I asked some friends what were their favorite music was for this past year: be it the release they've been anticipating or background music that gets them motivated in their studio. These are friends (many I've known half my life) whose work I've always admired. The results gave a transcendent spectrum: from 1970's Nigerian Funk to Drone Noise and everything in between. 2013 was clearly a good year in music.
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1. ERIC SHEA currently fronts Bay Area punk 'n' roll band Hot Lunch and volume-cranking country-rockers Sweet Chariot. He enjoys motorcycles, skateboards and record collecting, but not necessarily in that order. When not putting around the Oakland hills, he likes sipping whiskey and putting the finishing touches on his first book, Living Mod: Berkeley In The 1980s (out mid 2014).
Eric (that's him in the stripey sweater below) turned me on to countless bands and made the raddest mixed tapes while we were house mates in SF. He seriously brings the heavy with Hot Lunch. Watch their video for "She Wants More" which is "kind of a love letter to skating in SF."
top: Hot Lunch photographed by Marcell Turner; middle: artwork available on skateboard decks and other paraphernalia; above: Eric's room growing up and sneak peak photo from "Living Mod: Berkeley In The 1980's"
Here are Eric's four favorite records of 2013:
I'm really proud of these guys. They've made what I believe is the best LP of 2013 and they did it without a singer. Sure, guitarist Isaiah Mitchell sings in his other bands Golden Void and Harderships. But with Earthless, he lets his guitar do the all singing. As instrumental space-rock goes, From The Ages is built like a 1969 Harley Davidson Shovelhead trike. At first you might be blinded by all the chrome and metal-flake, but you really have to kick-start this thing and take a ride to realize that all thee wheels are essential to the voyage. Bass player Mike Eginton puts the roll back in rock 'n' roll and Mario Rubalcaba throttles and rumbles like a finely tuned V-twin. I feel sorry for anyone who hasn't listened to this album yet. hear "Violence of the Red Sea"
Neil Halstead is one of my favorite contemporary songwriters. After his 2012 solo heart-breaker Palindrome Hunches renewed my faith in the cathartic power of sad songs, I heard that he was forming a new band that nodded to his shoegazing roots in Slowdive. Back in the early 1990s Slowdive was easily my favorite band. They had it all - style, songs, harmonies and an innovative approach to driving electric guitar feeedback into the stratosphere. But Stars Are Our Home isn't so much a homecoming as it is a blend of familiar sounds and new ideas. There are moments like in "(I Don't Mean To) Wander" where Neil's howling guitars take me right back to 1992 when I was a Slowdive fanboy with a greasy fringe of man-bob hair and more effect pedals than friends. But the accompaniment of Mark Van Hoen and Nick Holton provide a chemistry that's very different from Slowdive. The textures are more effervescent and the songs aren't hinged to the post-goth romance that made those early Slowdive EP's so beautifully haunting.
I'm just going to admit that I think today's garage-rock scene has become as stale and predictable as heating up those hangover-helper burrito-scraps on a late Sunday morning. But I'm biased - in the late 1980s I got to hear more hard rocking garage bands like The Event, Los Creeple People, The Horseless Headmen and The Morlocks. This was before art-school kids were playing twee-pop through vintage Silvertone gear and calling it garage-rock (if I sound like an old man, that's because I am). So when Ty Segall formed Fuzz and cranked out this amazing self-titled album, I was really curious to hear how he'd make the transition from surfy guitar-pop to hard psych. Then I saw them play at Burgermania in Oakland and I was sold. These recordings are just as powerful as Fuzz's live performances. And the trace elements of Ty's penchant for cranking the spring reverb on old tube amps only makes for a more honest listening experience. Imagine Blue Cheer crashing a Malibu beach-blanket go-go party and you're half way there. hear "Preacher"
Though I absolutely love what they've become (and at the risk of sounding like some insufferable indie snob), I prefer Beachwood Sparks' early material. Admittedly, this stupid opinion of mine is half rooted in nostalgia. Dropping the needle on these early recordings takes me back when my old band Mover played the occasional show with these good dudes in the late 1990s. We'd go back to their place after hours, drink beers, get high and listen to records until the sun came up. Those were some sweet times. But back then the band also boasted Josh "Summertime" Schwartz on lead guitar. He gave them this Neil Young flavored snarl that beautifully balanced their feathery, West Coast, psychedelic twang. And he also gave them songs like the infectiously catchy "Make It Together" and the soaring space-rock serenade "Sweet Julie Ann." Back then they were like the sons of Buffalo Springfield and Spiritualized. To my ears, the real gem of this album is bassist Brent Rademaker's "Time." Lucky for me, there are two versions here. I just wish two things: that they had included the B-side "Windows 69" and that Brent would record a solo album. He's an inspiring songwriter and musician.
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2. LINDA ALDREDGE of Lulu Organics creates homegrown and handmade beauty products. She also designs all the beautiful packaging. Small batch goodness and she's rad to boot.
top: Linda up in her tree house that she and friends built in Upstate New York, photographed by Food + Wine magazine; above left to right: Hair Powder available in 4 dreamy scents, Lavender + Oatmeal Soap, Lip Balm in 2 flavors: Ruby Mint and Cardamom (!)
