thoughts-on-music-tm

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Top 10 Songs of 2022!!!!

2022 is over, and that means it's time for year-end list!!! Without further ado, here are the 10 best songs of 2022!

You can find a spotify playlist with each song on it here.

Honorable Mentions: Prester John – Animal Collective Hypothermic – Goodnight, Texas God Is a Circle – Yves Tumor

10. That's Where I Am - Maggie Rogers Genre: Pop, with a hint of Indie rock Vibe: A bright and sunny morning                Maggie Rogers combines a beautiful yearning with an unending hope to make the romance she describes feel almost inevitable. Every time she sings, "It all works out in the end," it starts to sound less like a prediction and more like a manifestation.

9. Curse of the Blackened Eye - Orville Peck Genre: Cowboy Country Vibe: Heartbreak is a warm sensation                To me, a lot of Orville Peck's music has felt like it was more about the idea of a relationship rather than an actual experience. This song, through all his usual flamboyant cowboy aesthetic, feels incredibly personal. The deep melancholy in his voice during lines like, "It ain't the letting go, it's more about the things that you take with" create a poignant sense of self reflection. This makes it his most personal song and also his most universally relatable.

8. Go Slow – Jordana Genre: Bedroom Pop (Though any room with a nice couch will do) Vibe: Chill vibes all the way down 🐢                If self-care was a song. It's as much about avoiding responsibility as it is about realizing the stress-inducing things we're told are vital are so rarely as required as they seem. A deadline missed here or there and a day off now and then won't be the end of the world - but that break may mean the world to you.

7. That's Our Lamp – Mitski Genre: Ethereal Indie Pop Vibe: Happy memories for when it's over                When I first heard The Sound by The 1975, I misheard the following lyrics "I said that I love you / What does it matter if *[I like you too]?" (The actual line is "What does it matter if I lie to you"). I thought this was an interesting lyrical idea to explore: that loving someone and liking someone are different things, and one does not necessarily imply the other. To be honest, I was a little disappointed to learn I had misheard the lyric.                Then Mitski dropped That's Our Lamp, a fantastic, joyful closer to her album full of her usual brand of heartbreak, and in it is this line:

You say you love me, I believe you do But I walk down and up and down And up and down this street 'Cause you just don't like me, Not like you used to

And Mitski uses this idea to its full potential, as a beautiful way to explore an ending relationship.

6. Every Heart Is True - Little Mazarn Genre: Finely Aged Folk Vibe: A warm mug of tea on a cold day                I spent a lot of this year getting into folk music; this was the song convinced me I should stay. Finding this song felt more like uncovering something that had always been there, an ethereal bit of beauty and grace nestled in a patch of freshly fallen autumn leaves 🍃. Each plucked string of the banjo, ringing chime, and ethereal word sung serves to set right the world once more.

Also, if you've never seen live folk music like this, check out a video of their live performances. One of the members plays a hand saw - like, the woodcutting tool - with a violin bow and it sounds like an acoustic theremin. You can hear it clearly at the beginning of this song, and it sounds heavenly.

5. the angel of 8th ave. - Gang of Youths Genre: Dad Alt Rock Vibe: Laying on large rocks, being warmed by the sun                One musical niche I love is the recent works of older rock musicians - I’ve listened to a lot of the new Tears For Fears album and The War On Drug's album from last year recently. I find they bring a richness of wisdom that is often not present with younger musicians. Because of that, I was genuinely surprised to find out that this song was written by someone in their mid-twenties. It draws from a rich well of experience, and that brings it a depth that I rarely find in younger musicians. The song embraces the struggles of relationships between imperfect people in unfamiliar places, but it's thesis is that love is fundamentally stronger than any of that. And that's not an abstract idea - lines like "And when my old man was near to the end / You loved his broken body in the same way that I did" show the how personal and everyday acts of love are far more resilient in this song than the pain that love existed in response to.

4. Don't get the deal – beabadoobee Genre: Alt Rock Vibe: Brightly rekindled old flame                Beabadoobee's effortless meshing of quiet, bedroom pop ballads with all-out alt-rock bangers make this song feel both like a peek inside a personal conversation and a joyful, public celebration. Both the acoustic duet that begins this song and driving rock jam that ends it feel so wholesome that, when she sings "It feels like we'll stop eventually / For now I guess we were meant to be" over either, it's hard to imagine her romance as anything other than meant to be.

