans think. Bu the best one, and really, the one all the others are based on.

Best Movies:

I didn't really see many for obvious reasons, so I don't really give a shit. Or is that vice versa?  But here are the ones I did see. 

Don't Look Up: What is the issue everyone is having with this movie? It's funny, bleak, entertaining.

Spiderman: No Way Home: I'm not a huge superhero movie person (I used to be a big comics person, though.) but this one got me all choked up.

Get Back: A lot less depressing than Let It Be. But so so sad given what would ultimately happen.

Best TV:

What We Do in the Shadows

Derry Girls

Music Awards:

Most Work (But Worth it): 

Thelonious Monk (8 album set!), 

John Coltrane (8 album set!) 

Bill Evans (12(!) album set (leftover from last year.)

Time to slow down, Jaybee?

Most Work (And Possibly Not Worth It): 

Weyes Blood Titanic Rising Stately, serious, perfectly good, quite playable for company, but no intensity.

Most Surprising (and Not Necessarily in a Good Way): 

Township Jazz and Jive: But in this case in a great way.

Most Disappointing: 

Spoon: Fine, but nothing to shout about.

Big Thief: Same here. I guess I like to shout.

Best Artist: 

The continent of Africa, apparently. (More on this next time.)

The Best of My Year:

1. Phoebe Bridgers: Punisher - A sweet voice, a gift for melody, and a good sense of humor in trying circumstances.

2. Fontaines DC: A Hero's Death - With its similar arrangements throughout, each song still somehow sounds unique.

3. Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately - Pop musician goes baroque and somehow manages to pull it off. It just wore down any reservations I had.

4. Dramarama: Cinema Verite - Is it a songwriter album or a rock n' roll record? Both.

5. Etran de L'Air: No. 1 - It's amazing what energy and momentum you can generate with just a couple of guitars, a set of drums, and an enthusiastic audience.

6. The Paranoid Style: A Goddamn Imposible Way of Life - So many words! So many in-jokes! But the singer articulates them all and the band has just the right combo of sleaze and swagger.

7. The Go-Betweens: 16 Lovers Lane - The best Australian band ever provides yet another reason why they are. 

8. Waxahatchee: St. Cloud - Kate Crutchfield made an almost perfect rock and roll record a few years ago with Out in the Storm. This time she nearly matches that feat, this time with country music.

9. Humperdink: Hansel and Gretel - Not being familiar with German, for all I know the lyrics consist entirely of variations on the phrase shove that old bitch in the oven! And yet it's lovely and sometimes sublime.

10. Rachid Taha: Bon Jour - High-quality rock music that just happens to be made in Africa.

Honorable Mentions/Also-Rans/Tieds for Tenth: Toots and the Maytals: Funky Kingston, Ya Ndest Dalienst: Belalo, Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow, Teenage  Fanclub: Bandwagonesque, Spiritualized: Ladies and Gents We're Floating in Space, The Rough Guide to Music of the Sahara, Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures, Jocelyn Pook: Flood, Teddy Bears: Devil's Music, Elizabeth Cook: Welder, TV on the Radio: Dear Science, Various Artists: Township Jazz and Jive.

With so many also-rans it sure seems like a pretty good year.

Some of the best songs I heard this year can be found here.

Conclusions:

My cup ran-eth over.

Too bad about the rest of the country.