Song: First Aid Kit - Diamonds + Rust
This year was, personally, very rough for me—life upheavals and the like. This song pretty much sums it all up. Recorded in 2012, I had only discovered it this year. These girls know how to absolutely KILL with a cover.
I've seen Haley perform around three times this year and every time is completely different and every time carves my heart out. She is overflowing with talent. [She will be playing the Austin Psych Fest 2014]
Raising a 12 yr old daughter and learning how to drive at 39 (yes you read right) I have fell in love with top 40 again. FOR REAL. Who knew acid house would be on every god damn station when we were this old? We had to schlep to 3 checkpoints just to hear it back in the day. I'm also just too fucking old to be cool. I just want a dance-y / bouncy jam! Everyone seems to think this song is misogynist I feel the opposite—that man is NOT my mother fucking maker! AMEN.
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3. TREVOR SCHOONMAKER is the Chief Curator and Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. He has curated numerous exhibitions there including Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey (2013), presently on view at the Brooklyn Museum, NY (with a Nasher commissioned video Wangechi created with Santigold); as well as The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl (2010), Christian Marclay: Video Quartet (2009), Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool (2008) and Street Level: Mark Bradford, William Cordova & Robin Rhode (2007). At the Nasher he has worked with musicians such as Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Les Savy Fav, 9th Wonder, Questlove, DJ Rekha, Santigold, Superchunk, Greg Tate, and Randy Weston. In 2001 he co-founded Jump n Funk with DJ Rich Medina, New York’s first Fela-inspired club night. Exhibitions prior to joining the Nasher include The Beautiful Game: Contemporary Art and Fútbol (2006), DTroit (2003), Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (2003) and The Magic City (2000). Schoonmaker is the editor of several exhibition catalogues as well as the book Fela: From West Africa to West Broadway (2003). Most recently, he curated the artwork for Luaka Bop’s (October 2013) LP release of Who is William Onyeabor? with original works by John Akomfrah & Trevor Mathison, Njideka Akunyili, Harrison Haynes, Dave Muller, Odili Donald Odita, and Xaviera Simmons.
Trevor was my first friend when I moved to New York City in 1999. I've been fortunate to experience many of his exhibitions, dance away at Jump n Funk back-in-the day and sit down for a proper southern New Year's Day breakfast with him.
images via Duke University and Trevor Schoonmaker
top: Tuggar Fatimah from The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl, Trevor photographed by Hank Willis Thomas; middle: Wangechi Mutu from "A Fantastic Journey" exhibit; above: Xaviera-Simmon artwork for Who Is William Onyeabor? compilation, cover of Black President, the Art & Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
Music Video: Taiyo Kimura for Superchunk’s “Staying Home”
Show: Janelle Monáe at Ritz, Raleigh, NC
plus her killer video for Q.U.E.E.N.
Album: Who Is William Onyeabor?
Album: Valerie June - Pushin' Against A Stone
Show: Alabama Shakes at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary, NC
Music Video: M.I.A. - Bad Girls
Yeah, it was released in early 2012, but the album only finally made it out in November 2013. The video rocks harder than anything else this year.
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4. GORDON HARRISON HULL is a co-founder of Surface to Air, content creative director at Ralph Lauren, artist, director and husband. Not only is he incredibly talented with every medium, Gordon is also an all-around gentleman.
images courtesy of Gordon Harrison Hull
top: self portrait; middle top: "Random Forms of Flattery", "The Mystery is a Promise to Keep"; middle bottom: Phantoms Revisited, Pt 1; above: "You Are The Tempo" film version created from his original gif here
My favorite tunes of the year run more than just a little on the pop side. I spend most of my time listening to old rocksteady, rockabilly and jazz but whenever something new makes it onto my playlists its always some pop tune. Some are blatantly commercial, some are more indie... doesn't make a difference. If it moves... I'm in. That said, here were my guilty pleasures in no particular order:
Songs:
I'm a sucker for a great commercial pop tune. This one just wouldn't quit. I'm ok on Drake but this song was on massive rotation.
This guy slays. that bass...
Like a futuristically minded Willie Nelson. My wife turned me on to this.
This guy is amazing. This was a demo of some sort that leaked or something... I don't think its had an official release but everything he does is pretty fantastic. Trippy weirdo world pop.
Albums:Yeezus, Cupid Deluxe, Born Sinner, Reflektor, Rival Dealer
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5. CAITLIN MOCIUN has fearlessly and successfully delved into every endeavor with the same beautiful and individualistic sensibility: beginning in 2006 with her clothing and accessories line, then to printed fabrics and fine jewelry, and just last year with her retail shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
I met Caitlin almost 10 years ago when Cal Patch had brought together many like-minded artists, designers and makers whose intention it was (and still is) to support each other in our efforts to be as independent, locally made, ecologically sustainable and socially conscious as possible. I am in love with every collection she has thoughtfully created and curated.
images courtesy of Caitlin Mociun
Song: Still love the Rihanna song Stay – just doesn't seem to tire for me!
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images via Duke University and Trevor Schoonmaker
images courtesy of Caitlin Mociun
