It was a tough year for musicians (and the rest of us), from being unable to tour, record under normal circumstances, or otherwise collect in groups. As much of music-making is a collective pursuit, this year’s list deserves particular respect.
Category Archives: music
Some Musical Favorites from 2020
Ignoreland/Sondland

Further reading:
“Ignoreland” Realized: Trumplandia 2017 by Paul Thomas
ee cummings “Next to of course god america i“
Beware of the Bastards : On Freedom and Choice, radical eyes for equity
Ryley Walker at Hopscotch
Just quickly put together a trippy video of Ryley Walker and Nathan Bowles playing at Kings for Three Lobed’s Hopscotch 10 day party.
(It’s long and may make you feel like you need to sit down.)
Music Favorites from 2017
Out of order list of some of my favorite music releases this year. Not that you asked.
Marvin Pontiac, The Asylum Tapes
Mount Eerie, A Crow Looked At Me
The National, Sleep Well Beast
The Magnetic Fields, 50 Song Memoir
Game Theory, Supercalifragile
Godspeed You! Black Emporer, Luciferian Towers
Planetarium
St. Vincent, MASSEDUCTION
Father John Misty, Pure Comedy
Robyn Hitchcock, Robyn Hitchcock
Sufjan Stevens, Tonya Harding
Cover Quiz
Quick quiz: which of these song covers actually exists?
- A. Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) playing Bill Murray’s lounge singer version of the “Star Wars” theme,
- A 6’8″ clown singing a Vaudeville version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”, or
- A mariachi band that specializes in the songs of Morrisey?
Answer: They are all true. Enjoy.
The Haden Triplets at SXSW
I am slowly posting a few videos I made in South by Southwest this year.
First up are the Haden Triplets performing “Single Girl, Married Girl” at the famous honky-tonk, The Broken Spoke.
Also, performing Bill Monroe’s “Memories of Mother & Dad” a little later in the afternoon at the Third Man Records showcase in an empty warehouse.
My Favorite Albums of 2012
I know the second a commit to write a list I immediately want to change it but sometimes you just have to let these things go.
I’ve included a video from one of the songs from each release because… that’s what we do now. A picture of the album cover just isn’t enough, is it?
(Hmmm. Maybe not so coincidentally, I saw all of these artists perform live during 2012.)
10. Willis Earl Beal – Acousmatic Sorcery
9. Damien Jurado – Maraqopa
8. The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
7. David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant
6. The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know
5. Shearwater – Animal Joy
4. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
3. Menomena – Moms
2. Father John Misty – Fear Fun
1. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
(This last video is somewhat NSFW.)
Max: Oh, yes, I’m a big music lover. Would you believe that I once listened to three weeks of Beethoven? Would you believe it? Three weeks!
Villain: I find that quite hard to believe.
Max: Would you believe (thinks a while) two weeks of Bach?
Villain: I don’t think so.
Max: Would you believe… one hour of Looney Tunes?
EXITMUSIC from SXSW 2012
I’m a little late putting up this video from SXSW back in March of this year. I just bought the current release from EXITMUSIC and remembered that I never posted the video from this awesome and personal performance. So here goes.