3. The Loneliest Time - Carly Rae Jepsen ft. Rufus Wainwright Genre: Pop For The Pop Connoisseur Vibe: Light rain romance                It's no secret I'm a big fan of Carly Rae Jepsen, but it took me a while to realize how much I loved this song (and I won't lie, a good part of that was the TikTok where she sings the "I'm coming back for you baby!" part to her cat over facetime). But this song is just infectious. The impeccable duet, The swooning string section, and groovy hooks at every turn!

               If you haven't listened to Carly Rae Jepsen since Call Me Maybe took over the world in 2011, this is an excellent showcase of why she's so beloved amongst pop connoisseurs. Like all her music, it has some of the best songwriting and production you can find in pop music. But what I love most about this song is how incredibly endearing it is. Her and Rufus Wainwright each reminisce about their half of a relationship, each incomplete without the other. Through her charming rose-colored perspective, all the loneliness of the past few years was like reaching the moon - just a bit too soon. But that loneliness ends with each other, and not even lunar distances could separate them. And as the song ends the dance beat fades, it leaves only their voices nestled together amongst the strings. It sounds like a Californian beach sunset, captured in a song.

2. Venomous Dogma - Fantastic Negrito Genre: Blues. Gospel. Rock. And all of them done better than most artists can do one. Vibe: Righteous anger, Righteous release                This song starts and album about the singer's seven-greats grandparents, a white indentured servant and an enslaved Black man during the 1750s in what would become the United States of America. He uses their story of love to discuss the history of racism in America and the various systems of racial and economic oppression that have plagued the country since. It is one of the most optimistic albums of the year. If his grandparents' love was stronger than racist laws and slavery itself, then there may be hope for us yet.               As the start of that journey, this song showcases America caught between racial crisis and reconciliation. What I really love about this song is how varied it is - it opens with an excellent Gospel section, then transitions seamlessly into a gruff blues section, yelling in anger. Each of these sections has a deep, tangible respect from the genres they draw from. The histories of these genres is intertwined with America's struggle with racism, and this song's traditional-but-forward-looking take on them sets a powerful musical precedent on how the country can start to reconcile - only with both a knowledge of history and a willingness to move past it. It's easily the most immaculately crafted song of the year.

1. When You Know You Know - The Beths Genre: Indie Rock Vibe: Pure joy distilled into a love song                At first look, this is the year's most effortless love song. A closer look reveals that this song focuses on the daily work required for a healthy relationship - apologies, comforting, and care - that only seem effortless in couples with both partners willing to commit themselves fully to each other. The "meant to be" this song describes isn't some destiny, it's what each person is going to repeatedly work for until it happens. It's a beautiful, mutual effort, and every bit of that - the toil and the joy - is so apparent in every part of this song.

Thanks for reading and here's to a great 2023!

#year end list #song of the year #song recommendation #music #carly rae jepsen #beabadoobee #fantastic negrito #gang of youths #mitski #orville peck #jordana #little mazarn #the beths

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

banging out the tunes 🥰

Neil :)

ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ灬

#neil banging out the tunes #music

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

A Deeper Understanding

The war on drug's albums just keeps growing on me. When I first heard A Deeper Understanding, I thought it was fine. Not great, not terrible, just fine.

months after, alot changed in my life and i came to appreciate the album's willingness to sit with discomfort. it was something i really needed at the time.

when I Don't Live Here Anymore came out, I went through a similar process. The songs are good, but it took me over half of a year to really connect with them. This is an emotionally mature album. they doesn't shy away from pain, and they aren't afraid to be open and vulnerable about thier struggles. listening to this album reminds me of being there for a friend through their suffering: its uncomfortable, but it's fulfilling, even through the pain.

i think that's what really helped me love this album. yes, there is grief. there is discomfort. but those emotions only exist as a thin veneer on a much deeper joy. it's easy to see the melancholy in a song like the title track, I Don't Live Here Anymore. He's had to leave people he truly cared about behind, and that's hard. But the crux of the song is in his growth. That old season of life was special, but it is over, and a new spring has come. There is joy for the present and joy that the past happened. This song lives in the beautiful moment of moving on.

#music #moving on #emotional maturity #album recommendation #album #the war on drugs #i don't live here anymore #a deeper understanding #synth rock #dad rock

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Do yourself a favor and listen to the new Tears for Fears album, The Tipping Point. Thier experience as a legendary new wave band from the 80s combined with modern production makes for an album that really stands out. It's got a depth to it, and the production is exquisite. Really, this is an album that just makes my ears happy they're listening to it. If all you know them for is Everybody Wants to Rule the World, this album sounds like a modern rebirth of that sound. Each song draws on that like a sonic template upon which it paints beautiful new scenes.

