I never got around to creating an end of year mixtape for 2023 — or a best-of list, come to think of it — and to be honest, I had good reason for it. While it was a good year for the most part, there were other personal things going on that took precedence, and it just fell by the wayside. I just didn’t have the spoons for it. It is what it is, though. It’s not the end of the world.
Now that we’re a month and a half away from the end of 2024, I’m pretty sure I’ll have something to go in the last week of December. I caught up on mixtape-making this year by reviving the Re:Defined series that I’d created back in the early 00s for similar reasons: changes in music tastes, changes in personal life, changes in outlook.
And there’s definitely been a lot of good stuff out there this year. I don’t always get to listen to it as frequently as I’d like (and I’d like to change that habit in the new year), but on the other hand there were quite a few albums I’ve been returning to on a consistent basis. Songs that get stuck in my head for days at a time.
We’ll see where this all leads in the coming weeks!
…I realize I haven’t done a ‘what I’ve been listening to’ post in ages! Not sure why I let that fall by the wayside, but maybe it’s time to pick it up again. I’ll probably create a few posts this weekend for that.
In the meantime, right now I’m listening to Public Service Broadcasting’s latest, The Last Flight, which is an album about Amelia Earhart’s final flight and disappearance. Which, I should add, is not the first time this year she’s the subject of an album! [Laurie Anderson released Amelia just a month and a half ago, her first album in over a decade.]
Making the new Re:Defined mixtapes have definitely been an interesting experience, as I’ve given myself a reason to work not just with tracks that are getting a decent amount of play on KEXP but deep cuts that catch my attention when I’m listening to the albums at other times. I think I’ve finally hit a groove with this mix, as there’s a certain vibe that I hadn’t reached in quite some time. Have fun and give it a listen!
Track listing:
SIDE ONE 1. Hinds, “Boom Boom Back” (feat. Beck) 2. Mavis Staples, “Worthy” 3. Orcas, “Under the Milky Way” (a lovely cover!) 4. Cassandra Jenkins, “Delphinium Blue” 5. Liam Gallagher & John Squire, “Just Another Rainbow” 6. DAIISTAR, “Tracemaker” 7. The Softies, “23rd Birthday” 8. Jane Weaver, “Love in Constant Spectacle” 9. GIFT, “Going in Circles” 10. Bastille, “Emily & Her Penthouse in the Sky” 11. Ride, “I Came to See the Wreck”
SIDE TWO 1. Orville Peck & Beck, “Death Valley High” 2. deary, “Selene” 3. BADBADNOTGOOD, “Last Laugh” 4. GIFT, “Later” 5. Quivers, “Apparition” 6. Yannis & the Yaw with Tony Allen, “Rain Can’t Reach Us” 7. Wand, “Mistletoe” 8. Glass Animals, “Wonderful Nothing” 9. The Softies, “I Said What I Said” 10. beabadoobee, “Take a Bite” 11. Iress, “Mercy”
…it looks like it’s finally a reality that The Cure will drop their newest album, Songs of a Lost World, on 1 November, and the teaser single “Alone” should drop…today?
I’m writing this post a few days ahead of time (on the 24th, due to a busy Day Job schedule) so there might actually be a full video by the time this entry pops up, but for now here’s the YouTube Short that’s been doing the internet rounds the last couple of days!
If anything, I’m purposely not expecting the new album to be Disintegration levels of perfection. After all, they haven’t had any new albums out since 2008’s 4:13 Dream (not including the new remixes of Torn Down: Mixed Up Extras 2018). However, they’ve been touring off and on in the interim, and they’ve been playing many of these new songs live during the recent shows.
Still, I’m looking forward to the album. Whether it’ll be the ‘doom and gloom’ album Robert Smith has been hinting at or a mix of the two separate albums that were supposedly complete (he’s also hinted that the other album is poppier), who knows? But I’m sure I’ll love it!
[EDIT: Yep, looks like the full version of “Alone” dropped this morning!]
Today I’m thinking it’s time for me to get my brain back on track in terms of what day of the week it is.
Part of the issue is my Day Job schedule. The schedule itself is not the problem per se, it’s that it’s allowed me to lose track of my sense of time. I rarely work Sundays but I’ll often have a midweek day off, so the work week will be Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday with some of the hours varying, just for example.
There were also other personal reasons why I let a lot of that fall by the wayside, and I allowed it on purpose: when you’ve got IRL things going on, sometimes it’s best not to adhere to a strict schedule and just take it day by day. Which is what I’ve been doing for a while now.
Thing is, I’ve been doing that for a little longer than necessary. [And yes, it’s included hitting all the new music releases on Friday, which is why I’m posting it here. One byproduct of passively letting the days go by is that I lose focus on the new music I’ve been enjoying. And I’ve already blogged about that.]
So what to do about it?
