“Woman (Oh Mama)”, Joy’s first song off her summer release is a soaring to heights proto-feminist melodic dirge with an African background of chants like Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It is a strange amalgam of sound; not just unlike early Civil Wars, unlike the latterday Civil Wars who were throwing up Portishead (not to mention Michael Jackson) cover versions.
This best songs is in order of preference, this is where I stand song wise and most of these are singles as well, though I don’t think the top two will change much in the next five months, If you Have spotify, give it a listen.
This list heavy on alt-country No Depression Americana, but that’s just the way I roll these days. The #1 slot is by the band with the best album of the year so far (and the #3 slot comes from the second best album of the year). I have no idea if Parker Millsap is being sincere or ironic on “Truck Stop Gospel,” but in either case, he’s made me a believer. In Parker Millsap.
ATLiens – Outkast – The title track of their first album and it still sounds other worldly. Nearly 20 years ago and it is the template for Atlanta rap and neo soul, with two great rappers and a doomy bass. Really like another planet – A
Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent – Gwen Guthrie – The Queen of the Paradise Garage’s finest moment spelled out exactly what she expected from the man in the her life with a spare funky bottom and an all rhythm disco. They sure don’t make em life this any more – A
I decided to get smart and leave “Best Songs Of 2014” as an essentially list of faves by release date and add another list of just clear up the top ten, maybe top 20 by the end of the year songs in order of preference. Welcome to yet another list!
MJ and the Romantics are arrangement chuckles, digging into the songs, the paranoia of “Billie Jean” and the intense “Talking In Your sleep”, “Between The Bars” revisits their indie roots with a very credible Elliott Smith take and best of all “Sour Times”, gone is the heavy throb and dub.
The Eric Pasley took me by surprise but hey, it is better than reading nitwits compare Eric Church to Springsteen. Not that it matters, the week belongs to daley and the Civil Wars with a cool new miranda lambert cut the cherry on top.
Cities – Talking Heads – Despite the botched geography (ancient Egypt folks), it remains a wondrous beat as Bryne catalogs the world as a series of strange observations, “I got it figured out…” he claims but does he? Deranged and brittle bouncy – A+
Sour Times – The Civil Wars – Are we sure these guys weren’t married? I really think they may have been. This outtake from the dear departed last album has something of the Kills about it but more acoustic. Fabulous, of course – A
Four songs and not bad at all the guitar solo on the title track is a thing of deep beauty and the song keeps shifting gear from deep pop to sideslip jazz and back But the highlight is Marshall’s cover of Bobby Fuller’s “Never To Be Forgotten” two tracks later. On Spotify, so I guess even the great can’t fight technology – A-