#tears for fears #80s music #new wave #synthpop #music #new album #album recommendation #album

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Shocking absolutey no one, Mitski's new album is Fantastic. Love Me More and The Only Heartbreaker are some of her finest work. That's Our Lamp is easily one of my favorite songs of hers. Then there's Working For The Knife. A simply transcendent critique of the commodification of art under capitalism, it perfectly captures the desire to create being stifled by a productive, "successful" life. I love mitski's ability to capture heartbreak in song, and let me tell you my heart broke when I heard these lines:

I always thought the choice was mine And I was right - but I just chose wrong. I start the day lying and end with the truth That I'm dying for the knife

#mitski #working for the knife #album #new music #album recommendation #lyrics #laurel hell #mitski miyawaki #the only heartbreaker #love me more

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

ngl i find it very funny that the people who made jazzercize were like "hmm. what music should we put over this? what about. The Direct Opposite of Jazz"

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

y'ever just want to chill and listen to some relaxing tunes on a p i ano

#piano #music #piano music

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Top 10 Songs of 2021!!!!

When 2020 ended, I had hope for 2021. Music was one of the few parts of this year that actually delivered on that hope. From Lil Nas X asserting himself as more than a one hit wonder, to Taylor Swift solidifying herself as the musical voice of a generation, to Olivia Rodrigo carrying that torch to the next generation, this year had wonderful music all around. And of those wonderful songs, these were the 10 best:

If you want to listen to this list as a playlist, you can do that here.

Love You to Death - Fickle Friends

If CHVRCHES distilled synthpop this year, this song represents it in its rawest form. And still the most polished piece of music from this year. Killer synth riffs and funky guitar lines give this song the same feeling as nerves fading to euphoria. Few songs have such a distinct bite, no song sounds so dangerously fun.

I Love you, I hate You - Little Simz

Little Simz's Lush, Orchestral production provide a classy edge to her reflection upon her complicated relationship with her father. More than the pain he caused, this song showcases her growth in spite of his failings. The last verse could be written in philosophy texts about the nature of grace. She ends the song with all the genuine compassion and sincere disdain of a southerner saying Bless Your Heart: "I'm not forgivin' for you, man, I'm forgivin' for me."

Stand for myself - Yola

The album this comes on starts with the song Barely Alive. This song, which closes the album ends with an anthemic cry: I'm alive, alive, I'm alive / I used to be nothing, like you / I used to feel nothing like You, / Now I'm Alive, Alive, I'm Alive! This song lives in the same space in my mind as Aretha Franklin's Respect - they don't both just demand respect, they take it, and crush the men who would not give it to them in the process.

Jackie - Yves Tumor

Yves Tumor make music for pandemics. These past two years have created a unique sense of bitter longing for things that could have been and can no longer be. Jackie is that feeling, unleased in song form. In it, Yves tumor beg and claw for a lost love; in the music video, they fight with swords, and it ends with both their deaths. We've had music that has captured quarantine (looking at you Folklore), but when my grandchildren ask me what covid was like after the inital lockdowns, this is the song I'll show them.

Valentine - Snail Mail

Out of all these songs, this was the one I've sung the most. Every time I was alone in my room, every shower, every second no one was listening- "SO WHY'D YOU WANNA ERASE MEEEE??? DAAAAAAARLING VALENTIIIINE!!!!!!!!". If you made me choose my favorite 10 seconds of music this year, this chorus would be it in a heartbeat. The second best 10 seconds are in the verses- the pain and longing in her voice when she says, "You won't believe what just two months do / I'm older now, believe me, I adore you" are unmatched.

Afrique Victime - Mdou Moctar

Tuareg Rock. Pyschedelia. The best thing to happen to protest music since the 60's. Mdou Moctar's electrifying energy transcends linguistic and geographic barriers. Music like this brings the plight of the people of Niger to the world. If you take nothing else from this review, let it be this song. You will leave with a greater global awareness and broadened musical horizons.

Leave the Door Open - Silk Sonic

Smooth [smo͞oT͟H]

Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars have created a time machine and you cannot convince me otherwise. This song's groove, love, and retro-70s vibe are easily the highlight of any funk-enjoyer's year.

See also: Suave, Polished

All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault) (Extra Parenthesis Version) - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is the artist of our generation, and this her crowning achievement. Most ten-minute songs have long instrumental sections, and that's not a bad thing. Most artists aren't Taylor and can't write cutting verse after cutting verse. This is the song to burn bridges to.