One thing I need to do is follow my whiteboard schedule more often. Right now it’s more of a suggestion than an assignment board, and that’s by design, but I feel like I’m ready to take on those assignments again. And these are simple enough: daily words at 750words.com, update one of the blogs, and get some considerable work done on my main project (which at this time is Theadia). I’m not asking for much. I’m just looking to get moving again.
What will come of this? Who knows? They’re not Best Laid Plans heading straight for a crash and burn. It’s simply a tighter and more regular regimen, that’s all. And hopefully that will help me remember what day of the goldang week it is again!
I really don’t know of any other fans of The Wolfgang Press, one of the earliest 4AD signings from their early 80s origins, but I was introduced to them via “Cut the Tree”, a gloomy dirge off the label’s seminal Lonely Is an Eyesore compilation, and I loved their bleak post-punk sound. They seemed darker and more avant-garde than Joy Division, less about driving beats and more about making one hell of a weird noise. Their evolution is a fascinating one, finally hinting at an unexpectedly funky sound with 1988’s Bird Wood Cage, which brought them to the amazing and groovy 1991 album Queer which remains one of my favorite albums of the early 90s.
They’d broken up after 1995’s peculiar yet interesting Funky Little Demons and little was said about them other than 2001’s Everything Is Beautiful, part of 4AD’s 90’s-00’s run of best-of mixes, and a 2020 Record Store Day EP called Unremembered Remembered featuring post-Demons demos for an abandoned follow-up. They’ve all had their one solo projects since then.
The new album, A 2nd Shape, drops on 27 September, and I am totally looking forward to it!
Ooh, this is lovely! This was a teaser single dropped a few months previously by the band Orcas before they released their new album How to Color a Thousand Mistakes this past week. [This is also their first album in over ten years!] They’ve got that dreamlike echo-heavy electro sound similar to Washed Out and Beach House, but lean a little more towards post-rock instead, so doing this Church cover in that style is quite unexpected yet intriguing. I’ve been listening to their new album on Bandcamp lately (and it’s in the cart to be purchased soon), so now I really want to check out what their other albums sound like!
July is usually a slow-ish month for new releases, so I’ve been catching up with some of the albums that have dropped in the last couple of months, and News of the Universe from La Luz has been getting considerable play here in Spare Oom, specifically the very spacey “Strange World”. It kind of reminds me of Ladytron and Stereolab in a way, with its retro synth sound and psychedelic melodies. And it’s been stuck in my head for at least a couple of weeks!
It’s been an interesting month here in Spare Oom, listening to a lot of great new releases alongside some older favorites, and somehow squeezing all that in between the Day Job and writing! Here’s the latest on my playlist…
Khruangbin, A LA SALA, 5 April. This band is kind of hard to categorize, as they tend to waver between Latinx pop, laid back jamming, maybe a bit of southern folk and maybe even a bit of jazz. Their new album is quite an enjoyable listen.
Garbage, Bleed Like Me Deluxe Edition, 5 April. After 2001’s synth-heavy Beautiful Garbage and failing at a follow-up they were happy with, they chose instead to return to their guitar roots and made a badass heavy record and regained their fanbase. This new deluxe edition features several b-sides and remixes.
The Black Keys, Ohio Players, 5 April. This duo is back with a sound that fuses their trademark indie blues with heavy funk and creating a wildly fun album. A lot of the critics and fans are really digging this one right now.
Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us, 5 April. It’s been three years since their odd experimental release 40:42 and five since their last album Father of the Bride, but it’s well worth the wait. They’ve fully moved past their twee indie pop and gone straight into Flaming Lips-like weirdness yet still maintaining their pop sensibilities. Weird yet great.
Bad Bad Hats, Bad Bad Hats, 12 April. This album is so much fun!! On par with the oddball indie pop sounds of Wet Leg and beabadoobee, I instantly fell in love with the earwormy single “My Heart Your Heart” (which is one of my favorite songs of the moment). I highly recommend checking this one out!
cruush, Nice Things Now, All the Time EP, 12 April. If you love the sounds of early 90s 4AD like Lush and Pale Saints, you’ll probably love this band as well. I’ve been a big fan since hearing their single “bckwards 36” a few years back, and hope to see more from them soon.
Nia Archives, Silence Is Loud, 12 April. I heard of her via KEXP of course, and I love that she’s used the classic drum ‘n bass beat on this track as a way to balance the up-down moodiness. The whole album is an interesting trip.
English Teacher, This Could Be Texas, 12 April. Another oddball indie pop band with super catchy songs. This one’s all over the place sonically and lyrically but that’s its charm: you never quite know where it’s going to go next. Highly recommended.
The Reds, PInks & Purples, Unwishing Well, 12 April. Glenn Donaldson’s latest somehow manages to be even better than his last RP&P album, which was amazing in itself. As always, recommended if you love the dreamy echoey sounds of 80s college radio.
