Pick Six: Highlight Guest Appearances in ’16
Make no mistake about it: Blood Orange’s Freetown Sound is a colossal beast of an R&B/Pop record, and the commanding lead vocals by Lorely Rodriguez (Empress Of) on “Best To You” are so pristine and flawless that it’s hard to imagine a more ideal contender for best guest appearance of 2016.
KAABOO: San Diego’s Worst Enemy
KAABOO looms over San Diego in a sort of turquoise haze. An edifice of blase relaxation, accessible amenities, familial embraces, and frothy brews.
High School Favorites: Jimmy Eat World’s ‘Bleed American’
Look, I want to write about the bands I loved in high school and what songs used to make me cry before I starting crying over real things, like paying my rent and disappointing my mother with my lack of realistic career goals.
Sharkmuffin’s Natalie Kirch Names the Best Releases of 2016, So Far
Despite all the losses the music world has suffered since January, this year is off to a strong start for many artists on the DIY scene. Without further ado, here is a chronological list by release date of my favorite EP and LPs from January through July of 2016.
‘Bing Bong’ a Dark Horse for Song of Year
Seattle’s The Fools came out of nowhere (I’m not sure if that’s true or not, since we have strict budgetary constraints that only allow us enough money for occasional interview artwork and Birthday Cake Pop Tarts) to deliver one of the best songs – if not the best song – of the year.
No Replacement for ‘Let It Be’
Side one is great, but side two cements “Let it Be” as an album that is not just a classic, but an album that matters to this day.
Jeff Tweedy: Lonesome Guy
In my early twenties, Jeff Tweedy’s morose, downtrodden, one-foot-in-the-grave rock was sad chic. The frontman of Wilco wasn’t enigmatic, but rather a bedraggled dude who wore his heart on the sleeve of his flannel.
Peter Bjorn & John Reassert Their Pop Significance
During that sun-baked weekend of ire, sweat, and $30 lemonade (I spent at least $500 dollars on the sticky stuff while I was hallucinating from dehydration) I ended up with a copy of Peter Bjorn and John’s limited edition Record Store Day vinyls. I didn’t want the unwieldy thing.
Essential Albums Turning 20
Some, none, or maybe all of these may widely be considered noteworthy records from the class of 1996, but they are most certainly the most essential choices from my personal canon of appreciation.
4th of July: Give Thanks to Ezra Koenig
Ezra Koenig is like a whipped strawberry parfait of Abercrombie & Fitch shorts and Paul Simon “Graceland”-era snark. He’s a New York kid with the heart of some Caribbean drums.