And Jake Gyllenhaal needs to give her dang scarf back!

THATS WHAT I WANT - Lil Nas X

I want... so many good things for Lil Nas X. His unabashedly gay anthems perfectly capture being young, reckless and in love. This song is no exception. Never has being painfully single sounded so good.

How Not To Drown - CHVRCHES

CHVRCHES have distilled synthpop down into its purest form. This song sounds like the water's rising with an energy that's hard to dismiss. Perfect music for an angry movie scene in the rain.

Honorable mentions

Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo

Spoiled Little Brat - underscores

Secrets (Your Fire) - Magdelena Bay

Thanks for reading and here's to a better 2022!

#Music #year end list #song of the year #song recommendation #best songs #fickle friends #little simz #snail mail #yves tumor #yola #silk sonic #lil nas x #chvrches

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

The Best Things That Weren't From This Year

2021 has come to a close and it's time to look back at the best albums and songs released this year. More accurately, it's time to procrastinate writing my best songs/albums of 2021 list by writing about the best albums I listened to in 2021 that didn't come out in 2021.

Cha Cha Palace - Angélica Garcia (2020)

Cha Cha Palace is a near perfect pop album. In it, Angélica Garcia talks about her mexican-american-salvidorian heritage and her experiences growing up and striking out her own path through music. It ranges from some of the best bops I heard this year in Karma the Knife, It Don't Hinder Me, and Guadalupe, to magnificent ballads like Valentina in the Moonlight and a haunting cover of La Llorona.

More than any other I listened to this year; this album felt like it painted a complete picture of a person.

Wake Up! - Hazel English (2020)

I first heard this album after a large event I travelled to was cancelled due to covid. I was left staying near the event with lots of time and very little to do. On first listen, I knew I liked it, but it's particular brand of melancholic beauty felt a bit too on-target for my situation. Over the course of that week, I found this was the perfect soundtrack for wallowing. This album is immensely comforting. For a collection of songs about failing romances, it's hard to miss the amount of love put into each and every part of this record. It's personal, it's tragic, it'll leave you far happier than you started.

Sonically, it sounds like 50s-60s style songs with modern production. If Lana Del Rey had made music 70 years ago, this is what it'd sound like. see also: my previous post on this album

Keeping It Real - Georgia Weber and the Sleeved Hearts (2019)

I guess I was really into albums that portrayed doomed relationships this year. Like wake UP!, this album lives as much in the romance as it does the tragedy. It's unique combination of light jazz and indie rock made for one of the most memorable albums I heard this year. The tracks Eleven O Clock, House in Just My Name and Keeping It Real are particularly poignant, telling the story of a woman fighting to move on. She starts the album saying that, given the chance, she'd do it all again. In House in Just My Name, she says, " I don't wanna be your casualty / So I'll be on my way / And I will find the new keys to the house in just my name." In the titular track and heart of the album, she ends with a heartbreaking chorus of, "Please don't hold me like that anymore, please don't hold me like that anymore" as her powerful demand for freedom.

Thanks for reading, and here's to a wonderful 2022!

#angelica garcia #music #cha cha palace #hazel english #album recommendation #year end list #list #pop music #jazz #classic pop #georgia weber and the sleeved hearts

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Put me on a pedestal and I'll only disappoint you, Tell me I'm exceptional and I promise to exploit you ✨ Give me all your money And I'll make some origami, honey I think you're a joke but I don't find you very funny ~

I know she says she'll only disappoint, but man Courtney Barnett just keeps delivering some of the best alt-rock lyrics of our time. Song is Pedestrian At Best and well worth a listen.

#courtney barnett #music #song recommendation #song lyrics #lyrics #alt rock

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Song rec for today:

If I'm Smiling (It's Because I'm Thinking About Zac Efron) by Racheal Maria Cox!

Great romantic pop-rock song for wonderful people. If you thought Paramore could make a great pure, wholesome love song, this song is exactly what you've been waiting for. This is one of those songs that just makes me unreasonably happy every time I hear it.

So if you see the grin on my tumblr icon just know that if i'm smiling, it's because i'm thinking about "If I'm Smiling (It's Because I'm Thinking About Zac Efron)".