Pearl Jam, Dark Matter, 19 April. They can do quiet just as well as they can do loud, and when they do loud it’s always powerful. The new record might not be as heavy as 2020’s Gigaton, but it’s just as energetic as they were in their 90s heyday.
Lucy Rose, This Ain’t the Way You Go Out, 19 April. Somehow she reminds me of some of the 90s women of alternative rock I liked so much — she definitely reminds me of Jen Trynin’s work, but with a more Joni Mitchell style — but also those of today like Lucy Dacus. A fine songwriter worth checking out.
St Vincent, All Born Screaming, 26 April. Annie Clark is back once again being weird and quirky and sexy and strange, sometimes within the space of a single song. It’s a welcome return to her Masseduction sound.
Whoo! For so early in the year, there were a ton of great new releases that dropped this past month! Not only that, several are from some of my favorite bands! A lot of these are definitely going to be on rotation once I get started with writing Theadia.
Kaiser Chiefs, Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album, 1 March. Surprising that they’ve only released eight albums considering they’ve been on my radar since 2005! (I tend to equate them with my brief time in Jersey and our move to SF.) They take an interesting left turn into summery funk here, complete with help from Nile Rodgers himself on the above track!
Liam Gallagher & John Squire, Liam Gallagher & John Squire, 1 March. The sneery voice of Oasis and the excellent guitarist from The Stone Roses get together and the end result is intriguing…it’s a wild mashup of sounds from their previous bands and it works unexpectedly well. [I still say Noel’s the better songwriter, though.]
Yard Act, Where’s My Utopia?, 1 March. I love how hilariously nerdy and goofy this band is. James Smith delivers his lyrics in such an unassuming talk-singing way that you think he’s channeling The Fall’s Mark E. Smith or Art Brut’s Eddie Argos, but once you pay attention to his ramblings you’re laughing and wondering what he’s on about. A super fun band well worth checking out.
Torrey, Torrey, 8 March. Slumberland is becoming the new 4AD for me, in that I’m pretty much picking up and devouring several things they’re putting out. [It helps that they’re local and carry some of those super-local bands I love so dearly.] KEXP loves this one a lot and so do I.
FLOYA, Yume, 8 March. I didn’t know much of anything about this band other than they’re metal and from Australia…and chose to change direction on their new record by writing poppy upbeat music that could fit easily on pop radio. Their positive vibe kind of remind me of The Sound of Arrows in a way, and that’s pretty much what intrigued me.
crushed, extra life, 15 March. I’ll try out any shoegazey band that captures the same moods that Curve does, even if it’s less wall-of-sound and more like an aural blanket. Really good stuff here that I need to pay attention to.
Four Tet, Three, 15 March. I’ve known about this musician for a while and he’d gotten a ton of positive press over the years, but surprisingly this was the first album I’d picked up! His work is fascinating in that it’s not quite electronic, but not quite jazz either.
Hooverphonic, Fake Is the New Dope, 21 March. Somehow I’d completely missed that one of my all-time favorite bands of the 90s dropped an album, even though I knew they’d been releasing teaser singles from it since late last year! I’m really digging this one (no big surprise) as it leans quite heavily on their jazzy electronic style. Really great stuff, and I’m sure this one’s going to be on heavy rotation soon enough.
Elbow, AUDIO VERTIGO, 22 March. Another one of my favorite bands, this one from the early 00s, their sound has evolved so much over the last two decades that each album sounds slightly different from everything else they’ve done. This one expands on their previous two records by leaning more on the twitchier side of things. This one’s also getting a lot of play.
Salt Cathedral, Before It’s Gone, 22 March. Thanks to KEXP for this one as well, they’re that kind of moody indietronica I really like. They’re kind of an odd mix that reminds me a little of early Sarah McLachlan in her more obscure moments.
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Glasgow Eyes, 22 March. [C/W: lots of flashy in this video.] I am really liking this new J+MC record!! It’s got the mood of some of their best earlier works like Automatic but with the warmer sounds of Honey’s Dead baked in. I highly recommend it!
Ride, Interplay, 29 March. Loving this one as well, but then again I’ve been a Ride fan for decades now. Their version of shoegaze always had that bright and breezy feel to it, unlike the density of bands like My Blood Valentine. Definitely going to be playing this one.
The Church, Eros Zeta & the Perfumed Guitars, 29 March. This one snuck out on me unexpectedly, and I’m already fascinated by it. The band is essentially singer Steve Kilbey and whoever he’s hanging with at the time, so while it may not have their signature chimey jangle, it does have their reverb-drenched dreaminess they’ve always been known for. This and their previous record sees them going in a very odd direction indeed, almost prog-experimental, yet not without a sense of humor to it.
*
Stay tuned for April, with new releases from The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, James, The Reds Pinks & Purples (yay!), and St Vincent!
Walk In Silence 