#music #song recommendation #paramore #racheal maria cox #if im smiling its because im thinking about zac efron #zac efron #music recommendation #pop rock #indie rock

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

I don't think i fully appreciated Carly Simon's You're So Vain until recently. Particularly these lines stand out:

Well you're where you should be all the time And when you're not, you're with some underworld spy Or the wife of a close friend, wife of a close friend

That's a brutal, relationship ending line. And it's sung with such a bright, charming tone. No wonder Carly Simon never revealed who these men were- lyrically, this is written like the prequel to a murder ballad. Combined with her charismatic delivery and a classic chorus for the ages, this really is a masterclass in songwriting.

#carly simon #youre so vain #lyrics #music

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

42 of my current favorite albums, roughly ordered. Can you tell I like Kansas and Carly Rae Jepsen?

#music #albums #best albums #kansas #carly rae jepsen

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

Are you looking for the best way to check out the best music of 2021 but don't know which year-end list is the best? Well, I've got you covered with thoughts-on-music-tm's first annual...

Year End List List!!! The best lists of the best music of this year, and definitely not an excuse for me to put off writing my own! Will be updated as new lists are released. Each title links to its respective list.

1. Mic the Snare's Best Music Of 2021 Awards Video! With categories like "Best Songs that Work Despite Sounding Like JCPenny Commerical Sountracks," "Best Rolled R," and some of the highest quality taste in music this century, this one is worth checking out. The music is varied, and he plays clips of every song, giving both casual music enjoyers and deep-cut afficionados a rewarding and entertaining watch.

2. Mic the Snare's Best Albums TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2021 Video Another banger MicTheSnare video. In this one, he gives a retrospective both on the year and the music that came with it. It's as much a video that honors this year through its music as it is one that celebrates that music. This is a fantastic way to hear great things about great albums, and to get a taste of what those albums sound like. More than any of the other lists on this list, this video will get you excited to check out every album he talks about.

3. NPR's Best Albums and Best Songs lists For a radio show (who listens to radio? old people?), NPR's choices are cutting edge. Thier top ten album's rightfully places jazz legend Pharoah Sanders close by the intimate pop of Lucy Dacus and the lyrically infallible Little Simz. On the song side, their reviews of Remi Wolf's Grumpy Old Man, Olivia Rodirgo's Good 4 U, and Lil Nas X's Montero paint a picture of the diverse future of pop music. They talk about how these songs build off of songs like Misery Business and artists like eternal queen of hyperpop SOPHIE, and how these new songs break barriers and in a way that feels timeless. By both honoring the past and looking to the future, this is a list for the ages.

4. Pitchfork's Best Albums and Best Songs lists Another collection of good music, marred with a few truly inexplicable choices. Why would anyone put Montero below the top ten, and at 62? That's practically a crime. Other songs like Yves Tumor's Jackie and Little Simz's Introvert are too low, but this also comes with the acknowledgement of the greatness that is Snail Mail's Valentine. While I disagree with this list, it's a good list for someone with different taste than me.

5. Rolling Stone's Best Albums and Best Songs lists Rolling stone's website UI is godawful ✨ At least their ranking isn't as bad. Their list focuses on the more pop-ier side of pop, which isn't bad (It's really good music!), but I enjoy year end lists that introduce me to music I missed. And this won't do that unless you've really been living under a rock this past year. (Ever heard of this underground indie artist Taylor Swift? She released this really good ten-minute song!)

#best of 2021 #best music 2021 #year end 2021 #music #albums #best albums #album of the year #song of the year #micthesnare #npr #rolling stone magazine

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

The only two things rolling stone actually gets right is that silk chiffon and all too well are higher than they are on npr's list. both are fantastic and deserve to be ranked highly

another thing, both of them highly rate different songs from Snail Mail's Valentine, but miss out on the title track, which is a masterclass in sad indie rock and one of the best songs of the year.

also the rolling stone website is godawful and i hate it

both NPR (my beloved) and Rolling Stone (my tolerated) have released their best songs of 2021 list.

npr simply has a much better list. from ranking montero at number one (as it should be), to actually including good 4 u (yknow, the song that will go on to define this year), it's clear which one has better taste.

#silk chiffon #all too well ten minute version #music #best of 2021 #best songs #npr radio #rolling stone magazine #ranking

[thoughts-on-music-tm]

both NPR (my beloved) and Rolling Stone (my tolerated) have released their best songs of 2021 list.

npr simply has a much better list. from ranking montero at number one (as it should be), to actually including good 4 u (yknow, the song that will go on to define this year), it's clear which one has better taste.

#welcome to list season #music #npr radio #rolling stone magazine #ranking #best songs #best of 2021